In this Psalm, we learn that when we utter Hallelujah, signifying 'Praise the Lord,’ we are called to lift our voices in worship upon hearing the command, “Confess to the Lord” (Psalm 116:1). Our adoration for God can be succinctly summed up with the phrase: ‘For He is good.’ Such brevity carries profound significance because goodness is a defining attribute of God. The Son of God Himself responded to someone who called Him the Good Teacher — a title given by one who only perceived His human nature — by asking, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:17-18). This implies that acknowledging Him as good necessitates recognizing Him as God. Addressed to a redeemed people freed from toil and the wicked, this message is one of grace from God, who neither commits evil nor repays evil with evil but grants goodness in place of wrongs. It is fitting to add, ‘Because His mercy endures forever.’
Let Israel now declare His goodness, affirming that His mercy is eternal (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron also proclaim His enduring mercy (Psalm 116:3). Indeed, let all who revere the Lord acknowledge that His mercy lasts forever (Psalm 116:4). Beloved, you are familiar with the assembly of Israel and the lineage of Aaron, all of whom honor the Lord. These represent both the great and the small, already celebrated together in the heart. We all join in rejoicing in His grace, for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting. They were heard proclaiming: “The Lord may multiply you greatly, you and your children,” so that to the Israelites believing in Christ, the apostles being part of that lineage, an expansive gathering of Gentiles could be added for the upliftment of the perfect and the submission of the little ones. Thus, we, united in Christ, can become one flock led by one Shepherd, as the body of that Head can declare, “I called upon the Lord in trouble, and the Lord heard me” (Psalm 116:5). Our afflictions may be constrained, yet the broad path we traverse is endless. Who can bring any charge against God's chosen ones? (Romans 8:33)
The Lord is my aid; I will not fear human actions against me (Psalm 116:6). Yet are humans the sole adversaries of the Church? What is a man devoted to bodily existence but mere flesh? The apostle reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12), meaning the devil and his forces. Consider this: The Lord is my support; therefore, I will dismiss my foes (Psalm 116:7). No matter their origin, whether from wicked people or malevolent angels, with the Lord’s aid, to whom we attribute our praises and offer Hallelujah, they shall be disregarded.
However, should my enemies be treated lightly, let not my friend present himself as virtuous, encouraging me to place my trust in him, for “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Psalm 116:8). And let me not regard any creature that might seemingly be likened to a good angel, as one upon whom I can depend; for no one is good except God alone (Mark 10:18). Even when a person or angel comes to assist us through genuine love, it is ultimately through God, who enables them to reflect goodness according to His design. Hence, it is wiser to trust in the Lord than in princes (Psalm 116:9). Even angels are referred to as princes, as we see in Daniel: “Michael, your prince” (Daniel 12:1).
All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord, I cut them off (Psalm 117:10). I was encircled on all sides, I say, but in the name of the Lord, I destroyed them (Psalm 117:11). This symbolizes the struggles and the victories of the Church. Yet, if one wonders how she could triumph over such great evil, it is wise to reflect on her initial encounter and declare what she perceived first in her spirit, emphasizing: “They pressed on me from all sides.” It is notable that “all nations” is not restated here, as the Jews alone enacted this. The same religious community, embodying Christ’s body and for whose sake the divine truth took on mortal form, faced persecution, akin to the flesh burdening itself on the cross.
They swarmed me like bees around a hive, devouring like fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord, I destroyed them (Psalm 117:12). Here, the sequence of words aligns with the unfolding events. Our Lord, the Head of the Church, was besieged by persecutors as bees gather around a hive. The Holy Spirit conveys the deep meanings of actions taken by those ignorant of their implications. While bees produce honey in the hive, the persecutors unintentionally sweetened His Passion for us, allowing us to savor how delightful is the Lord who bore our sins and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). More profoundly, the fire consuming thorns conveys the plight of His Body — the scattered faithful from all nations, who absorbed the painful consequences of their sinful life amid persecution. Their revenge upon the oppressive ones may be understood as either the downfall of their own evil or as a future reckoning for those who have neglected the mercy of the One who called them.
I was thrust away like chaff, thus I fell, yet the Lord upheld me (Psalm 117:13). Though a multitude of believers may seem like countless grains of sand gathered in a heap, what is humanity, that You should take thought of them? He did not proclaim, “The host of the Gentiles cannot outnumber my own,” but states instead, “The Lord upheld me.” The assault from the Gentiles did not lead to the demise of the faithful communal body united in faith.
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my deliverance (Psalm 116:14). Who falls due to external pressure but those who rely on their own might? For failure in competition befalls one whose strength yields. Thus, the one whose foundation is the Lord stands, just as He remained … and in this manner, He became their Salvation; not by changing what He was but by enabling them, upon believing in Him, to transform into something they were not previously. He became their Salvation when they turned toward Him, who had been apart from them.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation is found in the abodes of the righteous (Psalm 117:15); where those who persecuted their bodies presumed there would be lamentation and ruin, ignorant of the inner joy the saints possess in their steadfast hope. As the apostle states, “I am sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10), and similarly, “We rejoice in our tribulations” (Romans 5:3).
The right hand of the Lord accomplishes great deeds (Psalm 117:16). What great deeds, you may ask? He answers, “The right hand of the Lord has exalted me.” Remarkable wonders include lifting the humble, glorifying the mortal, transforming weakness into strength, exalting the subdued to glory, turning suffering into triumph — showcasing divine aid and rekindling hope, revealing God’s true salvation for those who endure, while leaving those who oppress unredeemed. These are the mighty works of the Lord: but why marvel? Pay attention to what he reiterates: the right hand of the Lord has performed wondrous acts.
I shall not perish, but live, to declare the deeds of the Lord (Psalm 117:17). Yet those sowing destruction and death around believed the Church of Christ was perishing. Look, now he proclaims the works of the Lord. Throughout every trial, Christ's glory shines through the blessed martyrs. Overcome in apparent defeat, He triumphed over those who wronged Him; patiently enduring the violence inflicted upon Him while embracing even His enemies.
But let us inquire why the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, the people of God’s grace, experience such degradation. The Lord has chastened and corrected me, but not given me over to death (Psalm 116:18). Let not the arrogant wicked presume to possess authority: they would have none were it not granted from a higher power. A father may command his sons to be chastised by lesser servants; still, he gives an inheritance to the former while constraining the latter. What, then, is that inheritance? Is it gold, silver, jewels, or fine lands? Let us see how we enter into this inheritance and discern its essence.
“Open to me the gates of righteousness,” he implores (Psalm 117:19). We have heard of a gate; what lies beyond? “That I may enter and give thanks to the Lord.” Here we find a profound acknowledgment of praise, filled with awe, as we approach God’s house in joyful song, a confession of gratitude among the celebrants. This represents the eternal blessedness of the righteous, where those residing in the Lord’s house are blessed, praising Him forevermore.
Contemplate how they access the gates of righteousness. “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it” (Psalm 116:20). Let no wicked individual enter into that Jerusalem which receives no unclean person, where it is said, “Outside are the dogs” (Revelation 22:15). It is sufficient that I endured the company of the ungodly and wandered among the tents of Kidar; yet this gate of the Lord is where the righteous shall come.
I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have heard me and become my salvation (Psalm 116:21). The thanksgiving from one who reveals his wounds to the healer showcases the worth of sincere gratitude for the healing received. Yet the Physician Himself is Salvation.
Who is this stone we speak of? The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone (Psalm 116:22), unifying the divided to create one new humanity in Himself, thus restoring peace and reconciling both to God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16), the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
“The Lord has made it happen” (Psalm 117:23) — the Lord appointed Him as the cornerstone. Although He would not have taken this position without suffering, it was not those who inflicted pain upon Him that elevated Him. Though rejected by the builders, He became the cornerstone in the Church that the Lord raised up discreetly. Marvelous is this in our sight: viewed by the inner being of those who believe, hope, and love, not through the physical eyes of those who disdainfully dismissed Him as merely human.
“This is the day that the Lord has made” (Psalm 117:24). The psalmist recalls his prior pronouncement: “Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call upon Him as long as I live,” referring back to his ancient days. He now declares, “This is the day the Lord has made,” signifying the occasion of salvation granted to him, the day about which it was said, “In a favorable time I have listened to you, and in the day of salvation, I have helped you” (Isaiah 49:8). This is the day in which the Mediator became the chief cornerstone. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
“Save me, O Lord; prosper me in my way, O Lord” (Psalm 116:25). It is the day of Salvation; therefore, I seek Your aid. As we return from our long journey, we are distanced from those who cherished worldly pursuits, with whom we were once at peace, but who have turned against us without cause. Prosper our path homeward, since You are our Way.
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 117:26). Cursed is he who approaches in his own name, as stated in the Gospel: “If another comes in his own name, him you will accept” (John 5:43). We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. These words reflect those of the great toward the small, namely, those who elevate themselves spiritually communicate with the Word of God, while moderating their speech for the little ones, enabling them to resonate with the words of the apostle: “For whether we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or whether we are sober-minded, it is for your sake” (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). They bless the children within the inner sanctuary of the Lord, where this praise endures from age to age; thus, contemplate the proclamation from that sacred place.
THEOSIS