THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
In this Psalm, we learn that when we proclaim Hallelujah, meaning "Praise the Lord," we are called to exalt the Lord when we hear the words, "I love the Lord" (Psalm 116:1). Our praise for God can be summarized in the simple phrase: "For He is good." The gravity of this succinctness is profound, for goodness is a unique attribute of God. When the Son of God was addressed as the Good Teacher by someone who only perceived His humanity, He replied, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, that is, God" (Mark 10:17-18). This suggests that to acknowledge His goodness is to recognize Him as God. Since this revelation speaks to a future people liberated from toil and the presence of evil, it emphasizes the grace of God, who not only refrains from repaying evil with evil but instead rewards it with goodness. Therefore, we add, “For His mercy endures forever.”
Let Israel now declare that He is good, for His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 116:2). Let the house of Aaron acknowledge that His mercy is eternal (Psalm 116:3). And let all who revere the Lord confess that His mercy lasts indefinitely (Psalm 116:4). Beloved, you likely recall who the house of Israel is and who the house of Aaron represents; these encompass both the great and the humble, joyfully referenced in another psalm. Together, we should rejoice in being united through His grace, who is good and whose mercy lasts forever. They have previously been heard saying, "May the Lord bless you abundantly, you and your children," for the aim is that among the Israelites who believe in Christ, of whom the apostles were part, an army of Gentiles might join, glorifying the perfect and yielding to the obedience of the little ones. In this unity under Christ, we become one flock under one Shepherd, and the body of that Head may affirm, "I called on the Lord in my distress; He answered me" (Psalm 116:5). Though our trials may be great, the path we tread is boundless. Who can bring accusations against God's chosen ones? (Romans 8:33).
The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what mortals do to me (Psalm 116:6). Yet, are humans the only adversaries the Church faces? What are mortals but flesh and blood? The apostle reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Hence, the Lord is my helper; I will disregard my foes (Psalm 116:7). Regardless of their origin, whether from among wicked individuals or malevolent spirits, with the Lord's aid, to whom we sing praises, we shall dismiss them.
When my adversaries are rejected, let not my friend present himself to me as a trustworthy man, urging me to place my trust in him; it is better to trust in the Lord than in man (Psalm 116:8). Similarly, I should not regard one referred to as a good angel as a source of trust: for no one is good but God alone (Mark 10:18). When a man or an angel comes to our aid out of genuine love, it is ultimately God who has endowed them with goodness. Thus, it is better to rely on the Lord than on the mighty (Psalm 116:9). Even angels hold titles of authority, as seen in Daniel where it mentions, "Michael, your prince" (Daniel 12:1).
All nations encircled me, but in the name of the Lord, I triumph over them (Psalm 117:10). Though I felt surrounded on all sides, I avenged them in the name of the Lord (Psalm 117:11). This illustrates the labor and victory of the Church; when asked how she overcame such great evil, she recalls her initial experience and acknowledges that those who assailed her are not merely represented as "all nations" because it was chiefly the Jews who acted against her. Those of the same faith, the Body of Christ, endured suffering at the hands of those whose flesh He assumed in the incarnation, ultimately falling victim to the cross.
They attacked me like bees swarm a hive and consumed like fire among thorns, yet in the name of the Lord, I avenged myself (Psalm 117:12). This imagery aligns with the sequence of events. Just as bees surround their hive, the Lord, the Head of the Church, was encircled by persecutors. The Holy Spirit, with mystical insight, reveals that while the persecutors did not comprehend their actions, they paradoxically made Him sweeter through His Passion, allowing us to savor the goodness of the Lord who suffered for our transgressions and rose again for our justification (Romans 4:25). The burning of thorns may symbolize the Body of Christ, gathered from various nations, which consumed this sinful flesh and the anguishing trials of this mortal existence in the flames of persecution. The vengeance is either because that evil nature fell away, integrating itself with the community of Christ, or that those who disregard His mercy now will ultimately face their Judge with the truth of their deeds.
I stumbled like a pile of sand, but the Lord supported me (Psalm 117:13). While a multitude may represent believers, they can be likened to countless pieces of sand, yet all unified under the faith's fellowship. However, what is man that You are mindful of him? It is not stated that the multitude of Gentiles could surpass my believers’ host; rather, it is declared that the Lord upholds me. The trials from the Gentiles have not caused the downfall of the united body of believers.
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation (Psalm 116:14). Who falters in darkness, if not those who choose to be their own strength and boast? No one stumbles except the one whose hope fails. Therefore, he who takes refuge in the Lord will not fall, just as the Lord remains steadfast. This is why He became their salvation—not because He transformed into something He was not before, but because those who turned to Him became what they had never been, finding salvation in Him when they redirected their hearts.
The celebration of joy and salvation resonates in the homes of the righteous (Psalm 117:15), where those who opposed them believed they had unleashed despair. They failed to grasp the profound joy found in the hearts of the saints, grounded in their future hope. Thus, the apostle states, "I grieve, yet I rejoice always" (2 Corinthians 6:10), and similarly, "We rejoice in our sufferings" (Romans 5:3).
The right hand of the Lord performs mighty deeds (Psalm 117:16). What wonders might these be? He affirms, the right hand of the Lord has lifted me up. There are tremendous acts—exalting the lowly, granting divinity to mortals, generating strength from weaknesses, bringing forth glory from humiliation, and victory from tribulation. These marvelous acts reveal true salvation to the afflicted while rendering the salvation of the unyielding ineffectual. These are remarkable works; but why do you marvel? Hear the repetition: the right hand of the Lord has indeed performed great wonders.
I shall not perish, but live, and declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 117:17). While adversaries sow desolation and death, they believed they could annihilate the Church of Christ. Yet, behold, the proclaiming one now speaks of the Lord's marvelous deeds. Christ, despite facing defeat, triumphed over those who persecuted Him, graciously enduring torment, and loving those who rebelled against Him.
Yet, let us inquire why the Body of Christ, the Holy Church, and the chosen people have endured such humiliations. The Lord chastised and corrected me, but He did not allow me to perish (Psalm 116:18). The arrogant wicked should not presume their authority is legitimate; it is only sustained by divine allowance. A father may instruct his children to be disciplined by the most inconsequential servants, yet he secures an inheritance for his sons and limits the others. What is this inheritance? Is it material wealth? Observe how we enter into it and comprehend its essence.
"Open to me the gates of righteousness" (Psalm 117:19). We recognize there is a gate, and what lies beyond? He desires to enter and offers thanksgiving to the Lord. This expression of gratitude and wonder is to be found in the sacred house of God, filled with joy, and embodies the everlasting blessing for those who dwell in the presence of the Lord, praising Him eternally.
However, consider how they pass through the gates of righteousness. "This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter therein" (Psalm 116:20). Let no wicked person enter the Jerusalem that welcomes no unclean soul, for it is said, "Outside are the dogs" (Revelation 22:15). Even though I traversed through the tents of Kidar, enduring the company of the unrighteous to the very end, this is the divine gate: the righteous will enter.
I give thanks to You, O Lord, for You have heard me and become my salvation (Psalm 116:21). How often does the acknowledgment of someone who does not present his wounds to the doctor but instead exclaims gratitude for healing prove praiseworthy? Yet the Physician Himself is Salvation.
But who is He of whom we speak? The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Psalm 116:22). This He accomplished to unify both groups into one new man, establishing peace and reconciling them to God in one body (Ephesians 2:15-16), whether the circumcised or uncircumcised.
The Lord has made it so (Psalm 117:23); that is, the Lord designated Him as the keystone. Though He would not have attained this without first suffering, it was not through those who caused His suffering that He was exalted. The builders turned Him away, but within the hidden structure God established, He became the rejected cornerstone. This is indeed marvelous in our sight; it captivates the inward person, the believer, the hopeful, and the loving—not those who, with carnal minds, dismissed Him as mere flesh.
"This is the day which the Lord has made" (Psalm 117:24). This son reflects on the previous psalms, stating, "Since He inclined His ear to me, I will call upon Him all my days." Now he exclaims, "This is the day the Lord has made," the day of His salvation. It ties to that favorable time when He said, "In an acceptable time, I heard you" and "In the day of salvation, I helped you" (Isaiah 49:8), the day when He, our Mediator, became the cornerstone. Let us rejoice and be glad in Him.
"Save me, O Lord; prosper my way, O Lord" (Psalm 116:25). Since it is the day of salvation, save me: for we return from a long journey, distanced from those who despise the world, those with whom we once shared peace. Now, having spoken to them, they have unprovoked declared war upon us; prosper us in our return, for You have become our Path.
"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" (Psalm 117:26). Cursed is the one who presents himself in his own name, as it states in the Gospel, "If another comes in his own name, you will receive him" (John 5:43). We have blessed you from the house of God. I believe these words reflect the communication from the great to the humble, those great ones who, in spirit, connect with God the Word, momentarily speaking for the sake of the smaller ones so they might sincerely express what the apostle wrote: "Whether we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or whether we are of sound mind, it is for your sake." (2 Corinthians 5:13-14). They bless the children from the inner sanctum of the Lord, wherein this eternal praise is unceasing; thus, consider what they declare from there.