Psalm 17 (16):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

May the love of the Church be fully realized in the challenging journeys that lead to Your peace. May my steps remain steadfast. May the indicators of my journey, akin to footprints left in the Sacraments and the teachings of the Apostles, remain unshaken to guide those who come after me. Or, at the very least, may I endure in the eternal presence, having navigated the arduous routes and fulfilled my course within the confines of Your way.

This message instructs us to depend not on our own strength, but to be grounded in the Lord. The 'ways' of God involve adhering to His commandments.

I earnestly request that I do not alter my purpose, which can be achieved with your assistance. The Prophet referred to a steadfast intention as a determined action.

I shall not allow my steps to be shaken in Your ways. In this instance, the prophet is referring to the feet as symbols of our mental movements; in another sense, he speaks of our physical actions. Thus, he implores, O Lord, perfect and align my thoughts with Your commandments, guiding those who follow them toward You. When our thoughts align perfectly, our actions will stay true to the proper path. Alternatively, he seeks the perfection of his steps, meaning all his deeds, as he walks in Your ways, those paths You have laid out through Your commandments for those who long to approach You, that they may remain steadfast in their trials, even if You temporarily withhold Your aid in their endeavors. For You, O God, are the wellspring of our true understanding.

The Hidden Sustainer We are fully aware that achieving perfection is beyond our reach, achieved neither through relentless pursuit of every virtue nor through hard work or enthusiasm. Human effort alone cannot earn us the reward of such divine glory; it is only through the Lord's assistance and guidance of our hearts towards righteousness that we can hope to attain it. Thus, we should consistently echo the prayer of David: Establish my steps in Your ways, so that my steps do not slip, and also: Lead me to a rock that is higher than I (Ps 39:3), so that our free will, often swayed by ignorance of goodness and the enticement of sinful desires, may be directed towards the love of virtue by this unseen Sustainer of the human spirit.

The ways of Your commandments represent the genuine paths of righteousness. By faithfully adhering to these ways, we will ultimately reach the eternal reward of our Heavenly Father.

Acknowledging that his perseverance in the journey of righteousness is not achieved by his own efforts but through divine assistance, he implores God to sustain and fulfill this noble work. "Establish my feet in Thy paths" signifies his plea to be grounded and reinforced in the way of salvation, ensuring he does not wander away if he is left to his own devices. In the Hebrew text, this concept is expressed through an analogy of a slippery path; "support my feet, lest they fall." The frailty of the flesh and the treachery of the world render the course of human existence exceedingly unstable, causing many to stumble along the way.

Christ's prayer to God the Father was for the apostles of the saints, who walk in the ways of Christ, and for those who adhere to His divine commandments, that they may be courageous and complete in their deeds.