Psalm 27 (26):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As St. Basil notes, to better understand the mystery of Divine protection, consider this example: Imagine a person sought by adversaries who finds safety in a hard-to-locate house. Something akin to this experience must have occurred for this saint. Under God's holy covering, he was shielded from being easily captured by foes.

St. Gregory the Theologian reflects on how the great David, in order to veil his painful experiences, expresses: He concealed me in His dwelling during my trials. It serves as a valuable reminder to turn to God and maintain hope amidst adversity. According to St. Cyril, "dwelling" symbolizes the security and stability of a devout life, where one who enters finds protection from destructive desires. Theodoret suggests that David composed this psalm when he approached Abimelech the priest, prayed in God's tabernacle, received the sacred loaves as a blessing, and escaped from the enemy’s grasp. Origen notes that it has been often said that the Tabernacle represents nourishment, while the house signifies completeness. Triumph was accompanied by the stone of perfection, and the word “hid” is fittingly linked to success, as “exalted” corresponds to perfection.

Upon the rock I am lifted up. God assures that He has placed me in safety and security, drawing this imagery from those who, fleeing from pursuers, ascend a towering rock to evade capture.

May the blessing of God the Father protect us, may the light of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shine upon us, and may the love of the Holy Spirit embrace every soul that enters this sanctuary with faith and love for God, with prayers and confidence in Him, with acknowledgment of their frailty and sin, and with the desire for His grace to fulfill His commandments. The true God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of resurrection and life, and the rest for those who have departed in the Lord, through the prayers offered here, may grant completion to their rest and affirm the hope of the blessed resurrection for the souls of those who have passed away in repentance and faith, whose bodies repose around this sanctuary, grounded in the hope of the resurrection.

Given that this sacred space is established upon the site of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, it invites us to consider the cherished tradition of constructing temples of God in burial sites, as well as the practice of interring the faithful within God’s houses. While the temple is not essential for God—whose throne is in heaven and whose presence fills the universe—it serves a purpose for humanity, providing a refuge from the distractions of the world, where the consciousness of God’s presence may fade. Consequently, the location of the temple is determined with profound significance, as are its holy occasions. Humans particularly require the temple of God in times of reverence for glorifying Him as the Most High and Perfect; in times of joy, to express gratitude to God the Creator, Provider, and Redeemer; and in times of sorrow, to lay bare the soul before God, who graciously reveals Himself as the Comforter. As St. David illustrates, while earnestly seeking the Lord to ‘visit His holy temple’ (Ps. 26:4), he cites the reason, ‘because He hid me in His house in the day of my evils, and covered me in the secret of His house’ (Ps. 26:5).

This reflection may stem from a time in David's life when, fleeing from Saul, he found himself in dire circumstances—alone, without defense or sustenance, turning to the tabernacle of God. At that moment, despite the presence of Doeg, who later betrayed David to Saul, he was not harmed, as Abimelech, the high priest, chose to defy the law and provided David with consecrated bread and the sword of Goliath for protection, demonstrating that God rewards the faith and pious trust of individuals who seek refuge in His temple during their darkest hours with unexpectedly favorable circumstances. Whether or not the Psalmist had this specific instance in mind, his yearning to always visit God’s temple and dwell in His house arises from the hope that he was shielded in his village during times of trouble. This illustrates the temple's perpetual role as a refuge for the distressed and sorrowful, a bastion of safety, and a treasury of divine consolation.

Is not death, from a human perspective, the most profound evil? Is not the passing of our loved ones the epitome of sorrow? Therefore, it is beneficial that near the grave, where our well-being, joys, and hopes lie buried with those whom we cherish, there stands a temple of God, where we can bring our deepest grief in search of sweet and certain consolation. Let those who come here to mourn, whether for the recently departed or for someone lost long ago, listen to the compassionate reminder of the Apostle: ‘Brethren, do not grieve for the dead, even as others also who have no hope’ (1 Thess. 4:13).

Let the orphan enter and find solace in the embrace of the ‘Father of the fatherless.’ Let the widow come, filled with hope for unfailing protection, and take refuge in the arms of the ‘Judge of widows’ (Psalm 67:6). Let those who are childless find their little ones embraced by the divine love of the One who declares to parents, as He did to His disciples: ‘Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 19:14). Every soul stricken by the reality of death should enter this sacred space, where the One who died for us and rose again extends hope, and allow their spirits to rise, attentive to the words of resurrection: ‘But if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so also God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus’ (1 Thess. 4:14).

This brief exposition demonstrates how aligned with the temple's purpose is the practice of constructing places of worship over burial sites, as well as the burial of the faithful within temples. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that mere logical or perceived benefits do not suffice for a tradition’s purity and correctness in the Church, which must rest firmly on the immutable truths of Scripture or the apostolic traditions of early Christianity. The customs surrounding the deceased in the Jewish tradition, as prescribed by Mosaic Law, differ significantly from those practiced in the Christian Church. In the Old Testament, contact with the dead rendered one unclean, making burial within the temple grounds an act of defilement.

Why was this practice so in the Old Testament but not in the New? Death was deemed unclean due to Adam’s transgression. However, Christ purified and sanctified death through His own holy death. From the sacrificial body He offered for our salvation and through the divine blood He shed for us, sanctification has been granted to humanity, particularly to those who share in His holy body through baptism and the Eucharist. Thus, for Christians, death can be as pure as life, enabling both the living and the departed to be integrated within the temple of the Lord, for they equally belong to Him. According to the Apostle, ‘No man lives unto himself, and no man dies unto himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's’ (Rom. 14:7-8).

Recognizing our belonging to the One Lord means that while the living gather in the temple, the departed rest nearby, maintaining communion with the Church. Some among them, fully aligned with the Lord, whose ‘death is precious in the sight of the Lord’ (Psalm 115:6)—such as the holy martyrs—have their remains interred directly beneath the altar, while others, through their prayers and grace, dedicate themselves to the altar’s sanctification. The foundation of this tradition can be traced to scripture, as it was said to Moses when constructing the tabernacle, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’ (Hebrews 8:5).

What was revealed to him on the mount? As noted in Scripture, it was ‘the pattern and shadow of heavenly things’ (Heb. 8:5). This principle, essential to the temple should remain unchanged for Christian worship: the temple should mirror heavenly realities as revealed to the worthy seer. Just as Moses beheld the heavenly example for the Old Testament temple, so did John the Theologian witness the heavenly vision for the New Testament temple during his Revelation, noting, ‘I saw under the altar the souls of those slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held’ (Rev. 6:9).

It is not our place to explore the reasons why the souls of the holy martyrs remain veiled under the altar until an appointed time, nor to question their rejoicing, but it suffices to recognize how faithfully the Orthodox Church reflects heavenly archetypes in its visible worship. In heaven’s glorious temple, the souls of martyrs rest beneath the altar; likewise, in the earthly sacramental temple, the relics of saints lie beneath the altar. If it is proper for the bodies of saints to rest under the altar of the holy temple, it is certainly fitting for the bodies of the faithful to rest in proximity to the altar and the temple.

Consider, Christian soul, the sacred and even mysterious significance of the practice of placing the remains of those who have fallen asleep in the Lord within the Lord’s temple. They are worthy of this honor as they themselves are temples of God, members of Christ’s body, and abiding dwellings of the Holy Spirit. Reflect on these truths often and attentively as you inhabit your earthly body. With diligence, purify your being through self-restraint, sanctify it through acts of piety, and adorn it with enduring garments of faith and virtue. Thus, when you depart from this life and your body is laid to rest near the Lord’s sanctuary, may it be received into the divine heritage that is incorruptible and undefiled, kept in heaven. Amen.