This weekend’s responsorial psalm is well-known to those who pray with the Liturgy of the Hours. Psalm 51 (often called the Miserere which translates from Latin as Have Mercy) is offered on Friday mornings and sets the tone for reflecting on the Passion of Christ. Psalm 51 is one of the seven penitential psalms by which we express our sorrow for our sins and ask God for mercy.

The text of the psalm is inspired by an incident in the Old Testament’s Second Book of Samuel. King David commits adultery with Bathsheba and covers it up by ordering the murder of her husband. When confronted by the Prophet Nathan, David does not deny his sins. He does not turn away from God. Instead, he humbles himself by falling to his knees and praying for God’s mercy. The psalm illustrates the profound truth that the Lord will forgive any sin for which we are sorry and beg forgiveness.

Pope Francis says that Psalm 51 expresses humankind’s “true need” for God’s mercy. He says: “The only thing that we truly need in our lives is that of being forgiven, freed from evil and from its consequence of death.” According to the Holy Father, our true need for forgiveness requires not just sorrow for our sins, but also trust in the power of divine mercy. He says: “God is greater than our sin…His love is an ocean in which we can im- merse ourselves without fear of being overcome. For God, forgiving means giving us the certainty that he never abandons us. However our heart may admonish us, God is still and always greater than everything because God is greater than any of our sins (3-13-16).”

God can forgive any sin because God’s mercy can heal any wound caused by any sin. God’s amazing grace can save every wretch, restore sight to the blind, shed light into the darkest corners, and lead every soul to their eternal rest. Like King David, who first sings the Miserere, we are called to trust in God; to trust in God’s boundless love; and to trust in God’s effective mercy as the medicine to heal the wounds that we inflict upon ourselves, our families, friends, and neighbors, and our sick and suffering world.

As Catholics, we are blessed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation which gives God’s mercy form and substance in the prayer of absolution that the priest offers every sincere peni- tent. Within and beyond the confessional, we also can seek God’s forgiveness through prayer and good works. We can offer the Lord’s Prayer and live it by forgiving those who trespass against us. We can humble ourselves by making amends with those we have hurt by our words and actions. We can beg for mercy with penitential prayers like Psalm 51.

Pope Francis says: “When a child falls, what does he do? He raises his hand to mom or dad so they can help him up. Let us do the same! If out of weakness, you fall into sin, raise your hand! The Lord will take it and help you up. This is the dignity of God’s forgiveness! The dignity that God’s forgiveness offers us is that of lifting us up and setting us back on our feet, because he created men and women to stand on our own two feet (3-13- 16).” During Lent and always, let us raise our hands, open our hearts, and cry out: “Have mercy on me, O God, in your kindness. In your compassion, blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin (Psalm 51:1-2).” Amen!

Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com

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Call to Prayer
Psalm 51

Be Merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned!