The
PS 50 belong to
Book II of the
book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 poetry books organized by five. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book II comprises the PS 42 the 72 . The
PS 50 is divided into 23 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 50 - The True Sacrifice
1 Psalm. Of Asaf.
The Lord, God of gods, spoke
and summoned the earth, from sunrise to sunset.
2 From Zion, full of beauty,
God manifests himself in splendor.
3 Our God will come and will not remain silent.
In front of you comes a devouring fire
and around you, the immense storm.
4 From on high, God summons the heavens and the earth
to judge his people:
5 "Let those who are faithful to me,
who have made a covenant with me with sacrifice, gather unto me."
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is the judge.
Break
7 "Listen, my people, that I am going to speak,
Israel, I am going to call you to judgment.
I am God, your God.
8 It is not for your sacrifices that I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are always before me.
9 I do not demand the bulls of your house,
nor the goats of your pens.
10 For all the beasts of the woods
and the beasts of the mountains are mine by thousands.
11 I know all the birds of the mountains,
and the beasts of the field are familiar to me.
12 If I were hungry I wouldn't tell you,
because mine is the world and everything that fills it.
13 Will I eat the meat of the bulls
or drink the blood of the goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of praise
and fulfill your promises made to the Most High.
15 Call upon me in the day of tribulation;
I will deliver you and you will glorify me".
16 To the evildoer, however, God says:
"What more does it give you to repeat my precepts so much
if you always carry my covenant in your mouth?
17 For you hate discipline
and throw my words behind your back.
18 When you see a thief, associate with him
and form partnership with adulterers.
19 Your mouth scatters evil,
and your tongue weaves deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your brother
and you defame your own mother's son.
21 Have you done all this and could I be silent?
Did you think I would really be like you?
I will scold you and expose everything before your eyes.
22 Understand this well, you who forget God, lest
I break you in pieces, and there is no one to deliver you.
23 He who offers sacrifices of praise is he who honors me;
and there is the way, by which I will make him see the salvation of God".
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 50 belongs to the genus of the
prophetic exhortation ; it constitutes a kind of homily on the
fulfillment of the law and the covenant . As in other cases of prophetic-wisdom
meditation , this reflection is framed in a liturgical context.
This Psalm also states that it is not the rituals that have the greatest value. What really counts is the
spirit in which these acts are lived. The Psalm recalls the most authentic preaching of the prophets and how faith allows us to live the true word of God.
All peoples will be witnesses to God's judgment and grace, not just the people of Israel.
The
Wisdom Psalms analyze
human behavior ,
ethical choices and their consequences . At the same time, they are a
meditation on what is involved in the religious orientations of life and thought.
These themes appear in Psalm 1; 14; 34; 36; 37; 39; 49; 53; 73; 74. Psalm 119 could be considered a wisdom treatise, in the mold of a long meditation on the law of God.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy.
