The
PS 115 belong to Book V
Book of Ps , which is composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament.
Book V encompasses Psalms 107 to 150 . Psalm 115 is divided into 18 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 115 - God, True and One
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to thy name give glory,
by thy mercy and faithfulness.
2 Because the peoples will ask,
"Where is your God?"
3 Our God is in heaven;
whatever pleases him, he does.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the
work of men's hands:
5 have mouths but do not speak;
they have eyes but don't see;
6 have ears but do not hear;
they have a nose but do not smell;
7 have hands but do not touch;
they have feet, but they don't walk;
and from their throat do not emit any sound.
8 Let those who make them
and everyone who trusts in them be like them.
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord,
for He is help and protection to all.
10 You, house of Aaron, trust in the Lord,
for He is a help and protection for everyone.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord,
for He is a help and protection for everyone.
12 The Lord has remembered us and will bless us, will
bless the house of Israel, will
bless the house of Aaron,
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
the small along with the great.
14 May the Lord add
to you and your children prosperity.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth!
16 The heavens, those are for the Lord,
but the earth, he gave it to human beings.
17 It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
nor those who descend into the world of silence.
18 We are the ones who will praise the Lord,
from now on and forever.
Hallelujah!
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 115 is a collective prayer of confidence. It expresses the concern that God should make known to other peoples the reasons the Israelites feel for trusting in God (Verses 1-8; 9-11).
Particularly striking is the definition of
contrasts between the God of the Hebrews and the other gods , especially in the way of stressing the uselessness of idols (Verses 4-8). Criticism of idols is one of the most important themes in the Bible. Very characteristic of the liturgical setting in which the psalm is framed is also the long section of blessings which occupies verses 12-18.
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.
