The
PS 71 belong to
Book II of the
book of PS 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 II comprises the PS 42 the 72 . The
PS 71 is divided into 24 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 71 - An Elder's Supplication to God
1 In you, Lord, I take refuge.
May I never be confused again.
2 By your righteousness deliver me and protect me;
bend your ear to me and save me.
3 Be for me a rock of refuge,
where I can always be welcomed.
You decided to save me,
for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, deliver me from the hand of the evildoer,
from the grip of the oppressor and the violent.
5 Lord, You are my hope;
You are my trust from youth, O Lord.
6 On you I support myself from the womb,
from my mother's bosom You are my protector;
my praise always goes to you.
7 To many I am a cause for wonder,
because You are my safe haven.
8 My mouth is full of your praises;
every day I proclaim your magnificence.
9 Do not reject me in old age,
do not abandon me when my strength is exhausted.
10 My enemies speak against me,
and those who spy on my life conspire among themselves.
11 They say, "God has forsaken him.
Chase him and seize him,
for there is no one to save him."
12 O God, do not depart from me!
My God, come quickly to help me.
13 Let
those who attempt on my life be confounded and destroyed.
Cover yourselves with reproach and shame
those who seek my misfortune.
14 But I will wait continually
and will proclaim your praise even more.
15 My mouth will declare your righteousness
and your salvation all day long,
even without knowing how to count them.
16 I will enter into your strongholds, O Lord,
and I will remember, Lord, your righteousness, which is yours alone.
17 You have instructed me, O God, from my youth,
and to this day I have preached your wonders.
18 Also now, in old age and with white hair,
do not forsake me, O God,
while I announce your strength to this generation
and to all who are entering your strongholds.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches up to the heights,
for you have done great things.
Who is like you, O God?
20 You made me go through great afflictions and afflictions;
but you will give me life again
and from the depths of the earth you will lift me up again.
21 You will add to my dignity by
drawing near to comfort me.
22 Therefore I want to praise you to the sound of the harp, to
praise your faithfulness, O my God.
I want to sing you to the sound of the sitar,
O saint of Israel.
23 As I sing You hymns, my lips will vibrate with joy
and also my soul that You have rescued.
24 My tongue shall recite thy righteousness all day long, for
they were confounded and filled with shame
that sought my disgrace.
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 71 is a
single prayer of petition that describes the situation of someone who is subjected to painful
persecution , but reaffirms his entire
trust in God .
Perhaps because of the Psalmist's
confidence in the presence and protection of God, this prayer does not speak of the attacks against enemies that are usually found in texts of this kind.
The psalmist's image is that of a
godly elder (Verses 9 and 18), whose life unfolded in the performance of his
religious duties . The
reference to old age may apply to the Psalmist but also to an aging Israel. Prophets and biblical texts often use these age categories as an expression of the
historical accumulation of hopes ,
disappointments and
experiences .
The
Psalms of Supplication are very present in the Book of Psalms. They speak of human frailty and the most basic feelings of your mortal condition. Times of peace and plenty
contrast with war and individual or community destruction. The Psalmist pleads for
God's help and asks him to
end his situation of affliction , ending with the
certainty of having been heard .
In spiritual practice, the supplication and request to God reflects a lot the meaning of
prayer, being the privileged way to establish contact and
raise the voice to the Divine. In numerous Psalms, supplication seems to be the most immediate motivation and the greatest concern. When turning to God, the speaker / Psalmist finds tenderness, justice, compassion, reconciliation, purification, in short, peace itself.
The
narratives and
feelings involved in these prayers are varied and basic; affect Humanity over the millennia, and are still current today. They reflect
multiple interior , individual and collective experiences, and the relationship between people and peoples. They address topics such as the deadly threat of disease, persecution, aging, violence, war, betrayal, loneliness, enemy aggression and how these feelings alter
consciousness we have of ourselves, of our relationship with others and with God.
Situations that prompt supplication can be
bitter and
desperate , but the Psalms generally express a
state of mind of trust and end in
thanksgiving . The Psalmist cries out to God for his help and forgiveness in a profound expression of limitless
trust in divine compassion and justice. Even the cry of the Psalmist is already a fighting speech, change will, of inner transformation, confidence and hope for a
free future evil, the
suffering and the
wicked .
The
Psalms of Supplication they are classified as individual supplication and collective supplication. Those of
Individual Supplication comprise Psalm 3; 5-7; 13; 17; 22; 26; 27; 28; 31; 35; 39; 42-43; 51; 54-57; 59; 61; 63; 64; 69-71; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140-143. and those of
Collective Supplication Ps 12; 44; 58; 60; 74; 80; 83; 85; 90; 94; 108; 123; 127.
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 with 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.
