The
earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell
therein; for he has founded it
upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who
does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive
blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who
seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah].
Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the
King of glory may come in. Who is the
King of glory? The Lord, strong and
mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift
up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of
glory may come in. Who is this King of
glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King
of glory! Selah.[1]
This is
another of those passages that I would normally just skim over and not give
much thought to due to the fact that I already believed that God created
all. As far as I understood it, this was
just stating what I already believed. God
created the earth; therefore, all of creation and those who dwelt upon the
earth belonged to him. I already
believed that, so just move on, right?
No. The next sentence must make
us pause. It appears that a “but” must
be implied, which means that there is more than meets the eye. If the “but” is not to be implied, then the
psalmist must be speaking of something else.
When we just but scratch the surface, this psalm becomes enlightening
and purposeful. Therefore, let’s “dive”
into it.
After some
research, we find that Psalm 24 is a processional hymn, written by King David,
perhaps to celebrate the bringing of the Ark to Mt. Sion (2 Kg 6).[2] On the other hand, it is also prophetic, as
related by St. Augustine: “A Psalm of David himself, touching the glorifying
and resurrection of the Lord, which took place early in the morning on the
first day of the week, which is now called the Lord’s Day.”[3] It is this that is most beneficial to
us. It gives us an understanding of what
God is doing in us, for us. If this
concerns our Lord’s Resurrection, then the “earth” must refer to that portion
of mankind that is not rebelling against him—although they are still under his
judgment because all of creation is subject to its Creator. Nonetheless, this is a psalm of hope for
those eager to be transformed into the image of its Creator.
St. Thomas
Aquinas informs us: “…All the days of the week are called ‘sabbath’ days, as
the Lord's day is called ‘the first day of the sabbath:’ Matthew 28, ‘And in
the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the
week...’ And, from that time forward,
every day of the week has been called the sabbath: Luke 18, ‘I fast twice in a
week (sabbato).’ …Three things were done
on this day: namely, the creation of the world, the production of light, and
the resurrection of Christ, as (the latter) is related in the Gospel of Matthew
28…. The earth (refers to) the church,
which is good earth that yields much fruit.”[4] Therefore, creation, light, and the
Resurrection all relate to life in Christ.
This is the new creation that takes place after our Lord’s Passion and
Resurrection. Since the Church is the
present new earth, that which is going to be placed in her must also be a new
creation: us. Jesus did not die in order
that we may continue in our sins without punishment; he died in order to change
us into a new creation. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has
Our Lord
related to St. Bridget of Sweden: “[My Church’s] foundation has now been
undermined because everybody believes and preaches that I am merciful but
almost nobody believes me to be a just judge. They think of me as a wicked judge. A judge would indeed be wicked if, out of
mercy, he let the wicked go unpunished so that they could further oppress the
righteous. I, however, am a just and
merciful judge and will not let even the least sin go unpunished nor the least
good go unrewarded. By the undermining
of this wall, there entered into the Holy Church people who sin without fear,
who deny that I am just and who torment my friends as much as if they had
clapped them in stocks. No joy or
consolation is given to these friends of mine. Instead, they are punished and reviled as much
as if they were diabolically possessed. When
they tell the truth about me, they are silenced and get accused of lying. They (God’s
children) thirst with a passion to hear or speak the truth, but there is no one
who listens to them or speaks the truth to them.”[7] These persecutors of the Church are also of
the Baptized, those professing to be Christians. This proves that we are not yet set fully
free.
Aquinas
continues: “The earth's fullness (refers to) the fullness of the church's gifts
or graces… The world is said to be of
God, namely (as) our earthly dwelling place. And all they that dwell therein, namely all
its inhabitants; Psalm 9: "He shall judge the world in equity, and the
people in justice" (Isaiah 45): ‘Not in vain have I created it’—namely,
the earth--"I formed it to be inhabited’.”[8] The Church is the new earth, which presently
co-exists with the world. We can
consciously recall this when we go to Mass.
As we enter our parish, we are entering the new earth, in which exists
all the graces of God. We are “home.” We desire that God judge our sins, removing
them from us and, then, pour out his mercy upon us by changing our hearts into
one that desires to please him.
St. Thomas
goes further to state: “Again, by earth (as sphere) is designated the church
and all that dwell in it, namely the faithful. And we are all of Christ: and whether we live
or die, we are of the Lord, as the Apostle says at Romans 14.”[9] In this, we see that, upon his Resurrection,
mankind can be a new creation. For
those, every day is a sabbath, in which we rest in Christ, although this rest
is not idleness. Our salvation rests in
Christ. God had closed the entrance to
the “earth.” Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us,
knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the
tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him forth
from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man; and at the east of the
garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to guard the way to the tree of life.[10] As a result of our Lord’s Passion and
Resurrection, God has commanded the cherubim to allow us to enter.
The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness
thereof, the world and those who dwell therein; for he has founded it upon the
seas, and established it upon the rivers.
The Church is created from the side of our Lord being pierced, while
on the cross. The “fullness thereof” is
the baptized. As it was necessary for
our Lord to endure persecution in order to save us, it is also necessary for
the Body to also be persecuted. Where
the Head goes, the Body must follow. From
Tertullian, we learn: “God, indeed, consummated all His works in a due order. At first, He paled them out, as it were, in
their unformed elements; and then He arranged them in their finished beauty. For He did not all at once inundate light with
the splendor of the sun, nor all at once temper darkness with the moon’s
assuaging ray. The heaven He did not all
at once bedeck with constellations and stars, nor did He at once fill the seas
with their teeming monsters. The earth
itself He did not endow with its varied fruitfulness all at once; but, at first,
He bestowed upon it being, and then He filled it, that it might not be made in [void].
For thus says Isaiah: ‘He created it not
in vain; He formed it to be inhabited’ (Is 45:18). Therefore, after it was made and while
awaiting its perfect state, it was ‘without form, and void’—'void’ indeed, from
the very fact that it was without form (as being not yet perfect to the sight,
and at the same time unfurnished as yet with its other qualities); and ‘without
form,’ because it was still covered with waters, as if with the rampart of its
fecundating”—that is, impregnating—'moisture, by which is produced our flesh,
in a form allied with its own’.”[11] This is what is transpiring in us in this
lifetime. “God has thus prepared the
earth to be the habitation of man.”[12] The Church is the Body of Christ, which will
become his perfect likeness. It is this
likeness which will be the habitation of humanity.
Man was
made from the dust of the ground;[13]
therefore, our flesh is earth, our habitation.
Not only are we awaiting new bodies, we are also awaiting a new
earth. St. Peter tells us: But according to his promise, we wait for new
In Baptism,
we become a new creation. We are
baptized into Christ and his Body, the Church.
Therein, we become part of another “procession,” a journey to being as
Christ is, i.e. heaven. Tertullian tells
us that the earth, “after it was made and while awaiting its perfect state, it
was ‘without form, and void.” In the
mind of God, it was already perfected; however, he prepared it gradually. This applies to us in Baptism. In Baptism, we are born again—perfect. Now, he is “preparing” us, making us grow,
making us more and more visible as an image of his Son. It is slow because he is working with our
wills and the concupiscence that remains in us.
The Ark did not miraculously appear in Jerusalem; it went in a
procession, a journey. Also, the Church
is, too, on this journey. This is what
St. Paul is telling us. For the creation waits with eager longing
for the revealing of the sons of God.
Today, we look at what is going on in the Church, and we know that it is
not perfect yet; nevertheless, we know that it is being perfected. We know this because it is the Lord who makes
our sins come to light, in order that we may repent and be forgiven. This revealing of sins is the “fire” from the
Holy Spirit, bringing the dross to the top in order that it can be
removed. This proves that the Lord is
working in the Church and in us, purifying us.
As our Lord tells St. Bridget: “…Although I love you with all my heart,
still I do not act against justice, not even in a single detail. Just as you have sinned in all your limbs, you
must also make satisfaction in every limb. However, because of your good will and your
resolution to improve, I commute your sentence to one of mercy and remit the
heavier punishment in return for a small amount of reparation. For this reason, embrace your small hardships
cheerfully so that you can be cleansed and reach your great reward all the
sooner!”[18].
St.
Augustine elucidates: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: the
compass of the world and all they that dwell therein when the Lord, being glorified,
is announced for the believing of all nations, and the whole compass of the
world becomes His Church.”[19] In this, he is referring to the baptized,
those who place their trust and hope in him, turning from the world’s ways to our
Lord’s will: the Body of Christ, the Church.
It is the Church which is comprised of those who are yearning to please
God. It is no longer: “This is a sin; I
can’t do.” It is now that we are a
re-creation of God, in his holiness, in his divinity; and we yearn for the day
in which we become in totality what he has accomplished in Baptism.
We see this
in the continuation of Augustine’s words: “‘He has founded it above the seas.’”
He has most firmly established it above
all the waves of this world, that they (sins) should be subdued by it and (sins)
should not hurt it.”[20] Although still in the world, the world—the
world being comprised of sinful humanity which loves its sinfulness and insists
upon it--shall not subdue the Church, nor shall the world hurt it. However, in the end, we will, by the grace
and strength of God, subdue the sin in us and the sin of the world. God allows the world to persecute the Church
in order that the Church will overcome and be purified. The dross must be brought to the top by
“fire” and then removed. We see this
also in the teaching of Augustine: “‘And hath prepared it above the rivers’
(ver. 2). The rivers flow into the sea,
and men of lust lapse into the world: these also, the Church--which, when
worldly lusts have been conquered by the grace of God, has been prepared by
love for the reception of immortality--subdues.”[21]
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in
his holy place? He who has clean hands
and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to
what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord, and
vindication from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. [Selah].
Or, as St. Augustine says: “Or who shall abide in that place [to
where He has ascended], founded above the seas and prepared above the rivers?”[22] This is the natural result of yearning to be
like the one who has saved us through his Passion and Cross.
God is
holy, and sin cannot be in his presence.
If sin could be in his presence, he would not be holy. Therefore, only the innocent of hand, and the pure in heart (ver. 4) can ascend to
where he is. Who then shall ascend and
abide there but the guiltless in deed and pure in thought?[23] “He shall ascend [to, or toward, that place] who
has not sinned in his works and has kept his heart pure, that is, detached from
creatures; he who has not received his life in vain, that is, who has not only
avoided evil, but has also fulfilled what God has enjoined on him; he who loves
truth, and has not sworn falsely to deceive his neighbors.”[24] In other words, we must yearn, and pray, that
what is accomplished in Baptism comes to fruition in our bodies. If we are not yearning for that to occur,
what does that say about us? If we are
not desiring to be as our Lord is, it must be that we desire to be, and to
have, what we want to be and have, not caring about what God is desirous is
doing in us. “If you want to love me
with your whole heart and to desire nothing but me, I will draw you to me
through charity, just like a magnet or lodestone draws iron to itself.”[25]
The editor
of St. Alphonsus’ commentary on the Divine Office tells us: “This verse (Verse
4) is a summary of spiritual perfection: Exemption from every evil, either
exterior or interior; good use of talents received; fidelity to God and also to
our neighbor. Such are the qualities of
our divine model; this should be the same with all those that wish to follow
him: …hence, they shall enter with him into glory on the day of triumph, as has
been partly seen at his ascension and as will be seen in a complete manner
after the last judgment; then all the elect, with body and soul, shall make
their triumphant entrance into the happy city, following the King of Glory—See
Psalm 14.”[26] St. Alphonsus continues: “Such is the happy
generation of those that seek God by being attentive to serve him, and that
long to go to see in heaven the God of Jacob.”[27]
And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart… St.
Augustine teaches us: “…There is a difference between one who is upright in
heart and one who is clean in heart. A
man is upright in heart when he ‘reaches forward to those things which are
before, forgetting those things [28] In other words, right now we are the upright
in heart because of our desires, which are proven in our prayers and our
participation in the Sacraments, trusting that they will eventually cause us to
be pure in heart.
…who does not lift up his soul to what is
false… St. Augustine explains this
to mean: “…Who has not received his soul in vain, who has not reckoned his soul
among things that pass away but, feeling it to be immortal, has longed for an
eternity steadfast and unchangeable.”[29]
…and does not swear deceitfully. Augustine: “And, therefore, without
deceit--as things [which are] eternal are simple and undeceiving—[a person] has
so behaved himself to his neighbor.”[30] In other words, that which our Lord teaches
us through his Word and through his Church we adhere to and act out in the
world because this is what is pleasing to God.
As a good child yearns the approval of its parents, so we eagerly yearn
the approval of God.
St. Ambrose
relates: “…You have in the fifteenth Psalm, ‘Lord, who shall dwell in your
tabernacle, or who shall rest upon your holy hill (Ps 15:1)?’ It is not that no one [will], but that he who
is approved shall dwell there; nor does it say that no one shall rest, but he
who is chosen shall rest. And that you
may know that this is true, it is said not much later in the twenty-fourth
Psalm: ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His
holy place?’ The writer implies, not any
ordinary person or one of the common sort, but only a man of excellent life and
of singular merit. And that we may
understand that when the question is asked, ‘Who,’ it does not imply no one,
but some special one is meant. After
having said, ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord,’ the Psalmist adds: ‘He
that has clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lift up his mind unto
vanity.’ And elsewhere it is said: ‘Who
is wise and he shall understand these things (Hos 14:9)?’ And in the Gospel: ‘Who is the faithful and
wise steward whom the Lord shall set over His household to give them their
measure of wheat in due season (Lk 12:42)?’ And that we may understand that He speaks of
such as really exist, the Lord added: ‘Blessed is that servant whom his Lord,
when He comes, shall find so doing (Lk 12:43).’
And I am of opinion that where it is said, ‘Lord, who is like unto you (Ps
71:19), it is not meant that none is like [him], for the Son is the image of
the Father.”[31] And, because we are the Body of Christ, that
entails that we must become the image of the Son, the Christ. Our Lord warns us: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”[32]
St. Paul
instructs us: In the same way, my brothers,
you also were put to death to the law through the body of Christ, so that you
might belong to another, to the one who was raised from the dead in order that
we might bear fruit for God. For when we
were in the flesh, our sinful passions, awakened by the law, worked in our
members to bear fruit for death. But now
we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive, so that we may
serve in the newness of the spirit and not under the obsolete letter.[33] Put succinctly: We become the likeness of
Christ.
Hence, from
our passage and St. Paul, it is abundantly clear that we are unable to do this
of ourselves. There, first, must be one
who is pure and has clean hands; thereafter, he entreats for those who follow
him. However, he does not entreat that
they be allowed to follow him in their original state, but that they be changed
to having pure hearts and clean hands.
St.
Ambrose: “We must then understand in the same manner, ‘Who shall entreat for
him,’ as implying: It must be someone of excellent life who shall entreat for
him who has sinned against the Lord. The
greater the sin, the more worthy must be the prayers that are sought. For it was not any one of the common people
who prayed for the Jewish people, but Moses (Ex 32:31), when forgetful of their
covenant they worshipped the head of the calf. Was Moses wrong? Certainly, he was not wrong in praying, who
both merited and obtained that for which he asked. For what should such love not obtain as that
of his when he offered himself for the people and said: ‘And, now, if you will
forgive their sin, forgive; but, if not, blot me out of the book of life (Ex
32:32).’ We see that he does not think
of himself, like a man full of fancies and scruples, whether he may incur the
risk of some offence, as Novatian says he dreads that he might, but rather,
thinking of all and forgetful of himself, he was not afraid lest he should
offend, so that he might rescue and free the people from danger of offence.”[34] Moses is not praying that God forgive Israel
and allow them to continue worshipping the calf. No, he first destroys the calf, and then he
entreats for the people. Likewise, Jesus
did the same on the cross. Therefore, we
have the words quoted from St. Paul.
St. Ambrose
continues: “Rightly, then, is it said, ‘Who shall entreat for him?’ It implies that it must be such a one as Moses
to offer himself for those who sin, or such as Jeremiah, who, though the Lord
said to him, ‘Pray not for this people (Jer 7:16),’ and yet he prayed and
obtained their forgiveness. For at the
intercession of the prophet and the entreaty of so great a seer, the Lord was
moved and said to Jerusalem, which had meanwhile repented for its sins, and had
said: ‘O Almighty Lord God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the troubled
spirit cries unto you, hear, O Lord, and have mercy (Bar 3:1-2).’ And the Lord bids them lay aside the garments
of mourning and to cease the groanings of repentance, saying: ‘Put off, O
Jerusalem, the garment of your mourning and affliction, and clothe yourself in
beauty, the glory which God has given you forever’ (Bar. 5:1).”[35] In this, we see the intercession coming after
repentance, a desire to be in conformity with the holiness of God.
St. Robert
Bellarmine instructs in his commentary: “Will there be anyone--and who will he
be--worthy of ascending to the place where God is said peculiarly to dwell? There will.
They will ascend into the mountain of the Lord who have the four
conditions here specified: First, they must be ‘innocent in hands;’ must have
committed no sin. Second, must be “clean
of heart,” free from sinful thoughts or desires. Third, “who has not taken his soul in vain;’
who not only has neither done nor thought any evil, but has done and thought
everything that God could require of him, in order to obtain the end for which
he was created. Fourth, ‘nor sworn
deceitfully to his neighbor;’ easily understood. And, thus, the man who seeks to be worthy of ‘ascending
into the mountain of the Lord,’ must be perfect in every respect in his heart,
in his language, in his actions, in the perfect discharge of all the duties
that appertain to his station in life. Such
conditions are to be found in Christ alone. He is the only one of whom it can be said, ‘who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;’ and as David says in Psalm
13, “There is none that does good, no not one;’ and Isaiah, ‘We have all
strayed like sheep;’ and St. Paul, Rom. 3, ‘All have sinned and need the glory
of God;’ and, therefore, the Lord himself justly says, John 3, ‘And no man has
ascended into heaven but he that descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is
in heaven.’ All others are terrestrials,
sprung from the earth. He alone is
celestial, come from heaven; holy, innocent, unpolluted, set aside from
sinners, and by his ascension, higher than the heavens. And it was not Christ alone that was to ascend
to the mountain of the Lord, but his body too, the Church, which he ‘cleansed
with his blood, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church; not
having spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing, but that it should be holy and
without blemish” (Eph 5).[36]
We must not
forget that our will has a part to play in this. God has given us a free will, and he does not
take that away from us. There are some
who has a will to avoid hell; however, they also have the will to be in
conformity with the desires of the world.
Their will is not, however, to be the image of their Head, Jesus. Bellarmine reminds us: “‘The innocent in
hands,’ the ‘clean of heart who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord,’
and ‘shall receive a blessing,’ and ‘mercy from God’ is Christ, the head; and
not only the head, but the head with the body of the Church. ‘This is the generation of them that seek him,’
that means he that ascends to heaven is the generator of those that are
regenerated in Christ, whose principal study is to seek God, to thirst for a
sight of his face, and to make for his holy mountain, with all their strength.”[37] Therefore, one cannot both have the will to
be in conformity with Christ and also the “natural” desires of the flesh. Although we have the desire to be in the
likeness of Christ, many times we succumb to the desires of the flesh. This is not what is being referred to. We fight those temptations and, when we lose,
we are grieved, seeking forgiveness and strength to persevere. We grieve because of the fact that it is our
will to be in the image of our Head, Jesus Christ. Otherwise, it would not upset us. We are given assurance that this is our will
when we frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We know that we ultimately sin because it is
our will to sin; however, that is not our overriding will, i.e. to be conformed
to the image of our Lord. St. Robert
Bellarmine adds: “…In fact, a unique and perhaps characteristic sign of the
elect of God is to have a longing desire for their home, their country—heaven. The generation of the children of this world
seek everything in preference to God, dread nothing more than death; and, if
they got their choice, would prefer living always in this world, to ‘being
dissolved and being with Christ’.”[38]
Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted
up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty
in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! St. Jerome teaches: “As our Lord ascends to
the Father in triumph, He issues commands to the angels saying: ‘Open to me the
gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord (Ps 118:19).’ These are the gates of which, in the [twenty-fourth]
psalm, the angels were speaking while they were preparing for the entrance of
the Lord: ‘Lift up, O gates, your lintels; reach up, you ancient portals, that
the king of glory may come in!’ Aptly
are the gates commanded to lift up high and raise aloft their portals, since,
in accordance with the dispensation and mystery of the flesh and in conformity
with the victory of the cross, He reenters heaven mightier than He had come
down upon earth.”[39] In this we also see Jesus commanding the
cherubim with the flaming sword to allow him to enter Paradise with those who
belong to him (cf. Ge 3:24).
St.
Augustine sees these commands being given to the fallen angels who continue to
keep mankind away from God and to angels guarding the entrance to heaven: “‘Take
away your gates, you princes’ (per the Septuagint and the Vulgate). Let us go hence straightway into heaven. Again, let the Prophet’s trumpet cry aloud, ‘Take
away too, you princes of the air, the gates, which you have in the minds of men
who ‘worship the host of heaven’ (2 Ki 17:16). ‘And be lifted up, you everlasting gates.’ And be lifted up, you doors of everlasting
righteousness, of love, and chastity, through which the soul loves the One True
God and goes not a-whoring with the many that are called gods... ‘And the King
of glory shall come in.’ that He may at the right hand of the Father intercede
for us.”[40] This is what occurs in Baptism. Then, in the Sacrament of Confirmation, the
Holy Spirit enhances our desire to be in the image of the Son, and strengthens
us. In our actual lives, we see this
strength occurring gradually, for St. Paul tells us: For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of
everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. For in it is revealed the righteousness of God
from faith to faith (emphasis
added); as it is written, “The one who is
righteous by faith will live.”[41] The more we exercise our faith, the more it
is strengthened. If we do not exercise
our faith, it will atrophy.
Of course,
although we are working to increase our knowledge of God and his ways, those
things which please and displease him, there are many things we are ignorant
of. There are consequences to those
things which we are ignorant of. It is
through those consequences that God teaches us and purifies us. We see this occurring especially during the
times of the judges (cf. Judges). In one
example, Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal
went to Shechem to his mother’s kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan
of his mother’s family, “Say in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which
is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or
that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” And
his mother’s kinsmen spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the
men of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He
is our brother.”[42] The seventy sons of Jerubbaal can represent
Christ and His Church. Although
Abimelech is one of the seventy sons, he desires absolute rule. Abimelech represents those who live according
to their feelings and passions, the senses, and worldly wisdom. Abimelech is saying, “I think like you do and
believe as you do; do you not want me to rule over you? I am your bone and flesh; I will give you
what pleases you.” The people of Israel
were deceived by Abimelech; therefore, the consequences were not good. God ensured that consequences were not good
when the people did not, shortly thereafter, repent and cry out to him. When we see consequences as good, we often
fail to seek God’s wisdom. Therefore,
God must send hardship in order to get us to repent.
We see the subtlety of this when
Israel desired a king to rule over them: Then
all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and
said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now
appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they
said, “Give us a king to govern us.” And
Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord
said to Samuel, “Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to
you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king
over them.”[43] In their minds, the people did not It was not God’s will that they should have a
king at that time; however, God did not overpower their will to bring them into
conformity with his. He used their wills
in order to bring them into his will.
When we continue to reject his will, we will be cut off. What
Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it; the rest were
hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes that
should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.” And David says: “Let their table become a
snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes
grow dim so that they may not see, and keep their backs bent forever.” Hence, I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has
come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is
enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the
Gentiles, how much more their full number…[44] But if
some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted
in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, do
not boast against the branches. If you
do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you.
Indeed, you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but
you are there because of faith. So, do
not become haughty, but stand in awe. For
if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you
either. See, then, the kindness and
severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you,
provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise, you too will be cut off. And they also, if they do not remain in
unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a
wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how
much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own
olive tree.[45] Therefore, we ask God to keep us in his will,
to keep our minds turned to him. Knowing
that it is our will to be in his image while also realizing that we sin because
it is our will to sin should cause us concern.
For that reason, we pray, “Thy will be done.”
I think there can be no greater
summation than the words of St. Athanasius: “For whereas man sinned, and is
fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam
to Moses (cf. Rom. 5:14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise
shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalized (cf. Ps. 49:12),
while the devil was exulting against us—then God, in His loving-kindness, not
willing man made in His own image to perish, said, ‘Whom shall I send, and who
will go (Is 6:8)?’ But while all held
their peace, the Son said, ‘Here am I, send Me.’ And then it was that, saying ‘Go Thou,’ He
‘delivered’ to Him man, that the Word Himself might be made Flesh and, by
taking the Flesh, restore it wholly. For
to Him, as to a physician, man ‘was delivered’ to heal the bite of the serpent;
as to life, to raise what was dead; as to light, to illumine the darkness; and,
because He was Word, to renew the rational nature... Since then, all things ‘were delivered’ to
Him, and He is made Man, straightway all things were set right and perfected. Earth receives blessing instead of a curse;
Paradise was opened to the robber; Hades cowered; the tombs were opened and the
dead raised; the gates of Heaven were lifted up to await Him that ‘comes from
Edom’ (Ps. 24:7, Isa. 63:1). Why, the
Savior Himself expressly signifies in what sense ‘all things were delivered’ to
Him, when He continues, as Matthew tells us: ‘Come unto Me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matt. 11:28). Yes, you ‘were delivered’ to Me to give rest
to those who had labored, and life to the dead. And what is written in John’s Gospel harmonizes
with this: ‘The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand’
(Joh. 3:35). Given, in order that, just
as all things were made by Him, so in Him all things might be renewed. For they were not ‘delivered’ unto Him, that
being poor, He might be made rich, nor did He receive all things that He might
receive power which before He lacked: far be the thought: but in order that as
Savior He might rather set all things right. For it was fitting that while ‘through Him’
all things came into being at the beginning, ‘in Him’ (note the change of
phrase) all things should be set right (cf. Joh. 1:3, Eph. 1:10). For, at the beginning, they came into being
‘through’ Him; but, afterwards, all having fallen, the Word has been made
Flesh, and put it on, in order that ‘in Him’ all should be set right. Suffering Himself, He gave us rest; hungering Himself,
He nourished us; and, going down into Hades, He brought us back thence. For example, at the time of the creation of
all things, their creation consisted in a fiat, such as ‘let [the earth] bring
forth,’ ‘let there be’ (Gen. 1:3, 11), but at the restoration it was fitting
that all things should be ‘delivered’ to Him, in order that He might be made
man, and all things be renewed in Him. For
man, being in Him, was quickened for this was why the Word was united to man,
namely, that against man the curse might no longer prevail. This is the reason why they record the request
made on behalf of mankind in the seventy-first Psalm: ‘Give the King your
judgment, O God’ (Ps. 72:1), asking that both the judgment of death which hung
over us may be delivered to the Son and that He may then, by dying for us,
abolish it for us in Himself. This was
what He signified, saying Himself, in the eighty-seventh Psalm: ‘Thine
indignation lies hard upon me’ (Ps. 88:7). For He bore the indignation which lay upon us,
as also He says in the hundred and thirty-seventh: ‘Lord, you shall do
vengeance for me’ (Ps. 138:8).”[46] In this, the
earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell
therein. Not only will mankind be delivered, but all
of creation. God wills to save all of
mankind; we need to will that he does save us.
St. Paul writes to St. Timothy, saying: “…Set an example for those who believe, in
speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Until I arrive, attend to the reading,
exhortation, and teaching. Do not
neglect the gift you have, which was conferred on you through the prophetic
word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate. Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in
them, so that your progress may be evident to everyone. Attend to yourself and to your teaching;
persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those
who listen to you.”[47]
God is
holy; therefore, all who ascend to him must be holy. As our Lord told St. Bridget, all we have to
do is desire to love him with our whole heart and to desire nothing but him. He will then draw us to him through charity,
just like a magnet draws iron to itself.
If we do not have that desire, we can implore that he gives us the
desire. God, our Savior, wills everyone to be saved and to come to
knowledge of the truth.[48] He will then cause us to ascend his hill and
stand in his holy place. We are the new “earth”
in the new “earth,” the re-born in the Church, those who belong to God.
[1] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Ps
24:1–10.
[2] T. E. Bird, A
Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, 1953, 452.
[3] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 61.
[5] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), 2 Co 5:17.
[6] Ibid., Ro 8:18–25.
[7] St Bridget of Sweden. The Revelations of St Bridget of
Sweden: Books 1-5 (Kindle Locations 471-478)
[8] Aquinas, Thomas. Commentary on the Psalms (Kindle
Locations 4711-4720). Fig. Kindle Edition
[9] Ibid., 4732-4733
[10] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Ge
3:22–24.
[11] Tertullian, Latin
Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, 1885, 3, 493.
[12] Alphonsus de Liguori, The Divine Office: Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles,
ed. Eugene Grimm, The Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third
Edition., (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R.
Washbourne; M. H. Gill & Son, 1889), 404.
[13] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Ge 2:7.
[14] Ibid., 2 Pe 3:13.
[15] Alphonsus de Liguori, The Divine Office: Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles,
ed. Eugene Grimm, The Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third
Edition., (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R.
Washbourne; M. H. Gill & Son, 1889), 404.
[16] Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church,
2nd Ed., (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 891.
[17] Ibid., 881.
[18] St Bridget of Sweden. The Revelations of Saint Bridget
of Sweden: Books 1-5 (Kindle Locations 382-386)
[19] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 61.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Alphonsus de Liguori, The Divine Office: Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles,
ed. Eugene Grimm, The Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third
Edition., (New York; Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R.
Washbourne; M. H. Gill & Son, 1889), 404.
[25] St
Bridget of Sweden. The Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden: Books 1-5
(Kindle Locations 404-405)
[26] Alphonsus de Liguori, The
Divine Office: Explanation of the Psalms and Canticles, ed. Eugene
Grimm, The Complete Works of Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, Third Edition., (New
York; Cincinnati; Chicago; London; Dublin: Benziger Brothers; R. Washbourne; M.
H. Gill & Son, 1889), 404.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Anti-Pelagian Writings, 1887, 5, 172.
[29] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 61.
[30] Ibid.
[31] Ambrose of Milan, St.
Ambrose: Select Works and Letters, 1896, 10, 336.
[32] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible:
Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, (New York: National
Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Mt 7:21.
[33] New American Bible, Revised
Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
2011), Ro 7:4–6.
[34] Ambrose of Milan, St.
Ambrose: Select Works and Letters, 1896, 10, 336.
[36] Saint
Robert Bellarmine. A Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Illustrated) (pp.
94-95). Aeterna Press. Kindle Edition
[37]
Ibid., (p. 95)
[38]
Ibid.
[39] Jerome, The Homilies of Saint Jerome (Homilies 60–96),
ed. Roy Joseph Deferrari, The Fathers of the Church, (Washington, DC: The
Catholic University of America Press, 1966), 2:251.
[40] Augustine of Hippo, Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms, 1888, 8, 61.
[41] New American Bible, Revised
Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
2011), Ro 1:16–17.
[42] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), Jdg 9:1–3.
[43] Catholic Biblical Association (Great Britain), The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition,
(New York: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, 1994), 1 Sa
8:4–7.
[44] New American Bible, Revised
Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
2011), Ro 11:7–12.
[45] Ibid., Ro 11:17–24.
[46] Athanasius of Alexandria, St. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, 1892, 4, 87–88.
[47] New American Bible, Revised
Edition., (Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
2011), 1 Ti 4:12–16.
[48] Ibid., 1 Ti 2:3–4.
