Preparing for Mass on the First Sunday of Advent

In the section of the psalm we will sing on Sunday (highlighted below), the Psalmist sings the praises of Jerusalem and its Temple, of the promises of the Lord.

The psalm gives honour to the city and its temple, and the covenant that they respresent.

The final words also gesture towards Israel’s mission, our mission – to share the goodness of God with whoever it is our privilege to encounter.

The love of God cannot be separated from love of neighbour, whoever the neighbour…

Psalm 122 (121)

¹     A Song of Ascents. Of David.

      I rejoiced when they said to me,
      “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
²     And now our feet are standing
      within your gates, O Jerusalem.

³     Jerusalem is built as a city
      bonded as one together.

⁴     It is there that the tribes go up,
      the tribes of the Lord.
      For Israel’s witness it is
      to praise the name of the Lord.
⁵     There were set the thrones for judgment,
      the thrones of the house of David.

⁶     For the peace of Jerusalem pray,
      “May they prosper, those who love you.”
⁷     May peace abide in your walls,
      and security be in your towers.

⁸     For the sake of my family and friends,
      let me say, “Peace upon you.”
⁹     For the sake of the house of the Lord, our God,
      I will seek good things for you.

Acknowledgements
Translation of Psalms: From The Revised Grail Psalms: A Liturgical Psalter. (c) 2010.
Commentary: (c) 2019, Allen Morris
Photo (c) 2018, Allen Morris. Golden Gate and Kedron Valley, Jerusalem.