Ps 145 with Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly for Sunday 23B 
Psalm 145 Commentary.
Our liturgy today uses the final 5 verses of this ten-versed psalm. The whole psalm stresses God’s fidelity. And this God is not some vague inactive presence somewhere in the clouds; this God Yahweh is named five times as the one who acts. Our selected verses this week emphasise God’s active fidelity especially to the oppressed, the blind and hungry and those imprisoned in any way. In these ways it echoes the first reading from Isaiah 35 with its promise of the Lord’s coming to heal the blind, the deaf and the dumb so that they will sing with joy. Our Gospel from St Mark will then have the deaf and dumb man healed by Jesus.
It is interesting that it is a solo voice that sings the first two verses, “My soul, give praise to the Lord; I will praise the Lord all my days, make music to the Lord while I live!” Then after the community has sung verses 3 to 9, the solo voice, the cantor, sings the final verses 8c, 9c and 10.
The Book of Psalms has of course 150 psalms. As the final Psalm 150 approaches, this Psalm 145 is the first in a series where each one begins and ends with an “Alleluia!” It is a “Hallel” psalm, as sung at any Passover Meal, at the Last Supper, and now as we approach our Eucharistic liturgy. As the long journey through the psalm book nears its completion, perhaps we may try to stop and appreciate where we really are, valuing the here and now, recalling the theme of Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s reflection, “The Sacrament of the Present Moment ”, repeating the psalmist’s opening prayer, “My soul, give praise to the Lord; I will praise the Lord all my days, make music to my God while I live!”
With its focus on blindness, hunger and dumbness I can perhaps reflect with the psalmist, to whose needs am I blind? Where are my Food Banks for the hungry? Where should I not be dumb, but speak out for justice in my church or neighbourhood, and then act upon the needs that arise, in particular, not vague, occasions?
Psalm 145 is much more than an item in the liturgy of course!
Words and music (c) Noel Donnelly. Recorded by Grace Buckley. Graphic (c) Netta Ewing.
