Psalm 92 Commentary on the Feast of Christ the King
Our responsorial psalm this weekend, Psalm 92, uses three of the psalm’s five verses, omitting the roar of the mighty waters. In the surrounding culture these mighty waters would have been worshipped as the pagan god Baal. No need to include any reference here today in our sacred worship!
There is a kingly nature throughout the verses we do use. They recognise God’s universal sovereignty. Moreover, God will surely come as royal judge, as “of one like a son of man” says the Book of Daniel.
Our psalm appropriately follows this prophecy of Daniel in the first reading. Daniel wrote to encourage Judaism in the dark days of the Syrian persecution, assuring the people that “God’s sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away!” Our psalmist emphasises this as she sings, “Your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are!”
This royal psalm is so appropriate for the feast of Christ the King. Our Gospel on this feast day strangely leaps into the Passion Narrative in John 18.33-37. We are not to be carried away into Daniel’s glories of kingship! But we do have a King who stands up to Pilate as Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world. It is to bear witness to the truth!” All who are on the side of this truth must listen to the voice of Jesus.
We are invited to exclaim with the psalmist “Truly your decrees are to be trusted … to the end of time!”
As we come to the end of the liturgical year we might well ask, “How has Jesus been significantly pointing me to witness him in the past year? Where is Jesus pointing to me to bear witness today, now in my community, in my church, in my family even?
However guilty we may feel about lost opportunities, we really must not miss the beautiful blessing sent to us in the second reading: “Grace to you and Peace from Jesus Christ, the First-Born from the dead! He loves us and has washed away our sins, making us a line of kings to serve his God and Father!”
Words (c) The Grail, England. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. Recorded by Grace Buckley. Graphic (c) Netta Ewing.
