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Ps. 141: 2.

I cried to the Lord, with my voice; with my voice I made my supplication to the Lord.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice I begged the Lord.

 

I poured out my prayer in His sight; and I told Him all my troubles.

 

When my spirit failed me, You knew my paths. In the way wherein I walked my enemies have hidden a snare for me.

 

I looked to my right hand, and behold there was no one who knew me.

I could not flee; and there was no one who cares for me.

Because I have borne reproach for your sake, my face is covered in shame.

 

I have become a stranger to my brothers and an alien to my mother’s sons.

 

Holy Father, zeal for your house has consumed me; and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen upon me.

 

And those who gathered against me rejoiced; they assembled scourges to use on me and I did not know why.

More than the hairs on my head are those who hate me without cause.

 My enemies have persecuted me without cause and  have grown strong I then paid for what I did not steal.

False witnesses have risen against me, asking me things I never knew.

They repaid me evil for good because I pursued goodness.

 You are my Father, My Most Holy King, and my God.

 

Come to my help, Lord God of my Salvation.

Ps. 141: 3

I pour out my prayer in His sight; and before Him I declare my trouble.

Ps. 141: 4.

When my spirit failed me, then Thou knewest my paths. In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.

Ps. 141: 5.

I looked on my right-hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me; and there is no one that hath regard to my soul.

Ps. 68: 8.

Because for Thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

Ps. 68: 9.

I am become a stranger to my brethren; and an alien to the sons of my mother.

Ps. 68: 10.

Holy Father, the zeal of Thy house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me.

Ps. 34: 15.

And they rejoiced against me and gathered together; scourges were gathered together upon me and I knew not.

Ps. 68: 5.

They are multiplied above the hairs of my head who hate me without cause

 

My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me; then did pay I that which I took not away.

Ps. 34: 11.

Unjust witnesses rising up, asking me things I knew not.

Ps. 34: 12.

They repaid me evil for good and

Ps. 37: 21.

detracted me; because I followed goodness.

 

Thou art my Father, most holy; my King and my God.

Ps. 37: 23.

Attend unto my help, O Lord God of my salvation.

 

 

Comment

We know from reading from the online library of liberty (“St. Francis Of Assisi, The Writings Of Saint Francis Of Assisi (1906) Part III: Prayers Of St. Francis”) that St. Francis intended this Psalm to be read at Sext – Noon.

 

The sixth hour, as the Scriptures tell us, (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; and Luke 23:44 MKJV) was when our Lord was crucified. The Good News Bible uses the word ‘noon’ which would make the first hour of the day 6.00 am.

 

Again, we might entitle this Psalm “Alone” because Jesus, in the middle of all his enemies, is alone, there is no one even making an attempt to free him or defend him from injustice. All his disciples have fled, as has his family, and we do not yet have an indication that Mary and the other women are there with him at the foot of the cross.

 

 

Francis begins this psalm with Jesus’ crying to and begging his Father, and that; in the knowledge that his Father already knew about his life. He says:

 

 “I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice I begged the Lord. I poured out my prayer in His sight; and I told Him all my troubles. When my spirit failed me, You knew my paths….”

 

From here on begins the awful sadness of our Lord abandoned by his disciples; already an alien to his mother’s sons, now, there is no one who stands for him!

Bearing reproach from humanity because he passionately desired the Temple to be a house of prayer again…

When we contemplate our Lord’s Passion, we sometimes forget that this is the torture and suffering of an innocent man.

Jesus’ enemies numbering more than the hairs of his head, yet how it is that he does not know why they are scouring him, or perhaps why they rejoice in doing it. Jesus the Christ must have been completely aware of the reason for all these events, yet Jesus the man, in his humanity is ignorant of these things.

 “False witnesses have risen up against me, asking me things I never knew.”

This is one persona of Jesus the man, unaware as to why they are all set against him and waiting fearfully for what must come. A man in his times, knowing what has happened to others who irritated the powers.

Yet, in the Jesus before Pilate we easily recognised him as God Incarnate, here Jesus is strong and very much aware of the reasons why all this is come to pass.

 Two witnesses were required under Jewish Law before litigants might have someone charged with an offence. This is the reason for them being wicked or false, for there could never be a reason to condemn Love to death.

 In his humanity, we see the utter hopelessness of a man wrongly sentenced to death with no right of appeal, and as the Son of his Father in heaven, he is our strong saviour who appeals to his Father for our souls.

 “My Father, My Most Holy King, and my God. Come to my help, Lord God of my Salvation.”

We are here because he did.

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Updated Wednesday April 30, 2008 - Br Andrew EFO