Psalm 121

Psalm 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

#147C Solemnities C Context (29th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)

#359 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time)

#762 Ritual Mass Context (I. For the Conferral of Christian Initiation, 3. For the Reception of Baptized Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church, 6.)
R. (2a) Our help is from the Lord.

#929 Mass for Various Needs Context (III. In Various Public Circumstances, 22. For Refugees and Exiles, 3.)

R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

The Lord will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
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Commentary on Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Psalm 121 is a hymn of blessing given prior to a long and difficult journey. These strophes explain that God is faithful, and will protect the traveler from harm – God is always with us (“he is beside you at your right hand. The sun shall not harm you by day, nor the moon by night”). The imagery in the opening strophes reminds us of Moses in Exodus 17:8-13 as he stood upon a high place so that the Israelites could see that God was with them. In this song of blessing we are reminded of God’s continuing guidance and the salvation he provides us through his Son.

CCC: Ps 121:2 1605
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