Reflections on the Seven Penitential Psalms: Psalm 102
By Graziano Marcheschi, M.A. D.Min
Psalm 102 — Prayer in Time of Distress
We live in more sterile and politically correct times than did the psalmist. Today,
heads would wag if we composed such prayers as this that dares tell God
what to do. Notice the number of imperatives within the first six lines:
“hear my prayer,” “let my cry come,” “do not hide your face,” “turn
your ear to me.” But the more striking difference between then and now
is not the audacity of these verses, but the psalmist’s willingness to
admit his sin and abandon all excuses. Today, we prefer euphemisms and
so “sins” become “mistakes,” “indiscretions,” “errors,” “slip-up,”
“problems” or what have you. Not so here. The psalmist begs for mercy,
and that requires an admission of sin. He begs to be spared the
consequences that flow from all his sins, so he can’t deny having
committed them.
It’s said that when he was dying, St. Augustine
asked that the Psalms be hung from the wall facing his bed. Famous for
his years of flagrant sinning, Augustine sought the comfort of the
Psalms as he prepared to meet God face to face. The Psalms ought to give
us courage and confidence as we reflect on our own lives and on the
struggles, sins, and “enemies” that afflict us. They teach us to plead
without restraint, to hold nothing back in begging for God’s mercy. I’m
“skin and bones,” says the psalmist. “7I am like a desert owl,/ like an
owl among the ruins” whose mournful cry and solitary life make it the
very emblem of desolation. Such talk is not born of arrogance or
overconfidence, but from a deep conviction that God is merciful and
loves us like a parent.
It will be this compassion that
overwhelms the nations and fills them with awe. They will have no choice
but to glorify God when they see the marvel of his merciful love. It’s
that conviction that enables the psalmist to ask that God not end his
life too soon and that God let his children and their children stand
before him in peace. The psalmist’s conviction must be ours. Knowing
Jesus also prayed these Psalms, we can make these words our own means of
turning to the Lord with passion and sincerity.
Reflection Questions
Do
you ever turn to the Lord with the kind of open, honest and passionate
pleading we see in this Psalm? Do you trust God enough to storm heaven’s
gates with your prayers?
A requisite for praying the Penitential
Psalms is an awareness of our sinfulness. Can you look honestly in the
mirror admitting what you see? If that is challenging, can you be
patient with yourself and ask God for the gift of trust?
When you pray, do you focus more on the chasm between your sin and God’s goodness or on the ocean of God’s mercy vs. your need?