Day Three: Psalm 122

The psalmist in Psalm 122 is now in sight of the destination of the journey: the Holy City Jerusalem! There is a sense of excitement at the beginning of this psalm as the psalmist has moved from those who seek to do harm (psalm 120) and seeking the guidance of the Lord for safe travels (psalm 121). So it is with good reason that the psalmist rejoices upon a safe arrival to Jerusalem! Now the psalmist senses the safety within the gates of the city; the place of the temple, the house of the Lord: the Holy of Holies; the place where the Lord dwells!

As we pray this psalm, there are many images that come forth. One is the compact unity of the buildings in the city that helps the psalmist to envision the unity of the people gathered there from multiple locations together in this one destination. There they are to give thanks and praise to the Lord for all of His blessings! This is the reason for their journey!

Another image is of Jerusalem being the location of the House of the Lord: the temple. Likewise, it is also the home of the King – thus the image of the thrones. Yet, it is for the King to follow the will of God, not his own. They were to act with the justice of the Lord. Peace is the ultimate gift of God’s blessing!

Interesting trivia: the first three psalms of ascent are used in the complementary psalmody in the Liturgy of the Hours for use at Mid-Morning Prayer (usually prayed around 9 am traditionally). This is an option when all three daytime hours (Mid-Morning, Mid-Day, and Mid-Afternoon) are prayed. At one of the daytime hours the assigned psalms for the day are prayed; at the others, those in the complementary psalms are used for prayer! Each day, we are on a journey to the Heavenly Jerusalem – these first three psalms of ascent help the one who prays them at this hour to enter into that reality as the day unfolds at its beginning. Stay tuned for more interesting trivia on the other six psalms assigned to the other two hours!

Pray Psalm 122 in your bible using the steps of Lectio Divina as shared in  praying with the scriptures on the St. Joseph Retreat Center website blog. Imagine that you are praying this as you enter the Holy City, Jerusalem.
 
As the psalmist safely reaches the goal of the journey, there is excitement. The psalmist can now enter the goal of the journey. What are the things that the psalmist might be thankful for? What blessings might the Lord have bestowed?
 
What are the blessings in your life that you are thankful for? Join the psalmist in praising and thanking the Lord for them.
 
As we journey through life following the commands of the Lord, how is the vision of the Heavenly Jerusalem where the Lord reigns something that can help us on our earthly pilgrimage?

 What words or phrases stood out to you?  Write them down in your journal, or memorize them to give your courage on the journey!