Psalms are songs, but a different kind of songs. Some of the Psalms praise God for His faithfulness and power, some songs are of God’s historical acts on behalf of the people of God, some give us hope and encouragement in the love God has for His people, and some lament over a certain tragedy or discomfort they are experiencing. Psalm 42 is a psalm of lament, focusing more on the “thirsting or yearning or longing of the Psalmist”. Laments are heart-felt cries to God while in pain or suffering, sometimes in the midst of the times when we feel God is absent. It is said that Pss 42 and 43 make one song. In both these psalms we can see the longing of the psalmist and asking for help. Why and for what the psalmist is longing?
The psalm was composed by a man whose talent enables him to express in deeply moving words the suffering he had to endure. The psalmist probably living in exile, is compelled to sojourn far away from Jerusalem and its temple. He pines away in longing for the time he had once been privileged to spend in the house of God, when he would give himself up to the happiness of a most intimate communion with God, a happiness of which he is now deprived. The oppression and the scorn of his enemies which he had to endure make him aware of the utter misery of his separation from God and of the grief which has come over him because of his yearning for God. In all sincerity he pours out his mortally wounded soul in deeply moving lamentation; with ruthless veracity he contends for the God whom he fears to lose.
Longing or yearning of the psalmist
In this whole psalm we see the yearning or longing of the psalmist for something. As the psalm is entitled as long for God and His help in distress we shall also see for what other things the psalmist is longing for:
Longing for living God: the psalmist is longing for God and this longing is expressed through the imagery of the deer longing for the flowing stream (v.1). It is not just a physical thirst to see living God, not a dead God. He believes in the God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, who believed in the living God. He cannot live without God. God has become his necessity. This shows that the psalmist is in pain and distress. In exile the psalmist feels the absence of God in his life. God’s absence means there is no water to be poured to alleviate the psalmist thirst; here, the psalmist must “pour out” his soul by praying. The psalmist is longing for communion with God that is not currently available.
Longing to see the face of God: the psalmist longs to see the face of God (v.2b). Verse 3 speaks of the ‘bread’ which reinforces the conclusion that the desire for communion with God is expressed as the wish to visit the Temple, which contained the “bread of the face” or “bread of the presence”. The psalmist is unable to visit the temple, so his bread has been tears to appear before the face of God, gives a liturgical ring to the psalmist’s visit to the sanctuary.
Longing to be free from distress: the psalmist’s soul calls out to God in distress to be free from the distress which is caused by his own or by others by asking him the question, “Where is your God?” (v.3). For him it is distressful situation and he seeks God’s help. The grief of God’s absence and unanswered petition has been made worse by the question.
Longing to visit the Temple: during his exile all he does is that he remembers the Temple and wishes to visit it but he is unable (v.4). For the people of Israel the Temple was the delight of their eye. He recalls the joy of past visits during the festival with shouts and singing thanksgiving songs. He visualizes himself as he ascends to the Temple of God in a festive procession, surrounded by noble friends, assured of the nearness of his God and filling his soul with rupture. For this the psalmist longs.
Longing to praise God: the psalmist is praying to God day by day and sings His praise at night (v.8b). He clings to God who he imagines has forsaken him and chastises him. In all his distress and pain he remembers God, His steadfast love and longs to sing praise to God.
Longing for deliverance from enemies: the psalmist is convinced that no one can deliver him but God, the ‘rock’, on which he is in danger of foundering in the conflicting emotions that rage in his soul like the surge of waves could give him answer to his pondering on the mysterious purpose of his life if not the very God by whom he imagines himself to be forgotten, because he is powerlessly delivered up to the oppression of his adversaries? He longs God to deliver him from the enemies (v.9).
Longing to be delivered on the doubt on the presence of God: no wonder his heart is on the verge of breaking when, being faced on the one hand by his own doubts about God and on the other hand his longing for God and not knowing where to turn, he has to listen to the scornful question of his enemies ‘Where is your God?’ which like an ally seems to reinforce his own doubts (v.10).
Yearning and longing of my life
We saw the different longing of the Psalmist. We too have our yearning and longing for our God. Let’s make this psalm our own and see what we can take for our life from this Psalm 42.
Thirst or longing for God: the psalmist longed for God during his exile. But still people are longing for God. They have become like the psalmist looking out for a flowing stream. Thirst to see God face to face should be the goal of our living. As St. Augustine said: “My soul is dissatisfied or restless until I find my rest in you, O God.” In this month of November as we pray for the dead, may God quench the thirst of those who have died and are in purgatory to see His face. We, who are living continue to pray for our departed brethren and also for ourselves in order to see our God.
Love your enemies: the psalmist was taunted by his enemies by asking unwanted questions. The psalmist never showed hatred towards them but he hoped in God. We are called to be instruments of peace. To be in peace with one another. Jesus in His teaching on the mount tells us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5, 44). To be loving person we need to have the attitude of Christ.
Hope in God in distress: The psalmist longed for God, was distressed because of his enemies but still he had high hope God that God will listen to his prayer. Today we too are distressed because of the Corona Virus. Lakhs of people died and lakhs of people are suffering and under the burden of this disease. We too need to have hope and faith in God that he will deliver us from this pandemic and will never leave us during our stressful and distressful situation. Let’s be firm in our hope and faith in God.
Love for the Church: the psalmist had great love for the Temple and he cherishes the memories when he ascended in the temple. Our Church should be our delight, for God is present in the most Blessed Sacrament. We too long to come to the Church but the situation doesn’t allow us to do so. Our love for our mother Church should never decrease for it is through the church and believing in Christ that we are saved and get the grace to live our life through the Sacraments.
Love for Eucharist: the psalmist longed to be in the presence of the bread which symbolizes the presence of God. Christ, the son of God is physically present in body and blood through the sacrament of Eucharist. The Eucharist nourishes our spiritual life but because of the disease we are unable to attend mass and receive Jesus in our hearts. The church with the help of modern mass media technology makes the Eucharist present in our homes. So let’s feel the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and by participating in the Eucharist, satisfy our longing for the Eucharist.
Prayerful life: even in distress the psalmist prayed to God and thanked God with hope. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to give the prior place for prayer, to be in union with Christ in order to carry on with His work. Without prayer we will not be able to face the difficult situation. The psalmist did it, for he believed in the power of prayer. Prayer is an instrument to fight against the evil and to face every difficult problem that will arise in our life. Let’s also continue our prayers for the prevailing diseases. May God listen to our humble prayer and save us from this present disease.
To conclude, I would say that, Psalms 42 as a whole professes the faith of the people of God, the Church. To hope in God means that we live eschatologically, that we know and articulate hope and despair simultaneously. St. Joseph Vaz too had to face difficulties as he proclaimed Christ. He also had dark nights of the soul, had to bear taunts from those who considered him as their enemy but in all circumstance he hoped in God. As the psalmist longed for God, we too need to long for steadfast love and faithfulness of God. This is the source of our hope and indeed, the hope of the world.
-Fr. Leslie Gomes