The responsorial psalm for today’s liturgy on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one simple verse taken from Psalm 13.
But I trust in your mercy. Grant my heart joy in your salvation, I will sing to the LORD, for he has dealt bountifully with me! (Psalm 13:6)
I cannot be one hundred percent sure, but I believe that this is the only instance in the Lectionary for Mass consists of a single verse. To say the least, it is an unusual occurrence. The clue to why the Church uses this verse might be found in the very first word, “But. . . “
Verses one through five reveal that this psalm was written or sung by a person in trouble: How long, LORD? Will you utterly forget me? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I carry sorrow in my soul, grief in my heart day after day? How long will my enemy triumph over me? (Psalm 13:2-3)
Before we jump to conclusions about this person’s faith in God, let us stop to remember that one does not ask the question “How long?” unless they are sure that the period of waiting will eventually come to an end. If you are standing on a corner waiting for the bus, you might ask how long before the bus arrives. However, you don’t doubt that the bus will eventually arrive. If you are standing at the stove waiting for a pot of water to boil, you might ask how long it will take, realizing all along that it will boil.
So the psalmist is a person of faith. In fact, he acts like a typical Middle Eastern person of faith. He verbalizes his complaint. Middle Eastern people do not conceal their frustrations or their pain. To use a phrase from the past, they let it all hang out. However, once they have expressed their pain, they move through it and respond with faith. That is exactly what happens in this psalm. After expressing frustration brought on by waiting for God’s intervention, the psalmist reaffirms trust in God’s mercy and moves on to singing God’s praises for all the bountiful blessings of life.
The verses chosen for the Feast today remind us of the trust that Mary placed in the message she received from the angel and her willingness to bear God’s only begotten Son into the world. While we celebrate her birth, we do so by remembering how God used her to save us all.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator