(My series on Psalm 51 resumes.) In the 12th verse of Psalm 51, the penitent is granted a new start. Psalm 51:12: “A clean heart create for me, God; renew in me a steadfast spirit.” (Via USCCB.) Sin has sullied and degraded the penitent. It had ruptured the relationship with God. The penitent, after the …
The 11th verse of Psalm 51 is a repetition of verse 3. Psalm 51:11: “Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my guilt.” (Via USCCB.) The Lord forgives, and the Lord “forgets.” The slate is clean, it is “as if” the sin never happened. Are you a creative Catholic? “The Catholicpunk Manifesto” …
Verse 10 of Psalm 51 recalls a happy and healthy benefit to forgiveness: Psalm 51:10: “Let me hear sounds of joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.” (Via USCCB.) When God forgives, you are restored to your inheritance. You who were lost, are now found once again, and you can claim your …
In the 9th verse of Psalm 51 the penitent asks for a total cleansing: Psalm 51:9: “Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, make me whiter than snow.” (Via USCCB.) The penitent asks for a restoration of their purity. In a way, a “recovery” of what they were before their sin …
In 12 Step groups you hear the acronym “HOW”, which stands for “Honesty, Open-mindedness and Willingness”. The 8th verse of Psalm 51 covers this: Psalm 51:8: “Still, you insist on sincerity of heart; in my inmost being teach me wisdom.” (Via USCCB.) Sincerity clears away the self-deception and lies that pervade our thinking. In our …
The Notes in the NAB version of this Bible state that this verse…: Psalm 51:7: “True, I was born guilty, a sinner, even as my mother conceived me.” (Via USCCB.) …means that in no time was the penitent without sin. This, I think, refers to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. A sin that …
Psalm 51:6: “Against you alone have I sinned; I have done such evil in your sight. That you are just in your sentence, blameless when you condemn.” (Via USCCB.) So begins verse 6 of the Miserere. Sin harms and ruptures one’s relationship with God. If it is a mortal sin, it kills it. The sin …
If in verse 4 of Psalm 51 the penitent recognizes their responsibility, verse 5 is an outright declaration of it: Psalm 51:5: “For I know my offense; my sin is always before me.” (Via USCCB.) The penitent fully admits and recognizes their sin. The penitent does not and cannot hide from it. No excuses, a …
The fourth verse of Psalm 51 continues from verse 3 the penitent’s petition for a clean slate: Psalm 51:4: “Wash away all my guilt; from my sin cleanse me.” (Via USCCB.) It is a recognition on the part of the penitent that the sinful offense has dirtied and sullied the soul. We are made in …
The first verse of Psalm 51, after the introduction, is a plaintive cry for mercy: Psalm 51:3: “Have mercy on me, God, in your goodness; in your abundant compassion blot out my offense.” (Via USCCB.) The repentant sinner in uttering this cry asking for nothing less than a clean slate. The penitent knows that mercy …