The Merciful Judge!

Psalm 5:6-7

Thou destroyest those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors bloodthirsty and deceitful men.
But I through the abundance of Thy steadfast love
will enter Thy house,
I will worship toward Thy holy temple
in the fear of Thee.

There are two ways of reading today’s psalm.  One way is to see it as the straightforward boast of somebody who believes God loves him and hates his enemies.  However, another way of seeing the psalm is through the lens of baptism.  When we do, we discover that whole psalm is about one person.  I am the liar, the bloodthirsty, the deceitful man.  And in baptism, that man was destroyed — crucified with Christ.  But that is not the end of the story.  By the abundance of His steadfast love, I am also graced to enter His house through the Resurrection of Christ.  Now I and all who are in Christ worship in the holy Temple that is His Body, the Church.  Thanks be to God for His mercy!

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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