Psalm 31 is the prayer of the distressed that contains the familiar phrase, “Into your hands I commend my spirit”, that the gospel writer put in Jesus’ mouth on that first Good Friday. The first verse is said to be the last utterance of Francis Xavier. In verse 9 the phrase, “My eye is wasted from grief”, is a poignant image to express the dark night of the soul. In Psalm 31:14 the phrase “I hear the whispers of the crowd that frighten me from every side…” will occur several times in Jeremiah. St Augustine identifies with Psalm 32, a penitential psalm. Augustine says that even before the penitent can articulate his sin, God hears the cry of his heart. The psalmist looks to nature again in Psalm 33 to remind us of the power and providence of God. It ends with a useful formula for living. If we wait and trust, we will find reason to hope! Psalm 34 seems to have no connection with the events mentioned in verse 1. However, the psalmist praises God for having rescued him from danger and admonishes us to stand in awe of Him while observing His commandments. These ancient writings continually remind me of the universal nature of the human experience. We may have Iphones and Kindles but they do not vaccinate or exempt us from the fears, hurts and pains of every day living among other human beings
Psalm 31 is the prayer of the distressed that contains the familiar phrase, “Into your hands I commend my spirit”, that the gospel writer put in Jesus’ mouth on that first Good Friday. The first verse is said to be the last utterance of Francis Xavier. In verse 9 the phrase, “My eye is wasted from grief”, is a poignant image to express the dark night of the soul. In Psalm 31:14 the phrase “I hear the whispers of the crowd that frighten me from every side…” will occur several times in Jeremiah. St Augustine identifies with Psalm 32, a penitential psalm. Augustine says that even before the penitent can articulate his sin, God hears the cry of his heart. The psalmist looks to nature again in Psalm 33 to remind us of the power and providence of God. It ends with a useful formula for living. If we wait and trust, we will find reason to hope! Psalm 34 seems to have no connection with the events mentioned in verse 1. However, the psalmist praises God for having rescued him from danger and admonishes us to stand in awe of Him while observing His commandments. These ancient writings continually remind me of the universal nature of the human experience. We may have Iphones and Kindles but they do not vaccinate or exempt us from the fears, hurts and pains of every day living among other human beings
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