Day Five: Psalm 118

Psalm 118
Psalm 118 is the last of the “Great Hallel” psalms or songs of praise. This psalm is spoken in the voice of a victorious king. The victory manifests the steadfast love of the Lord as psalm 117 shared. This would have been the last psalm that Jesus prayed with His disciples as they headed out to the garden of Gethsemane. The disciples did not know what was going to happen, but Jesus did. He knew that His Passion and death were about to begin. How the words of this psalm and the others that were prayed at the Passover must have been a buoy to Him as the “hour” drew near. Try praying with this psalm with this context in mind.
 
Pray Psalm 118 in your Bible by using the steps in the praying with the scriptures on the St. Joseph Retreat Center website blog. Also, you might try to imagine that you are there at the Last Supper singing these psalms with Jesus and the disciples.  How is this psalm helping them? Then use the questions below to help you in your meditation and prayer.
 
What words or phrases stood out to you as you prayed this psalm?
 
How could they have strengthened Jesus as He approached His upcoming Passion?
 
How can they strengthen us during this time of worry and fear in our lives?
 
Write down or even memorize that special word or phrase that gives you peace and strength.

Something to try this Holy Thursday evening
After praying with this psalm, it might be beneficial to pray the whole of the Great Hallel psalms (113-118) together again. Then to pray with the Passion account of St. Mark’s 14 ^th chapter to put it all into perspective.
Go back and look at the words that gave you strength and courage.  Reflect on how they might have been a help to Jesus during His agony and trial.