GOD, OUR TEACHER This is one of the alphabetically arranged psalms, every verse starts with a different letter of the Jewish alphabet which includes 22 letters. Yet, this alphabetical order is not perfect, for some disarrays appear in verses 2, 5, 18, and 29. This psalm could be classified among the psalms of wisdom, or those of personal lamentations, particularly when man is sorrowful because of feeling solitude and persecution. It is obvious that the prophet David wrote it during a late stage of his life; for he talks about the sins of his youth (7), and refers to the many tribulations that dwelt upon him, and to the multitude of enemies who stood against him. Some scholars believe that he wrote it when his son Absalom rebelled against him. Yet, according to those who refuse to refer it to David, disregarding what came in its title, it rather concerns the Babylonian captivity, and the complaint of the captives for the persecution of their enemies. This psalm is considered a good example of the proper way of praying to God in our daily supplications, from which we should learn that: * The definition of a prayer (1, 15): A prayer is lifting up the soul and the eyes to God * What should we prayer for? To seek: the forgiveness of sins (6, 7, 18); to be directed to the way of commitment (4, 5); to have God’s mercy (16); to be saved from our troubles and distress (17, 18); to be delivered from our enemies (20, 21); and to redeem the church of all its troubles (22). * How to supplicate to God in our prayers: Our trust in God (2, 3, 5, 20, 28); our bitterness, the oppression of our enemies against us https://coptic-treasures.com/ (17, 18); and our integrity and uprightness (21). * What are the precious promises given to encourage us to pray? To instruct and guide us (8, 9, 12); The benefits of the covenant with God (10); the gladness of having a fellowship with Him (13, 14). Christ, the Teacher: Having its own feature, this psalm concentrates on the Lord Christ, as being the Teacher; and reveals to us the role of teaching in the believers’ life. In the eyes of the suffering David, a teacher does not provide bare mental knowledge, but he first, and before anything else, be a father, a shepherd, a friend, and a physician. Suffering from a feeling of desolation, David cries out, saying: “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted” (16) … a feeling of desolation, of need, and of self-depreciation. Suffering from the remembrance of his sins, particularly those of his youth, he says: “Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions” (7). Perceiving that he is surrounded by scoffing enemies, he says: “Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred; … let me not be ashamed” (19, 20). And In his personal bitterness, feeling, as well the bitterness of his people as a whole, he says: “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles” (22). In other words, David was in need of the true Teacher, the Son of David, who, alone, can solve all his problems, and those of his people; for He is: https://coptic-treasures.com/ * A personal Teacher for every believer, in particular for the one who suffers; And a Teacher for the congregation as a whole, to save them from their afflictions. * A satisfying Teacher, who take away from the soul her feeling of desolation, through dwelling in her; And deals with her feeling of poverty; as He became poor to make her rich with Himself -- the Treasure of wisdom and knowledge. * A Teacher who can forgive sins, and by His blood can cover transgressions. * A strong Teacher, who strengthens the soul against the unseen spiritual enemies. The guidance words (the key of the psalm): 1- This poem beside being a complaint, its main guidance words are: “Show me Your ways, O Lord”(4), the ways of God for which the psalmist supplicates, seeking to recognize and to walk according to it. 2- The other guidance words are: “On You I wait all day” (5); For those who proclaim the Lord as their Teacher, wait on Him to guide them to His royal paths. According to St. Augustine: [Christ speaks here in the name of His church; for the context of this psalm rather applies upon the Christian people who have actually returned to God]. Its general frame: 1- The prayer and trust in God 1 - 3 2- The Lord is my Savior and Teacher 4 – 21 a- Who grants me knowledge b- Who trains me on the truth https://coptic-treasures.com/ c- Who presents to me the treasure of promises and covenants. d- Who forgives my sins e- Who holds me fast in goodness f- Who saves me from the concealed snares 1- THE PRAYER AND TRUST IN GOD: (1 – 3) David defines prayer as lifting his soul, together with his hands, up to the Lord, the way he used to do; to have his soul pray together with his body, his heart together with his mind; to become like a dove that flies up to abide in the bosom of God. … For he who lifts up his hands and eyes, and not his heart, will hear the rebuke by the Lord to the children of Israel: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me” (Isaiah 29: 13). A prayer is a journey of ascent, as though on the ladder of Jacob, for the soul to soar above all troubles and worries, to reach up the top of the ladder, and enjoy the bosom of God. A prayer is not a duty, nor a formality we are committed to fulfill, but is setting the heart free of the dust, to rise up from glory to glory; …. Man remains with his body on earth, while his heart sets forth by the wings of the Holy Spirit, like a dove flying to the heavenly places. By a prayer, the believer experiences every day that he is a sojourner on earth, living in afflictions, surrounded by enemies; yet exultant in the spirit, happy with the deposit of heaven, enjoying new goods in his fellowship with God. + A prayer is lifting the heart to God. (Father John of Damascus) + A prayer is turning the hearts of flesh into spiritual hearts; the mortal hearts into zealous hearts; and the human hearts into heavenly hearts. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + When you stand to pray, give your heart to God, your true heart by which you love your children, your father and mother, your friends; and by which you sense the sweetness of the unfeigned pure love. (Father John of Cronstadt) https://coptic-treasures.com/ In every liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest seeks from the congregation to [Lift up their hearts]; to which they respond, saying: [They are with the Lord]. + He first seeks from you: [Lift up your hearts]; as is befitting of members of the body of the Lord Christ…. Being members of Christ, Where is your Head? He is in heaven. … Hence, when you hear the words: [Lift up your hearts], you answer: [They are lifted up to the Lord in heaven]. Lifting the hearts up to the Lord is a divine gift. … Therefore, lest you may refer it to your strength, your worthiness, or your works, after saying: [They are lifted up to the Lord in heaven], the bishop or the ministering priest will say: [Let us thank the Lord]. … Let us thank Him, for, unless He grants us His grace, our hearts would still be holding fast to the earth; to which you testify by saying: [Meet and Right]; Namely, [We thank Him who has lifted our hearts up to where our Head is]. (St. Augustine) “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me; Indeed, let no one who waits on you be ashamed;” (1, 2) As the work of the enemy is to bring my soul down to the dust by the unclean lusts, and to divert it to the human weakness; I am in need of the divine help to lift up my soul. The word “trust” was used at the beginning of the psalm; but the same tendency or spirit prevails on the whole psalm when he talks about God (5, 8-10, 14 etc.). https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Waiting on God”, means accepting His timing, and His wisdom; which distinguish David’s position from that of Saul toward God (1 Samuel 26:10 etc.!3: 8-14); and the position of Isaiah from that of the people (Isaiah 30: 15-18). With the increase of our troubles, our trust in God increases; For dangers should take us away from ourselves, to seek the help of God. David’s conscience testifies to that he never trusted in himself, nor in anyone, but in the work of God; and he never was shaken nor ashamed by having such a trust. “Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause” (3) It is not the afflictions, but committing iniquity. that bring forth reproach and shame. Although David was in bitterness because of the persecution of the enemies, yet he was in glory, for he was leaning on the chest of God, his Savior; who has turned his affliction into an experience of fellowship with Him. The enemies on the other hand, who planned to kill David for no cause, namely, those who vainly committed iniquity; despite their possibilities and human authority, were put to shame. If sin brings shame on us, By repentance God would restore for us our inner glory. In the Holy Book, no negative promise, more valuable and important, than that the people of God would never fall into shame or disgrace. “Let not my enemies triumph over me”. David’s enemies used to ridicule him, counting him weak, and unable to get away from their hands. + Let them not gloat on me, those who set snares for me by their deadly venomous suggestions; those who, scoffing, cry out: “xxxx xxxx”, in an attempt to draw me to their ways; But, “No one who waits on you will be ashamed”. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Augustine) 2- THE LORD IS MY SAVIOR AND TEACHER: A- He grants me knowledge: “Show me Your ways, O Lord, Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. On You I wait all the day” (4, 5) In seriousness, the psalmist prays to God to show him the way, to teach and instruct him with the spirit of fatherly love, as a Savior. On his side, he waits all day to recognize God’s paths, to walk along them with the spirit of obedience. The psalmist calls the Lord his eternal merciful Teacher or Instructor, who brings him forth to His holy paths. The sinner boasts in his ways, whereas the humble says together with the Lord Christ: “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26: 39). It is wise to resort to God to reveal to us His will; and we would count it a great mercy, that our Lord, as God of our salvation, grants us to understand and perceive His will, proclaimed to us in the Holy Book, and through His divine care. It is good to deliver all our ways in the hand of God, to supplicate to Him to show us His ways, to take our weak hand and lead us by Himself; and to do everything for our sake, that we would live for His sake. … How weak we are! …. Without Him, we cannot recognize the way, find it, nor walk along it. + The saints would never claim that they have reached the way along which they progressively walk, by their own effort, but through the favor of God, saying: “Lead me in Your truth” (5). https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Pavnotius) According to the school of Alexandria, the Christian is a Gnostic; namely, a believer with spiritual knowledge (gnosis), for which he longs and seeks from God as a divine gift. + The Gnostic should be rich in knowledge. + Someone may say that the Greek have discovered philosophy through their human understanding; but as the Holy Book says that understanding is from God; the psalmist cries out: “I am Your servant, Give me understanding” (Psalm 119: 125). (St. Clement of Alexandria) Through this concept, the study of the Holy Book, according to the early fathers of the church, was bound to worship; Namely, no perception of the concepts of the Word of God, nor an enjoyment of the knowledge of the secrets of the gospel, without prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and praise, for the sake of what God grants us of knowledge. Many teachers of the school of Alexandria used to spend almost all day teaching; and most of their nights reading the Holy Book, on their knees praying. And if they happen, while teaching, to find a phrase or a verse, difficult to understand, they ask their students to pray together with them to God to grant them understanding, enlightenment, and knowledge. https://coptic-treasures.com/ In worship, particularly during partaking of the liturgy of the Eucharist, the church gives thanks to the Lord for the knowledge He gave her.. + We thank You, O Father, for the sake of life and knowledge, You proclaimed to us by Jesus Christ Your Son. Glory be to You forever. (The Dedakia) + Grant our bodies growth in purity; and our souls growth in understanding and knowledge; through our communion in Your body and blood. (St. bishop Serapion) B- “He leads me in His truth” “Teach me Your paths, and lead me in Your truth, and teach me” (4, 5). God reveals the truth to us, and sanctifies our thoughts, to hold fast to His truth, and to get the enlightenment from heaven; by which the divine knowledge would turn into a living instruction in our life -- a lived life; and would not be just an object of pure philosophical debate. God Himself leads us in His truth, to find His teaching practical (5). And that His way or path is the way of life that would find favor in His sight. We get this way of life by entering with God into in the covenant of His grace, receiving His divine instruction, and enjoying His grace. + The Gnostic so tastes the will of God, that he listens to the Scripture, not by his ears, but by his soul. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + The Gnostic, as a lover of the One and True Truth, becomes a perfect man, a friend of God, and would be counted as His son. (St. Clement of Alexandria) It may be easy for man to train birds to utter words, and the wild beasts to do certain tricks; But no one can train man’s own soul, except God alone; the divine Instructor of human souls, the Sanctifier of the bodies, and the Controller of the mind by His Holy Spirit. + All wisdom and understanding are from Him; The knowledge of all goodness comes to us from up high, from the exalted throne, as though from a fountain. Nothing worthy of commendation, can man do, unless he gets strength from Him; which He, Himself, teaches us, saying: “Without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15: 5). + The fountain of all blessings is Christ, Who became for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1: 30). For in Him, we become wise, full of spiritual gifts. Now, all who have good sense, will confirm that, having such knowledge, by which we would have progress in every way of the exalted holy life, and in virtue, is a gift from God, who qualified us well for conquest. Here we find the psalmist seeks from God: “Show me Your ways, O Lord, Teach me Your paths”. Now, The paths that lead those to progress in the non-corruptible life, with a great longing, are diverse; One, particularly is “prayer”, which is of great benefit to those who practice it. The Savior Himself was keen on teaching it to us by presenting Himself as a role model, to strive to imitate Him; For, as is written, He gave a parable to exhort His disciple to pray without getting bored. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Cyril of Alexandria) If the divine Teacher, on His side, gives in abundance, the enlightenment, the understanding, together with guidance and instruction, to let us enjoy them as a lived life; We, on our side, are committed to have the spirit of meekness and humility, to prepare our souls to receive His spiritual gifts; according to the words of the psalmist: “The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way” (9) All the true ministers of God are “poor in spirit”, humble and meek; of contrite mind and heart, on account of their past sins and ignorance, and of their present weaknesses; seeking from God to work in them with His divine grace, to keep them from sins in the future. By such a humble spirit, they enjoy God’s work and gifts. + The secrets are proclaimed to the humble and the meek; Namely, those would be qualified to get the spirit of proclamation in their soul to interpret the secrets for them. Hence the saints say that humility consummates the soul with the divine secrets. (St. Isaac the Syrian) + Humility is indeed a great thing; For every goodness is preceded by humility, and by its practice, the journey would be shorter… Humility alone would bring us forth to the spiritual life, even though slowly. (Father Dorotheos of Gaza) https://coptic-treasures.com/ C- He presents to me the treasure of promises and covenants: “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness; for they have been from of old” (6) All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (10) The whole psalm is a mixture of cry-outs coming out from the depths of the psalmist’s heart, and of divine promises. I cannot cry out to my God, unless I discover His Book as a treasure that embraces His true and faithful promises. The more I cry out from the heart, the more I enjoy an enlightenment to discover His divine promises as personal promises concerning my own life … It is a series of cry-outs from the heart, and of the recognition of God’s promises and covenants to His church, in which I am a living member. In this psalm, the psalmist talks about the amazing Teacher, who presents to him His tender mercies and loving kindness, not as things outside Him, but out of His divine features; being everlasting. Being the Father Teacher whose nature is love; He is in no need to be reminded of His mercies; Yet the prophet David says: “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness”. God finds pleasure when His son seeks his right for mercies and loving kindness from Him; being the Fountain of the everlasting love. … Crying out: “Remember, O Lord”, God enlightens our own depths, to remember His mercies and loving kindness; By proclaiming them to us, we seek them with the spirit of trusting sonhood, with hope and no despair. The everlasting Fountain of love, the Source of mercies and loving kindness, presents to us a covenant, that started with Adam; Clarified to Noah, at the renewal of the world after the great flood; Confirmed to Abraham, the father of fathers ..., And finally realized in the most perfect way on the cross, when the https://coptic-treasures.com/ Lord wrote down His covenant in His body by the precious blood – a covenant of mercy and truth…. On the cross, the divine love embraced His justice; And God’s mercy, which would never separate from His justice, was revealed. Hence the psalmist says: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (10). The paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to His true believers, who seek His covenant to keep it; Who are faithful in their bond with Him, to become His possession in truth; And who desire the holy life, and obedience of the divine commandment, striving to reach it by the power of the Holy One. Yet, in case they happen to sin, out of weakness, they would not be denied the enjoyment of the promises of the covenant. According to St. Augustine, those who seek the divine covenant, enjoy the mercy proclaimed by our Lord through His self-sacrifice in His first coming; and will enjoy the truth that He will proclaim in His second coming, on the great day of judgment… Although the truth accompanies the mercy; and the mercy accompanies the truth. + Those who, in meekness, seek the covenant, by which our Lord has redeemed us to the Newness of life by His blood, and study His testimonies in the prophets and the evangelists; will be granted His mercy in His first coming, and His truth in His second coming. D- THE FORGIVER OF MY SINS: This unique Teacher, who proclaimed His everlasting love through His covenant and promises, manifested through the sacrifice of the cross, is, alone, capable of forgiving my sins; Hence the psalmist says: https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to Your mercy, remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord. Therefore He teaches sinners in the way” (7, 8) The prophet David would not be able to confess his sins and transgressions, particularly those he committed in his young days, unless the Lord reveals to him His everlasting mercies and loving kindness. God’ love and His fatherly compassion, are our support in confessing our sins. The prophet David seeks from the Divine Teacher not to remember his sins, but to remember him as His beloved creation, which has a special place in His heart, not for any favor on His part, but for the sake of His mercy, goodness, and His holy name. … The right-hand robber, seeking from the true Teacher to remember him in His kingdom; not only was forgiven his crimes and sins, but was carried to the paradise, justified in the worthiness of the precious blood. … Seeking from the Lord to remember us, He responds by saying: “I, even I, am, He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember Your sins” (Isaiah 43: 25). The prophet David does not seek forgiveness, only of the sins he has committed in the past, in the days of his youth, but, because he knows his weakness, he seeks it for the sake of his present sins, for they were many. Taking refuge in the holy name of God, he says: “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great” (11) He who wishes for the covenant of God, anticipating the eternal reward, would confess the multitude of his sins, seeking forgiveness, not for his own worthiness, https://coptic-treasures.com/ but for the sake of God’s name and mercy. His iniquity being great, it needs a flow of the divine grace. The way of repentance is narrow, yet secure, for by it we return to God our Father, and enjoy His loving kindness. + Your way is narrow and difficult, yet it does not lead to destruction. Teach me your narrow ways, found only by few (Matthew 7: 14). + “Lead me in Your truth”, that I avoid sin. “Teach me”, For by myself, I am taught only vanity. “For You are God of my salvation, and on you I wait all day”, Since You drove me out from paradise (Genesis 3: 23), I journeyed to a far country (Luke 15: 13), and could not return to You, unless You came to receive me -- the prodigal son. Through the journey of my life on earth, my return back to you depends on Your mercies; Therefore, “Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness” (6). Remember, O Lord Your works full of grace, for men claim that You have forgotten us. Moreover, Do not forget that Your mercies have been from old, from eternity. Indeed, they would never separate from You. Since the fallen sinner submitted to vanity, You did not forsake him without hope (See Romans 8: 20). You have granted Your creation a multitude of great comforts. (St. Augustine) E- He establishes me in goodness: By the spirit of meekness, we enjoy and draw the mercies of God, and experience His forgiving and compassionate fatherhood. And by the fear of God, https://coptic-treasures.com/ our will conform to His divine will; and the way we choose would be His way. … Hence the soul would not find herself wrestling between an evil will within her, and a Divine good will; but find conformity and harmony between her depths and the ways of the Lord, and abide in the Divine goodness; as expressed by the words of the psalmist: “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, and his descendants shall inherit the earth” (12, 13) He probably means to say: [For him who fears the Lord with a spirit of godliness, God will choose a way in which he will find pleasure. God presents the way of His commandment to those who fear Him, in which they will find pleasure … By the fear of God, ‘Saul of Tarsus’, the blasphemer and persecutor, chose, by the divine grace, to pray, worship, preach, and be persecuted as an apostle. He who fears God will abide in the royal way, where he fears no one and nothing, but his soul would abide as though in the bosom of the Lord. He will not be alone, but will carry along with him those whom he draws to the holy evangelic life, counted as his descendants, to enjoy the church as a holy land in this world. Hence, the psalmist says: “and his descendants shall inherit the earth”. It does not stop at the abidance of his soul and, of those to whom he ministers, in the divine bosoms; but he who fears the Lord will enjoy the glory and strength of the Lord, according to the words of the psalmist: “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him” (14). God Himself will be his honor and strength. + Fear may seem befitting only for the weak; but the Lord strongly supports those who fear Him. The name of the Lord, glorified in the world, supports those who look up to Him, and those who seek Him in everything; To them https://coptic-treasures.com/ He proclaims His covenant; for the nations and the end of the earth are the inheritance of Christ. (St. Augustine) According to the Hebrew version, it came as: “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (14); And, according to the Septuagint version, it came as: “The Lord is (strength) for those who fear Him; the name of the Lord is for His godly; and He will show them His covenant” (14). To them He reveals His secrets, counsels, and His covenant with His people; as though to His very own . And being one of those who fear the Lord, David was longing to be led together with the friends of God along the royal path. In short the divine Teacher presents to those who fear Him, the following blessings: * A royal path, and a holy commandment, that would bring pleasure to their souls. * An abidance in God, the Greatest Goodness. * A holy inheritance to those they minister. * A revelation of the divine secrets, being God’s personal friends. F- He saves me from the concealed nets: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net” (15) https://coptic-treasures.com/ The feet of those who concentrate their sight upon the Lord, will not stay long in the nets; For, by the grace of God, our souls would flee out of the net of confusion in the things of this world, and its evil pleasures, to find comfort with our glorified Redeemer. + I fear nothing of the perditions of this earth, as long as I do not concentrate my sight on the earthly things; For He on whom I concentrate my sight, “will pluck my feet out of the net” (15).. (St. Augustine) When we concentrate our sight on the dust, we would fall into the fearful nets; Whereas, when we concentrate it on the Heavenly One, He will lift us up by His Holy Spirit, to keep us from falling into the net And in case we fall, He would lift us up from it to Himself. God is everywhere, even though our eyes may not be able to see Him all the time, unless we are enlightened by Him … Hence the psalmist says: “In Your light we see light” (Psalm 36: 9). G- He saves me from desolation: “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted” (16) Feeling desolate and miserable in his affliction, from which his servants and army could not save him, and feeling that even his parents have forsaken him, David knew that no one could save him but the Lord. One of the worst problems that man may suffer, is feeling desolation and loneliness, even though people may be around him on all sides; and sometimes https://coptic-treasures.com/ even if he is in the bosoms of his parents. … He would be in need of God, Himself, to turn to him, enter into his heart, fill his void, and keep him from feeling miserable.. The psalmist said before: . Now he says: “Turn Yourself to me” (16). For, perpetually looking, in his depths, toward the Lord, he sees God “turning to him”. Simon Peter, looking at the Lord during His trial, and seeing Him “turning to him”, he wept bitterly; for the Lord’s looks soften the heart, give the soul contrition and repentance, and open up fountains of holy tears. H- He saves me from my enemies: The looks of the Lord grant us repentance and mercy, to get rid of the inner enemy, namely, the sin; Hence the psalmist goes on to say: “The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Oh, bring me out of my distresses!. Look at my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins” (17, 18) The psalmist cries out, seeking from the Lord to save him from the burden of sin inside him; as well as from his outer enemies, saying: Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred” (19) It is the work of the Teacher – the Good Shepard – to take care of his sheep in the midst of the wolves. He would not destroy the wolves, but He rather destroys their evil nature, to turn them into lambs; Or, according to the prophet: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the young goat… the cow and the bear shall graze” (Isaiah 11: 6, 7) https://coptic-treasures.com/ I- He grants me integrity: The perfect work of the Holy Teacher is to grant us the integral holy life: “Keep my soul and deliver me, … (Let those with integrity and uprightness get attached to me)” (20, 21) The Believer would be sanctified through being attached to the holy souls, as one holy congregation under the Holy Shepherd. J- An antiphon sung by the choir: Although the prophet David was very serious in seeking from the Lord to save him from his troubles, yet, in the midst of his own troubles, he did not forget those of the congregation as a whole. He prayed for his own sake; and now he prays for the sake of the congregation to be saved. He prays for the new Israel, (not the nation of Israel), but the church of the New Covenant; saying: “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles” (22) + Redeem Your people, not only from the troubles that come on them from outside, but also from those they suffer from within; For You, O God, have prepared Your people to enjoy beholding You. (St. Augustine) --------------------------- AN INSPTATION FRPM PSALM 25 https://coptic-treasures.com/ O MY TEACHER, TEACHING ME YOUR WAYS + Teach me Your way, O Lord, to abide in You; Lead me in Your truth to enjoy Your kingdom; Carry me to Your cross, to enjoy Your eternal covenant; Forgive my sins, and grant me abidance; Carry me to You, O Greatest Goodness. + Make me concentrate my looks on You; And turn Yourself to me; Lift me up out of the dust; and do not let my feet remain long in the net; + Save me from my desolation, and take away my misery; For You are my satiety and treasure; + Save me from my sin; Take away the animosity of my enemies, and turn them into friends; + Grant me integrity and uprightness together with Your people; Give salvation to Your church, and comfort to Your people.
Welcome