Fifth Sunday in Lent (2)
Psalm 121
A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where
does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and
earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—he who
watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber
nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your
shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—he
will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now
and forevermore.
The appointed psalms for today start the series of fifteen
in the Psalter called the Songs of Ascents (Ps 120 – 134). It is thought that
these short prayers, inspirational reflections and expressions of praise were
sung by pilgrims, banded in groups for safety and camaraderie, heading from the
towns and villages of Palestine to the city – and temple – of Jerusalem. In OT
times, all Israelites were under obligation to visit three times per year to
attend the temple festivals: Tabernacles (Sukkot), Passover (Pesach) and Weeks
(Shavuot). We know from the Gospel accounts that such trips were still in vogue
then, although no longer obligatory.
The roads that wind up to Jerusalem from the Jordan valley are
striking in their views of the ridges of the Judean hills looming above and
also, looking backwards, vistas of the mountains of trans Jordan – Moab and
Ammon – across the Dead Sea. Ominous peaks in enemy lands; locales of idolatry;
the ‘evil eye’. Thus, hills and mountains were perceived as threats in
Israelite times. The paths to Jerusalem were rough, barren and exposed, with
blistering sun in the height of the day and desert cold at night. Wild animals,
poisonous snakes and scorpions laced this desolate countryside. In the midst of
a multitude of threats, the pilgrims seek reassurances, which they get from reminders
that their help comes from Yahweh, the Maker of heaven and earth. He is more
powerful than any natural, human or supernatural threat. The whole psalm is an
evocation of Yahweh’s watchfulness and protection over the pilgrim journey to
the Holy Temple and the joyous festivals that awaited them.
Do these Israelite pilgrims have anything to say to Saint Augustinians
in Lethbridge, Alberta, during our 2021 Lenten Pilgrimage? Our journey is not
to a place. As our Lord taught in his dialog with the Samaritan woman: “Sir,”
[she] said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this
mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in
Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “… a time is coming and has now come when
the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for
they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his
worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4.19-24). Our goal,
then, is spiritual participation in the worship of God in Jesus. This
also involves an ascent, for in our worship we ascend to the very dwelling
place of God. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we read: “Now the first covenant
had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle
was set up….11 But when Christ came as high priest of the good
things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect
tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of
this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of
goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own
blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption…. 24 For Christ did
not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true
one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence…. 26 [He]
has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by
the sacrifice of himself. 28 …Christ was sacrificed once to
take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin,
but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9.2-29,
extracts).
In conclusion, the goal and purpose of our (spiritual)
journey during these Lenten weeks is Jesus himself. Jesus whom we remember as passing
through the heavenly Tabernacle, offering himself as the perfect sacrifice and
obtaining for us an eternal redemption. Jesus, in his resurrection triumph. Let
us, like those ancient Israelites on the roads to Jerusalem, rejoice in God who
keeps us safe through all hazards and challenges, and is Himself the goal of
our worship.
- René Boeré