Psalm 31 (32)
By David, concerning understanding.

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not take into account,
And in whose mouth there is no deceit.
Because I kept silent, my bones grew
Old
From my groaning all day long;
For day and night your hand was
heavy upon me;
I became miserable when the thorn
Pierced me. (Pause)

I made known my sin,
And I did not hide my transgression;
I said, “I will confess my transgression
To the Lord,”
And You forgave the ungodliness of
My sin. (Pause)

For this cause, everyone who is holy
Will pray to Him in a well-fitted
Time;
Surely they will not draw near to Him
In a flood of many waters.
You are my refuge from the oppression
Of those who surround me;
O my exceeding joy, redeem me from
Those who encircle me. (Pause)

“I will give you understanding, and I
Will teach you in the way you
should walk;
I will fix my eyes on you.
Do not be like the horse and the mule,
Which have no understanding;
You squeeze their jaws with bit and
Bridle,
Lest they come near you.”
Many are the scourges of the sinner,
But he who hopes in the Lord, mercy
Shall encircle him.
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice greatly,
O righteous ones,
And boast, all you upright in heart.

Commentary

Ps 31 is a prophecy concerning enlightenment (understanding) which is fulfilled in the Sacrament of Baptism. For this sacrament is known as the Sacrament of Enlightenment, in which sins are forgiven. And on the Day of Pentecost, St. Peter urged those listening to “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.”

Versus 1 and 2 emphasize the blessings of baptism, the responsibility of the one baptized, and Christ’s response to the faithfulness of the one baptized. This explains why Ps 31 is read when the newly baptized are brought up out of the waters and given their white garments.

Comments

Thank God for the commentary. I felt like I focused on the thorn and one’s heart being right before God and completely missed the baptism part.
Thank God for the forgiveness of our sins.

Yesterday, a student stole something from my room. That was frustrating. We are going to have some extended silent reading time while I process that. It’s hard because we have this big project coming up, and I want everything to go well. There are a lot of people doing different things. How do I allow movement within my packed room without having to worry about kids taking stuff they should not? The reality is, my students, for the most part, are fantastic. They have earned my trust. But clearly we are still human. I will talk to my administrator about how to proceed. But this highlights why we need baptism. No one is perfect!

But those who hope in the Lord, mercy shall encircle them. As I read that part, Mitya wrapped his arms around me. God is so good in the midst of everything. Thank you, Lord!