Italy- The first part of Psalm 94 is an invitation to praise the Lord, King and master of the earth he created, and to worship God who is the shepherd of the people of Israel (vv. 1-7). How beautiful and truthful it would be if, when the assembly hears proclaimed: “Come, let us applaud the Lord!” (v. 1), a vibrant round of applause burst forth, involving even our physical bodies in prayer!
- In the second part, God speaks to his people. God’s oracle, which pilgrims and the faithful are exhorted to listen to, is perhaps presented by a priest or a prophet: “If today you would listen to his voice: «Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me; they put me to the test, even though they had seen my works” (vv. 8-11). In biblical tradition (Ex 17), Massah means “temptation” or “testing”, and Meribah means “quarrel” or “contention”. The two terms indicate the place (also known as Rephidim) where the Israelites, thirsty in the desert, doubted God’s presence and challenged Moses and God. At Massah the people put God to the test (“tempted” Him) by asking the question: “Is the Lord among us or not?”, that is, doubting his presence with the people despite the many miracles they had experienced. At Meribah the Israelites entered into a dispute and challenged Moses and God because of the lack of water: instead of praying, they demanded that God respond to their judgment. The exiles are compared to the ancestors: they too, through their own faults, are far from Jerusalem.
- Psalm 94 is part of a collection of Psalms (94-99) that opens and closes with a certainty: “The Lord is the only God; he made us and we are his, his people, his flock, the flock of his hand” (Ps 94:6-7; 99:3). Even in moments of trial, suffering, and pain, the believer maintains the certainty of belonging to God, surrounded by his love and tenderness, his continuous care, and his merciful providence.
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XXIV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
7 September 2026