Of David.
I
Judge me, Lord!
For I have walked in my integrity.
In the Lord I trust;
I do not falter.
Examine me, Lord, and test me;
search my heart and mind.
Your mercy is before my eyes;
I walk guided by your faithfulness.
II
I do not sit with worthless men,
nor with hypocrites do I mingle.
I hate an evil assembly;
with the wicked I do not sit.
I will wash my hands in innocence
so that I may process around your altar, Lord,
To hear the sound of thanksgiving,
and recount all your wondrous deeds.
Lord, I love the refuge of your house,
the site of the dwelling-place of your glory.
III
Do not take me away with sinners,
nor my life with the men of blood.
In whose hands there is a plot,
their right hands full of bribery.
But I walk in my integrity;
redeem me, be gracious to me!
My foot stands on level ground;
in assemblies I will bless the Lord.
Psalms 26:1-12
So often the psalms have asked God for justice, and usually that meant begging for punishment for enemies. This time, it is really just about asking God to judge me fairly. Of course, the psalmist believes that he is living the way God wants him to live, which makes him confident to ask for fair judgment.
Certainly, none of us are sinless. We are human by nature, and that brings some weakness along with it. Only Mary and Jesus could remain sinless while living their earthly lives. But God knows that. He only asks that we continue to strive for holiness. As with so many things in this life, it is all about the journey.
One section of the prayer process that I follow at lunch each day is about forgiveness from sins. It is titled, “Peace,” and recommends that you, “ask God to forgive you for any wrong you have committed (against yourself, another person, or Him) and to fill you with a deep and abiding peace.”
I suppose that is roughly what this psalm is all about. It is a beautiful prayer asking God to give us the peace of forgiveness. What a perfect description of the joy we feel from absolution.
That is one of the reasons that Catholics feel blessed to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation. Certainly, it is natural to feel some trepidation when approaching the sacrament, but after a good examination of conscience we can receive the grace of forgiveness in a way that brings peace and joy.
With that in mind, I would like to end this meditation like I end each entry in my prayer journal, with the Jesus prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.