Vatican City, Oct 5, 2011 / 09:20 am
Pope Benedict XVI used his Oct. 5 audience to revisit the theme of trusting in God during times of adversity found in Psalm 23—a message that he delivered twice at the beginning of September.
“With its exquisite pastoral imagery this much-beloved Psalm speaks of the radical trust in God’s loving care which is an essential aspect of prayer,” the Pope said to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
“The Psalmist expresses his tranquil certainty that he will be guided and protected, sheltered from all danger because the Lord is his shepherd,” he said.
Psalm 23 is one of the best known passages in the Bible and is commonly used in religious services by Jews, Catholics and Protestants alike. In many Christian denominations it has become a staple for any funeral liturgy. It has also been set to music by composers such as J.S. Bach, Anton Bruckner, Leonard Bernstein and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The Pope described the psalm as a beautiful analogy of God’s love and protection for every human soul and for all humanity.
“The image evokes an atmosphere of trust, intimacy, tenderness. The shepherd knows his sheep individually, he calls them by name and they follow him because they recognize and trust him,” he said.