All of the Psalms tend to be beautiful and at least more well known than other pieces
from the Old Testament, however, Psalm 118 tends to stand out above most of the rest
because of its weight in foreshadowing the New Testament. This is particularly seen in the oft
quoted verse “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner”
(cornerstone in other translations). This rings so many bells for most of us, obviously, because
in Matthew 21:42 Jesus tells us “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The very stone which
the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.’” As a result of this, we tend to refer
back to Psalm 118 more often than others.
This is not Psalm 118’s only moment of foreshadowing, though. While most stop at the
cornerstone line, many will read just a little bit ahead of that where the Psalmist writes “Blessed
be he who enters in the name of the LORD!” (other translations blessed is he who comes in the
name of the LORD!) While many of us associate the Sanctus that we sing at Mass each week
with Revelations 4 where we get “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty,” it is Psalm 118
where we get the portion of the Sanctus in which we sing “Blessed is he that comes in the name
of the Lord.”
However, while both of these points are critically important in Psalm 118, it was a
different little nugget of truth that stuck out to me this particular morning. When we discuss
Purgatory, one of the biggest challenges is that sola scriptura followers tend to find difficulty
seeing it. Part of this is that they removed the books of Maccabees where we find the beautiful
verse “But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in
godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that
they might be delivered from their sin.” But it is also partly because Purgatory is a relatively
hidden concept in scripture that most of us simply miss. Luckily, the Church has always been
there for us to shed light on the issue for us, deo gratias.
With this in mind, in my reading of Psalm 118 this morning, I stumbled upon a little verse
that I believe points to Purgatory. If we rewind just a little before the famous cornerstone line, we
find David lamenting being surrounded and nearly defeated but the Lord delivering him. This
lamentation culminates with thanksgiving for the Lord’s delivery as David sings “I shall not die,
but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has chastened me sorely, but
has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter
through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall
enter through it.”
Almost everyone who reads this sees the literal and historical understanding of the text
in David’s experience. However, I am arguing that there is also a moral and theological
understanding of truth foreshadowed here in the Psalm. David’s experience is that he was
facing death and delivered from death to the gates of righteousness rather than given over to
death. However, he is not just delivered straight to this but rather he was chastened sorely - but
not given over to death - before he could enter the gates of righteousness. This should ring
many many bells in the heads of Catholics as this is stunningly in line with how we perceive
purgatory.
With this in mind, this is being written on Divine Mercy Sunday. Take a moment to pray
for the Lord to shed his Divine Mercy upon the souls in Purgatory. They are in the gate of the
LORD and this is the gate through which they will enter righteousness, but not before the are
chastened quite sorely. Pray that the blood and water which poured out from Christ may fall
upon the flames of purgatory to give them at least a moment’s rest. Remember what St.
Josemaria Escriva said “Out of charity, out of justice, and out of an excusable selfishness - they
have such power with God! - remember them often in your sacrifices and in your prayers. May
you be able to say when you speak of them, ‘My good friends the souls in purgatory.’”