Psalms of Lament

 

Psalms of Lament

Benedictines pray the psalms every day in the Liturgy of the Hours.  When I was a young sister, I did not appreciate the psalms of lament. I had not experienced enough sorrow, enough pain, enough grief. I thought these psalms dwelt too much on darkness and feelings of abandonment.  Now that I am old, I understand better the psalms of lament.  They provide words when the loss is so overwhelming we cannot find our own words.

Those who undergo the horrors of war and brutality must feel utter despair, that there is no way to escape the pit of pain, terror, and devastation. Psalm 69 gives voice to those feelings:

Save me, o God, for the waters threaten my life,

I am sunk in the abysmal swamp where there is no foothold

I have reached the watery depths; the flood overwhelms me. (New American Bible)

 Those who have lost a child, often feel like their very heart has been wrenched from their bodies. They know the sorrow of Rachel weeping for her children who are no more. They often feel anger at God and that they cannot go on living. Some may gain comfort from clinging to the Blessed Mother who held the broken body of Jesus in her arms. Those who have lost a spouse who has been a soulmate, a confidante, must also feel like there is no sorrow like their sorrow, that life has lost its meaning. Psalm 88 provides words for those experiencing deep loss:

O Lord, my God, by day I cry out; at night I clamor in your presence.

Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my call for help…

You have plunged me into the bottom of the pit, into the dark abyss. (New American Bible)

 Those who are caught in the web of addiction, illness, and poverty often feel there is no way out, no hope. They can identify with the plea in Psalm 6:

 Have pity on me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my body is in terror;

My soul, too, is utterly terrified; but you, O Lord, how long. . . ?  (New American Bible)

 

When we are sunk in a bottomless pit, a psalm of lament can sometimes give us words to cry out for God’s help. They assure us that we are not alone.