The Lord sent Nathan to David, and when came to him, Nathan said, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Though many, or maybe most, of you might disagree with me, to me the “responsorial” part of the psalm in the Mass readings – whether read or sung – do not present so well the beauty and power of the psalms.  (To me) the “response” is distracting because I frankly I focus on trying to remember the response and do not really listen to, or appreciate, the psalm verses. Also, when the psalm is sung, especially with organ accompaniment, I cannot even hear the words for the singing and music.

This is a shame because the psalms are beautiful and meaningful prayer in themselves. As well, the directness to God and the range of emotions can teach us and help us to share more openly with the LORD our true responses to life experiences:  joys and gratitude; disappointment and sadness; regret and guilt; resentment and hatred.  

Today’s psalm, psalm 51, is a penitential psalm. It is prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours every Friday.  Psalm 51 is a direct response from David to Nathan’s accusation against David that he stole and had sexual relations with Bathsheba, and had Uriah, her husband, killed in order to do so (narrated in today’s first reading).  

This is not pretty, or holy, but it is real. David’s reaction to Nathan’s accusation is psalm 51. For those of us who are not always sure how to approach scripture, the psalms are a worthy opportunity.

—Fr. Glen Chun, SJ, a priest of the Midwest Province, is community minister of Bellarmine House of Studies in St. Louis.

A psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;
 in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
 Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me.
 For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me. 
 against you, you alone have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your eyes
 So that you are just in your word, and without reproach in your judgment. 
 Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me. 
 Behold, you desire true sincerity; and secretly you teach me wisdom.
 Cleanse me with hyssop, that I may be pure; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 
 You will let me hear gladness and joy; the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn away your face from my sins; blot out all my iniquities.
 clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit. 
 Do not drive me from before your face, nor take from me your holy spirit. 
 Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit.
 I will teach the wicked your ways, that sinners may return to you.
 Rescue me from violent bloodshed, God, my saving God,
 and my tongue will sing joyfully of your justice.
 Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
 For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it;
 a burnt offering you would not accept. 
 My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; 
 a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.
 Treat Zion kindly according to your good will; build up the walls of Jerusalem. 
 Then you will desire the sacrifices of the just, burnt offering and whole offerings;
 then they will offer up young bulls on your altar.

—Psalm 51