Cry Out to the Lord

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, April 13th, 2025:
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

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Psalm 22

R. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver; let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

R. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shrivelled; I can count all my bones.

R. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

They divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid!

R. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

R. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Our responsorial psalm for this Sunday, Palm Sunday, is one we hear Jesus quoting on the cross: "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” When I heard this for the first time I remember being interiorly scandalized that Jesus would say this, not knowing He was quoting scripture. I couldn’t understand why Jesus would think God has abandoned Him; He is God. 

Now, I do understand (a very little) better that Jesus is fully God and fully man, and in those moments on the cross His entire humanity was experiencing the sin of the world. It must have felt as if God was abandoning him. The beauty of this is the reality of how Jesus very much understands those moments when I cannot see God present in my life. When I struggle to remain faithful despite the challenges, I am not alone, and I can focus on the love that God has for me in those moments. 

This psalm is attributed to King David, so it would be from about 500 years before Jesus, I believe. It speaks of the sufferings of Jesus during His passion, and I cannot read it without thinking about how they stripped Jesus, cast lots for His clothes, mocked him, and derided him.  

The line in the psalm that struck me during my prayer is "Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver; let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” The way I read that line, it comes from those mocking the victim of the psalm. It fits so perfectly, because I can see the Pharisees yelling this line to Jesus – specifically the part “in whom he delights,” because it is similar to the phrase used by God the Father at the baptism of Jesus and at the Transfiguration: “this is my son in whom I delight.” 

The Pharisees are mocking Jesus. In their disbelief, they challenge Jesus to save Himself, not realizing that what He is doing is saving them – saving me! 

As with everything in our faith, the psalmist goes on to express the reality of God’s faithfulness and love. We omit that for this liturgy, but if you have time to read the entire psalm, it’s worth it and it isn’t long. 

So, as we journey through the holiest of weeks and once again recall the Passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are reminded that in the midst of darkness and desolation, God does not abandon us. He is faithful. The story doesn’t end with death, and neither will ours.




Sister Teresa MacDonald​

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