The Ascent

A Reflection on the Psalm for November 27, 2022:
The First Sunday of Advent

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Psalm 122

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as it was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David. 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.” 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. 

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

This passage holds a special place in my heart. Psalm 122 is part of a few Psalm excerpts that are referred to as the Psalms of Ascent. It is called this in reference to ascending into the holy city of Jerusalem. 

I had the opportunity to travel to Jerusalem with a group of young university students while I was in my undergraduate degree. Just as the joy and anticipation is explained in this passage, we too got to travel into the city on the same path taken by many voyagers who travelled before us. We, however, travelled on a tour bus. So, not quite the same. During the travel, our pilgrimage leader, Fr. Raymond De Souza, led us in praying Psalm 122. 

This was one of the many experiences on the pilgrimage that stirred up my soul. The anticipation of what was waiting for us once we reached the holy city was so close, and this prayer aided in the preparation of our hearts. Now, I understand that not all of us are able to or planning to go to Jerusalem anytime soon. However, I find this passage especially useful as we begin Advent this Sunday. 

By allowing ourselves to be drawn into the joy and anticipation that the psalmist describes, we may receive the grace of preparing our hearts to receive the greatest joy of Jerusalem, our King, Jesus Christ. 




Theresa Langley

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