Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 126: A Prayer of Rejoicing for the Lord Bringing Us Back from Captivity—Psalm 126, one of the psalms of Ascents, celebrates the return of the exiles to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Captivity. As the descendants of those who had rebelled against the Lord, they recognized the Lord’s faithfulness and gift of salvation that neither they nor their descendants deserved. They were overwhelmed with happiness and overflowed with joy. “Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing…The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us, wherefore we are glad.” Psalm 126 reminds us of the important lesson that the Lord is always faithful to those who cling to Him in faith, which includes those who have returned to Him in contrition and repentance. “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” We pray psalm 126 with our Old Testament brothers and sisters for the many ways in which the Lord has been faithful to us to call from our wayward ways back to Him who is our life and salvation.

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