PSALM 150
Bishop Mettaous
This is one of the most wonderful Psalms of Praise, filling the whole earth with praises to God, where the word ‘Praise’ is repeated 10 times, to Him Who Sacrificed Himself for our sake.
The church also chants this Psalm during the Holy
Communion all year round, in all occasions, because that
is the time of rejoice and praise, exactly as what the kind
father did when his lost son came back, “But the father
said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it
on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his
feet. And bring a fatted calf here and kill it, and let us
eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive
again he was lost and is found’. And they began to be
merry.” (Luke 15:22-24) The Psalmist says, “For His
anger is but for a moment, His favour is for life;
weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the
morning.” (Ps. 30:5), in the morning during the Holy
Communion.
The book of Psalms is a symbol of a Christian person’s
life: memorising God’s words day and night, gaining
forgiveness and cover for his sins, coming closer to God
to get filled with the Spring of Living Water, then
offering thanksgiving and praise to God. “Praise God in His Sanctuary”
This means to praise Him where He declares His Glory
and grants His Grace. We are created on God’s image,
we praise Him when we see His image in His saints, He
incarnated and became Man for our sake, He is dwelling
within us through His Holy Spirit. He gave us a share in
the Heavenly Kingdom. Thus our hearts and mouths are
pouring praise and thanksgiving to Him. St. Paul the
Apostle says, “Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have
from God, and you are not your own? For you were
bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body
and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
We praise Him in the Church, His House and the House
of Angels, because the Lord had promised us, “For
where two or three are gathered together in My name, I
am there in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20)
Praise Him in His Mighty Firmament
Praise the Great Mighty God, Who created the
firmament, the unlimited space. Praise Him for the
accurate law followed by all the planets and stars in
harmony, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O
Israel; My way is hidden from the Lord, and my just
claim is passed over by my God”? (Is. 40:27) “The
heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament
shows His handiwork.” (Ps. 19:1) “For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly
seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are
without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20)
Praise Him for His Mighty Acts
The might of God is unlimited, “Then Jacob said to
Joseph; ‘God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the
land of Canaan and blessed me.” (Gen. 48:3) “Ah,
Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the
earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There
is nothing too hard for You.” (Jer. 32:17) “You show
loving kindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of
the fathers into the bosom of their children after them –
the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of
hosts. You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for
your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of me, to
give everyone according to his ways and according to
the fruit of his doings.” (Jer. 32:18-19) “But Jesus
looked at them and said to them, ‘With men this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible’.”
(Matt. 19:26) “for in Him we live and move and have
our being, as also some of your own poets have said,
‘For we are also His offspring’.” (Acts 17:28)
Thus, we ought to praise and glorify Him for His Mighty
Power and Acts. Although we are weak and dust, yet
He, because of His Love and Tenderness, He accepted us
and says, “Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my
delight was with the sons of men.” (Prov. 8:31)
Praise Him according to His Excellent
Greatness “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His
greatness is unsearchable.” (Ps. 145:3) “For the Lord
is the great God, and the great King above all gods.”
(Ps. 95:3) “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understating is infinite.” (Ps. 147:5)
The Psalmist is exceedingly amazed with the greatness
of God, “Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is
so great a God as our God? You are the God who does
wonders; You have declared Your strength among the
peoples.” (Ps. 77:13-14), also “For You are great, and
do wondrous things; You alone are God.” (Ps. 86:10)
So, who can give the Lord the adequate praise? He
says. “For from the rising of the sun, even to its going
down, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; in
every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a
pure offering; for My name shall be great among the
nations,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” (Mal. 1:11)
Let us praise the Lord with all our might and weak
capabilities, and He, in His Great Love, would not ask
more than our utmost struggle to offer Him praise.
“Praise him with the sound of trumpet;
Praise him with the lute and harp;
Praise him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise him with stringed instruments and flutes;
Praise him with loud cymbals;
Praise him with his sounding cymbals” (Ps.150: 3-5)
All these musical instruments were used in praising the
Lord during the morning and evening services in the Old
Testament Sanctuary. As for the New Testament, we
have been transferred from death to life, it had changed,
we sing instead the tunes depending on the beautiful
human chorus, which reveals human emotions towards
God and His Love.
The most enjoyable music in God’s Ears is that of strong
emotions consecrated for God. Let’s Praise the Lord
with:
Joy and sacred love.
Strong faith.
Total trust in Jesus Christ.
Repentance and reconciliation.
Strong desire to have Him as our share.
Respect and fulfilment of His commandments.
Humbleness and thanksgiving.
Obedience to the church our Mother.
Hope in the heavenly kingdom.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
The Psalmist calls, “All in whose nostrils was the breath
of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died.”
(Gen. 7:22) to praise the Lord, each according to his
abilities and way. St. John heard, “And every creature
which is in heaven and on the earth and under the
earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them, I heard saying ‘Blessing and honour and glory
and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb, forever and ever!’” (Rev. 5:13) Let our praise be with every breath we breathe, repeating
with the Saturday Psaly: [with every breath which I
breathe I praise Your Holy Name, from morning till
night daily I praise Your Holy Name. We are never tired
or bored of Your praise, as long as we are alive we praise
You, as long as we exist we glorify You].
“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the
Holy Spirit, Now and forevermore. Amen”
“Glory be to our God. Alleluia”
This verse is repeated once in Coptic and once in Greek
for assurance.
The last verse said in Coptic has a long wonderful tune.
In the month of Kiahk, there is a well-known
response after each quarter of this Psalm: [It is
adequate to praise and glorify our God. Praise the
Lord our God for the Psalm is good]
|| Pope Shenouda || Father Matta || Bishop Mattaous || Fr. Tadros Malaty || Bishop Moussa || Bishop Alexander || Habib Gerguis || Bishop Angealos || Metropolitan Bishoy ||