selflessness even in prayer - psalm 102 - 18th week tuesday

We continue to reflect on our Responsorial Psalm – this time Psalm 102.  The description given to Psalm 102 is “A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD."  Here we can therefore sense that the person who prayed this psalm was in great difficulty.  And what is the affliction about?  What is the source of his difficulty?  At the beginning one can sense that the affliction is somewhat physical, probably a sickness.  But as one goes along in the psalm, the affliction seems to be not just physical and it is not even personal but a national affliction – it was something that affected the country, something that brought distress to God's people. "The nations shall revere your name, O LORD, when the LORD has rebuilt Zion, when he has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer." 

Scholars say that the affliction was both a personal and at the same time a national affliction.  The psalmist was suffering, probably he was even dying, facing the end of his life.  But as he faced his own physical sufferings his thoughts turned to more important matters.  His thoughts were turned to the affliction of Jerusalem, the suffering of God's people.  Thus he set aside his own pains, he counted his sufferings as nothing and put the concerns of the nation, the concerns of God's people, the concerns of Jerusalem above his own. 

I have seen this many times as I ministered in deathbeds – sa mga tagumatayon.  A father who is more concerned about his children than his own pains and sufferings.  A mother who is more worried about the children than herself.  Many times I have to assure them – lakat ka na, ok na sila diri, indi ka na hagi ulikid, they can take care of themselves.  Selfless people, who even in their pain would think of others more than themselves.

Probably this psalm is also an invitation to examine our own prayers.  Our prayers can become occasions to become selfless, more selfless rather than selfish.  Can we for example set aside our own needs so that preference can be given to others – Lord kinahanglan ko man tani sapatos, pero unaha lang sia kay nagatiil lang sia.  Lord damo man ako problema pero ini nga pangamuyo para ini sa ila kay mas mabug-at pa gid ang ila problema sang sa akon.  These are simple dialogues but it reveals to us a selfless person who even in the midst of his own sufferings would think of others more than his own.  Psalm 102 is not just a prayer then, but an attitude, a way of thinking, a way of doing.

“The LORD looked down from his holy height, to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to release those doomed to die.” Psalm 102 is a prayer of an afflicted person who prayed that God hear the groaning and afflictions of his people prior to his own.