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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-9, 13-14

"The Lord is my light and my salvation"

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Scripture text (World English Bible)

Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh.” Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh.

Themes

  • the Lord is my light
  • whom shall I fear
  • one thing I ask
  • the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
  • wait with courage

Reflection

Psalm 27 is one of the great psalms of confident trust, and the verses selected for the funeral lectionary contain some of its most beloved lines. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" "One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life." "I believe I shall see the bounty of the Lord in the land of the living."

For a Catholic funeral, the psalm carries a particular weight. The "land of the living" is not, in the New Testament reading of these words, only this present life. The deepest "land of the living" is the kingdom of God: the place where death no longer holds dominion, where the deceased is now seeing the bounty of the Lord that the psalm so longed for. To sing these verses at a funeral is to announce that the longing has been answered.

The closing words, "Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord", speak quietly to the family that remains. The deceased has reached the destination; those who mourn are still on the road. The psalm gives them their charge: wait with courage. The same God who has kept the deceased will keep them. The same goodness will be revealed in its time.

This is a psalm for funerals where the family wants language that is at once tender and strong. It does not flinch from the difficulty of waiting; it gives the waiting a horizon.

Best for

  • ·Funerals where the family is leaning into faith despite real grief
  • ·Liturgies for someone whose life embodied confident trust in God
  • ·Families with younger members who need the closing "wait with courage" charge
  • ·Funerals during the Easter season

In the liturgy

A frequently chosen funeral psalm. Most music directors will have a setting available. The antiphon options vary. Some emphasize "the Lord is my light," others "I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord."

Pairs well with

Frequently asked questions

Are there multiple antiphon options for this psalm?
Yes. The lectionary offers a few; common settings include "The Lord is my light and my salvation" and "I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord." Both are theologically apt for a funeral.

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Other approved responsorial psalm options

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