Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 5: Psalms 81–101

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Psalm 101 with Cassiodorus – The Love and Justice of God

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, LORD, I will sing praise (v. 1). The Lord’s power is always either loving or bringing justice. But his mercy is never found without judgment, nor his judgment without mercy. Both are joined in an interlinked association; no act of his ever comes to light which is not seen to be full of all the virtues. Just as the psalmist speaks here of mercy and justice, so elsewhere instead of these two he links justice and peace, or love and truth, or justice and judgment, so that everywhere he shows God as devoted and just. This way of speaking is typical of divine Scripture. On the glorious occasion of his coming, he first mentions mercy when he says: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance” (Matt 25:34); this is not without fairness, for he keeps his promises to the faithful. But next follows judgment, when he said to the wicked: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire” (Matt 25:41), though this action is not unloving; he is known to show punishment only after much patience. Thus you see that the two concepts are reconcilable with each other and shine forth in their due places. Sinners who give up hope of being forgiven must listen to the Lord of mercy, whereas the proud who think that their wickedness will not be punished must visualise him as judge. So here the totality is sung briefly but fully, for in these two words—love and justice—all the Lord’s works and the building up of the entire Church are clearly told.