Catholic Commentary on Sirach 36

"Have mercy upon us, O Master, the God of all, and put all the nations in fear of you." (Sirach 36:1)

A Prayer for Deliverance

Have mercy upon us, O Master, the God of all, and put all the nations in fear of you. Lift up your hand against foreign nations and let them see your might. As you have used us to show your holiness to them, so use them to show your glory to us. Let them know you, as we have known you, that there is no God but you, O Lord. Show new signs and work new wonders; demonstrate the splendour of your right hand and arm. Rouse your anger and pour out your wrath; destroy the adversary and wipe out the enemy. Hasten the day and remember your oath, so that people may recount your mighty deeds.

The Catechism identifies this prayer as the form of communal intercession that entrusts the restoration of justice to God alone, the prayer of a community that knows its suffering and asks God to vindicate his own name through their deliverance (CCC 2584).

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, have mercy upon us, O Master, the God of all. This is the prayer of the community that has nothing to offer but need. Show new signs and work new wonders. The God who did it before can do it again. Rouse yourself. Remember your oath. Hasten the day. This is the prayer of those who wait for God and will not stop asking.

Prayer

Lord God, have mercy upon us. Put all nations in fear of you. Show new signs and work new wonders. Remember your oath. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

36
1 Have mercy upon us, O God of all, and behold us, and shew us the light of thy mercies: 2 And send thy fear upon the nations, that have not sought after thee: that they may know that there is no God beside thee, and that they may shew forth thy wonders. 3 Lift up thy hand over the strange nations, that they may see thy power. 4 For as thou hast been sanctified in us in their sight, so thou shalt be magnified among them in our presence, 5 That they may know thee, as we also have known thee, that there is no God beside thee, O Lord. 6 Renew thy signs, and work new miracles. 7 Glorify thy hand, and thy right arm. 8 Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath. 9 Take away the adversary, and crush the enemy. 10 Hasten the time, and remember the end, that they may declare thy wonderful works. 11 Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire: and let them perish that oppress thy people. 12 Crush the head of the princes of the enemies that say: There is no other beside us. 13 Gather together all the tribes of Jacob: that they may know that there is no God besides thee, and may declare thy great works: and thou shalt inherit them as from the beginning. 14 Have mercy on thy people, upon whom thy name is invoked: and upon Israel, whom thou hast raised up to be thy firstborn. 15 Have mercy on Jerusalem, the city which thou hast sanctified, the city of thy rest. 16 Fill Sion with thy unspeakable words, and thy people with thy glory. 17 Give testimony to them that are thy creatures from the beginning, and raise up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in thy name. 18 Reward them that patiently wait for thee, that thy prophets may be found faithful: and hear the prayers of thy servants, 19 According to the blessing of Aaron over thy people, and direct us into the way of justice, and let all know that dwell upon the earth, that thou art God the beholder of all ages. 20 The belly will devour all meat, yet one is better than another. 21 The palate tasteth venison and the wise heart false speeches. 22 A perverse heart will cause grief, and a man of experience will resist it. 23 A woman will receive every man: yet one daughter is better than another. 24 The beauty of a woman cheereth the countenance of her husband, and a man desireth nothing more. 25 If she have a tongue that can cure, and likewise mitigate and shew mercy: her husband is not like other men. 26 He that possesseth a good wife, beginneth a possession: she is a help like to himself, and a pillar of rest. 27 Where there is no hedge, the possession shall be spoiled: and where there is no wife, he mourneth that is in want. 28 Who will trust him that hath no rest, and that lodgeth wheresoever the night taketh him, as a robber well appointed, that skippeth from city to city.

Public Domain