Praying the Communion Antiphon Series: Monday Third Week of Lent Year A Ps 116(117):1,2

 Praying the Communion Antiphon

Praying the Communion Antiphon Series

A Time Set Apart:  Monday Third Week of Lent 

Praise Beyond Boundaries

Communion Antiphon (Psalm 116 (117):1–2)

O praise the Lord, all you nations,

for his merciful love towards us is great.

 Thinking About the Words

“O praise the Lord, all you nations…”

This is remarkable.  Many psalms call Israel to praise God. But here the invitation expands outward. The psalmist calls all nations to praise the Lord.  God’s mercy is not confined to one people. His love reaches beyond every boundary.

We do not praise God  in isolation, even though God is entitled to our praise at any time. At the Epiphany during Christmastide, the response is " Let every nation on earth adore you". Today's antiphon should remind us of this response.

“For his merciful love towards us is great.”

The phrase again carries the rich Hebrew sense of steadfast love — faithful, enduring, covenant love.  It is not fragile or fleeting.  It is strong and reliable.  Notice too the movement in the verse.  The nations are invited to praise because they see something: the greatness of God’s mercy toward His people.

The experience of God’s mercy becomes a witness to the world. Tthis is prayed at Communion. The Eucharist gathers people from every nation and language around one table. The mercy revealed in Christ is not limited to one group — it is offered to all.

Lent reminds us that the love we receive from God is not meant to remain private.

It overflows.

 Reflection

• Do I recognise that God’s mercy reaches beyond every boundary?
• In what ways has God’s faithful love been evident in my life?
• Does my life quietly witness to the goodness of God?
• How might gratitude and praise shape my Lenten journey this week?
• Who do I shut out in my parish, workplace, home?

 This antiphon widens the horizon of Lent.

After reflecting on repentance, mercy, and return, the Church now reminds us that God’s love is larger than we imagine — a love that calls all nations to praise.  It sits beautifully with the Eucharist, where people from every place are gathered into one communion.

 

Prayer

Lord,

Your merciful love is great.

Let my life give praise to You

and reflect Your goodness to the world.

 

1. The Antiphon Opens the Circle

Psalm 116(117) says:

Praise the Lord, all you nations.

This is extraordinary for ancient Israel. It imagines a time when every people will recognise God’s goodness. God’s mercy is not tribal. It is universal.

The psalm already anticipates what will later be fulfilled in Christ.

2. The Gospel Narrows the Circle

In today’s Gospel (Luke 4:24–30), Jesus reminds the people of Nazareth that:

• Elijah helped the widow of Zarephath — a foreigner.
• Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian — another outsider.

In other words, God’s mercy has always crossed boundaries.  However, the listeners cannot accept this. Their reaction is not merely disagreement.  Scripture says they were filled with rage-enraged.  Why? Jesus challenges the idea that God belongs only to them.

 3. The Real Issue

Their problem is not lack of knowledge. It is a closed heart.  They know the Scriptures. However, they cannot imagine God acting beyond their expectations.  So instead of praising God’s goodness, they try to silence the one who reveals it.

 

4. The Lenten Invitation

The antiphon and Gospel together ask a quiet question:

• Is my heart wide enough for the mercy of God?
• Or do I place limits on whom God may bless?

The psalm invites praise from all nations.

The Gospel warns how easily the human heart resists that wideness.  We can place limitations on blessing all nations when we close off possibilities to all people, those who don’t think they same way as we do and especially in parishes where the parish team or a certain group of people who hold an unhealthy power  decides on who can do what ministries. Sadly closed hearts are more prevalent than what we think in parishes. Many people have different gifts to offer but are shut out.

5. At Communion

When we hear this antiphon at Communion, something beautiful happens.  People from many different lives, backgrounds, and struggles come forward together.  The mercy of God is not restricted.  It gathers.  The Eucharist becomes a living sign of what the psalm proclaims:  God’s love is greater than the boundaries we create.

The psalm invites all nations to praise God for His mercy. Yet in the Gospel the people of Nazareth struggle to accept that God’s goodness might reach beyond their expectations. Where the psalm widens the circle, the Gospel reveals how easily the human heart tries to narrow it.