Turning to the Lord in prayer involves a radical act of trust, with the awareness that we are placing our trust in God, who is good, \u00abcompassionate and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness and faithfulness\u00bb (Ex<\/em> 34, 6-7; Salt<\/em> 86, 15; cf. Jl<\/em> 2, 13; Gn<\/em> 4, 2; Salt<\/em> 103, 8; 145, 8; Ne<\/em> 9, 17). That is why today I would like to reflect with you on a Psalm that is completely imbued with trust, in which the psalmist expresses his serene certainty that he is guided and protected, kept safe from all danger, because the Lord is his shepherd. It is the Psalm<\/em> 23\u2014according to the Greco-Roman calendar, 22\u2014a text familiar to all and loved by all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00bbThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want\u201d: this is how this beautiful prayer begins, evoking the nomadic lifestyle of shepherds and the bond of mutual trust that develops between the shepherd and the sheep that make up his small flock. The image evokes an atmosphere of trust, intimacy, and tenderness: the shepherd knows each of his sheep individually, calls them by name, and they follow him because they recognize him and trust him (cf. Jn<\/em> 10, 2-4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He cares for them, guards them as precious treasures, ready to defend them, to ensure their well-being, and to allow them to live in peace. Nothing can be lacking if the shepherd is with them. The psalmist refers to this experience, calling God his shepherd and allowing himself to be guided by him to safe pastures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abHe makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters and restores my strength; He guides me along the right path, for the sake of His name\u00bb (vv. 2\u20133).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The scene that unfolds before our eyes is one of green meadows and springs of clear water, oases of peace to which the shepherd leads his flock\u2014symbols of the places of life to which the Lord leads the psalmist, who feels like the sheep lying down on the grass beside a spring, in a moment of rest\u2014not in tension or a state of alarm\u2014but trusting and at peace, because the place is safe, the water is fresh, and the shepherd watches over them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And let us not forget that the scene evoked by the Psalm is set in a largely desert land, scorched by the blazing sun, where the semi-nomadic shepherd of the Middle East lives with his flock in the parched steppes that stretch out around the villages. But the shepherd knows where to find grass and fresh water\u2014essential for life\u2014and knows how to lead his flock to the oasis where the soul \u00abrenews its strength\u00bb and can regain the strength and new energy needed to set out once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the psalmist says, God leads him to \u00abgreen pastures\u00bb and \u00abstill waters,\u00bb where everything is in abundance, everything is given in abundance. If the Lord is the shepherd, even in the desert\u2014a place of absence and death\u2014the certainty of a profound presence of life remains undiminished, to the point where we can say, \u00abI lack nothing.\u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shepherd, in fact, cares for the well-being of his flock; he adapts his own pace and demands to those of his sheep, walks and lives with them, guiding them along \u00abright\u00bb paths\u2014that is, paths suited to them\u2014and attending to their needs rather than his own. His priority is the safety of his flock, and that is what he seeks as he guides them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear brothers and sisters, we too, like the psalmist, if we follow the \u00abGood Shepherd,\u00bb even if the paths of our lives prove difficult, winding, or long\u2014often even through spiritually barren lands, without water and under the scorching sun of rationalism\u2014under the guidance of the Good Shepherd, Christ, we can be certain that we are walking along the \u00abrighteous\u00bb paths, and that the Lord is guiding us, is always near us, and we will lack nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That is why the psalmist can express a sense of peace and security free from uncertainty and fear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abEven though I walk through the darkest valleys, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me\u00bb (v. 4).<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Those who walk with the Lord\u2014even in the dark valleys of suffering, uncertainty, and all human problems\u2014feel secure. You are with me: this is what we know for certain<\/strong>, the certainty that sustains us. The darkness of the night is frightening, with its shifting shadows, the difficulty in discerning dangers, and its silence filled with indecipherable sounds. If the flock moves after sunset, when visibility becomes uncertain, it\u2019s normal for the sheep to become restless; there\u2019s a risk of stumbling, straying, or getting lost, and there\u2019s also the fear that potential predators might be hiding in the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To describe the \u00abdark\u00bb valley, the psalmist uses a Hebrew expression that evokes the darkness of death; therefore, the valley that must be crossed is a place of anguish, of terrible threats, and of mortal danger. Yet the one praying moves forward with confidence, without fear, because he knows that the Lord is with him. That \u00abYou are with me\u00bb is a proclamation of unshakable trust, and it encapsulates a radical experience of faith; God\u2019s nearness transforms reality, the dark valley loses all its danger, and is emptied of every threat. The flock can now walk in peace, accompanied by the familiar sound of the staff striking the ground, signaling the shepherd\u2019s reassuring presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This comforting image concludes the first part of the Psalm and gives way to a different scene. We are still in the desert, where the shepherd lives with his flock, but now we are transported beneath his tent, which opens to offer hospitality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00abYou set a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup overflows\u00bb (v. 5).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the Lord is presented as the One who welcomes the person praying, with signs of generous hospitality full of thoughtful attention. The divine host prepares the meal on the \u00abtable,\u00bb a term that in Hebrew, in its original sense, refers to the animal hide spread out on the ground, upon which food was placed for a communal meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a gesture of sharing not only food but also life, an offering of fellowship and friendship that forges bonds and expresses solidarity. Next comes the generous gift of perfumed oil poured on the head, which soothes the scorching heat of the desert sun, refreshes and soothes the skin, and lifts the spirit with its fragrance. Finally, the overflowing chalice adds a festive touch with its exquisite wine, shared with overflowing generosity. Food, oil, wine: these are the gifts that give life and joy because they go beyond what is strictly necessary and express the gratuitousness and abundance of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Psalm<\/em> 104, celebrating the Lord\u2019s providential goodness, proclaims: \u00abYou cause grass to grow for the cattle, and fodder for those who serve man. He brings forth bread from the fields, and wine that gladdens the heart; oil that gives his face a healthy glow, and bread that gives him strength\u00bb (vv. 14\u201315).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The psalmist becomes the focus of much attention; thus, he is seen as a traveler who finds refuge in a welcoming tent, while his enemies must stop and watch, unable to intervene, because the one they considered their prey is now in a safe place; he has become a sacred guest, untouchable. And we are the psalmist if we are truly believers in communion with Christ. When God opens his tent to welcome us, nothing can harm us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, when the traveler sets out again, divine protection continues and accompanies him on his journey: \u00abYour goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever\u00bb (v. 6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s goodness and faithfulness are the escort that accompanies the psalmist as he leaves the tent and sets out once more on his journey. But this journey takes on new meaning, becoming a pilgrimage to the Lord\u2019s temple\u2014the holy place where the worshiper wishes to \u00abdwell\u00bb forever and to which he longs to \u00abreturn.\u00bb The Hebrew verb used here means \u00abto return,\u00bb but with a slight vowel change, it can be understood as \u00abto dwell,\u00bb and this is how it is rendered in the ancient versions and in most modern translations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both meanings can be retained: returning to the temple and dwelling there is the desire of every Israelite, and dwelling near God, in His presence and goodness, is the longing and yearning of every believer\u2014to truly dwell where God is, near God. Following the Shepherd leads to his home; it is the goal of every journey, the longed-for oasis in the desert, the sheltering tent when fleeing from enemies, the place of peace where one experiences God\u2019s goodness and faithful love, day after day, in the serene joy of an endless time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The imagery of this Psalm, with its richness and depth, has accompanied the entire history and religious experience of the people of Israel, and continues to accompany Christians. The figure of the shepherd, in particular, evokes the early days of the Exodus, the long journey through the desert, like a flock under the guidance of the divine Shepherd (cf. Is<\/em> 63, 11-14; Salt<\/em> 77:20\u201321; 78:52\u201354). And in the Promised Land, it was the king who was tasked with tending the Lord\u2019s flock, like David, the shepherd chosen by God and a figure of the Messiah (cf. 2 Sam<\/em> 5, 1-2; 7, 8; Salt<\/em> 78, 70-72). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, after the Babylonian exile, in what was almost a new Exodus (cf. Is <\/em>40:3\u20135, 9\u201311; 43:16\u201321), Israel is led back to its homeland like a lost and found sheep, guided by God to green pastures and places of rest (cf. Ez<\/em> 34, 11-16.23-31). <\/p>\n\n\n\n But it is in the Lord Jesus that all the evocative power of our Psalm reaches its fullness and finds its full meaning: Jesus is the \u00abGood Shepherd\u00bb<\/a> who goes in search of the lost sheep, who knows his sheep and lays down his life for them (cf. Mt<\/em> 18, 12-14; Lc<\/em> 15, 4-7; Jn<\/em> 10, 2\u20134, 11\u201318), he is the way, the right way that leads us to life (cf. Jn<\/em> 14:6), the light that illuminates the dark valley and overcomes all our fears (cf. Jn<\/em> 1, 9; 8, 12; 9, 5; 12, 46).<\/p>\n\n\n\n He is the generous host who welcomes us and keeps us safe from our enemies by setting the table for us with his body and blood (cf. Mt<\/em> 26, 26-29; Mc<\/em> 14, 22-25; Lc<\/em> 22:19\u201320) and the final table of the messianic banquet in heaven (cf. Lc<\/em> 14, 15 ff.; Ap<\/em> 3:20; 19:9). He is the royal Shepherd, a king of gentleness and forgiveness, enthroned on the glorious wood of the cross (cf. Jn<\/em> 3, 13-15; 12, 32; 17, 4-5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 invites us to renew our trust in God, entrusting ourselves completely to His care. Let us therefore pray with faith that the Lord may grant us\u2014even on the difficult paths of our time\u2014to always walk in his ways as a docile and obedient flock, that he may welcome us into his house, to his table, and lead us to \u00abstill waters,\u00bb so that, as we receive the gift of his Spirit, we may drink from his springs\u2014sources of that living water \u00abthat springs up to eternal life\u00bb (Jn<\/em> 4:14; cf. 7:37\u201339). Thank you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Best regards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I cordially greet the Spanish-speaking pilgrims, especially the priests of the Pontifical Mexican College and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the Holy Angels, as well as the groups from Spain, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and other Latin American countries. I invite you, dear brothers and sisters, to deepen your life of prayer<\/a>, turning with confidence to the Lord, who is good and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in compassion. Thank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benedict XVI<\/strong>. General Audience, October 5, 2011. (Read here<\/a>) Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>The trust in God inspired by Psalm 23<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThe Lord Is My Shepherd: A Sure Guide in Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Trust in God in the Face of Difficulties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJesus Christ, the Fullness of Trust in God<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Location: St. Peter's Square, in Rome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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