The Lord: either of the Three Persons or all of Them.

Is my Shepherd: Good Shepherd, not like those Jesus reproves in the Gospel. The shepherd is a biblical image often used to describe the personal care of the Lord for each of his people, whom he loves, even if we wander, get lost, are wounded or are sick. Shepherds name their sheep! The Lord has a name for each of us (Book of Revelation).

There is nothing I shall want: Our Shepherd will take care of everything. Some things I want are not good for me. He knows best what to give or keep from us. I can rely totally on Him no matter what I face. This is real faith.

Fresh and green are the pastures: St. Augustine says these are the Scriptures. The Word of God is always new, fresh; always green, contains the sap of the life of the Spirit.

Where He gives me repose: The Scriptures are His gift. He gives repose because I don’t have to search for the Truth on my own or make it up for myself. It precedes me, it undergirds me, it enlightens and guides me.

Near restful waters He leads me; he r evives my soul: the waters of Baptism, of eternal life, still flow deep within us. They are restful waters because of their steady and reliable flow, calming and reviving us when sin or anxiety agitates or oppresses us. Their flow is renewed in us especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, when they are mingled with the blood of Christ.

He guides me along the right path: The right path is to renounce evil and choose good, then to choose the better over the good and the best over the better. He guides me: the Spirit, the Word. I don’t guide me nor let the world guide me lest I hit the wrong path.

For the sake of His Name: He does not lie or deceive or equivocate. He is faithful to Himself and so to us. He wants us, so He will do all He can to guide us along the path to heaven.

Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death, no evil would I fear, for you are with me: Although He guides me along the right path, I can choose to wander off sometimes. Or at other times He may need to test me so as to strengthen my trust in Him. The shadow of death can be sin, it can be suffering of all and any kind, it can be trial, it can be death itself. But in all and any cases, He is there. He is the I Am Who Am. He cannot not be there!

Your crook and Your staff will give me comfort: The Good Shepherd is never absent from me, even if I think He is because of my distress. The shepherd’s crook symbolizes the Lord’s power to catch us before we wander off, or of rescuing us from some hole we get into. The staff stands for guidance, protection and points to the divine authority and discipline. These give us comfort, the assurance that our Shepherd knows how to handle our shadows and our valleys, how to handle us.

You have prepared a table for me in the sight of my foes: The Banquet table in the bible is the symbol of God celebrating and sharing His own life, love and bounty with the people He has redeemed. It points to the end times, to heaven, and therefore to the Mass, the Eucharist, which anticipates in sign and sacrament the eternal banquet. Our foes may think they have the upper hand, but our Shepherd thwarts and defeats them by his death and Resurrection, by His Body given up for us and His Blood poured out for us. He died for His sheep so that we might live and share in His banquet on earth and in heaven.

My head you have anointed with oil, my cup is overflowing: The cup of the Lord is the chalice of salvation, His blood shed for us. Our head has been anointed with the oil of chrism, the Sacrament of Confirmation, the full outpouring of all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ for each one of us and for all. We have become walking fountains overflowing with God.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: This can mean that the Lord has got my back with the munificence of His care and gifts. It can also mean that, because of His blessings, wherever I go I leave behind me a trail of goodness and kindness. I am a sheep that has become like its Shepherd. Because I have become a blessing, I leave blessings behind wherever I go.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for length of days unending: This is the final hope and reward for all those who have let the Lord be their Shepherd and guide them through this life with his crook and staff and with His untold blessings of grace and love. We shall take up our place in the many mansions of the Father’s house.

This beloved psalm is brimming with hope and unbridled confidence in the Lord. It celebrates His ever-faithful presence, His active care and protection. It prophesies poetically the gifts and graces of the sacraments of initiation and of confession. And it proclaims His victory over sin and death for those who believe in Him and trust Him. It’s a psalm worth learning by heart, in the deep love of the heart, to be repeated daily and especially in times of distress. It can be a helpful tool in the hour of temptation. To Satan we can say defiantly: the Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want, and certainly nothing you claim to offer me. So, begone!

May each one of you grow more and more aware that the Good Shepherd is so very close to you. May you feel the warm and strength of His Presence. And may you keep turning your hearts towards Him in times of trial and trouble, and experience the gentle power and the deep comfort of His crook and His staff.