Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Questions
1. The Wisdom Psalms were written to teach God’s people. What is the lesson the psalm is teaching?
2. Why would this lesson be taught and preserved as a psalm?
3. What ideas about God, the Church, or your faith would you like to be taught and expressed as a psalm? Use the psalm of the day as inspiration to write a line of your new psalm. Use this as your prayer today.