Pope John Paul II presents Psalm 33 as a joyful hymn celebrating God’s sovereignty over creation and history. Its 22 verses mirror the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, symbolizing completeness, and the three movements of the psalm form a trilogy of praise:
- God as Creator – The psalm celebrates how the universe arose from God’s effective word. As the Pope notes, “God said … and it was so” and the Psalmist confirms: “For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood forth.” Thus, order was brought into the chaos of the universe, as symbolized in the psalm by God’s control of the sea waters.
- God as Lord of History – Human schemes oppose God’s design but ultimately fail. The Pope emphasizes that from heaven, God “follows all humanity’s ways, even the foolish and the absurd, and intuits all the secrets of the human heart.” Only God’s plan endures: “The plan of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” (v.11)
- God’s Protection of the Faithful – The Creator does not stand idly by as “the world is preserved in being by the Creator.” Thus the psalm warns the powerful against trusting in their might while assuring the weak and oppressed of His divine care, “He casts down the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly.” (Luke 1:52) It is a call to confident faith and fervent praise. Knowing that God is not indifferent to our prayers, we entrust ourselves to Him.
Drawing on St. Basil, St. John Paul II explains the psalm’s call to sing a “new song” as pointing toward Christ’s Incarnation and the renewal of humanity through the Resurrection—the final fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in Christ. As we celebrate at Christmas: “If you think of the astounding, unimaginable way of the Incarnation of the Lord, you would have to sing a new and unheard of song.”
The catechesis concludes by highlighting how divine grace and human hope unite, with God’s faithfulness enveloping believers like a protective mantle.
You are invited to meditate on Psalm 33: Praise of God’s Power and Providence
Read the Catechesis of St. John Paul II: Psalm 33 joy and acclamation to God’s Providence
Psalm 33 ends with an antiphon that has become part of the well-known Te Deum hymn: “May your kindness always be upon us Lord, for we have hoped in you” (v. 22). Divine grace and human hope meet and embrace. Indeed, God’s loving faithfulness (hésed), envelops, warms and protects us like a mantle, offering serenity and giving our faith and hope a sound foundation.