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Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Rome by helicopter from his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo for his Aug. 31 general audience. From an open car, he greeted the 11,000 pilgrims who were gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Benedict continued his series of teachings on the psalms and canticles of the Liturgy of the Hours, focusing on Psalm 127. This psalm, the Holy Father explained, reminds us that whatever we do can only bear fruit if it has God's blessing. Without the Lord, all our efforts will ultimately fail.

“A strong society is built on the commitment of all its members, but it needs the blessing and support of God who, unfortunately, is often excluded or ignored,” Pope Benedict XVI noted. “The Book of Proverbs emphasizes the preeminence of God's action for a community's well-being,” he added. The Holy Father also pointed out that the psalmist was well aware of the primacy of God's grace: “When we peacefully and faithfully relinquish our freedom to the Lord, even our works become solid and capable of bearing lasting fruit.”

The psalmist also reminds us, he noted, that the gift of children is a particular blessing from God, both for the family and for society at large.

“Procreation is a gift that bears life and well-being for society,” he said. ‘We are aware of this even today as we see before us nations a declining birth rate has deprived of their freshness, their vitality and their future, embodied in their children. Over it all, however, towers God's presence, bestowing blessings, as a source of life and hope.’

Psalm 127, which we just heard, presents a rather lively scene that unfolds before our eyes: a house under construction, a city with its guards, family life, night watches and daily work — both the little and big secrets of daily life.

Over it all, however, looms a decisive presence, the presence of the Lord, who hovers over man's doings as the incisive beginning of the psalm suggests: “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build” (verse 1).

Of course, a strong society is built on the commitment of all its members, but it needs the blessing and support of God who, unfortunately, is often excluded or ignored. The Book of Proverbs emphasizes the preeminence of God's action for a community's well-being, and it does so in a radical way, by affirming that “it is the Lord's blessing that brings wealth, and no effort can substitute for it” (Proverbs 10:22).

God Grants Prosperity

This wisdom psalm, a fruit of meditation on the reality of everyday life, is largely based on a contrast. Without the Lord, all our attempts to build a stable house, to construct a safe city, and to make our labor fruitful, are in vain (see Psalm 127:1–2). With the Lord, on the other hand, there is prosperity and fruitfulness — a family that is peaceful and enriched by children and a city that is well fortified and protected, free from constant worry and insecurity (see verses 3–5).

The text begins with a reference to the Lord, who is depicted as the builder of the house and the watchman who watches over the city (see Psalm 121:1–8). Man goes out in the morning so he can work to support his family and contribute to the development of society. This work consumes all his energy, causing his brow to sweat (see Genesis 3:19) throughout the entire day (see Psalm 127:2).

Yet, the psalmist tells us without any hesitation that all this labor is in vain unless God is at the side of the one who labors. Indeed, he even tells us that God rewards his friends as they sleep. By doing so, the psalmist wishes to exalt the primacy of God's grace, which gives durability and value to what man does, even though it is characterized by limitations and will pass away.

When we peacefully and faithfully relinquish our freedom to the Lord, even our works become solid, and are capable of bearing lasting fruit. In this way, our “sleep” becomes a time of rest that is blessed by God, meant to cap activity that has meaning and lasting value.

The Gift of Children

At this point, we move on to the other scene depicted in this psalm. The Lord gives us the gift of children, seen as a blessing and a reward, a sign of life that continues on, and of salvation history that moves forward toward a new stage (see verse 3). In a special way, the psalmist exalts “the children born in one's youth.”

Not only will the father who has had children in his youth see them in all their vigor, but they will also be his support in his old age. Consequently, he will be able to face the future with security, having become like a warrior, armed with those sharp and victorious “arrows” that are his sons (see verses 4-5).

The purpose of the image, which is taken from the culture of the time, is to extol the security, stability and strength of a large family, as is repeated in the following psalm, Psalm 128, where the portrait of a happy family is sketched.

The final image depicts a father, surrounded by his children, who is greeted with respect at the city gate — the seat of public life. Thus, procreation is a gift that bears life and well-being for society.

We are aware of this even today as we see before us nations a declining birth rate has deprived of their freshness, their vitality and their future, embodied in their children. Over it all, however, towers God's presence, bestowing blessings, as a source of life and hope.

Trust in the Lord

Spiritual writers have often used Psalm 127 precisely to exalt God's presence, which is crucial in order to proceed along the path of goodness and of the Kingdom of God. Thus, a monk named Isaiah, who died in Gaza in 491, recalling the example of the ancient patriarchs and prophets, teaches us the following in his Asceticon (Logos 4,118): “They placed themselves under God's protection, begging for his assistance, without placing their trust in some work they had accomplished. God's protection was for them a fortified city, because they knew that without God's help they were powerless and, out of humility, they repeated with the psalmist: ‘Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch’” (Recueil Ascétique, Abbey of Bellefontaine, 1976, pp. 74–75).

(Register translation)