Let Us Go Rejoicing to the House of the Lord

Last Updated on December 1, 2022 by GMC

Responsorial Psalm 122

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
“We will go up to the house of the LORD.”
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

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Ascending to Jerusalem

As Advent begins, the Church exults with Psalm 122: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.” Attributed to King David, the poem belongs to a collection of fifteen Songs of Ascent, also known as Pilgrim Songs (Psalms 120-134). Jews sang these songs on their journey up to Jerusalem, a city on a hill, for their annual festivals. According to some traditions, the priests chanted these psalms while ascending the steps of the temple.

In our collective ascent, we seek the “possession of shalom” or the “foundation of shalom”—the meaning of Jerusalem. Deeper than “peace,” shalom embodies wholeness, soundness, and completeness. With God as her center, Jerusalem is “built as a city with compact unity” (Psalm 122:3). The integrity of the city’s buildings reflects the harmony of her children.

Twelve Tribes of Israel

To it the tribes go up,
 the tribes of the LORD.

Psalm 122:4a

In the book of Revelation, the visionary John describes the New Jerusalem in dazzling architectural forms that incorporate the twelve tribes of Israel.

The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The wall was constructed of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the city wall were decorated with every precious stone… The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made from a single pearl; and the street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.

Revelation 21:14-21

Justice Toward God

Undergirding the city of shalom, justice—the virtue of ordered relationships—reigns.  Justice toward God, the chief of relations, fulfills the virtue of religion (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1807).

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

Psalm 122:4b

Justice Toward Neighbors

Justice toward neighbors rounds out the law of ordered relations. Envisioning thrones of judgment for the people of Israel, the Psalmist continues:

In it are set up judgment seats, 
seats for the house of David.

Psalm 122:5

Likewise, John: “Then I saw thrones; those who sat on them were entrusted with judgment” (Revelation 20:4).

Prayer For Shalom

Pilgrims on the way must pray for shalom. With shalom comes quietness, ease, and tranquility (shalvah, translated as “prosperity” in the Responsorial Psalm).

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

Psalm 122:6-7

Prayer of Pilgrims

On the road to Jerusalem, the prayer of pilgrims centers on God and neighbor:

Because of my brothers and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

Psalm 122:8-9

In the ascent to the New Jerusalem, the eternal city on a hill, pilgrims walk together in “compact unity.”