De Profundis
"Out of the depths I call to you, LORD; Lord, hear my cry! May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, LORD, keep account of sins, Lord, who can stand? But with you is forgiveness, and so you are revered." (Psalm 130:1–4) Psalm 130, traditionally known as De profundis, rises from the darkest recesses of human experience—spiritual desolation, guilt, and the overwhelming awareness of sin. The psalmist does not offer pious platitudes or ceremonial formality but a raw, desperate plea from "the depths." These depths are not merely circumstantial; they are the interior abyss of the soul burdened by the weight of sin and the apparent silence of God. The cry that emerges is intensely personal and deeply theological, recognizing that divine mercy is the only possible foundation upon which reconciliation, renewal, and hope can be built. The psalm begins with confessing a foundational truth: humanity, left to itself and judged by strict justice, cannot endure befo...