Another Psalm I read quite frequently from reading the Liturgy of the Hours is Psalm 24 (or maybe this is true only through the Lent season). This Psalm is sometimes used to refute the Protestant teaching on Salvation by Faith Alone (Sola Fide). Dr. David Anders (a convert from Calvinism to Catholicism) from the EWTN program Called to Communion has this to say:
(Taken from comment 139 in "The Witness of the “Lost Christianities”")
That’s not what Scripture says:
Romans 2:13: “For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.” (Romans 2:13);
James 2:24: “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
Romans 13:8: “whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.”
1 John 3:7: “The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Psalm 24: 3: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.”
Catholic Answers has a good article on Faith and Works. The opening comment is important:
"“Protestants believe in faith alone, while Catholics believe in faith and works.” You hear both Protestants and Catholics say this all the time. But it’s a misleading oversimplification. If you tell a typical Evangelical, “You believe in faith alone, but we Catholics believe in faith and works,” you will cause him to think that the Catholic Church teaches something that, in fact, it says is false."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is rich in its teaching on Grace and Justification:
A few points taken from the In Brief section:
2017 The grace of the Holy Spirit confers upon us the righteousness of God. Uniting us by faith and Baptism to the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, the Spirit makes us sharers in his life.
2018 Like conversion, justification has two aspects. Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, and so accepts forgiveness and righteousness from on high.
2020 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ. It is granted us through Baptism. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who justifies us. It has for its goal the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life. It is the most excellent work of God's mercy.
2022 The divine initiative in the work of grace precedes, prepares, and elicits the free response of man. Grace responds to the deepest yearnings of human freedom, calls freedom to cooperate with it, and perfects freedom.
2024 Sanctifying grace makes us "pleasing to God." Charisms, special graces of the Holy Spirit, are oriented to sanctifying grace and are intended for the common good of the Church. God also acts through many actual graces, to be distinguished from habitual grace which is permanent in us.
2025 We can have merit in God's sight only because of God's free plan to associate man with the work of his grace. Merit is to be ascribed in the first place to the grace of God, and secondly to man's collaboration. Man's merit is due to God.
2029 "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24).
The Psalm itself is quite easy to memorize (only 10 verses!). The most important reminder of living out our faith is found in verses 3 and 4, and the most beautiful call to worship is found in verses 7-10.
1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.
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