Psalm 27 Catholic: The Lord Is My Light, Text and Meaning

Psalm 27, “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?”, is a psalm of fearless trust in God and of longing to dwell in his house. It moves from confidence in danger to a heartfelt prayer to see the face of God. In the Douay-Rheims and other older Catholic Bibles it is numbered Psalm 26. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 27 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
Whilst the wicked draw near against me, to eat my flesh. My enemies that trouble me, have themselves been weakened, and have fallen.
If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear. If a battle should rise up against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle.
He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, my voice, with which I have cried to thee: have mercy on me and hear me.
My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.
Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.
For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.
Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.
Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.
I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

Psalm 27 or Psalm 26?

The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 26 is Psalm 27 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Dominus illuminatio mea. See how many psalms are there?

What the psalm means

Light and salvation: with God as our light and protector, fear loses its power.
“One thing I have asked of the Lord”: the deepest desire of the heart is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life, to see his beauty.
Seeking his face: “Thy face, O Lord, will I still seek” is the prayer of every believer.
Even if father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
Wait for the Lord: the psalm ends with courage and patience: “Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage.”

How the Church uses Psalm 27

At funerals, as a responsorial psalm of hope in seeing God.
On several Sundays, including the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) and the Second Sunday of Lent (Year C).
In times of fear and anxiety. See the Catholic prayer for anxiety.

A prayer with Psalm 27

Written for this page:

Lord, you are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
When I am afraid, be the strength of my life.
The one thing I ask is to dwell in your house
and to see your face. Give me courage to wait for you. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

What is Psalm 27 about?

Trust in God in the face of danger and fear, and the longing to live in his presence for ever.

Why is Psalm 27 read at funerals?

Because it expresses the hope “to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.”

Why are psalm numbers different in Catholic Bibles?

Older Catholic Bibles such as the Douay-Rheims follow the Greek and Latin numbering; modern Bibles follow the Hebrew, which is usually one number higher.

More psalms and prayers

Texts and sources

Scripture: Psalm 26 (27), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.