The second psalm of Tuesday Vespers in the Benedictine Rite is Psalm 130, Domine, non est exaltatum cor meum.
Psalm 130 (131)
Here is the text arranged as it is in the Office. The verse numbers in the Douay-Rheims version show how it is divided in modern editions of Scripture.
Vulgate
|
Douay-Rheims
|
Canticum graduum
David.
|
A gradual
canticle of David.
|
1 Dómine, non
est exaltátum cor meum: * neque eláti sunt óculi mei.
|
1 Lord, my heart is not
exalted: nor are my eyes lofty
|
2 Neque ambulávi in magnis: neque in mirabílibus super me.
|
Neither have I
walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.
|
3 Si non humíliter sentiébam: * sed exaltávi ánimam
meam.
|
2 If I was not humbly minded,
but exalted my soul:
|
4 Sicut ablactátus est super matre sua: * ita retribútio in
ánima mea.
|
As a child that
is weaned is towards his mother, so reward in my soul
|
5 Speret Israël in Dómino: * ex hoc nunc et usque in
sæculum.
|
3 Let
|
Scriptural and historical context
Psalm 130 is one of the shortest in the psalter at three verses.
St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that it is a response by David to accusations of pride from Saul and his followers, saying:
"David complains that Saul and his followers accuse him of being proud, and calls God to witness against this calumny."
Reading the psalm Christologically, we can see it as a portrait of Jesus' perfect humility, in his willingness to take human form and become a baby, totally dependent on his mother, humble himself and become obedient even unto death.
Humility and meekness
St Benedict uses this psalm in his discussion of the virtue of humility in Chapter 7 of his Rule:
Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying, "Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). In saying this it shows us that all exaltation is a kind of pride, against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard when he says, "Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are mine eyes lifted up; neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonders above me" But how has he acted? "Rather have I been of humble mind than exalting myself; as a weaned child on its mother's breast, so You solace my soul".
Unsurprisingly then, many writers have seen this psalm as above exemplifying monastic life. Fr Pius Pasch's commentary on the Divine Office for example includes this comment:
"In this singing of this beautiful hymn with its unmistakably mystic character, picture some little convent in which consecrated souls serve our Lord humbly and joyfully. Be thankful for the blessings of religious communities, and beg for more vocations."
Growth in the spiritual life
The psalm provides us with three images of humility.
The first is of a person who practices custody of the eyes, keeping his head bowed and eyes downcast pondering his sins and coming judgment (RB 7). It is probably not accidental that St Benedict's twelfth degree of humility reflects the opening verse of the twelfth of the Gradual psalms!
The second image is of a person who does not 'walk' in things above him, that is, engage in pride arising from our words and actions. Instead, the humble person recognises that, as St Benedict urges in his sixth and seventh degrees of humility, we regard ourselves as bad and unworthy workmen, of lower and of less account than all others.
The final image is of a child being weaned from its mother's breast. Pope Benedict XVI comments on this:
"We have listened to only a few words, about 30 in the original Hebrew, of Psalm 131[130]. Yet they are intense words that convey a topic dear to all religious literature: spiritual childhood. Our thoughts turn spontaneously to St Thérèse of Lisieux, to her "Little Way", her "remaining little" in order to be held in Jesus' arms (cf. Story of a Soul, Manuscript "C", p. 208). Indeed, the clear-cut image of a mother and child in the middle of the Psalm is a sign of God's tender and maternal love, as the Prophet Hosea formerly expressed it: "When Israel was a child I loved him.... I drew [him] with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered [him] like one who raises an infant to his cheeks... I stooped to feed my child" (Hos 11: 1, 4). "
Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm
St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that it is a response by David to accusations of pride from Saul and his followers, saying:
"David complains that Saul and his followers accuse him of being proud, and calls God to witness against this calumny."
Reading the psalm Christologically, we can see it as a portrait of Jesus' perfect humility, in his willingness to take human form and become a baby, totally dependent on his mother, humble himself and become obedient even unto death.
Humility and meekness
St Benedict uses this psalm in his discussion of the virtue of humility in Chapter 7 of his Rule:
Holy Scripture, brethren, cries out to us, saying, "Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11). In saying this it shows us that all exaltation is a kind of pride, against which the Prophet proves himself to be on guard when he says, "Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are mine eyes lifted up; neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonders above me" But how has he acted? "Rather have I been of humble mind than exalting myself; as a weaned child on its mother's breast, so You solace my soul".
"In this singing of this beautiful hymn with its unmistakably mystic character, picture some little convent in which consecrated souls serve our Lord humbly and joyfully. Be thankful for the blessings of religious communities, and beg for more vocations."
Growth in the spiritual life
The psalm provides us with three images of humility.
The first is of a person who practices custody of the eyes, keeping his head bowed and eyes downcast pondering his sins and coming judgment (RB 7). It is probably not accidental that St Benedict's twelfth degree of humility reflects the opening verse of the twelfth of the Gradual psalms!
The second image is of a person who does not 'walk' in things above him, that is, engage in pride arising from our words and actions. Instead, the humble person recognises that, as St Benedict urges in his sixth and seventh degrees of humility, we regard ourselves as bad and unworthy workmen, of lower and of less account than all others.
The final image is of a child being weaned from its mother's breast. Pope Benedict XVI comments on this:
"We have listened to only a few words, about 30 in the original Hebrew, of Psalm 131[130]. Yet they are intense words that convey a topic dear to all religious literature: spiritual childhood. Our thoughts turn spontaneously to St Thérèse of Lisieux, to her "Little Way", her "remaining little" in order to be held in Jesus' arms (cf. Story of a Soul, Manuscript "C", p. 208). Indeed, the clear-cut image of a mother and child in the middle of the Psalm is a sign of God's tender and maternal love, as the Prophet Hosea formerly expressed it: "When Israel was a child I loved him.... I drew [him] with human cords, with bands of love; I fostered [him] like one who raises an infant to his cheeks... I stooped to feed my child" (Hos 11: 1, 4). "
Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm
|
NT references
|
Mt 18:3 (v4)
|
|
RB cursus
|
Tuesday Vespers
|
|
Monastic feasts etc
|
Gradual Psalms
AN 2361(1)
|
|
Responsories
|
-
|
|
Roman pre 1911
|
Wed V
|
|
Roman post 1911
|
1911-62: Wed V . 1970:
|
|
Mass propers (EF)
|
-
|
For notes on the individual verses of this psalm, continue on to here.
No comments:
Post a Comment