Sunday, December 4, 2011

Propers of the Second Sunday of Advent: Psalm 49



The Gradual for this Sunday's Mass is taken from Psalm 49, a psalm which prophesies the second coming of Christ according to St Alphonsus Liguori:
"This psalm describes the second coming of Jesus Christ, which will be public and full of majesty, in contrast with his first coming, which was humble and hidden."
The verses around the text used in the Gradual give the psalm some important context pointing to God's coming as judge, so here they are, first in the Vulgate, then the Douay-Rheims, with the Gradual text bolded:

Deus deórum, Dóminus locútus est: * et vocávit terram,
A solis ortu usque ad occásum: * ex Sion spécies decóris ejus.
Deus maniféste véniet: * Deus noster et non silébit.
Ignis in conspéctu ejus exardéscet: * et in circúitu ejus tempéstas válida.
Advocábit cælum desúrsum: * et terram discérnere pópulum suum.
Congregáte illi sanctos ejus: * qui órdinant testaméntum ejus super sacrifícia.
Et annuntiábunt cæli justítiam ejus: * quóniam Deus judex est.

The God of gods, the Lord has spoken: and he has called the earth.
From the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof: Out of Sion the loveliness of his beauty.
God shall come manifestly: our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.
A fire shall burn before him: and a mighty tempest shall be round about him.
He shall call heaven from above, and the earth, to judge his people.
Gather together his saints to him: who set his covenant before sacrifices.
And the heavens shall declare his justice: for God is judge.
Hear, O my people, and I will speak: O Israel, and I will testify to you: I am God, your God.

The verses set for the day also refer to the beauty of God, a reminder that beauty is not entirely a cultural construct, and to the extent that it is, it is one that can be guided by God, both through the talents he gives to men, and the inspirations he gives directly and indirectly, including through nature.  The chant is a good example of this!

Other Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references
1 Cor 10:26 (13); Heb 13:15 (15, 24); Roms 2: 17-24 (17)
RB cursus
Tuesday Matins I, 5
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc
-
Roman pre 1911
Tuesday Matins
Roman post 1911
1911-62: Wednesday Matins  . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)
Advent2: GR


Text of the psalm

Vulgate
Douay-Rheims
Psalmus Asaph.

1  Deus deórum, Dóminus locútus est: * et vocávit terram,
The God of gods, the Lord has spoken: and he has called the earth.
2  A solis ortu usque ad occásum: * ex Sion spécies decóris ejus.
From the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof: 2 Out of Sion the loveliness of his beauty
3  Deus maniféste véniet: * Deus noster et non silébit.
3 God shall come manifestly: our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.
4  Ignis in conspéctu ejus exardéscet: * et in circúitu ejus tempéstas válida.
A fire shall burn before him: and a mighty tempest shall be round about him.
5  Advocábit cælum desúrsum: * et terram discérnere pópulum suum.
4 He shall call heaven from above, and the earth, to judge his people.
6  Congregáte illi sanctos ejus: * qui órdinant testaméntum ejus super sacrifícia.
5 Gather together his saints to him: who set his covenant before sacrifices.
7  Et annuntiábunt cæli justítiam ejus: * quóniam Deus judex est.
6 And the heavens shall declare his justice: for God is judge.
8  Audi, pópulus meus, et loquar :  Israël, et testificábor tibi: * Deus, Deus tuus ego sum.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak: O Israel, and I will testify to you: I am God, your God.
9  Non in sacrifíciis tuis árguam te: * holocáusta autem tua in conspéctu meo sunt semper.
8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices: and your burnt offerings are always in my sight.
10  Non accípiam de domo tua vítulos: * neque de grégibus tuis hircos.
9 I will not take calves out of your house: nor he goats out of your flocks.
11  Quóniam meæ sunt omnes feræ silvárum: * juménta in móntibus et boves.
10 For all the beasts of the woods are mine: the cattle on the hills, and the oxen.
12  Cognóvi ómnia volatília cæli: * et pulchritúdo agri mecum est.
11 I know all the fowls of the air: and with me is the beauty of the field.
13  Si esuríero, non dicam tibi: * meus est enim orbis terræ, et plenitúdo ejus.
12 If I should be hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof.
14  Numquid manducábo carnes taurórum? * aut sánguinem hircórum potábo?
13 Shall I eat the flesh of bullocks? Or shall I drink the blood of goats?
15  Immola Deo sacrifícium laudis: * et redde Altíssimo vota tua.
14 Offer to God the sacrifice of praise: and pay your vows to the most High.
16  Et ínvoca me in die tribulatiónis: * éruam te, et honorificábis me.
15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
17  Peccatóri autem dixit Deus: * Quare tu enárras justítias meas, et assúmis testaméntum meum per os tuum?
16 But to the sinner God has said: Why do you declare my justices, and take my covenant in your mouth?
18  Tu vero odísti disciplínam: * et projecísti sermónes meos retrórsum:
17 Seeing you have hated discipline: and have cast my words behind you.
19  Si vidébas furem, currébas cum eo: * et cum adúlteris portiónem tuam ponébas.
18 If you saw a thief you ran with him: and with adulterers you have been a partaker
20  Os tuum abundávit malítia: * et lingua tua concinnábat dolos.
19 Your mouth has abounded with evil, and your tongue framed deceits.
21  Sedens advérsus fratrem tuum loquebáris, et advérsus fílium matris tuæ ponébas scándalum: * hæc fecísti, et tácui.
20 Sitting you spoke against your brother, and laid a scandal against your mother's son: 21 These things have you done, and I was silent.
22  Existimásti, iníque, quod ero tui símilis: * árguam te, et státuam contra fáciem tuam.
You thought unjustly that I should be like to you: but I will reprove you, and set before your face.
23  Intellígite hæc, qui obliviscímini Deum: * nequándo rápiat, et non sit qui erípiat.
22 Understand these things, you that forget God; lest he snatch you away, and there be none to deliver you.
24  Sacrifícium laudis honorificábit me: * et illic iter, quo osténdam illi salutáre Dei.
23 The sacrifice of praise shall glorify me: and there is the way by which I will show him the salvation of God.



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