Last 'monastic' psalms of Vespers - Psalm 144.

Psalm 144 is an exuberant hymn of praise to Christ as King: the first nine verses of Psalm 144 are said at Friday Vespers; the rest of the psalm opens Saturday Vespers.

And its particularly monastic significance, I want to suggest, lies in its commitment to the daily praise of God set out in verse 2, and its broader description of the mission to declare the reasons for that praise.

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Laudatio ipsi David.	Praise, for David himself.
Exaltábo te, Deus meus, rex: * et benedícam nómini tuo in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.	I will extol you, O God my king: and I will bless your name for ever; yea, forever and ever.
2 Per síngulos dies benedícam tibi: * et laudábo nomen tuum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.	2 Every day will I bless you: and I will praise your name for ever; yea, forever and ever.
3 Magnus Dóminus, et laudábilis nimis: * et magnitúdinis ejus non est finis.	3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end
4 Generátio et generátio laudábit ópera tua: * et poténtiam tuam pronuntiábunt.	4 Generation and generation shall praise your works: and they shall declare your power.
5 Magnificéntiam glóriæ sanctitátis tuæ loquéntur: * et mirabília tua narrábunt.	5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of your holiness: and shall tell your wondrous works.
6 Et virtútem terribílium tuórum dicent: * et magnitúdinem tuam narrábunt.	6 And they shall speak of the might of your terrible acts: and shall declare your greatness.
7 Memóriam abundántiæ suavitátis tuæ eructábunt: * et justítia tua exsultábunt.	7 They shall publish the memory of the abundance of your sweetness: and shall rejoice in your justice.
8 Miserátor, et miséricors Dóminus: * pátiens, et multum miséricors.	8 The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy
9 Suávis Dóminus univérsis: * et miseratiónes ejus super ómnia ópera ejus.	9 The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works

 The duty of praise

It is, I think, significant first of all, that Psalm 144 is the first of a set of seven hymns of praise that close the psalter.

St Benedict dubs the number sacred as part of the explanation for the number of day hours said each day.  And his contemporary St Cassiodorus highlights the connection between this and the daily duty of the Work of God in his commentary on the psalm:

I think that we should examine more carefully why this heading uniquely contains the words: Praise for David himself, since His glory is proclaimed in all the psalms. But here the praise is delineated more sharply and clearly because all the areas in which human ignorance needed instruction have been remedied, and the psalmist is bidden to devote himself to praise of the Lord alone. 

These praises are wonderfully unfolded distinctively and with their own strengths in the seven psalms that follow... It is not otiose that the Lord's praises are enclosed in this number seven, for the confession of penitents is designated by this number, and the holy Spirit himself has been proclaimed with His sevenfold powers; perhaps it points to that sacred mystery when the Lord ordered Moses to set seven lamps shining with enduring light in His tabernacle. 

The second piece of number symbolism is that we are given nine verses of the psalm here - and nine is often, in the Father's associated with the threefold praise of the Trinity.  And we are also given nine reasons to praise God - for his works, power, magnificence, holiness, miracles, the might of more fearful acts, greatness, memory, and justice.

St John Chrysostom's commentary on the second verse of the psalm points to all this being especially the duty of religious:

...This is a particular mark of a godly spirit, being free from this world's concerns and dedicated to hymn singing...The heavens describe the glory of God, Scripture says, remember, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.  Day to day pours forth speech, and night declares knowledge.  Both sun and moon, the diverse choir of stars, and the beautiful array of all the other things proclaim their own creator.   Consequently, for the ones more privileged than all these not to do this, but to give evidence of a life by which blasphemy is heaped on the God who made them - what pardon would such ones deserve?  What defense, when despite being made for the purpose of pleasing God and enjoying the kingdom of future goods they make little account of that and, on the contrary, involve themselves in worldly affairs and mundane concerns?