Holy week and the Benedictine Office pt 4 - Friday and the Triduum in the Benedictine Office

The quintessential psalm of the Passion is of course Psalm 21, not least because it was the start of the set of psalms Christ recited while on the Cross.

In the Benedictine Office it is the second psalm of Matins on Sundays: the first psalm of that hour recalls the Last Supper; the second the Passion.

Psalm 85 and Friday Matins

On ferial Fridays, however, the Office also recalls the Passion, not least through its opening psalm, Psalm 85, which is used on the feast of the Sacred Heart for that reason.

St Cassiodorus, in his commentary on the psalm, interpreted it as the prayer of Christ on the Cross: 

Let us ponder the humility of the prayer poured out to the Father by the Lord Saviour in His passion. He was wholly without sin, but in representing our weakness He asked to be delivered from the dangers of this world. So men's rashness should blush to be arrogant, for they have no doubt of their guilt. Christ prayed for His enemies, and patiently accepted death, whereas we wish to avenge our injuries if attacked by the comments of detractors. May He who afforded an example grant the gift of patience, so that by following His footsteps we may be able to avoid the errors which bring death.

St Alphonsus Liguori took the same view.  The psalmist, he said, 

...initiates us into the sentiments that filled the soul of Jesus Christ during his Passion, and he prophesies the conversion of the Gentiles. 

Psalm 85: Friday matins I, 1

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Oratio ipsi David.	A prayer for David himself.
Inclína, Dómine, aurem tuam, et exáudi me : * quóniam inops, et pauper sum ego.	Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am needy and poor.
2  Custódi ánimam meam, quóniam sanctus sum : * salvum fac servum tuum, Deus meus, sperántem in te.	2 Preserve my soul, for I am holy: save your servant, O my God, that trusts in you.
3  Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam ad te clamávi tota die : * lætífica ánimam servi tui, quóniam ad te, Dómine, ánimam meam levávi.	3 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to you all the day. 4 Give joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.
4  Quóniam tu, Dómine, suávis et mitis : * et multæ misericórdiæ ómnibus invocántibus te.	5 For you, O Lord, are sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon you.
5  Auribus pércipe, Dómine, oratiónem meam : * et inténde voci deprecatiónis meæ.	6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer: and attend to the voice of my petition
6  In die tribulatiónis meæ clamávi ad te : * quia exaudísti me.	7 I have called upon you in the day of my trouble: because you have heard me.
7  Non est símilis tui in diis, Dómine : * et non est secúndum ópera tua.	8 There is none among the gods like unto you, O Lord: and there is none according to your works.
8  Omnes gentes quascúmque fecísti, vénient, et adorábunt coram te, Dómine : * et glorificábunt nomen tuum.	9 All the nations you have made shall come and adore before you, O Lord: and they shall glorify your name.
9  Quóniam magnus es tu, et fáciens mirabília : * tu es Deus solus.	10 For you are great and do wonderful things: you are God alone.
10  Deduc me, Dómine, in via tua, et ingrédiar in veritáte tua : * lætétur cor meum ut tímeat nomen tuum.	11 Conduct me, O Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth: let my heart rejoice that it may fear your name.
11  Confitébor tibi, Dómine, Deus meus, in toto corde meo, * et glorificábo nomen tuum in ætérnum.	12 I will praise you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name for ever:
12  Quia misericórdia tua magna est super me : * et eruísti ánimam meam ex inférno inferióri.	13 For your mercy is great towards me: and you have delivered my soul out of the lower hell.
13  Deus iníqui insurrexérunt super me, et synagóga poténtium quæsiérunt ánimam meam : * et non proposuérunt te in conspéctu suo.	14 O God, the wicked are risen up against me, and the assembly of the mighty have sought my soul: and they have not set you before their eyes.
14  Et tu, Dómine, Deus miserátor et miséricors, * pátiens, et multæ misericórdiæ, et verax.	15 And you, O Lord, are a God of compassion, and merciful, patient, and of much mercy, and true.
15  Réspice in me, et miserére mei, * da impérium tuum púero tuo : et salvum fac fílium ancíllæ tuæ.	16 O look upon me, and have mercy on me: give your command to your servant, and save the son of your handmaid.
16  Fac mecum signum in bonum, ut vídeant qui odérunt me, et confundántur : * quóniam tu, Dómine, adjuvísti me, et consolátus es me.	17 Show me a token for good: that they who hate me may see, and be confounded, because you, O Lord, have helped me and have comforted me.

Several of the other psalms of Friday Matins are similarly pertinent to the events of Good Friday: Psalm 93 is used at Good Friday Tenebrae for this reason, while Psalms 86, 88, 92, 96, 96 and 100 are all relevant to its themes.

Friday Lauds

As for Thursday, the Friday canticle, from Habbakuk, has clearly been selected for its appropriateness to the day, as it has long been interpreted as referring to the Passion.

One of the longstanding puzzles of the Benedictine Office, though is why the two variable psalms of the day vary from those in the Roman secular Office.  

St Benedict, of course, specifically stated that he was using the variable psalms of the ancient Roman Office of his time, viz Psalms 75 and 91.  The Roman Office as it has come down to us though, has only one variable psalm each day not two, and for Friday it is Psalm 142, which is used on Saturday in the Benedictine Office.

The most obvious explanation (albeit contra the liturgists), is that the Lauds psalm allocation changed after St Benedict's time, most likely as part of St Gregory the Great's 'strengthening' of the antiphoner (as the Liber Pontificalis describes it); presumably in fact code for shifting the Roman Office to an entirely fixed weekly psalm cursus.

The rationale for the older psalm selection is surely straightforward: Psalm 75's verse 'terra tremuit' surely refers to the earthquake that occurred at Christ's death on the cross, while Psalm 91 was the psalm used at the sabbath sacrifice in Jewish tradition.

Prime

It is notable too, that Prime on Friday is similarly strongly connected to the Passion.

It opens with Psalm 15, which both SS Peter and Paul used in sermons reported in Acts (Chapter 2&13) to speak about Christ’s crucifixion, descent into hell, and resurrection. 

Psalm 16 is the intense prayer of the just man facing death, with verse 13 speaking of someone captured by his enemies and about to be killed.  

And the final psalm of the hour, the first half of Psalm 17, is generally interpreted as witnessing to Christ as the perfect sacrifice by virtue of his obedience.  The centrepiece of this part of the psalm is a dramatic theophany, a storm that shakes the earth with God’s anger, echoing the ‘terra tremuit’ verse in Psalm 75 at Lauds.

Vespers

 Earlier this Lent I provided notes on the first psalm of Friday Vespers, which has long been interpreted as relating to the themes of this day.

The hour ends though, on a note of triumph, singing of the Kingship of Christ both witnessed to on the cross, and central to his descent into Hades.

As we contemplate the Passion today, then, let us also look forward to his glorious Resurrection. Resurrection.

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?

Psalm 141:10 - Awaiting the Resurrection

The final verse of Psalm 141 can be interpreted as a commentary on the promise of the Resurrection to come.

Text notes 

10	V	Educ de custódia ánimam meam ad confiténdum nómini tuo: me exspéctant justi, donec retríbuas mihi.
	NV	Educ de custodia animam meam ad confitendum nomini tuo; me circumdabunt iusti, cum retribueris mihi ”.
	R	Educ de carcere animam meam ad confitendum nomini tuo me expectant iusti donec retribuas mihi.
	JH	Educ de carcere animam meam, ut confiteatur nomini tuo: me expectant iusti, cum retribueris mihi.
		ἐξάγαγε ἐκ φυλακῆς τὴν ψυχήν μου τοῦ ἐξομολογήσασθαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου κύριε ἐμὲ ὑπομενοῦσιν δίκαιοι ἕως οὗ ἀνταποδῷς μοι

 Word by word

Educ (lead/bring forth) de (from) custodia (prison/custody) animam (soul) meam (my) ad (to) confitendum (the praising) nomini (of the name) tuo (to your); me exspectant (they wait for) justi (the just) donec (until) retribuas (you repay/reward) mihi (to me).

 Note that the neo-Vulgate has circumdabunt (they have surrounded) instead of expectant, in order to follow the Masoretic Text version of the verse; the Septuagint here arguably follows the Aramaic connotations of the verb.  As will be seen from the notes below, the Septuagint/Vulgate version fits the Christological interpretation of the text rather better.

educo, duxi, ductum, ere 3 to lead out or forth to bring or draw forth.

custodia, ae, f custody, i.e., a prison.

confiteor, fessus sum, eri 2  to praise, give thanks; to confess, acknowledge one's guilt.

exspecto, avi, atum, are, to wait for a person or thing, to await, trust; to look for, expect.

justus, a, um   just; a just man, the just

donec, conj., till, until

retribuo, tribui, tributum, ere 3, to repay, requite, reward, recompense, render; deal bountifully with

DR	Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name: the just wait for me, until you reward me.
Brenton	Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to thy name, O Lord; the righteous shall wait for me, until thou recompense me.
MD	Lead forth my soul from prison that I may praise Thy Name, the just await me in hope, till Thou rewardest me
RSV	Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to thy name! The righteous will surround me; for thou wilt deal bountifully with me.
Cover	Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy Name—which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company.
Knox	What thanks, then, will I give to thy name, honest hearts all about me, rejoicing to see thy favour restored!
Grail	Bring my soul out of this prison and then I shall praise your name. Around me the just will assemble because of your goodness to me.

Looking to the Resurrection

In its historical context, this verse can be read as a final plea: the enemy are camped just outside the cave, positively knocking on the door as it were.  

But David's ability to extricate himself from this situation is a mere foreshadowing of  the true meaning, of Christ asking, as St Jerome puts it, to be freed from 'the prison of this body...The apostles wait for me, until I shall rise again from the dead.'

The prison of this world

The prison referred to here can have several meanings including the troubles inflicted on us by our enemies, a desire to be freed from the corruption of the flesh; from the constraints imposed on us by this world, where what we see is but a shadow of the true reality.

St Augustine, for example, commented:

To some then it has seemed that the cave and prison are this world; and this the Church prays, that it may be brought out of prison, that is, from this world, from under the sun, where all is vanity. Beyond this world then God promises that we shall be in some sort of rest; therefore perhaps do we cry concerning this place, Bring my soul out of prison... 

A name above any other

The last part of the verse refers to Christ's exaltation through the Resurrection, as St Cassiodorus point out:

This is the confession foretold concerning the Lord’s resurrection. When all the apostles were thrown into turmoil by Christ’s death, they waited for just the moment when they could acknowledge the glory of the promised resurrection, and strengthen the hearts of all who were fearful. Observe the words: Until thou reward me, for the glory of the resurrection was nothing other than the reward for the most blessed passion. Paul says of this reward: For which cause God has exalted him, and has given him a name which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus is in the glory of God the Father. The word until denotes the period of three days, after which the devotion of the just rejoiced at His resurrection.

 A call to humility

St Cassiodorus provides a nice reflection on which to conclude our consideration of the psalm:

Now let us ponder, if we can harness some insight, the clemency of our Lord, which both redeemed us from the enemy and unceasingly teaches us not to be taken captive again.

He makes His rule our teaching for each day, for the purpose of His deigning to humble himself was so that we should not in the slightest degree aspire to the devil's spirit of pride. In that pride lies the fall, in humility there is always the way upwards; pride is the seed-bed of death, humility the preliminary to eternal life. So let us entreat the almighty Son that as He has accorded us a wholesome example of prayer, He may mercifully bestow on us the outcome of this most holy imitation.

Psalm 141 (142): Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Intellectus David, cum esset in spelunca, oratio	Of understanding for David, A prayer when he was in the cave.
1 Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * voce mea ad dóminum deprecátus sum.	2 I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
2. Effúndo in conspéctu ejus oratiónem meam, * et tribulatiónem meam ante ipsum pronúntio	3 In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble:
3. In deficiéndo ex me spíritum meum: * et tu cognovísti sémitas meas.	4 When my spirit failed me, then you knew my paths.
4  In via hac, qua ambulábam, * abscondérunt láqueum mihi.	In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.
5 Considerábam ad déxteram, et vidébam: * et non erat qui cognósceret me.	5 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me.
6. Périit fuga a me: * et non est qui requírat ánimam meam.	Flight has failed me: and there is no one that has regard to my soul.
7. Clamávi ad te, Dómine, * dixi: Tu es spes mea, pórtio mea in terra vivéntium.	6 I cried to you, O Lord: I said: You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
8.  Inténde ad deprecatiónem meam: * quia humiliátus sum nimis.	7 Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low.
9.  Líbera me a persequéntibus me: * quia confortáti sunt super me.	Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
10 Educ de custódia ánimam meam ad confiténdum nómini tuo: me exspéctant justi, donec retríbuas mihi.	8 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name: the just wait for me, until you reward me.

Psalm 141: 9 - When the forces ranged against us are too strong

 

 Text notes and translations

9	V/NV	Líbera me a persequéntibus me: * quia confortáti sunt super me.
	R	Libera me a persequentibus me quoniam confortati sunt super me.
	JH	Libera me a persequentibus, quoniam confortati sunt super me.
		ῥῦσαί με ἐκ τῶν καταδιωκόντων με ὅτι ἐκραταιώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ

 Word by word:

Libera (free/deliver) me (me) a (from) persequentibus (persecuting/those who persecute) me, quia (because) confortati sunt (they are made strong) super (over) me.

libero, avi, atum, are (to free, set free, deliver, very common.

persequor, secutus sum, sequi to pursue, follow perseveringly, follow after/hard upon, persecute.

conforto, avi, atum, are to strengthen, make strong :as passive: to be strengthened, to be powerful, great, mighty.

DR	Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
Brenton	deliver me from them that persecute me; for they are stronger than I.
MD	Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me
RSV	Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are too strong for me!
Cover	O deliver me from my persecutors; for they are too strong for me.
Knox	Rescue me from persecutors who are too strong for me; restore liberty to a captive soul.
Grail	Rescue me from those who pursue me for they are stronger than I.

On the divinity of Christ

This verse of Psalm 141 can be readily interpreted in the context of Christ's prayer on the cross, as St Cassiodorus points out, and his words then are for our benefit:

When he says deliver me, he is not demonstrating the weakness of his own divinity, but revealing the love of the Father; for although he had the power, as he says, to lay down his life and to take it up again, he fittingly showed honour to his father’s majesty in order to represent us, maintaining the reverence of a beloved son, in whom the Father was well pleased. 

He goes on: 

In the Gospel he says Father, glorify me.  He also cries out from the cross: O God, my God, look upon me, why has though forsaken me?  This was to reveal clearly the lowliness of the flesh...

 Who do we need to be delivered from?

But it is also, of course, a model of prayer for us, in the face of overwhelming enemies, whether they be the rich and powerful of this world, our own weaknesses, or the devil, as St Augustine instructs:

Are merely men our enemies? We have other enemies, invisible, who persecute us in another way. Man persecutes, that he may slay the body; another persecutes, that he ensnare the soul. There are then other enemies of ours too, from whom we ought to pray God to deliver us, lest they lead us astray, either by crushing us with troubles of this world, or alluring us by its enticements.

Psalm 141 (142): Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Intellectus David, cum esset in spelunca, oratio	Of understanding for David, A prayer when he was in the cave.
1 Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * voce mea ad dóminum deprecátus sum.	2 I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
2. Effúndo in conspéctu ejus oratiónem meam, * et tribulatiónem meam ante ipsum pronúntio	3 In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble:
3. In deficiéndo ex me spíritum meum: * et tu cognovísti sémitas meas.	4 When my spirit failed me, then you knew my paths.
4  In via hac, qua ambulábam, * abscondérunt láqueum mihi.	In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.
5 Considerábam ad déxteram, et vidébam: * et non erat qui cognósceret me.	5 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me.
6. Périit fuga a me: * et non est qui requírat ánimam meam.	Flight has failed me: and there is no one that has regard to my soul.
7. Clamávi ad te, Dómine, * dixi: Tu es spes mea, pórtio mea in terra vivéntium.	6 I cried to you, O Lord: I said: You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
8.  Inténde ad deprecatiónem meam: * quia humiliátus sum nimis.	7 Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low.
9.  Líbera me a persequéntibus me: * quia confortáti sunt super me.	Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
10 Educ de custódia ánimam meam ad confiténdum nómini tuo: me exspéctant justi, donec retríbuas mihi.	8 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name: the just wait for me, until you reward me.

And you can find the final set of notes on this psalm here.