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
Text of the psalm
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
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NT references
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1 Cor 10:26 (13); Heb 13:15 (15, 24); Roms 2:
17-24 (17)
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RB cursus
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Tuesday Matins I, 5
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Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc
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Roman pre 1911
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Tuesday Matins
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Roman post 1911
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1911-62: Wednesday Matins . 1970:
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Mass propers (EF)
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Advent2: GR
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Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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Psalmus Asaph.
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1 Deus deórum, Dóminus locútus est: * et
vocávit terram,
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The
God of gods, the Lord has spoken: and he
has called the earth.
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2 A solis ortu usque ad occásum: * ex Sion
spécies decóris ejus.
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From
the rising of the sun, to the going down thereof: 2 Out
of Sion the loveliness of his beauty
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3 Deus maniféste véniet: * Deus noster et
non silébit.
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3 God shall come
manifestly: our God
shall come, and shall not keep silence.
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4
Ignis in conspéctu ejus exardéscet: * et in circúitu ejus tempéstas válida.
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A
fire shall burn before him: and a mighty tempest shall be round about him.
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5 Advocábit
cælum desúrsum: * et terram discérnere pópulum suum.
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4 He shall call heaven from above, and the
earth, to judge his people.
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6 Congregáte
illi sanctos ejus: * qui órdinant testaméntum ejus super sacrifícia.
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5 Gather together his saints to him: who set
his covenant before sacrifices.
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7 Et
annuntiábunt cæli justítiam ejus: * quóniam Deus judex est.
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6 And the heavens shall declare
his justice: for God is judge.
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8 Audi, pópulus meus, et loquar :
Israël, et testificábor tibi: * Deus, Deus tuus ego sum.
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7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak: O Israel, and I will
testify to you: I am God,
your God.
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9 Non
in sacrifíciis tuis árguam te: * holocáusta autem tua in conspéctu meo sunt
semper.
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8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices: and your
burnt offerings are
always in my sight.
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10 Non accípiam de domo tua vítulos: * neque
de grégibus tuis hircos.
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9 I
will not take calves out of your house: nor he goats out of your flocks.
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11 Quóniam
meæ sunt omnes feræ silvárum: * juménta in móntibus et boves.
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10 For
all the beasts of the woods are mine: the cattle on the hills, and the oxen.
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12 Cognóvi ómnia volatília cæli: * et
pulchritúdo agri mecum est.
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11 I
know all the fowls of the air: and with me is the beauty of the field.
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13 Si
esuríero, non dicam tibi: * meus est enim orbis terræ, et plenitúdo ejus.
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12 If
I should be hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and the
fullness thereof.
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14 Numquid
manducábo carnes taurórum? * aut sánguinem hircórum potábo?
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13 Shall
I eat the flesh of bullocks? Or shall I drink the blood of goats?
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15 Immola Deo sacrifícium laudis: * et redde
Altíssimo vota tua.
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14 Offer
to God the sacrifice of praise:
and pay your vows to
the most High.
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16 Et ínvoca me in die tribulatiónis: *
éruam te, et honorificábis me.
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15 And
call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.
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17 Peccatóri
autem dixit Deus: * Quare tu enárras justítias meas, et assúmis testaméntum
meum per os tuum?
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16 But
to the sinner God
has said: Why do you declare my justices, and take my covenant in your mouth?
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18 Tu
vero odísti disciplínam: * et projecísti sermónes meos retrórsum:
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17 Seeing
you have hated
discipline: and have cast my words behind you.
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19 Si
vidébas furem, currébas cum eo: * et cum adúlteris portiónem tuam ponébas.
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18 If
you saw a thief you ran with him: and with adulterers you have been a
partaker
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20 Os tuum abundávit malítia: * et lingua
tua concinnábat dolos.
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19 Your
mouth has abounded with evil,
and your tongue framed deceits.
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21 Sedens
advérsus fratrem tuum loquebáris, et advérsus fílium matris tuæ ponébas
scándalum: * hæc fecísti, et tácui.
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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.
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22
Existimásti, iníque, quod ero tui símilis: * árguam te, et státuam contra
fáciem tuam.
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You
thought unjustly
that I should be like to you: but I will reprove you, and set before your
face.
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23 Intellígite
hæc, qui obliviscímini Deum: * nequándo rápiat, et non sit qui erípiat.
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22 Understand
these things, you that forget God; lest he snatch you
away, and there be none to deliver you.
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24 Sacrifícium laudis honorificábit me: * et
illic iter, quo osténdam illi salutáre Dei.
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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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