Office canticles: Wisdom 3:7-9

Wisdom 3:7-9 is used in the Common of Apostles, Evangelists, Several Martyrs, as well as for certain feasts such as All Saints at matins in the Benedictine Office.

Canticum Sapientiae (3: 7-9)

Fulgébunt iusti, * et tamquam scintíllæ in arundinéto discúrrent.	The just shall shine, * and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.
Iudicábunt natiónes, et dominabúntur pópulis, * et regnábit Dóminus illórum in perpétuum.	They shall judge nations, and rule over people, * and their Lord shall reign for ever.
Qui confídunt in illo, intélligent veritátem, * et fidéles in dilectióne acquiéscent illi:	They that trust in him, shall understand the truth: * and they that are faithful in love shall rest in him:
Quóniam donum * et pax est eléctis eius.	For grace * and peace is to his elect.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Office canticles: Wisdom 3:1 - 6

I've previously posted here some of the canticles used in the third Nocturn of Matins in the Benedictine Office, laid out as used in the liturgy, for reference purposes.

I thought I'd try and complete that series, so herewith Wisdom 3:1-6, which is used in the Common of Several Martyrs, as well as for certain feasts such as All Saints.

Canticum Sapientiae (3:1 – 6)

Iustórum autem ánimæ in manu Dei sunt, *et non tanget illos torméntum mortis.	But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, * and the torment of death shall not touch them.
Visi sunt óculis insipiéntium mori: * et æstimáta est afflíctio éxitus illórum:	In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: * and their departure was taken for misery:
Et quod a nobis est iter, extermínium: illi autem sunt in pace.	And their going away from us, for utter destruction: * but they are in peace.
Et si coram homínibus torménta passi sunt, * spes illórum immortalitáte plena est.	And though in the sight of men they suffered torments, * their hope is full of immortality.
In paucis vexáti sunt, in multis bene disponóntur, * quóniam Deus tentávit eos, et invénit illos dignos se.	Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well rewarded: * because God hath tried them, and found them worthy of himself.
Tamquam aurum in fornáce probávit illos, † et quasi holocáusti hóstiam accépit illos, * et in témpore erit respéctus illórum.	As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them, * and in time there shall be respect had to them.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Matins canticles for Advent/3: Isaiah 49:7-13

I've previously provided notes on the first two Third Nocturn canticles used at Matins in the Benedictine Office during Advent:

Isaiah 40:10-17
Isaiah 42:10-16

The third canticle set for Sunday Matins during Advent is from Isaiah 49:

Canticle of Isaiah (49:7-13)

Hæc dicit Dóminus, redémptor Israël, Sanctus eius, † ad contemptíbilem ánimam, ad abominátam gentem, * ad servum dominórum:	Thus saith the Lord the redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to the soul that is despised, to the nation that is abhorred, to the servant of rulers:
Reges vidébunt,et consúrgent príncipes, † et adorábunt propter Dóminum, quia fidélis est, * et Sanctum Israël qui elégit te.	Kings shall see, and princes shall rise up, and adore for the Lord' s sake, because he is faithful, and for the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee.
Hæc dicit Dóminus: † In témpore plácito exaudívi te, * et in die salútis auxiliátus sum tui:	Thus saith the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in the day of salvation I have helped thee.
Et servávi te, et dedi te in fœdus pópuli, * ut suscitáres terram, et possidéres hæreditátes dissipátas;	And I have preserved thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, that thou mightest raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were destroyed:
Ut díceres his qui vincti sunt: Exíte, * et his qui in ténebris: Revelámini.	That thou mightest say to them that are bound: Come forth: and to them that are in darkness: shew yourselves.
Super vias pascéntur, * et in ómnibus planis páscua eórum.	They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in every plain.
Non esúrient neque sítient, † et non percútiet eos æstus et sol, * quia miserátor eórum reget eos, et ad fontes aquárum potábit eos.	They shall not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them: for he that is merciful to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the fountains of waters he shall give them drink.
Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, * et sémitæ meæ exaltabúntur.	And I will make all my mountains a way, and my paths shall be exalted.
Ecce isti de longe vénient, † et ecce illi ab aquilóne et mari, * et isti de terra austráli.	Behold these shall come from afar, and behold these from the north and from the sea, and these from the south country.
Laudáte, cæli, et exsúlta, terra; † iubiláte, montes, laudem: * quia consolátus est Dóminus pópulum suum, et páuperum suórum miserébitur.	Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

These verses form part of the 'second servant song' of Isaiah.

St Paul makes it clear that it applies to Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2:

"And now, to further that work, we entreat you not to offer God’s grace an ineffectual welcome. 2 I have answered thy prayer, he says, in a time of pardon, I have brought thee help in a day of salvation. And here is the time of pardon; the day of salvation has come already."

The verses set out prophesies of the coming of Jesus, his rejection by the Jews, and his mission of freeing mankind, imprisoned by sin.  Above all it talks of his mercy on the people who have fallen away.

While the verses given here talk about the redemption of Israel, the verse immediately preceding it makes it clear that his mission is a universal one:

"...I have appointed thee to be the light of the Gentiles, in thee I will send out my salvation to the furthest corners of the earth."

Matins canticles for Advent/2: Isaiah 42:10-16

The second of the third Nocturn canticles set for Advent is from Isaiah 42, and focuses on the proclamation of the Gospel to all nations.

Canticle of Isaiah 42: 10-16

Cantate Domino canticum novum, laus eius ab extrémis terræ:	Sing ye to the Lord a new song, his praise is from the ends of the earth:
Qui descénditis in mare, et plenitúdo eius; insulæ, et habitatóres eárum.	You that go down to the sea, and all that are therein: ye islands, and ye inhabitants of them.
Sublevétur desértum et civitátes eius. In dómibus habitábit Cedar:	Let the desert and the cities thereof be exalted: Cedar shall dwell in houses:
Laudáte, habitatóres petræ; de vértice móntium clamábunt.	Ye inhabitants of Petra, give praise, they shall cry from the top of the mountains.
Ponent Dómino glóriam, et laudem eius in ínsulis nuntiábunt.	They shall give glory to the Lord, and shall declare his praise in the islands.
Dóminus sicut fortis egrediétur, sicut vir præliátor suscitábit zelum;	The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, as a man of war shall he stir up zeal;
Vociferábitur, et clamábit: super inimícos suos confortábitur.	he shall shout and cry: he shall prevail against his enemies.
Tácui semper, sílui, pátiens fui: sicut partúriens loquar:	I have always held my peace, I have I kept silence, I have been patient, I will speak now as a woman in labour.
Dissipábo, et absorbébo simul. † Desértos fáciam montes et colles, et omne gramen eórum exsiccábo:	I will destroy, and swallow up at once. I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And will make all their grass to wither:
Et ponam flúmina in insúlas, et stagna arefáciam.	and I will turn rivers into islands, and will dry up the standing pools.
Et ducam cæcos in viam quam nésciunt, et in sémitis quas ignoravérunt ambuláre eos fáciam;	And I will lead the blind into the way which they know not: and in the paths which they were ignorant of I will make them walk;
Ponam tónebras coram eis in lucem, et prava in recta.	I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 Pope St John Paul II gave a General Audience on this canticle (in the context of Lauds in the liturgy of the hours) on this canticle on 2 April 2003:

1. In the Book that bears the Prophet Isaiah's name, scholars have identified various voices all of which are placed under the patronage of this great prophet who lived in the eighth century B.C. This is the case with the vigorous hymn of joy and victory that has just been proclaimed as part of the Liturgy of Lauds of the Fourth Week. Exegetes refer to it as the so-called "Second Isaiah", a prophet who lived in the sixth century B.C., at the time of the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian Exile. The hymn begins with an appeal to "sing to the Lord a new song" (cf. Is 42,10), as in other Psalms (cf. Ps 96,1 [95]: 1 and Ps 98,1 [97]: 1).

The "newness" of the song that the Prophet invites the Hebrews to sing certainly refers to the unfolding horizon of freedom, a radical turning-point in the history of a people which experienced oppression and exile in a foreign land (cf. Ps 137 [136]).

2. In the Bible, "newness" often has the flavour of a perfect and definitive reality. It is almost the sign of the beginning of an era of saving fullness that seals humanity's tormented history. The Canticle of Isaiah has this exalted tone that is well suited to Christian prayer.

The whole world, including the earth, sea, coastlands, deserts and cities, is invited to sing to the Lord a "new song" (cf. Is 42,10-12). All space is involved, even its furthest horizons that also contain the unknown, and its vertical dimension, which rises from the desert plain, the dwelling place of the nomadic tribes of Kedar (cf. Is 21,16-17), and soars to the mountains. High up, in the territory of the Edomites, we can locate the city of Sela which many people have identified with Petra, a city placed between the rocky peaks.

22 All the Earth's inhabitants are invited to become like an immense choir to acclaim the Lord with exultation and to give him glory.

3. After the solemn invitation to sing (cf. Is 42,10-12), the Prophet brings the Lord onto the scene, represented as the God of the Exodus, who has set his people free from slavery in Egypt: "The Lord goes forth like a mighty man, like a warrior" (Is 42,13). He sows terror among his foes, who oppress others and commit injustice.

The Canticle of Moses also portrays the Lord during the Red Sea crossing as a "man of war", ready to stretch out his right hand and destroy the enemy (cf. Ex 15,3-8). With the return of the Hebrews from the deportation to Babylon, a new exodus is about to take place, and the faithful must be assured that history is not at the mercy of destiny, chaos or oppressive powers: the last word rests with God who is just and strong. The Psalmist had already sung: "Grant us help against the foe, for vain is the help of man!" (Ps 60,13 [59]: 13).

4. Having entered on the scene, the Lord speaks and his vehement words (cf. Is 42,14-16) combine judgement and salvation. He begins by recalling that "for a long time" he has "held [his] peace": in other words, he has not intervened. The divine silence is often a cause of perplexity to the just, and even scandalous, as Job's long lamentation attests (cf. Jb 3,1-26). However, it is not a silence that suggests absence as if history had been left in the hands of the perverse, or the Lord were indifferent and impassive. In fact, that silence gives vent to a reaction similar to a woman in labour who gasps and pants and screams with pain. It is the divine judgement on evil, presented with images of aridity, destruction, desert (cf. Is 42,15), which has a living and fruitful result as its goal.

In fact, the Lord brings forth a new world, an age of freedom and salvation. The eyes of the blind will be opened so that they may enjoy the brilliant light. The path will be levelled and hope will blossom (cf. Is 42,16), making it possible to continue to trust in God and in his future of peace and happiness.

5. Every day the believer must be able to discern the signs of divine action even when they are hidden by the apparently monotonous, aimless flow of time. As a highly-esteemed modern Christian author has written: "The earth is pervaded by a cosmic ecstasy: in it is an eternal reality and presence which, however, usually sleeps under the veil of habit. Eternal reality must now be revealed, as in an epiphany of God, through all that exists" (R. Guardini, Sapienza dei Salmi, Brescia, 1976, p. 52).

Discovering this divine presence, with the eyes of faith, in space and time but also within ourselves, is a source of hope and confidence, even when our hearts are agitated and shaken "as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (Is 7,2). Indeed, the Lord enters the scene to govern and to judge "the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth" (Ps 96,13 [95]: 13).

Matins Canticles for Advent: Isaiah 40:10-17**

All three of the Sunday third nocturn canticles set for Advent come from Isaiah, the first of them being from Isaiah 40.

Advent 1: Isaiah 40:10-17

Ecce Dóminus Deus in fortitúdine véniet, * et bráchium eius dominábitur:	Behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and his arm shall rule:
Ecce merces eius cum eo, * et opus illíus coram illo.	Behold his reward is with him and his work is before him.
Sicut pastor gregem suum pascet, † in bráchio suo congregábit agnos, et in sinu suo levábit; * fetas ipse portábit.	He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather together the lambs with his arm, and shall take them up in his bosom, and he himself shall carry them that are with young.
Quis mensus est pugíllo aquas, * et cælos palmo ponderávit?	Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighed the heavens with his palm?
Quis appéndit tribus dígitis molem terræ, * et liberávit in póndere montes, et colles in statéra?	who hath poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Quis adiúvit spíritum Dómini? * aut quis consiliárius eius fuit, et osténdit illi?	Who hath forwarded the spirit of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor, and hath taught him?
Cum quo íniit consílium, et instrúxit eum, † et dócuit eum sémitam iustítiæ, * et erudívit eum sciéntiam, et viam prudéntiæ osténdit illi?	With whom hath he consulted, and who hath instructed him, and taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and shewed him the way of understanding?
Ecce gentes quasi stilla sítulæ, * et quasi moméntum statéræ reputátæ sunt:	Behold the Gentiles are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance:
Ecce ínsulæ quasi pulvis exíguus. † Et Líbanus non suffíciet ad succendéndum, * et animália eius non suffícient ad holocáustum.	behold the islands are as a little dust. And Libanus shall not be enough to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
Omnes gentes quasi non sint, sic sunt coram eo, * et quasi níhilum et ináne reputátæ sunt ei.	All nations are before him as if they had no being at all, and are counted to him as nothing, and vanity
Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.	Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.	As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Much of Isaiah chapter 40 is very well known indeed to most English speakers, courtesy of Handel's Messiah: indeed the chapter's opening verses are the text for its first three numbers (Comfort ye/Ev'ry valley/And the glory), and many of its other verses also get a guernsey.  This reflects the fact that the chapter opens the second part of Isaiah, a section which is centred on prophesies of the coming of Christ.

The opening verses of the canticle (vv1-3) announce that Christ will come with a bang and not a whimper: he comes with power and strength, bringing the gift of salvation to his people, those he guards as a shepherd.

This is the coming, the canticle reminds us, of the creator of the universe, the one who holds heaven and earth in his hands (v4-5); the source of all, both physical, intellectual and spiritual (v6-7).

In the face of God, we and all the nations are nothing: mere grass and ashes, our claims to greatness mere vanity (vv8-10).

Matins Canticles for Eastertide: Zephaniah 3:8-13

The last of the Third Nocturn Canticles said at Matins during Eastertide is from the prophet Zephaniah.

Zephaniah (Sophonia) 3:8-13

Exspécta me, dicit Dóminus, in die resurrectiónis meæ in futúrum, * quia iudícium meum ut cóngregem gentes, et cólligam regna,	Wherefore expect me, saith the Lord, in the day of my resurrection that is to come, for my judgment is to assemble the Gentiles, and to gather the kingdoms
Et effúndam super eos indignatiónem meam, * omnem iram furóris mei.	and to pour upon them my indignation, all my fierce anger.
In igne enim zeli mei * devorábitur omnis terra.	For with the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured.
Quia tunc reddam pópulis lábium eléctum, † ut ínvocent omnes in nómine Dómini, * et sérviant ei húmero uno.	Because then I will restore to the people a chosen lip, that all may call upon the name of the Lord, and may serve him with one shoulder.
Ultra flúmina Æthiópiæ, inde súpplices mei; * fílii dispersórum meórum déferent munus mihi.	From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, shall my suppliants the children of my dispersed people bring me an offering.
In die illa non confundéris super cunctis adinventiónibus tuis, * quibus prævaricáta es in me.	In that day thou shalt not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me.
Quia tunc áuferam de médio tui magníloquos supérbiæ tuæ, * et non adícies exaltári ámplius in monte sancto meo.	For then I will take away out of the midst of thee thy proud boasters, and thou shalt no more be lifted up because of my holy mountain.
Et derelínquam in médio tui pópulum páuperem et egénum: * et sperábunt in nómine Dómini.	And I will leave in the midst of thee a poor and needy people: and they shall hope in the name of the Lord.
Relíquiæ Israël non fácient iniquitátem, † nec loquéntur mendácium, * et non inveniétur in ore eórum lingua dolósa:	The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:
Quóniam ipsi pascéntur, et accubábunt, * et non erit qui extérreat.	for they shall feed, and shall lie down, and there shall be none to make them afraid.

 It is in the nature of Old Testament prophesies that they often refer simultaneously to several different separate sets of events, including those at the time the prophet was writing, which in the case of Zephaniah (Sophronius) was under King Josiah (circa 635-630 BC); to the time of the Incarnation; to our own times; and to the Second Coming.  This particular Canticle is a nice example of this.

The Old Catholic Encyclopedia's take on the verses that come immediately before the canticle, and its opening, is all too pertinent to the Church of our time:

"The Prophet then turns again to Jerusalem: "Woe to the provoking, and redeemed city. . . She hath not hearkened to the voice, neither hath she received discipline"; the severest reckoning will be required of the aristocrats and the administrators of the law (as the leading classes of the civil community), and of the Prophets and priests, as the directors of public worship."

Haydock's Commentary on verses 1-3 (in the liturgical arrangement of the text) also point to its relevance to New Testament times, as well as to the Second Coming:

"About forty years after Christ's resurrection, the Jews for the most part continuing obstinate, Titus ruined their city; which is a figure of the world's destruction, and of the eternal punishment of the wicked... After the resurrection, the Church was to be gathered from all nations. Christ will rise again at the last day to judge all."

The main content of the canticle though, encourages us to look forward to the future,  It is, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

"A consolatory prophecy, or prophetic glance at the Kingdom of God of the future, in which all the world, united in one faith and one worship, will turn to one God, and the goods of the Messianic Kingdom, whose capital is the daughter of Sion, will be enjoyed..."

Above all though, the canticle invites us to be part of the faithful, purified remnant, the Church, whose sins will not be held against them (v6-7), and can act rightly through grace, a status made possible by the Resurrection. 

I've included Brenton's translation from the Septuagint from the Septuagint, as well as Knox's translation in a table below, as I think the Septuagint gives a better sense of the Messianic content of the Canticle, and both translations are a lot easier to understand than the Douay-Rheims!

Brenton from the Septuagint	Knox
Therefore wait upon me, saith the Lord, until the day when I rise up for a witness: because my judgment shall be on the gatherings of the nations, to draw to me kings,	Hope, then, is none, till the day, long hence, when I will stand revealed; what gathering, then, of the nations, all kingdoms joined in one!
to pour out upon them all my fierce anger:	And upon these, my doom is, vengeance shall fall, fierce anger of mine shall fall;
for the whole earth shall be consumed with the fire of my jealousy	the whole earth shall be consumed with the fire of my slighted love.
For then will I turn to the peoples a tongue for her generation, that all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve him under one yoke.	And after that, all the peoples of the world shall have pure lips, invoking one and all the Lord’s name, straining at a single yoke in the Lord’s service.
From the boundaries of the rivers of Ethiopia will I receive my dispersed ones; they shall offer sacrifices to me.	From far away, beyond Ethiop rivers, my suppliants shall come to me, sons of my exiled people the bloodless offering shall bring
In that day thou shalt not be ashamed of all thy practices, wherein thou hast transgressed against me	No need, then, to blush for wayward thoughts that defied me;
for then will I take away from thee thy disdainful pride, and thou shalt no more magnify thyself upon my holy mountain	gone from thy midst the high-sounding boast; no room, in that mountain sanctuary of mine, for pride henceforward
And I will leave in thee a meek and lowly people; and the remnant of Israel shall fear the name of the Lord,	a poor folk and a friendless I will leave in thy confines, but one that puts its trust in the Lord’s name.
and shall do no iniquity, neither shall they speak vanity; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth:	The remnant of Israel, strangers now to treachery and wrong, the true word ever on their lips!
for they shall feed, and lie down, and there shall be none to terrify them.	Yonder flock may graze and lie down to rest, none to dismay it.

Matins canticles for Eastertide/2 - Hosea 6

The second of the Matins Third Nocturn Canticles for Eastertide, from Hosea 6, is a particularly important one: it is cited several times in the New Testament, and it is referenced several times in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Hosea 6:1-6

Veníte, et revertámur ad Dóminum: † quia ipse cepit, et sanábit nos; * percútiet, et curábit nos.	Come, and let us return to the Lord: For he hath taken us, and he will heal us: he will strike, and he will cure us.
Vivificabit nos post duos dies; † in die tertia suscitabit nos, * et vivemus in conspectu eius.	He will revive us after two days: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
Sciémus, sequemúrque, * ut cognoscámus Dóminum.	We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord.
Quasi dilúculum præparátus est egréssus eius, * et véniet quasi imber nobis temporáneus et serótinus terræ.	His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he will come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth
Quid fáciam tibi, Ephraim? quid fáciam tibi, Iuda? † misericórdia vestra quasi nubes matutína, * et quasi ros mane pertránsiens.	What shall I do to thee, O Ephraim? what shall I do to thee, O Juda? your mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth away in the morning.
Propter hoc dolávi in prophétis; † occídi eos in verbis oris mei: * et iudícia tua quasi lux egrediéntur.	For this reason have I hewed them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments shall go forth as the light.
Quia misericórdiam vólui, et non sacrifícium; et sciéntiam Dei plus quam holocáusta.	For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts.

Resurrection, redemption and salvation

The placement of this text in the Eastertide selection is clearly due to verse 2: from the early Fathers such as Tertullian (d225AD) onwards, it has been interpreted by Christians as a prophecy of the Resurrection, and of our invitation to rise again to eternal life with and through Christ.  St Augustine in his City of God, for example, tell us:

"This prophet has also foretold the resurrection of Christ on the third day, as it behoved to be foretold, with prophetic loftiness, when he says, “He will heal us after two days, and in the third day we shall rise again.”" (18:28)

Christ's Resurrection, then, opens the way for us, but this canticle also serves as a reminder that we have to take up this invitation, to repent and accept his healing action in our lives in order to make it our own.  In particular, verse 5 contains a warning from the history of Israel: all too often the fervour of our conversion dries up like morning dew, and we fall back into sin, as St John Chrysostom explains:

 "Let us therefore draw nigh unto Him, and say, “Truth, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Let us draw nigh “in season, out of season:” or rather, one can never draw nigh out of season, for it is unseasonable not to be continually approaching. For of Him who desires to give it is always seasonable to ask: yea, as breathing is never out of season, so neither is praying unseasonable, but rather not praying. Since as we need this breath, so do we also the help that comes from Him; and if we be willing, we shall easily draw Him to us. And the prophet, to manifest this, and to point out the constant readiness of His beneficence, said, “We shall find Him prepared as the morning.” For as often as we may draw nigh, we shall see Him awaiting our movements. And if we fail to draw from out of His ever-springing goodness, the blame is all ours. This, for example, was His complaint against certain Jews, when He said, “My mercy is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.” And His meaning is like this; “I indeed have supplied all my part, but ye, as a hot sun coming over scatters both the cloud and the dew, and makes them vanish, so have ye by your great wickedness restrained the unspeakable Beneficence.” (Homily 22 on Matthew)

The message of verse 5 is particularly important in these times when judging is so despised: the verse tells us that God sends prophets to judge us as a means to convert us.  Irenaeus for example comments: 

"Thus does He bear witness to the prophets, that they preached the truth; but accuses these men (His hearers) of being foolish through their own fault." (Against heresies, 4:17:4)

Mercy and knowledge

What then is needed?  Mercy and knowledge of God, verse 7 tells us.  

The Hebrew word underlying mercy here, is hesed, which perhaps best translates to 'steadfast love' and certainly conveys an important concept.  

But it is the Greek-Latin interpretation of the word, meaning mercy, is that used in the New Testament, and taken up by the tradition.  St John Chrysostom for example, draws on this canticle to instruct us to continue to pray, continue to try and amend our lives, and ever to trust in God's willingness to forgive us:  

"Which also itself again is an instance of providential care: that even when He sees us unworthy to receive good, He withholds His benefits, lest He render us careless. But if we change a little, even but so much as to know that we have sinned, He gushes out beyond the fountains, He is poured forth beyond the ocean; and the more thou receivest, so much the more doth He rejoice; and in this way is stirred up again to give us more. For indeed He accounts it as His own wealth, that we should be saved, and that He should give largely to them that ask. And this, it may seem, Paul was declaring when He said, that He is “rich unto all and over all that call upon Him.” Because when we pray not, then He is wroth; when we pray not, then doth He turn away from us. For this cause “He became poor, that He might make us rich;” for this cause He underwent all those sufferings, that He might incite us to ask.

Let us not therefore despair, but having so many motives and good hopes, though we sin every day, let us approach Him, entreating, beseeching, asking the forgiveness of our sins. For thus we shall be more backward to sin for the time to come; thus shall we drive away the devil, and shall call forth the lovingkindness of God, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen."

Matins canticles for Eastertide: Isaiah 63

Every Sunday, Matins in the Benedictine Office is celebrated as something of a mini-Easter Vigil, with a set of psalms focused on the Resurrection, and a third nocturn consisting of three canticles.  In Eastertide, the celebration of the Resurrection becomes even more intense, with the canticles particularly focused on that subject.  Accordingly, this post takes a look at the first of the three, which comes from Isaiah 63.

Isaiah 63:1-5

Quis est iste, qui venit de Edom, * tinctis véstibus de Bosra?	Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bosra
Iste formósus in stola sua, * grádiens in multitúdine fortitúdinis suæ?	This beautiful one in his robe, walking in the greatness of his strength.
Ego qui loquor iustítiam, * et propugnátor sum ad salvándum.	I, that speak justice, and am a defender to save.
Quare ergo rubrum est induméntum tuum, * et vestiménta tua sicut calcántium in torculári?	Why then is thy apparel red, and thy garments like theirs that tread in the winepress?
Tórcular calcávi solus, * et de géntibus non est vir mecum;	I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a man with me
Calcávi eos in furóre meo, * et conculcávi eos in ira mea:	I have trampled on them in my indignation, and have trodden them down in my wrath
Et aspérsus est sanguis eórum super vestiménta mea, * et omnia induménta mea inquinávi.	and their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my apparel.
Dies enim ultiónis in corde meo, * annus redemptiónis meæ venit.	For the day of vengeance is in my heart, the year of my redemption is come.
Circumspéxi, et non erat auxiliátor; * quæsívi, et non fuit qui adiuváret:	I looked about, and there was none to help: I sought, and there was none to give aid:
Et salvávit mihi bráchium meum, * et indignátio mea ipsa auxiliáta est mihi.	and my own arm hath saved for me, and my indignation itself hath helped me.

 This is one of those texts whose connections to the Resurrection looks, at first glance at least, obscure to modern eyes.  

Yet its association with it is attested to by Scripture itself, for Revelation 19 draws heavily on this canticle (see also Rev 14:19-20):

"11 Then, in my vision, heaven opened, and I saw a white horse appear. Its rider bore for his title, the Faithful, the True; he judges and goes to battle in the cause of right. 12 His eyes were like flaming fire, and on his brow were many royal diadems; the name written there is one that only he knows. 13 He went clad in a garment deep dyed with blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God;14 the armies of heaven followed him, mounted on white horses, and clad in linen, white and clean. 15 From his mouth came a two-edged sword, ready to smite the nations; he will herd them like sheep with a crook of iron. He treads out for them the wine-press, whose wine is the avenging anger of almighty God. 16 And this title is written on his cloak, over his thigh, The King of kings, and the Lord of lords." (Knox translation)

Decoding the canticle

Unsurprisingly then the passage was the subject of numerous commentaries by the Fathers, including Tertullian (d. 220), Origen (d. 254), Cyprian (d. 258), Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444) as well as many of the later Fathers.  Accordingly, it is worth drawing on their decoding of the key references.

In verse 1, Edom was taken not as a reference to the place, but as meaning both red or bloody, and 'of the earth' - so who is it who comes from the earth is a reference to the Resurrection of Christ. 

The 'dyed garments' of verse 1 (red in verses 3&7) are Christ's bloodstained clothing.

The references to his beauty in strength in verse 2 were generally interpreted as references to the attributes of his risen body (cf 1 Cor 15:44).

The justice that saves of verse 3 is the Gospel, and Christ's intervention on our behalf.

The image of the winepress (v5) gives us the image of Christ alone working to achieve the hard-fought victory: he was abandoned by all of his disciples (v5, 9). 

The final verse, then, takes us to the victory of the Resurrection.