Psalm 85 Inclina Domine - Say nothing without Christ

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.

In Jewish tradition this psalm is said as part of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) ceremonies; in Christian tradition it has long been interpreted as a psalm of the Passion hence its particular appropriateness to start off Friday in the Office.  

Cassidorus, for example suggests it as a source for meditation on the sacrifice of 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.

Similarly, St Alphonsus Liguori suggests that we use this prayer ourselves in times of trouble:

We have in this psalm one of those fervent prayers that the royal prophet addressed to God in the midst of his tribulations. For, according to the common opinion, David is the author of this psalm.

Moreover, he initiates us into the sentiments that filled the soul of Jesus Christ during his Passion, and he prophesies the conversion of the Gentiles. Afflicted souls may use it during their trials to implore the help of God.

St Augustine's introduction to the psalm, though, I think is the most powerful, providing a mini-treatise on the relationship between the priesthood of Christ and our prayer:

No greater gift could God have given to men than in making His Word, by which He created all things, their Head, and joining them to Him as His members: that the Son of God might become also the Son of man, one God with the Father, one Man with men; so that when we speak to God in prayer for mercy, we do not separate the Son from Him; and when the Body of the Son prays, it separates not its Head from itself: and it is one Saviour of His Body, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who both prays for us, and prays in us, and is prayed to by us.  He prays for us, as our Priest; He prays in us, as our Head; He is prayed to by us, as our God. 

Let us therefore recognise in Him our words, and His words in us. Nor when anything is said of our Lord Jesus Christ, especially in prophecy, implying a degree of humility below the dignity of God, let us hesitate to ascribe it to Him who did not hesitate to join Himself unto us....He is prayed to in the form of God, in the form of a servant He prays; there the Creator, here created; assuming unchanged the creature, that it might be changed, and making us with Himself one Man, Head and Body. Therefore we pray to Him, through Him, in Him; and we speak with Him, and He speaks with us; we speak in Him, He speaks in us the prayer of this Psalm, which is entitled, A Prayer of David. 

For our Lord was, according to the flesh, the son of David; but according to His divine nature, the Lord of David, and his Maker....Let no one then, when he hears these words, say, Christ speaks not; nor again say, I speak not; nay rather, if he own himself to be in the Body of Christ, let him say both, Christ speaks, and I speak. Be thou unwilling to say anything without Him, and He says nothing without you....

 Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Mk 9:27 (3); Rev 15:4 (8); 1 Cor 8:4 (9)
RB cursus	Friday Matins I, 1
Monastic feasts etc	Epiphany, Sacred Heart
Roman pre 1911	Friday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Friday Compline  . 1970: Lauds Wk 3 Wednesday;
Mass propers (EF)	Holy Name OF (4, 11), CO 8-9; Lent Ember Friday, GR (2, 5); Lent 3 Friday, IN (1, 16); PP 15, IN (1-3); NO: Ordinary Time 19A, Ps 85:9a+10, 11-12, 13-14

Psalm 73 - The destruction of the true temple

Psalm 73: Thursday Matins I, 1 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Intellectus Asaph.	Understanding for Asaph.
Ut quid, Deus, repulísti in finem: * irátus est furor tuus super oves páscuæ tuæ?	God, why have you cast us off unto the end: why is your wrath enkindled against the sheep of your pasture?
2  Memor esto congregatiónis tuæ: * quam possedísti ab inítio.	2 Remember your congregation, which you have possessed from the beginning.
3  Redemísti virgam hereditátis tuæ: * mons Sion, in quo habitásti in eo.	The sceptre of your inheritance which you have redeemed: mount Sion in which you have dwelt.
4  Leva manus tuas in supérbias eórum in finem: * quanta malignátus est inimícus in sancto!	3 Lift up your hands against their pride unto the end; see what things the enemy has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
5  Et gloriáti sunt qui odérunt te: * in médio solemnitátis tuæ.	4 And they that hate you have made their boasts, in the midst of your solemnity.
6  Posuérunt signa sua, signa: * et non cognovérunt sicut in éxitu super summum.	They have set up their ensigns for signs, 5 and they knew not both in the going out and on the highest top.
7  Quasi in silva lignórum secúribus excidérunt jánuas ejus in idípsum: * in secúri et áscia dejecérunt eam.	As with axes in a wood of trees, 6 they have cut down at once the gates thereof, with axe and hatchet they have brought it down.
8  Incendérunt igni sanctuárium tuum: * in terra polluérunt tabernáculum nóminis tui.	7 They have set fire to your sanctuary: they have defiled the dwelling place of your name on the earth.
9  Dixérunt in corde suo cognátio eórum simul: * Quiéscere faciámus omnes dies festos Dei a terra.	8 They said in their heart, the whole kindred of them together: Let us abolish all the festival days of God from the land.
10  Signa nostra non vídimus, jam non est prophéta: * et nos non cognóscet ámplius.	9 Our signs we have not seen, there is now no prophet: and he will know us no more.
11  Usquequo, Deus, improperábit inimícus: * irrítat adversárius nomen tuum in finem?	10 How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach: is the adversary to provoke your name for ever?
12  Ut quid avértis manum tuam, et déxteram tuam, * de médio sinu tuo in finem?	11 Why do you turn away your hand: and your right hand out of the midst of your bosom for ever?
13  Deus autem Rex noster ante sæcula: * operátus est salútem in médio terræ.	12 But God is our king before ages: he has wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
14  Tu confirmásti in virtúte tua mare: * contribulásti cápita dracónum in aquis.	13 You by your strength made the sea firm: you crushed the heads of the dragons in the waters.
15  Tu confregísti cápita dracónis: * dedísti eum escam pópulis Æthíopum.	14 You have broken the heads of the dragon: you have given him to be meat for the people of the Ethiopians.
16  Tu dirupísti fontes, et torréntes * tu siccásti flúvios Ethan.	15 You have broken up the fountains and the torrents: you have dried up the Ethan rivers.
17  Tuus est dies, et tua est nox: * tu fabricátus es auróram et solem.	16 Yours is the day, and yours is the night: you have made the morning light and the sun.
18  Tu fecísti omnes términos terræ: * æstátem et ver tu plasmásti ea.	17 You have made all the borders of the earth: the summer and the spring were formed by you.
19  Memor esto hujus, inimícus improperávit Dómino: * et pópulus insípiens incitávit nomen tuum	18 Remember this, the enemy has reproached the Lord: and a foolish people has provoked your name.
20  Ne tradas béstiis ánimas confiténtes tibi, * et ánimas páuperum tuórum ne obliviscáris in finem.	19 Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to you: and forget not to the end the souls of your poor.
21  Réspice in testaméntum tuum: * quia repléti sunt, qui obscuráti sunt terræ dómibus iniquitátum.	20 Have regard to your covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with dwellings of iniquity.
22  Ne avertátur húmilis factus confúsus: * pauper et inops laudábunt nomen tuum.	21 Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and needy shall praise your name.
23  Exsúrge, Deus, júdica causam tuam: * memor esto improperiórum tuórum, eórum quæ ab insipiénte sunt tota die.	22 Arise, O God, judge your own cause: remember your reproaches with which the foolish man has reproached you all the day.
24  Ne obliviscáris voces inimicórum tuórum: * supérbia eórum, qui te odérunt, ascéndit semper.	23 Forget not the voices of your enemies: the pride of them that hate you ascends continually.

This psalm is generally interpreted as dealing with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, as evildoers and those who hate God plot to eliminate true worship of God.

Opinions are divided on just which particular destruction of the Temple this psalm refers to, but its role in kicking off the mini-Triduum in the Office each week is nicely explained by Cassiodorus, who follows St Augustine on this:

...In this psalm there is lamentation for the destruction of the city...The good Physician has done all he could, if the sick man wished to recover his health. Let us remember, however, that the authority of the Church relates that Jerusalem was ravaged in the days when the most cruel people of the Jews crucified Christ the Lord, so that there can be no doubt what temporal evil that obstinate transgression sustained.

Cassiodorus summarises the content of the psalm as follows:

The people of the Israelites, embracing in figure the most devoted synagogue, speaks throughout the psalm. In the first part she laments that she has been consigned to the Gentiles, so that the reckless behaviour of the enemy had polluted the Lord's sanctuary, and she mentions that the unrepentant hearts of certain Jews had provoked the judgment of the Lord; however, she prophesies that as the outcome of all this they will be converted at the end of the world. The second part states that at the coming of Christ human superstitions and acts of wickedness were destroyed, and recounts that He has done great and various deeds, incidentally asking that the erring Jews should be lent help. In the third section she asks that mindful of His promises He should rescue the seed of Israel from extinction, and that the arrogance of the Romans, who puffed themselves up insufferably, should mount to His sight. Let us listen to this psalm with attentive minds, for it is a wonderful lamentation for the destruction of Jerusalem.