Psalm 118 (119) He: Guard against temptation

Continuing this Lenten series on Psalm 118 (119), today's verses contain a plea to help us turn our eyes and minds away from vanity and covetousness, and earthly things in general.

To get a flavour of the alphabetic nature of the original Hebrew, it is useful to take a look first, at the Knox translation of the verses:

33 Expound, Lord, thy whole bidding to me; faithfully I will keep it.
34 Enlighten me, to scan thy law closely, and keep true to it with all my heart.
35 Eagerly I long to be guided in the way of thy obedience.
36 Ever let my choice be set on thy will, not on covetous thoughts.
37 Eyes have I none for vain phantoms; let me find life in following thy ways.
38 Establish with me, thy servant, the promise made to thy worshippers.
39 Ease me of the reproach my heart dreads, thou, whose awards are gracious.
40 Each command of thine I embrace lovingly; do thou in thy faithfulness grant me life.

Guarding against temptation and tedium

Richard J Foster’s 1960 commentary on the Psalms and Canticles of the Breviary noted:

“We live in the world surrounded by temptation and we are drawn towards evil. The psalm warns us to control our "vision"—television or any other kind of "vision"—averte oculos meos ne videant vanitatem; per viam tuam da mihi vitam. The things we see and read form our thoughts and so affect our outlook and especially our prayers. How could we better express our desire for union with God through the avoidance of evil influences than by these words?”

This fifth stanza of Psalm 118 also recapitulates the key themes of the psalm so far. As St Robert Bellarmine commented:

“In the next eight verses he asks, in a certain order, first, for a desire of observing the law; secondly, for light to understand it; thirdly, for grace to observe it; and fourthly, for the removal of all obstacles thereto. In this very long Psalm David, for the purpose of touching the affections, and of guarding against tedium, repeats the same matter frequently, but in different phraseology.”

The text of the stanza

 Here is the Latin with the (more literal) Douay-Rheims translation:

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
33  Legem pone mihi, Dómine, viam justificatiónum tuárum: * et exquíram eam semper.	Set before me for a law the way of your justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it.
34  Da mihi intelléctum, et scrutábor legem tuam: * et custódiam illam in toto corde meo.	34 Give me understanding, and I will search your law; and I will keep it with my whole heart.
35  Deduc me in sémitam mandatórum tuórum: * quia ipsam vólui.	35 Lead me into the path of your commandments; for this same I have desired.
36  Inclína cor meum in testimónia tua: * et non in avarítiam.	36 Incline my heart into your testimonies and not to covetousness.
37  Avérte óculos meos ne vídeant vanitátem: * in via tua vivífica me.	37 Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in your way.
38  Státue servo tuo elóquium tuum, * in timóre tuo.	38 Establish your word to your servant, in your fear.
39  Amputa oppróbrium meum quod suspicátus sum: * quia judícia tua jucúnda.	39 Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for your judgments are delightful.
40  Ecce concupívi mandáta tua: * in æquitáte tua vivífica me.	40 Behold I have longed after your precepts: quicken me in your justice.

The verses (he)

33 Legem pone mihi, Domine, viam justificationum tuarum, et exquiram eam semper.
Set before me for a law the way of your justifications, O Lord: and I will always seek after it.

Legem pone (imperative) mihi (to me), Domine = Show me/set before me/Teach me O Lord

pono, posui, itum, ere 3, to put, place, lay, set.

The Douay-Rheims translates it very literally as ‘Set before me a law’, but the Hebrew MT implies to teach, give instruction.

viam justificationum tuarum = the way of your justifications (DR)/ordinances (Brenton)/statutes (RSV, Coverdale)/precepts (Monastic Diurnal)

et exquiram (future) eam semper = and I will seek it always

The neo-Vulgate changes the verb to servabo, I will keep it.

exquiro – to seek, seek after, to search, keep, observe
semper – Heb says ‘reward’, ‘to that end’

Cassiodorus sees this verse as asking for the New Law, in the form of Christ to come. The more conventional explanation is summarized by St Alphonsus’:,” grant that I take not pleasure in the laws of the world and of the flesh, but only in Thy law, and thus I shall always seek to put it in practice.

34. Da mihi intellectum, et scrutabor legem tuam, et custodiam illam in toto corde meo.
Give me understanding, and I will search your law; and I will keep it with my whole heart.

Da (imperative of do, dare) mihi intellectum = give to me understanding

intellectus, us, m. understanding, insight.

et scrutabor (deponent: future active) legem tuam – and I will search/scrutinise your law

scrutor, atus sum, ari, to search, examine, scrutinize

et custodiam (future) illam - and I will keep it

custodio, ivi or ii, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep; to maintain, to hold steadfastly.
ille, ilia, illud, demon, pron., that; also he, she, it In the Vulgate ille is frequently used for is or ipse

in toto corde meo = with my whole heart

Bellarmine suggests that the first stage is to have a desire or affection for the law, the next understanding of it. Our study of Scripture, he argues, is not just about satisfying curiosity; but rather we ‘inquire into its utility, excellence, and other advantages’ so that we may keep it better.

35 Deduc me in semitam mandatorum tuorum, quia ipsam volui.
Lead me into the path of your commandments; for this same I have desired.

Deduc (imperative) me = lead/guide me

deduco, duxi ductum, ere 3, to lead or bring down; to guide, lead, conduct

in semitam mandatorum tuorum = in the path of your commandments

semita, ae,f ., a path, way; used almost entirely in a fig. sense.; course of life, action, conduct, or procedure

quia ipsam volui (pf) – for I have desired it

quia, conj. for, because, that. truly, surely, indeed;
ipse, a, um, demon, pronoun., himself, herself, itself
volo, volui, velle, to will, wish, desire; to have pleasure or delight in, to love, hold dear, desire.

Again he asks for the grace necessary to keep the commandments.

36. Inclina cor meum in testimonia tua, et non in avaritiam.
Incline my heart into your testimonies and not to covetousness.

Inclina (imperative) cor meum - Incline my heart

inclino, avi, atum, are, to bend, incline

= to/unto/in your testimonies

(in+abl = with, in, on among, by means of)

et non in avaritiam = and not to avarice/covetousness/monetary gain

avaritia, ae. f, avarice, covetousness.

St Alphonsus paraphrases it as: Incline my heart towards the observance of Thy law by means of Thy holy love, which by the weight of its influence inclines hearts to Thee, and deliver it from the concupiscence of earthly things.

37 Averte oculos meos, ne videant vanitatem; in via tua vivifica me.
Turn away my eyes that they may not behold vanity: quicken me in your way.

Averte (imp) oculos (acc pl) meos = turn away my eyes

averto, verti, versum, ere 3, to turn away, avert; to bring back.
oculus, i, the eye..

ne videant (3rd person subj) vanitatem = so that they might not see vanity/emptiness

video, vidi, visum, ere 2, to see, behold; consider; experience, undergo, suffer, realize; keep watch, look for, meditate on
vanitas, atis, f emptiness, nothingness, vanity, unreality, falsehood

in via tua vivifica me = in your way revive me

vivifico, avi, atum, are to quicken, give life to, vivify.

St Augustine says: Vanity and truth are directly contrary to one another. The desires of this world are vanity: but Christ, who frees us from the world, is truth.

38 Statue servo tuo eloquium tuum in timore tuo.
Establish your word to your servant, in your fear.

Statue servo tuo = establish to/confirm to (Brenton)/make good to (Monastic Diurnal) your servant

statuo, ui, utum, ere 3 to set, place, establish. to change, still, calm;
servus, i, m., a slave, servant; servants of the Lord, devout men who keep the law; the people, i.e., the Israelites

eloquium tuum = your word/promise

in timore tuo = in your fear

timor, oris, m. fear; an object of fear.

This is once more a plea for the grace of perseverance: “Through a holy fear of you, establish, confirm, and so ground your law in thy servant, that it may remain and perse¬vere most firmly with him.” (Bellarmine)

39 Amputa opprobrium meum quod suspicatus sum, quia judicia tua jucunda.
Turn away my reproach, which I have apprehended: for your judgments are delightful.

Amputa opprobrium meum = take away/remove my disgrace/shame/reproach

amputo, avi, atum, are, to cut round about, to lop as in pruning trees; to remove, take away.
opprobrium, ii, n. a reproach, taunt, byword; an object of scorn, mockery, derision; a disgrace.

quod suspicatus sum (deponent) = which/that I dread/am afraid of

qui, quae, quod, pron. rel., who, which, what, that,
suspicor, atus sum, ari to fear, dread; to anticipate, apprehend

quia judicia tua jucunda = for your judgments [are] pleasing/good/delightful

jucundus, a, um pleasing, acceptable. happy, fortunate. Good

St Alphonsus paraphrases the verse as ‘Take from me the reproach that I dread, namely, of transgressing Thy precepts, which are so pleasant to those that observe them’.

40 Ecce concupivi mandata tua : in æquitate tua vivifica me.
Behold I have longed after your precepts: quicken me in your justice.

Ecce concupivi mandata tua = Behold I have longed for your commandments

ecce, adv. lo see! Behold
concupisco, cupivi or cupii, cuptum, ere 3 to desire eagerly, to long for or after

in æquitate tua vivifica me = in your righteousness/justice/goodness revive/give me life/enliven me

aequitas, atis, f justice, fairness, uprightness, goodness, righteousness

St Augustine instructs us that: “Christ is Your righteousness, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, etc. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 And in Him I find Your commandments, which I have coveted, that in Your righteousness, that is, in Him, You may quicken me. For the Word Himself is God; and the Word was made flesh, John 1:14 that He Himself also might be my neighbour.”

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the verses

In the Benedictine and Roman Office, these verses (33-40) are said on Sunday at Terce.

NT references	-
RB cursus	Sunday Terce
Monastic feasts etc
Roman pre 1911	Terce throughout week
Responsories	Easter 4&5 v35-37
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sunday Terce . 1970
Mass propers (EF)	Passion Sunday: OF verses, (34, 36)

You can find the next part in this series here.

Psalm 118 (119) Verse 32 - Enlarge my heart O Lord

Today in this series on Psalm 118 (119) I want to finish looking at the last section of the psalm set for Sunday Prime in the traditional Benedictine Office.

Yesterday I looked at verses 25 to 31 of psalm 118 (119); today I want to hone in one very important verse in the same stanza, verse 32:

Viam mandatorum tuorum cucurri, cum dilatasti cor meum.
“I have run the way of your commandments, when you did enlarge my heart.”

What does the psalmist mean by enlargement of heart?

The psalms often use the concept of narrowness of space restricting movement to symbolize pain and sorrow, and enlargement to suggest strength and gladness. St Augustine explains it as follows:

“The widening of the heart is the delight we take in righteousness. This is the gift of God, the effect of which is, that we are not straitened in His commandments through the fear of punishment, but widened through love, and the delight we have in righteousness....”

This concept of ‘enlargement of heart’ is particularly important from the point of view of Benedictine spirituality because St Benedict uses the term, quoting this psalm in his Rule to explain the process by which we grow in virtue.

St Benedict views enlargement of heart as the goal of the Christian life, a metaphor for reaching that state where out of perfect love of God, practicing virtue becomes automatic and easy:

“Therefore must we establish a school of the Lord's service; in founding which we hope to ordain nothing that is harsh or burdensome. But if, for good reason, for the amendment of evil habit or the preservation of charity, there be some strictness of discipline, do not be at once dismayed and run away from the way of salvation, of which the entrance must needs be narrow. But, as we progress in our monastic life and in faith, our hearts shall be enlarged, and we shall run with unspeakable sweetness of love in the way of God's commandments; so that, never abandoning his rule but persevering in his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall share by patience in the sufferings of Christ, that we may deserve to be partakers also of his kingdom. Amen.”  (RB Prologue, trans J McCann)

St Benedict’s contemporary Cassiodorus expands on this saying:

“They could not have either walked or run if their hearts had not been extended by breadth of knowledge, for though we read that the way of the commandments is narrow, we can run it only with heart enlarged. When the soul receives the light of truth, it is opened to recognitions of many kinds; it is broadened by knowledge of virtues after earlier being narrowed by sins.”

Lent is a reminder that we must train our minds and bodies

St Benedict gives us here a tantalising glimpse of the spiritual path in front of us: we must start, he suggests, by learning to discipline mind and body through a strict regimen, a message that Lent each year serves to remind us applies to us all, whether monk, priest or layperson.

At first we might act out of fear of hell.

But over time, he suggests, as we grow in grace and virtue, doing the good becomes automatic and easy, done out of love rather than fear. St Robert Bellarmine adds:

"I have observed them with delight, with readiness, with alacrity, "when thou didst enlarge my heart" by the infusion of your love, which makes "your yoke sweet and your burden light."

And the reward is to run to heaven, borne up with the unspeakable sweetness of love:

“…the monk will presently come to that perfect love of God which casts out all fear; whereby he will begin to observe without labour, as though naturally and by habit, all those precepts which formerly he did not observe without fear: no longer for fear of hell, but for love of Christ and through good habit and delight in virtue. And this will the Lord deign to show forth by the power of his Spirit in his workman now cleansed from vice and from sin.” (RB 7)

A look at the verse in more detail

Viam mandatorum tuorum (gen pl) cucurri (perfect: I have run), cum (temporal clause: when, after) dilatasti (perfect) cor meum.
I will run in the way of your commandments: when you have enlarged my heart

The second phrase is a ‘temporal clause’: cum used with an indicative verb indicates something that happens after an event, so we could paraphrase the verse as ‘After you widened my heart, I was able to run in your testimonies’.

Most of the English translations attempt to convey this sense by placing the first phrase in the future tense: the Monastic Diurnal, for example, suggests “I will run the way of your precepts for thou hast enlarged my heart.” Brenton’s translation of the Septuagint does a better job here though I think, making it: ‘I ran the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart’. The neo-Vulgate solves the problem by changing cucurri (pefect) to curram (future).

curro, cucurri, cursum, ere 3, to run, hasten.
dilato, avi, atum, are to make broad or broader, to enlarge, extend. (1) "to enlarge," i.e., to set at large, set at liberty. (2) Of the mouth, to be open wide. (3) to enlarge, said of the heart, i.e., to dilate with comfort and joy. (4) to grow thick or fat.
cor, cordis, n., the heart, regarded as the seat of the faculties, feelings, emotions, passions; the mind, the soul.

The text of the stanza

Here is the full stanza once again:

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
25. Adhæsit paviménto ánima mea: * vivífica me secúndum verbum tuum.	My soul clung to the dust: revive me according to your word.
26 Vias meas enuntiávi et exaudísti me: * doce me justificatiónes tuas.	I have disclosed my ways and you have heard me : teach me your justifications.
27 Viam justificatiónum tuárum ínstrue me: * et exercébor in mirabílibus tuis.	Instruct me in the ways of your justifications: and I will be exercised with your wondrous works.
28  Dormitávit ánima mea præ tædio: * confírma me in verbis tuis.	My soul has slept because of weariness : confirm me in your word
29 Viam iniquitátis ámove a me: * et de lege tua miserére mei.	Put away from me the ways of iniquity: and from your law have mercy on me.
30 Viam veritátis elégi: * judícia tua non sum oblítus	I have chosen the way of truth: I have not forgotten your judgments.
31 Adhæsi testimóniis tuis Dómine: * noli me confúndere.	I have adhered to your testimonies Lord: do not let me be confounded.
32 Viam mandatórum tuórum cucúrri: * cum dilatásti cor meum.	I will run in the way of your commandments: when you have enlarged my heart .

And now on to the sections of the psalm set for Sunday Terce in the Benedictine Office, starting with the stanza headed by the Hebrew letter He.

Psalm 118 (119): Daleth, Part I - The importance of confession

Today we have reached the fourth stanza of Psalm 118, marked by the Hebrew letter Daleth, and I want to linger over this set of verses for two days, because the last verse is particularly important to Benedictine spirituality, which I happen to favour! Accordingly, today I'll provide some notes on verses 25 to 31, and tomorrow I'll focus in on Verse 32 of the psalm.

Daleth - overview

Here, though, for reference is the whole stanza in the Knox translation:

Deep lies my soul in the dust, restore life to me, as thou hast promised.
Deign, now, to shew me thy will, thou who hast listened when I opened my heart to thee.
Direct me in the path thou biddest me follow, and all my musing shall be of thy wonderful deeds.
Despair wrings tears from me; let thy promises raise me up once more.
Deliver me from every false thought; make me free of thy covenant.
Duty’s path my choice, I keep thy bidding ever in remembrance.
Disappoint me, Lord, never, one that holds fast by thy commandments.
Do but open my heart wide, and easy lies the path thou hast decreed.

St Robert Bellarmine summarises this stanza as follows:

“In the next eight verses David [the psalmist] still assumes the person of one imperfect, who is kept back by the concupiscence of the flesh from the perfect observance of the commandments, and asks for grace and help to observe them.”

Here is the Latin and the Douay-Rheims version:

Ps 118: Daleth

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
25. Adhæsit paviménto ánima mea: * vivífica me secúndum verbum tuum.	My soul clung to the dust: revive me according to your word.
26 Vias meas enuntiávi et exaudísti me: * doce me justificatiónes tuas.	I have disclosed my ways and you have heard me : teach me your justifications.
27 Viam justificatiónum tuárum ínstrue me: * et exercébor in mirabílibus tuis.	Instruct me in the ways of your justifications: and I will be exercised with your wondrous works.
28  Dormitávit ánima mea præ tædio: * confírma me in verbis tuis.	My soul has slept because of weariness : confirm me in your word
29 Viam iniquitátis ámove a me: * et de lege tua miserére mei.	Put away from me the ways of iniquity: and from your law have mercy on me.
30 Viam veritátis elégi: * judícia tua non sum oblítus	I have chosen the way of truth: I have not forgotten your judgments.
31 Adhæsi testimóniis tuis Dómine: * noli me confúndere.	I have adhered to your testimonies Lord: do not let me be confounded.
32 Viam mandatórum tuórum cucúrri: * cum dilatásti cor meum.	I will run in the way of your commandments: when you have enlarged my heart.

Clinging to God

This section of Psalm 118 effectively traces the path we must take if we wish to attain happiness with God.

First consider the starting and end points. If you look at the Latin of verses 25 and 31 of this psalm, both begin with the same verb, ‘adherere’, to cling, cleave or adhere to. But the two verses contrast two different states of being. In verse 35, the speaker clings to the dust of the earth, weighed down by fleshly concupiscence, and pleading to be rescued from this state. In verse 31, by contrast, the soul is now clinging desperately to God’s testimonies, and pleading to be kept in that happy state by the aid of grace.

In between comes confession of our sins (v. 26, I have declared my ways); openness to instruction and penance (v27); contrition and a genuine commitment to perseverance even in the face of difficulties and our natural tendancy to lukewarmness (v28); absolution (v29); and a positive choice for Christ, who is the way, the truth and life (v30).

A look at the verses

25. Adhæsit (pf) pavimento (dative, ground, dust) anima mea : vivifica (imperative: revive) me secundum verbum tuum.
My soul clung to the dust: revive me according to your word.

St Augustine comments here that the literal meaning of pavimentum, or pavement, here refers to earthly things:

“If we look upon the whole world as one great house, we see that the heavens represent its vaulting, the earth therefore will be its pavement. He wishes therefore to be rescued from earthly things, and to say with the Apostle, Our conversation is in heaven. To cling therefore to earthly things is the soul's death; the contrary of which evil, life is prayed for, when he says, O quicken Thou me.”

The neo-Vulgate ‘pulveri’ perhaps makes the meaning clearer here. The Monastic Diurnal and a number of other translations make the first phrase present tense rather than perfect: ‘My soul cleaveth to the dust, revive me according to thy word’.

St Augustine though goes on to suggest why the text implies that this state of affairs is completed:

“The body itself also, because it is of the earth, is reasonably understood by the word pavement; since, because it is still corruptible and weighs down the soul, Wisdom 9:15 we justly groan while in it, and say unto God, O quicken Thou me. For we shall not be without our bodies when we shall be for evermore with the Lord; 1 Thessalonians 4:17 but then because they will not be corruptible, nor will they weigh down our souls, if we view it strictly, we shall not cleave unto them, but they rather unto us, and we unto God....”

The first stage, then, is to acknowledge that we are sinners. Indeed, it is claimed that the Emperor Theodosius I (347-395) quoted this verse, when he begged St. Ambrose to absolve him after committing a massacre for which the saint had threatened him with excommunication.

adhaereo, haesi, haesum, ere 2, (1) to adhere to, cleave to. (2) intensive, to cling to, hold fast to.
pavimentum, i, n. the earth, ground, dust, pavement

26. Vias (acc. pl) meas enuntiavi (pf, to tell, disclose), et exaudisti (2nd person pf) me; doce (imperative, teach) me justificationes tuas.
I have disclosed my ways and you have heard me: teach me your justifications.

A number of the translations, reflecting St Augustine’s view of the verse, take ennutiavi here as implying confession of sins:

“For he seems to me to say this; I have confessed my sins, and You have heard me; that is, so that You would remit them. O teach me Your statutes. I have acknowledged my ways: You have blotted them out: teach me Yours.”

Coverdale for example, makes it ‘I have acknowledged my ways’, while the Monastic Diurnal says ‘My ways I have confessed and Thou hast heard me’.

enuntio, avi, atum, are, to tell, declare, disclose.
exaudio, ivi, Itum, ire, to hear, hearken to, listen to, give heed to; to regard, answer.
doceo, docui, doctum, ere 2 to teach, instruct..

27. Viam justificationum tuarum instrue (imperative, instruct) me, et exercebor (future passive) in mirabilibus tuis.
Instruct me in the ways of your justifications: and I will be exercised with your wondrous works.

The Diurnal translates the verse as ‘Teach me to walk according to thy precepts and I will meditate upon Thy wondrous works’, but one could argue that the sense is more active than that: the verse reiterates the previous pleas for help in actually observing the commandments.

instruo, struxi, structum, ere 3, (1) instruere in, to teach, instruct. (2) With double ace
exerceo, cui, citum, ere 2 (ex and arceo), to exercise ;ponder to meditate on, be occupied or employed
mirabilis, e wonderful, marvellous. (2) subst., mirabilia, mm, wonders, wonderful works, marvellous things.

28. Dormitavit (pf) anima (nom, soul) mea præ (prep +abl, because of) tædio (weariness, sorrow): confirma (imperative, strengthen, confirm) me in verbis tuis.
My soul has slept because of weariness: confirm me in your word

Brenton translates the Greek as ‘My soul has slumbered for sorrow; strengthen thou me with thy words’. The RSV follows the Neo-Vulgate, ‘My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to thy word!’ The Monastic Diurnal, however, perhaps best conveys poetically the sense of the verse: ‘My soul is weary from distress, strengthen thou me with thy word’.

We are being told here that doing good is a struggle, we all too readily become tired and tepid in our efforts, needing to be strengthened again, as St Robert Bellarmine suggests, by the fervor of God’s good grace, that we may be able to persevere.

dormito, avi, atum, are to be sleepy, to slumber.
lacrimo – to weep
prae, prep, with abl., through, from, for, because of, on account of;
taedium, ii, n. , (1) weariness. (2) disgust, loathsomeness
maeror: mourning, grief
confirmo, avi, atum, are, (1) to strengthen, confirm, establish. (2) in the passive, to be sustained, supported, stayed

29. Viam iniquitatis (genitive: sin, iniquity) amove (imperative, remove, take away) a me, et de (de+abl, about, concerning) lege tua miserere (imperative+gen) mei.
Put away from me the ways of iniquity: and from your law have mercy on me.

In the second phrase, Miserere could technically be an infinitive,  present subj passive or an imperative, and the last fits best. Brenton probably gives the clearer, relatively literal translation than the Douay-Rheims: ‘Remove from me the way of iniquity; and be merciful to me by thy law’. The Neo-Vulgate follows the Hebrew Masoretic Text, suggests way of falsehood (mendacii) instead of way of evil or sin (iniquitatis) in the first phrase. The Monastic Diurnal reflects this with its translation: ‘Keep me away from the path of evil graciously bestow on me Thy law’.

Cassiodorus casts this verse in the light of St Paul’s admonition that no one will be justified by the law, but rather, the enemy is dislodged by our faith in Christ:

“Now that they are borne upwards to that contemplation of truth, they ask for what was vital in this world: that the way of iniquity, in other words, the devil, should be dislodged from his attacks on them, and that they might find the mercy which they desire in the Lord's law…So they justly ask for mercy in the state in which they believed that they were not forgiven by reason of the bonds of the law.”

iniquitas, atis, f iniquity, injustice, sin.
amoveo, movi, motum, ere 2, (1) to remove, put away. (2) to turn away, reject.
misereo, miserui, seritum, ere 2 to pity, have mercy on. It is followed by the gen. or dat. (passive forms are deponent)

30. Viam (acc.) veritatis (gen.) elegi (first person pf); judicia tua (nom.) non sum oblitus (deponent: perfect active indicative).
I have chosen the way of truth: I have not forgotten your judgments.

Those using the Monastic Diurnal should note that its choice of tenses to translate this verse is rather creative in relation to the Vulgate: The way of truth have I chosen, Thy judgments I shall not forget. The Neo-Vulgate’s decision to change ‘non sum oblitus’ to ‘proposui mihi’ reflects the Hebrew Masoretic Text rather than the older Greek Septuagint, and Coverdale’s version reflects this text variant: I have chosen the way of truth, and thy judgements have I laid before me.  The change is unfortunate in my view, as the phrase is repeated seven times in the psalm in the Vulgate, a number that is is significant, symbolising completeness or continuousness.

Cassiodorus reminds us of the important Christological content of this verse: “The way of truth is the Lord Christ; as He Himself says: I am the way, the truth and the life.”

veritas, atis, truth. grace, kindness ,goodness, fidelity to promises, Faithfulness
eligo, legi, lectum, ere 3 , to choose, pick out, select.
obliviscor, oblitus sum, oblivisci to forget; non obliviscor, I will not forget, I will not be unmindful of Thy law, precepts, etc. I will strictly observe.

31. Adhæsi (pf) testimoniis tuis (dative pl), Domine (vocative); noli (imperative, takes a complementary infinitive to express a negative direct command) me confundere (infinitive, ‘do not let me be confounded’/’do not let me be put to shame’)
I have adhered to your testimonies Lord: do not let me be confounded.

This verse expresses a progression in the spiritual life: in the first verse of the stanza the psalmist confessed his sins, ‘adhering’, or clinging to the dust of the ground; now he clings instead to God’s testimonies. Even so, there is no room for complacency the verse reminds us: only through grace can we can stay in this happy state.

adhaereo, haesi, haesum, ere 2, (1) to adhere to, cleave to. (2) intensive, to cling to, hold fast to.
nolo, nolui, nolle to be unwilling, not to wish, to refuse
confundo, fudi, fusum, ere 3, to put or bring to shame, to discomfit. The passive is more common.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the stanza

NT references	-
RB cursus	Sunday Prime
Monastic feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Prime daily
Responsories	-
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sunday Prime
Mass propers (EF)	Passion Sunday OF 25, v 30 Quinquagesima Sunday OF v 29-32

And you can notes on the last verse of this stanza of Psalm 118 here.

Psalms 20 to 31: Psalms of the Passion or Resurrection?

In my recent series over at Saints Will Arise on the structure of the Benedictine Office, I suggested that St Benedictine started Sunday Matins at Psalm 20 rather than Psalm 1 in order to give more of a Resurrection focus, in keeping with the nature of Sundays.

Joshua of Psallite Sapienter however, argues that we should view Psalms 21 to 30 as particularly focusing on the Passion, and hence an appropriate Lenten devotion.  He points to the suggestion by William of Autun (765-812) and Durandus (1237-1296) and  that Our Lord said all of these psalms while on the Cross.

Psalms of the Resurrection or psalms of the Passion?

There is certainly Scriptural warrant for viewing Psalm 21 in this way: Scripture puts its opening line (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me) on Our Lord's lips, and this is taken as impliedly a reference to the whole psalm. 

And I certainly have no doubt about the value of saying these psalms as a group as a devotion. 

But they should they really be viewed primarily as psalms of the Passion?

Psalm 21

In fact a large part of the point of the implied reference to the whole of Psalm 21 by Our Lord is as a prophesy of the Resurrection. 

While the first half of the psalm speaks very literally of the suffering Our Lord underwent, as Pope John Paul II pointed out in a General Audience on the psalm, its ending is one of triumph:

"On the other hand in quoting the beginning of Psalm 22, which he perhaps continued to recite mentally during the passion, Jesus did not forget the conclusion which becomes a hymn of liberation and an announcement of salvation granted to all by God. The experience of abandonment is therefore a passing pain which gives way to personal liberation and universal salvation. In Jesus' afflicted soul this perspective certainly nourished hope, all the more so since he had always presented his death as a passage to the resurrection as his true glorification. From this thought his soul took strength and joy in the knowledge that at the very height of the drama of the cross, the hour of victory was at hand."

Psalm 20

The key to the interpretation of this set of psalms surely has to be the opener of the group, Psalm 20, which features this key verse:

4  Vitam pétiit a te: * et tribuísti ei longitúdinem diérum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.

5 He asked life of you: and you have given him length of days for ever and ever.

The Fathers invariably interpret this as a reference to the Resurrection.

St Irenaeus, for example asked:

"Why does the Psalmist say: "Life you have asked for', since Christ was about to die? In this way, the Psalmist proclaims his Resurrection from the dead and his immortality after rising from the dead. In fact, he entered life in order to rise again, and through the space of time in eternity, so as to be incorruptible" (Esposizione della Predicazione Apostolica, 72, Milan, 1979, p. 519).

Similarly, St Augustine commented:

"He asked life; and You gave Him: He asked a resurrection, saying, Father, glorify Your Son; John 17:1 and You gave it Him, Length of days for ever and ever. The prolonged ages of this world which the Church was to have, and after them an eternity, world without end."

The rest of the set

St Benedict, I think, was undoubtedly influenced by the Fathers' view of this group of psalms as having more of a Resurrection focus than a Passion one.

In the Septuagint text, four of them have titles rendered into Latin as 'in finem', which is invariably interpreted by the Fathers to be a reference to the Resurrection and/or Second Coming.

Several others have equally suggestive, upbeat titles: Psalm 23, for example, is labelled 'for the first day after the Sabbath', and Cassiodorus comments on it:

"A psalm of David on the first day of the week. Let us with the Lord's help eagerly remove the veil of this title, so that the inner sanctum may become clearer to us. The first day of the week indicates the Lord's day, the first after the sabbath, the day on which the Lord rose from the dead. It is rightly called the Lord's day because of the outstanding nature of the miracle, or because on that day He stabilised the world, for by rising again on it He is seen to lend succour to the world and is declared also its Maker. Because the whole psalm is sung after the resurrection, this heading has been set before it to inform the hearts of the faithful with the appropriate indication."

Similarly, let's look at what St Augustine has to say about the opening and closing of Joshua's proposed set of psalms:

Psalm 21 (My God, my God why have you forsaken me): St Augustine opens his commentary on this Passion psalm as follows:

To the end, for His own resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaks. John 20:1-17 For in the morning on the first day of the week was His resurrection, whereby He was taken up, into eternal life, Over whom death shall have no more dominion."

Psalm 30 (In you have I hoped): St Augustine comments:

To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the former Psalm the tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting."

What about the content of these psalms?

Take a look too, at a couple of  key verses in this set, and you will similarly see why they can be seen as much as hymns of the Resurrection as the Passion.

Psalm 22 (The Lord is my shepherd): ends with the verse: "And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days".

Psalm 23 (The earth is Lord's): Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in", made famous by Handel's setting of it, is the quintesential Resurrection verse.

In fact pretty much all of these psalms have some verses that are generally interpreted as references to heaven and/or the Resurrection.

Psalms 21 to 30 in the Office

Nonetheless, there seem to have been an intriguing development in thinking about these psalms, reflected in their liturgical use. 

In the oldest form of the Roman Office, Psalms 1 to 26 were said at Sunday Matins, and 27 to 31 as part of Monday Matins.  This arguably simply reflects the older 'running cursus' approach to the Office.

As I noted above, Psalms 20 to 31 were shifted to Sunday Matins by St Benedict.  That seems to me to reflect a deliberate design decision, reflecting the Resurrection focus on Sunday.  That is consistent with St Benedict's firm focus on heaven: you will be hard-pressed to find an explicit reference to the Cross in his Rule!

But there was an interesting Reformation development in the Roman Office: under Pope Pius V, psalms 21 to 25 were taken out of Sunday Matins and reallocated to Prime, but not in numeric order. 

Instead, Psalm 21 (My God, my God why have you forskaen me) moved to Friday, giving that day an obvious Passion focus.  Psalm 22 (The Lord is my shepherd) was allocated to Thursday, perhaps to reflect its eucharistic connotations; Psalm 23 was placed on Monday; Psalm 24 on Tuesday; and Psalm 25 to Wednesday.

The Pius X reorganisation of the Psalter retained those allocations for Prime, but further shuffled the Matins psalms so that the remaining psalms of  Psalm 20 to 31 were now said on Monday at various hours.

St Benedict revisited

To go back to my rather upbeat view of these psalms, suffice it to note that St Benedict's set of Sunday Matins psalms starts with a psalm of the Incarnation (Psalm 20), and ends on one of the seven penitential psalms.   But is a penitential psalm that starts "Blessed are those...", and ends with an injunction to "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, you just, and glory, all you right of heart. "

In the end I suspect your focus is depends on your particular school of spirituality....

Psalm 118 Ghimel: Towards martyrdom!

Today’s verses of Psalm 118 (119) come under the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Ghimel.

The Knox translation goes as follows:

17 Crown thy servant with life, to live faithful to thy commands.
18 Clear sight be mine, to contemplate the wonders of thy law.
19 Comfort this earthly exile; do not refuse me the knowledge of thy will.
20 Crushed lies my spirit, longing ever for thy just awards.
21 Chastener of the proud, thy curse lies on all who swerve from thy covenant.
22 Clear me of the reproach that shames me, as I was ever attentive to thy claims.
23 Closeted together, princes plot against me, thy servant, that thinks only of thy decrees.
24 Claims lovingly cherished, decrees that are my counsellors!

The obstacles to holiness

St Robert Bellarmine sees these verses as enumerating the obstacles to the observance of the law, and praying for their removal from his way.

In his view, the first obstacle is original sin and mortal sin: the cure is God’s reviving grace. 

The second is the blinding veil of our emotions, for which the cure is the intellectual vision of God’s goodness.

The third obstacle is the illusion that the things of this earth is all that is important: to counter this we must remember the transitory nature of this life in which we are just sojourners, and store up our treasure in heaven.

The fourth barrier is our own imperfection: we may have good intentions, but that is not enough to make us act out of love alone, as the perfect do. We should pray then, that we may truly desire and love the law in all its shining glory.

The fifth barrier is pride, which makes us refuse to submit to God’s commandments. Worse, pride turns us into God’s enemies, and all too often makes those enemies attempt to tear down those who are seeking to do the good. But, we are counseled, this must not prevent us testifying with our actions and words, for the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church!

Psalm 118 – ghimel 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
17 Retríbue servo tuo, vivífica me: * et custódiam sermónes tuos.	Deal bountifully with your servant, revive me: and I will keep your words
18  Revéla óculos meos: * et considerábo mirabília de lege tua.	Open my eyes, and I will consider the wonderful things of your law.
19. Incola ego sum in terra: * non abscóndas a me mandáta tua.	I am a stranger on the earth: do not hide your commandments from me.
20  Concupívit ánima mea desideráre justificatiónes tuas, * in omni témpore	My soul has longed to desire your precepts: at all times
21 Increpásti supérbos: * maledícti qui declínant a mandátis tuis.	You have rebuked the proud: cursed are they who turn away from your commandments
22  Aufer a me oppróbrium, et contémptum: * quia testimónia tua exquisívi	Take away from me contempt and reproach: because I have sought your testimonies
23  Etenim sedérunt príncipes, et advérsum me loquebántur: *servus autem tuus exercebátur in justificatiónibus tuis.	For the enthroned princes spoke against me: but your servant had been kept busy with your precepts
24  Nam et testimónia tua meditátio mea est: * et consílium meum justificatiónes tuæ.	For your testimonies are my meditation: and my counsel your justification

Looking at the verses

17. Retribue (Imperative of retribuo, to render, repay, deal with) servo tuo, vivifica (imperative of vivifico, revive, give life to) me, et custodiam (future indic, keep, observe) sermones tuos.
Deal bountifully with your servant, revive me: and I will keep your words

Neo-Vulgate: Benefac servo tuo, et vivam et custodiam sermonem tuum.
Septuagint: ἀνταπόδος τῷ δούλῳ σου ζήσομαι καὶ φυλάξω τοὺς λόγους σου

The Monastic Diurnal translates the verse as ‘Grant to Thy servant that I may live, and I will keep they words’; Coverdale make it ‘O do well unto thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word’.

One can interpret this as having a short term message and a longer term one. First the short term: the first obstacle to observing the law according to St Robert Bellarmine is being in a state of mortal sin. If we are in this state, we must confess it so that we are revived and once more able to access the necessary grace. The longer term message is that no one can, in this life, be sure that they are saved. Rather we must pray that, despite our sins, God will, of his free gift, grant us eternal life. St Augustine actually divides up the possibilities for eternal life or death into four categories: out of justice, God rewards good for good and punishes evil for evil; and out of mercy he saves sinners. The fourth theoretical possibility, he tells us, of evil being rewarded, never occurs.

retribuo, tribui, tributum, ere 3, to repay, requite, reward, recompense, render; deal bountifully with; to make requital for, repay.
vivifico, avi, atum, are to quicken, give life to, vivify.
custodio, ivi or li, itum, ire to guard, watch, keep;to maintain, to hold steadfastly.

18 Revela (imperative, reveal, disclose) oculos meos, et considerabo (future) mirabilia (substantive, marvelous things, marvelous nature) de (de+abl= about, concerning) lege tua.
Open my eyes, and I will consider the wonderful things of your law.

ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσιά σου ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου

This verse deals with the second obstacle in our journey, namely the veil of blindness and ignorance arising from our emotions that block our inward sight. Brenton conveys this sense clearly, translating the Septuagint as ‘Unveil thou mine eyes…’. Most of the English translations though, are along the lines of the Monastic Diurnal’s ‘Open Thou mine eyes’. What is it that strips the veils from our eyes? According to St Robert, the purifying power of the law, the intellectual vision of its wondrous nature..

revelo, avi, atum, are to disclose, reveal, lay bare, expose..
oculus, i, the eye
considero, avi, atum, are, to look at closely, to regard, contemplate; to lie in wait for
mirabilis, e (1) wonderful, marvellous. (2) subst., mirabilia, mm, wonders, wonderful works, marvellous things.

19 Incola (nominative, stranger, temporary resident) ego (I) sum (present of esse, to be) in terra: non abscondas (present subjunctive, ascondere, to hide, conceal = lit, let not you hide) a me mandata tua.
I am a stranger on the earth: do not hide your commandments from me.

NV: Incola ego sum in terra, non abscondas a me praecepta tua.
πάροικος ἐγώ εἰμι ἐν τῇ γῇ μὴ ἀποκρύψῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὰς ἐντολάς σου

The Neo-Vulgate here changes ‘mandata’ (commandments) to ‘praecepta’ (precepts), and the Monastic Diurnal does likewise: ‘A stranger am I on the earth, hide not from me Thy precepts’.

The main point of the verse though, is that the third obstacle we face is our earthbound nature, and tendency to see only the things of this world as important. The true Christian however must always keep in mind the transitory nature of this life. More, as strangers and guests, we need to be instructed on how to live in this world, as a newcomer would in the customs of the place. Cassiodorus notes that: “On this earth the just are the sojourners who have no lodging of their own in the world. They are situated physically on the earth, but in their praiseworthy mode of life they reside in heaven…the true sojourners are this band who store their treasure in heaven, so that their hearts are always set on that future fatherland.”

incola, ae, m., a stranger, sojourner, one who has but temporary residence in a place.
terra, ae, f the earh
abscondo, condi, conditum, ere 3, to hide, conceal; to lay up, to treasure, guard jealously

20 Concupivit (pefect, it has longed for) anima (nom.) mea desiderare (infinitive, to desire) justificationes tuas in omni tempore (in+abl = at all time[s]).
My soul has longed to desire your precepts: at all time

NV: Defecit anima mea in desiderando (gerund) iudicia tua in omni tempore.
ἐπεπόθησεν ἡ ψυχή μου τοῦ ἐπιθυμῆσαι τὰ κρίματά σου ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ

This verse is hard to render into good English, hence the neo-Vulgates use of a gerund rather than infinitive! Brenton’s version from the Septuagint is better I think than the Douay-Rheims’s overly literal version: My soul has longed exceedingly for thy judgments at all times. Alternatively, the Monastic Diurnal gives it as ‘My soul is filled with longing for Thy judgments at all times’.

We are often told that we should act from love, not fear. The problem with this advice however is our own imperfection. St Robert tells us that: “The fourth obstacle is imperfection. The perfect, who love God and his law with their whole heart, and do good from the pure love of it, are very rare indeed. Very many have the best intentions, but there they stop…” Accordingly, he suggests, the psalmist “…dare not say: My soul hath coveted to observe your commandments, but, conscious of his infirmity, he says, "It hath coveted to long for," and this very acknowledgment of imperfection is a regular petition for that.” We should pray then, that we may truly desire and love the law in all its shining glory.

concupisco, cupvi or cupii, cupltum, ere 3 , to desire eagerly, to long for or after.
anima, ae, soul
desidero, avi, atum, are, to long for, desire, earnestly wish for
omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything
tempus, oris, n. time,

21 Increpasti (pf of to chide, rebuke) superbos (acc plural, used as a substantive, the proud); maledicti (sunt implied, passive pf) qui declinant (present, declinare, to turn aside) a mandatis tuis.
You have rebuked the proud: cursed are they who turn away from your commandments

NV: Increpasti superbos; maledicti, qui errant a praeceptis tuis.
ἐπετίμησας ὑπερηφάνοις ἐπικατάρατοι οἱ ἐκκλίνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐντολῶν σου

The Greek construction used here does not readily translate directly into Latin here, hence the ambiguous use of ‘maledicti’, which can be translated a number of ways. The Douay Rheims makes it a perfect passive, but the alternative is to treat it as a participle/substantive, as the Diurnal (and RSV) does: ‘Thou doest rebuke the haughty, the accursed, who stray from Thy commandments’. By way of a footnote the New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) favours the first approach ‘You rebuked arrogant ones, accursed are those who deviate from your commandments’.

St Robert Bellarmine comments: “The fifth and greatest obstacle of all is pride, that prevents man from submitting his neck to the yoke, but which David seems to think has no place in him, or in anyone like him, but solely in God's enemies; thus, without any more ado, he simply execrates it. "Thou hast rebuked the proud," who, from pure contempt, did not observe your commandments.”

increpo, avi or iii, atum, are, to chide, rebuke, reprove; to correct, instruct
superbus, a, um raising one's self above others, proud, haughty, arrogant, insolent
maledico, dixi, dictum, ere 3 to curse, revile, slander
declino, avi, atum, are, to bend from the straight path, to turn aside or away, depart from in a lit. or fig. sense. (2) intransitive, to turn aside, go astray.

22. Aufer (imperative, take away, destroy) a me opprobrium (accusative) et contemptum, quia testimonia tua (neuter, accusative pl) exquisivi (pf)
Take away from me contempt and reproach: because I have sought your testimonies

NV: Aufer a me opprobrium et contemptum quia testimonia tua servavi
περίελε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὄνειδος καὶ ἐξουδένωσιν ὅτι τὰ μαρτύριά σου ἐξεζήτησα

The Greek word for testimonies (marturia) calls to mind the sufferings of the martyrs, willing to testify even unto death, in many of the patristic commentaries. The Monastic Diurnal reflects the Neo-Vulgate’s change of verb in the last phrase from ‘sought out’ to ‘kept’: ‘Turn away from me reproaches and contempt, for I keep Thy testimonies’; similarly Coverdale, ‘O turn from me shame and rebuke; for I have kept thy testimonies’.

St Robert reminds us that “The proud not only refuse to obey God, but they even despise and insult those who obey him; but such insolence ulti¬mately reverts on themselves, as David here predicts; for this, like other similar expressions in the Psalms, though in the form of an imprecation, is really a prediction.”

aufero, abstuli, ablatum, auferre to take or bear away; to destroy.
opprobrium, ii, n. a reproach, taunt, byword; an object of scorn, mockery, derision; a disgrace.
contemptus, us m contempt, scorn, disdain
exquiro quaesivi itum ere 3, to seek, seek after

23 Etenim (indeed, truly, for) sederunt (literally sat, but in context, the DR makes it ‘enthroned’) principes (nom. Pl, princes), et adversum (against) me loquebantur (deponent: imperfect indicative active); servus autem tuus exercebatur (passive impf, exercised, meditating on) in justificationibus tuis.
For the enthroned princes spoke against me: but your servant had been kept busy with your precepts

NV: Etsi principes sedent et adversum me loquuntur, servus tamen tuus exercetur in iustificationibus tuis.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκάθισαν ἄρχοντες καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ κατελάλουν ὁ δὲ δοῦλός σου ἠδολέσχει ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασίν σου

The Monastic Diurnal translates this verse as ‘Though princes sit and take counsel against me, Thy servant thinketh on Thy statutes’. One can see this verse paralleled in Psalm 2, where it is a prophesy of Christ’s coming: ‘The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ... But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment’. Consistent with this, St Robert comments: “Proud princes, sitting on their thrones, presiding at their councils, or luxuriating in their riches and their power, "spoke against me;" reproached me with obeying God's commands; "but thy servant was employed in thy justifications;" regardless of their threats or their reproaches, I was entirely wrapt up in the consideration, the announcement, and the carrying out of your justifications.”

etenim, conj., a strong et; and, yea, indeed, truly; as an adversative
sedeo, sedi, sessum, ere 2, to sit; rest; dwell, live; to sit with, hold converse with, consult; to sit on a throne, to rule, reign
princeps, cipis, m. prince, ruler, sovereign.
adversus or adversum, prep, with ace against; in the presence of, over against, before.
loquor, locutus sum, loqui, to speak, utter, tell
servus, i, m., a slave, servant; servants of the Lord, devout men who keep the law; the people, i.e., the Israelites
autem, adversative conj., but, on the contrary, however
exerceo, cui, citum, ere 2 , to exercise ;ponder to meditate on, be occupied or employed

24 Nam (for) et (and, redundant in English) testimonia tua meditatio mea est, et consilium (counsel, counselor) meum justificationes tuæ.
For your testimonies are my meditation: and my counsel your justifications.

NV: Nam et testimonia tua delectatio mea, et consilium meum iustificationes tuae.
καὶ γὰρ τὰ μαρτύριά σου μελέτη μού ἐστιν καὶ αἱ συμβουλίαι μου τὰ δικαιώματά σου

The neo-Vulgate’s ‘delectatio’ is reflected in the Monastic Diurnal’s translation: ‘For Thy testimonies are my delight’. Most translations prefer counselors to the Douay-Rheims ‘counsel’, thus Brenton makes it ‘For thy testimonies are my meditation, and thine ordinances are my counsellors’.

St Augustine comments: “Remember what I have above instructed you, that testimonies are acts of martyrdom. Remember that among the statutes of the Lord there is none more difficult and more worthy of admiration, than that every man should love his enemies. Matthew 5:44 Thus then the body of Christ was exercised, so that it meditated on the acts of martyrdom that testified of Him, and loved those from whom, while they rebuked and despised the Church for these very martyrdoms, she suffered persecutions....”

nam for
meditatio, onis, f thought, reflection, musing, meditation.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Heb 11:13 (19)
RB cursus	Sunday Prime
Monastic feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Prime daily
Responsories	-
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sunday Prime.
Mass propers (EF)	Sept Ember Friday OF (22, 24) Passion Sunday OF (17) St Stephen IN; GR (23)

And you can find the next part in this series on Psalm 118 here.