Psalm 111 vs 2: The eternal Church

On every Sunday we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  We are able to do this because of the divine institution of the Church, which creates a community that hands down the faith entrusted to it from generation to generation.

Psalm 111 reminds us of this vital importance of the institution of the Church as a great gift of God:

Potens in terra erit semen ejus; generatio rectorum benedicetur.

His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. 

Looking at the Latin

Potens (powerful/mighty) in terra (on the earth) semen ejus (hia seed/descendents/children) = his descendents will be mighty on the earth

potens, entis, p. adj.  powerful, mighty, strong.

terra, ae, the earth, in both a lit. and a fig. sense.

semen, enis, n. seed; descendants, children, posterity

generátio (the generation) rectorum (of the upright) benedicétur (let it be blessed) = the generation of the upright/righteous shall be blessed

Generatio here means the whole race or group.

generatio, onis, f, a begetting, generating, generation, "for ever and ever."

rectus, a, um, part. adj. just, right, righteous, upright; the just, just men, the good; steadfast, stable, steady.

benedico, dixi, dictum, ere 3  to bless, to praise, bless, give thanks to (God);  to be well pleased with, to take pleasure in

Penetrating the meaning of the verse

It is worth recalling here that virtually all of the psalms can be interpreted as references to Christ, who provides a model for us to imitate in order that we may learn to be perfect.  In this case, Christ is the ultimate ‘blessed man’, who shows his ‘fear of the Lord’ in his perfect obedience, even unto death.  

And because of his perfect sacrifice, he established a Church that has brought forth generation upon generation of blessed souls.

In the Old Testament, the blessing of having many descendants was usually taken literally.  In the New, though we are constantly reminded that it is our spiritual descendants that are truly important: the people who have knowingly or unknowingly benefitted from our prayers and actions; who have down the faith safeguard by the Church to us.

Accordingly, this verse should be a call to us to lay up our treasures in heaven, above all by cultivating that fear of God – or rather holy obedience – that is manifested in keeping the law.

Next verse

You can find the next part in this series here.

Psalm 111, verse 1: The key to happiness

In this post I want to start taking a verse by verse look at Psalm 111, Beatus Vir, the third psalm of (the traditional version of) Sunday Vespers, and one of the many 'beatitude' psalms.

The first verse is:

Beatus vir qui timet Dominum : in mandatis ejus volet nimis 
Blessed is the man that fears the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments. 

Looking at the Latin

Beátus vir, qui timet Dóminum = Blessed the man who fears the Lord

beatus, a, um happy, blessed ,fortunate.

vir, viri, m., a man, any human being

timeo, ere 2, to fear, be afraid of.

in mandátis ejus volet nimis = in commandments his he will desire/delight/ exceedingly = he will desire his commandments greatly/exceedingly

The neo-Vulgate, it should be noted, changes 'volet' (he wishes/desires/takes please in) to 'cupit' (he longs for/wishes for)

mandatum, i, n.  law, precept, command, commandment (of God); commandments, precepts, decrees

volo, volui, velle, to will, wish, desire; to have pleasure or delight in, to love, hold dear, desire.

nimis, adv., exceedingly, greatly, beyond measure. 

The psalm in context

St John Chrysostom suggests that this line should be read as a continuation of the sentiments of the previous psalm:

"The opening seems to me to follow closely on the conclusion of the psalm before this, and to be continuous and connected like one body. I mean, there he said, "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," while here, Happy is the man who fears the Lord, giving instruction in the fear of God in different words but the same ideas. There, remember, he said he is wise, here happy. This is truly being happy, however, at least to the extent that the other things are futility and shadow and things of no substance - even if you cite wealth, influence, bodily charm, affluent environment. They resemble falling leaves, after all, passing shadows, fleeting dreams. This, by contrast, is truly being happy."

One can also see the second phrase as the explanation for the first, as Pope Benedict XVI points out:

"...Psalm 112[111], a composition with a sapiental slant, presents us with the figure of these righteous ones who fear the Lord; they recognize his transcendence and trustingly and lovingly conform themselves to his will in the expectation of encountering him after death. A "beatitude" is reserved to these faithful: "Happy the man who fears the Lord" (v. 1). The Psalmist immediately explains what this fear consists in: it is shown in docility to God's commandments. He who "takes delight" in observing his commandments is blessed, finding in them joy and peace.  Docility to God is therefore the root of hope and interior and exterior harmony. Observance of the moral law is the source of profound peace of conscience."

Trusting in God

The take out message of this, according to St Teresa of Avila, is that we cannot depend on ourselves or the spiritual props we have access to, but must rather always remember that everything depends on God:

 "What will we say to those who have won victory in these battles by the mercy of God, and who have reached heaven by their perseverance, but, 'Happy are those who fear the Lord' It was no small thing for His Majesty to reveal to me now the real meaning of this verse, since my understanding of this teaching is often slow....But allow me to give you one piece of advice: who you are, or who your mother was, will not save you; David was a very holy man, and we have seen what happened in the life of Solomon. Do not rely on the enclosure, or on the penance that you do, or on the fact that you strive to deal always with God through continuous prayer, or that you live apart from the world and may come to believe that no traces of worldliness remain within you. All these things are good, but they are not sufficient, as I have said, to allow us to abandon our fear of the Lord: therefore, live out the words of this verse, and recall it often to your mind, Blessed is the man who fears the Lord" (Interior Castle, 3, 1, 1,4).

For notes on the next verse, follow the link here.

Introduction to Psalm 111 (112): Beatus vir

I'm continuing this series on the psalms of Sunday Vespers today, with an overview of the third psalm of the hour, Psalm 111 (112), Beatus Vir.

Psalm 111 is regarded as something of a twin to its predecessor, Psalm 110.

Both are alphabetical psalms in the original Hebrew.

More importantly, in this psalm, the just man (who fears God) and his works are praised in similar terms to those applied to God in the previous psalm.  In the previous psalm, we praised God for his great works, above all the gift of the Eucharist; in this psalm we are invited to contemplate on how, with the aid of grace, we can participate in the divine life ourselves.

Happy the man...

The opening line of the psalm 'Happy the man' immediately places it with the other 'beatitude' psalms, such as Psalm 1.

Pope Benedict XVI sees the psalmist as posing the question, how can we live well, and find happiness?

"This Psalm answers: happy is the man who gives; happy is the man who does not live life for himself but gives; happy is the man who is merciful, generous and just; happy is the man who lives in the love of God and neighbour. In this way we live well and have no reason to fear death because we experience the everlasting happiness that comes from God."

In the Septuagint and Vulgate, the title of the psalm is given as 'Alleluia, of the returning of Aggeus and Zacharias', which implies that the psalm was sung by the two prophets on returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon as an expression of their joy.  The Christian can feel the same joy at being admitted to the Eucharist each week after being freed from his or her sins.

Psalm 111

Here is the text as a whole.  You can hear the Latin being read out loud at the Boston Catholic Journal website.

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja, reversionis Aggæi et Zachariæ.
1  Beátus vir, qui timet Dóminum: * in mandátis ejus volet nimis.	Blessed is the man that fears the Lord: he shall delight exceedingly in his commandments.
2  Potens in terra erit semen ejus: * generátio rectórum benedicétur.	2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.
3  Glória, et divítiæ in domo ejus: * et justítia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.	3 Glory and wealth shall be in his house: and his justice remains for ever and ever.
4  Exórtum est in ténebris lumen rectis: * miséricors, et miserátor, et justus.	4 To the righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate and just.
5  Jucúndus homo qui miserétur et cómmodat, dispónet sermónes suos in judício: * quia in ætérnum non commovébitur.	5 Acceptable is the man that shows mercy and lends: he shall order his words with judgment:
6  In memória ætérna erit justus: * ab auditióne mala non timébit.	6 Because he shall not be moved for ever. 7 The just shall be in everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing.
7  Parátum cor ejus speráre in Dómino, confirmátum est cor ejus: * non commovébitur donec despíciat inimícos suos.	His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: 8 His heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved until he look over his enemies.
8  Dispérsit, dedit paupéribus: justítia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi, * cornu ejus exaltábitur in glória.	9 He has distributed, he has given to the poor: his justice remains for ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.
9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur; dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.	10 The wicked shall see, and shall be angry, he shall gnash with his teeth and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Jn 8:12, 2 Cor 4:6 (4); 2 Cor 9:8-9 (8); Mt 8:12, Acts 7:54 (9)
RB cursus	Sunday Vespers+AN v1 (3251)
Monastic feasts etc	1 vespers of all male saints; 2 v of: Easter, Epiphany, Ascension, Trinity, Pentecost, Transfiguration, Holy Cross, Christ the King; CC, Sacred Heart; Dedication of a Church All Saints, St Michael, AN 1676, 1678, 2794, 2937, 3510, 3258,
Responsories	Apostles in Eastertide (v1;6231);
Roman pre 1911	Sunday Vespers
Roman post 1911	1911-62 Sunday Vespers  . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Common of a confessor not a bishop AL (v1) Common of a martyr not a bishop GR (v1-2) Common of a martyr bishop TR (v1-3) St Clement IN V – v1 St Joachim IN v9, 1 St Lawrence AL v9 Office of the Dead GR v – v7

The next part in this series contains more detailed notes on verse 1 of the psalm.

Psalm 110 vs 10: A liturgy of gratitude

The previous verse of Psalm 110 spoke of the importance of cultivating a healthy fear of the Lord.  

This final verse of the psalm verse points to the importance of putting this right attitude into action, providing a nice link to the next psalm of Vespers: Psalm 110 focuses on God's wonderful works; Psalm 111 shifts the emphasis to man's participation in the divine through good works.  

Here is the verse:

Intelléctus bonus ómnibus faciéntibus eum: * laudátio ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continues for ever and ever

Lectio

The Douay-Rheims renders this verse ‘A good understanding to all that do it’.  Brenton’s translation from the Septuagint, however, is rather clearer, making it ‘And all that act accordingly have a good understanding’.  

The sense is, all who practice fear of the Lord acquire a good understanding or insight of the good things God gives us, such as the Eucharist.

intellectus, us, m.  understanding, insight.

bonus, a, um, good; pleasant; upright  good things, possessions, prosperity

omnis, e, all, each, every; subst., all men, all things, everything

facio, feci, factum, ere 3,  to make, do, cause, bring to pass

laudátio (the praise) ejus (his) manet (continues) in sæculum sæculi (forever and ever).

This good understanding in turn generates a response of a continuous prayer of praise.  

laudatio, onis, f. praise.

maneo, mansi, mansum, ere 2 to abide, remain, continue, endure

Meditatio

The psalm opened with a commitment to praising God for his great works, and it ends with an explanation of just why we should praise God.  It teaches that our faith is not just a passive thing, a mere belief, but rather must translate into action to be real.  St John Chrysostom comments:

‘Faith, you see, is not sufficient if a way of life in keep­ing with faith is not forthcoming.’

Just as God acts, manifesting himself in his great works, so too must we.

Oratio

Deepen our faith, O Lord, that we may always see your goodness, and thereby act rightly.

Help us to pray ceaselessly, that we may praise you thus in heaven.

Contemplatio

Pope Benedict comments:

“And if the very first word of the hymn is a word of thanksgiving, the last word is a word of praise: just as the Lord's saving justice "[stands] firm for ever" (v. 3), the gratitude of the praying person knows no bounds and re-echoes in his ceaseless prayer (cf. v. 10). To sum up, the Psalm invites us, lastly, to discover the many good things that the Lord gives us every day. We more readily perceive the negative aspects of our lives. The Psalm invites us also to see the positive things, the many gifts we receive, and thus to discover gratitude, for only in a grateful heart can the great liturgy of gratitude be celebrated: the Eucharist.”

Psalm 110

Here is the whole psalm again for reference purposes.

Confitébor tibi, Dómine, in toto corde meo: * in consílio justórum, et congregatióne.

I will praise you, O Lord, with my whole heart; in the council of the just, and in the congregation.

Magna ópera Dómini: * exquisíta in omnes voluntátes ejus.
Great are the works of the Lord: sought out according to all his wills.

Conféssio et magnificéntia opus ejus: * et justítia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

His work is praise and magnificence: and his justice continues for ever and ever.

Memóriam fecit mirabílium suórum, miséricors et miserátor Dóminus: * escam dedit timéntibus se.

 He has made a remembrance of his wonderful works, being a merciful and gracious Lord: He has given food to them that fear him.

Memor erit in sæculum testaménti sui: * virtútem óperum suórum annuntiábit pópulo suo:

He will be mindful for ever of his covenant:  He will show forth to his people the power of his works.

Ut det illis hereditátem géntium: * ópera mánuum ejus véritas, et judícium.

That he may give them the inheritance of the Gentiles: the works of his hands are truth and judgment.

Fidélia ómnia mandáta ejus: confirmáta in sæculum sæculi, * facta in veritáte et æquitáte. All his commandments are faithful: confirmed for ever and ever, made in truth and equity.

Redemptiónem misit pópulo suo: * mandávit in ætérnum testaméntum suum.

He has sent redemption to his people: he has commanded his covenant for ever.

Sanctum, et terríbile nomen ejus: * inítium sapiéntiæ timor Dómini.

Holy and terrible is his name: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Intelléctus bonus ómnibus faciéntibus eum: * laudátio ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.

A good understanding to all that do it: his praise continues for ever and ever.

This is the final part in this series on Psalm 110.  But for a look at the next psalm of Sunday Vespers, click on the link here.

Psalm 110 vs 9: Fear of the Lord

Moses and the burning bush, c1450

Verse 9 of Psalm 110 reminds us of the fear and awe we should feel at the divine:

Sanctum, et terríbile nomen ejus: inítium sapiéntiæ timor Dómini.

Holy and terrible is his name: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Lectio

Sanctum (holy) et (and) terríbile(terrible) nomen (name) ejus (His)

sanctus, a, um,  holy, holy person

terribilis, e  terrible, dreadful, fearful. Often used of God and of His works

nomen, mis, n. name; God himself; the perfections of God, His glory, majesty, wisdom, power, goodness,

inítium (the beginning) sapiéntiæ (of wisdom) timor (fear) Dómini (of the Lord) 

initium, ii beginning, commencement.

sapientia, ae, f wisdom.

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

‘Beginning’ here doesn’t literally mean elementary wisdom, but rather the chief part, basis or foundation of it, hence St Jerome’s from the Hebrew translation uses ‘principium’ instead of initium here.    

Pope Benedict XVI notes: 

“Next, quoting a sapiential saying (cf. Prov 1: 7; 9: 10, 15: 33), the Psalmist invites every member of the faithful to cultivate "fear of the Lord" (Ps 111[110]: 10), the beginning of true wisdom. It is not fear and terror that are suggested by this word, but serious and sincere respect which is the fruit of love, a genuine and active attachment to God the Liberator.”

Meditatio

The Incarnation of Our Lord poses for us a tension.  

On the one hand, God becomes man, making him more approachable to us, someone with whom we can have a genuine personal relationship.

Yet he remains always omnipotent God, someone who invokes a sense of awe, as numerous stories in the Gospels attest.  St John Chrysostom summarises it thus:

“Holy and fearsome is his name, that is, instilling amazement, com­plete wonder. Now, if his name has that effect, how much more so his being? But in what way is his name holy and fearsome? De­mons tremble at it, ailments quail before it, the apostles invoked this name to set all the world at rights…”

Contemplatio

Pope Benedict XVI comments: 

“The end of Psalm 111[110] is sealed by contemplation of the divine face, the Lord's very person, symbolized by his holy and transcendent "name".”

And for the final part in this series on Psalm 110, click the link here.

Psalm 110 vs 8: Redemption

Verse 8 of Psalm 110 is a high point of the psalm, offering us hope:

Redemptiónem misit pópulo suo: mandávit in ætérnum testaméntum suum.

He has sent redemption to his people: he has commanded his covenant for ever.

Lectio

Redemptiónem (Redemption, deliverance) misit (he has sent) pópulo (to the people) suo (his)

The key words in it are:

redemptio onis f a buying back, ransoming, deliverance, redemption
mitto, misi, missum, ere 3, to send
populus, i, people; the chosen people

This is one of those phrases with a double meaning: it refers firstly to the Old Testament liberation of the Jews from Egypt, and their being given the earthly Jerusalem. But it also of course refers to the coming of Jesus and the promise of the heavenly Jerusalem, as Luke 1:68 makes clear: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.

mandávit (he has commanded) in ætérnum (in eternity, forever) testaméntum suum (His covenant)

The key words are:

mando, avi, atum, are to enjoin, order, command
aeternus, a, um eternal. forever
testamentum, i, n. a covenant, testament

Meditatio

This verse is the climax of the psalm, the making of the new covenant, which unlike the Old, lasts forever as St Robert Bellarmine explains:

Now, Christ redeemed his people from the captivity and the slavery of sin and from the powers of darkness, by the price of his blood, and in such manner he really and truly "hath commanded his covenant forever;" that is, he ordered and settled it finally, that his covenant or his compact regarding true, real salvation, and the enjoyment of the kingdom of heaven, should be everlasting, and not like that of the possession of Palestine, which was only temporary, as we know from experience; and therefore, Jer. 31 has, "Behold, the days will come, saith the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda. Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt: the covenant which they made void, and I had dominion over them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my law in their bowels, and I will write it in their heart: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Oratio

We should thank God for the sacrifice of Christ, which reopened the way to heaven for us, and ask for the grace to take up his invitation and live as good Christians.

Contemplatio

In this new covenant the law still has a key role, as St John Chrysostom explains:

“Here he refers to the New Testament: since he mentioned precept and Law, which were broken and aroused his wrath, he says, He sent redemption to his people, as he said in person, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." When the Law was transgressed, you see, it dealt punishment: "The Law in fact brings wrath; that is, where there is no law, there is no transgression;" and, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified by his grace as a gift." Hence the psalmist spoke that way, The Lord sent redemption to his people. Yet it is not redemption pure and simple: after redemption there is law as well, so that we may give evidence of a way of life that is worthy of grace."

And you can find the next part of the series here.

Psalm 110 vs 7 - The immutable law

Today's verse of Psalm 110 reminds us that the judgments of God alluded to in the previous verse are based on the immutable laws that he has put in place:

Fidélia ómnia mandáta ejus: confirmáta in sæculum sæculi, facta in veritáte et æquitáte
All his commandments are faithful: confirmed for ever and ever, made in truth and equity.

Lectio

Fidélia ómnia mandáta ejus = trustworthy/sure/faithful [are] all his commandments/precepts/laws

confirmáta in sæculum sæculi = established/confirmed forever and ever

facta in veritáte et æquitáte = made/done in truth and fairness/equity/uprightness

Meditatio

Chrysostom draws attention to the fairly standard juxtaposition in the psalms, between the wonder of creation and the wonder of the law:

“As he often does, he does here too, moving from the wisdom in his richly varied creation and from his care to his lawmaking, and discussing in turn this part of his providence. I mean, he corrected the human race not only by creating a creation of this kind and extent but by laying down laws...In the same way here, too, after speaking about his marvels and wonders and works, he shifts his attention to the subject of his precepts, speaking this way…”

He goes on to explain the significance of ‘all’ in the phrase. By the law, he means firstly the laws of science, that govern the operation of the world around us. He points secondly to the natural law, written on men’s hearts. And finally there is the written law of the Old Testament and the New.

Oratio

We are invited to delight in the commands or laws of God.

Contemplatio

Chrysostom invites us to adopt Christ’s teaching on fulfilling not just the letter of the law, but also its spirit:

“There are also laws that are in writing. And all these remain in force. If some have been abrogated, however, they have been changed not for the worse but for the better. That one, for example, "You shall not kill," has not been abrogated but extended; and that one, "You shall not commit adultery," has not been cancelled but has become more comprehensive. Hence he also said, "I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfil them." That is to say, the person who does not give way to rage will be far more likely to abstain from murder, and the one not giving free rein to a roving eye will keep a greater distance from adultery. Consequently, law has this particular character, special, immortal, invariable - the law of creation, the law of nature, the law of sound values, and the law of the New Testament.” Hence he says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away," indicating their immovable character.”

You can find the next part of this series here.