Psalm 112 verses 2-3: the holy names of God

Continuing this series on Psalm 112, today a look at two verses that focus on the never-ending song of praise of the name of God:

2 Sit nomen Domini benedictum ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum. 

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever. 

3 A solis ortu usque ad occasum laudabile nomen Domini. 

3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.

 Lectio

I've moved these verses around out of order in the discussion below, in order to show more clearly the linkage in ideas between them. 

First the injunctions and instruction given to us concerning the name of the Lord, revealed to us in Jesus Christ:

laudate (praise) nomen (the name) Domini (of the Lord)

Sit (let it be) nomen (the name) Domini (of the Lord) benedictum (blessed)

...laudabile (praiseworthy) nomen (the name) Domini (of the Lord)

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

laudabilis -e praiseworthy, commendable, estimable, laudable,

ex (from) hoc (this) nunc (now) et (and) usque (henceforward) in sæculum (forever)

...A (from) solis (of the sun) ortu (rising) usque (until) ad (to) occasum (the setting)

The second group of phrases remind us that the duty of worship of God is eternal: it is the work of heaven.  But it is also our task here and now: our daily round of praise has particular high points in the created world, recognised by the Church in the 'hinges' of the Office, namely dawn (Lauds) and the setting of the sun (Vespers), that remind us that all creation resounds with the praise of God, it is our duty to join in it.

ortus, us, m. ,, a rising of the heavenly bodies;  the east. From the rising of the sun unto its setting.

sol, solis, m., the sun.

occasus, us, m. prop., the going down or setting of the sun, stars, etc; the quarter of the heavens in which the sun sets: the west, sunset.

Meditatio

Why do we praise the name of God? 

The catechism instructs: "Among all the words of Revelation, there is one which is unique: the revealed name of God. God confides his name to those who believe in him; he reveals himself to them in his personal mystery. The gift of a name belongs to the order of trust and intimacy. "The Lord's name is holy." For this reason man must not abuse it. He must keep it in mind in silent, loving adoration. He will not introduce it into his own speech except to bless, praise, and glorify it."

Oratio

How wonderful your name in all the earth, O Lord, how great a power to defend us.

To the people of old your name was ever hidden from view, symbol of the separation of man from heaven.

But for us you have opened the door by taking on our flesh, and taking on a human form and name.  You invite us to call you friend and brother; to call God Father.

How wonderful your name in all the universe O Lord, the name that by confessing we are saved.

Contemplatio

How fitting it is that we praise the name of God from the rising of the sun to the setting thereof each Sunday when we celebrate the Resurrection.

The psalm so far

1 Laudate, pueri, Dominum; laudate nomen Domini.

2 Sit nomen Domini benedictum ex hoc nunc et usque in sæculum.

3 A solis ortu usque ad occasum laudabile nomen Domini. 

You can find the next post in this series of notes on Psalm 112 here.

Psalm 112 verse 1: Reject the quest for an 'adult' faith!

In the last post I provided a general introduction to Psalm 112.  Now some lectio divina notes on the first verse.

We often hear, these days, about the need to develop an 'adult' faith.  Too often it is code for rejecting the teaching of the Church in favour of our own desires.

Scripture, on the other hand, tends to emphasize the need to cultivate a child-like attitude of trust, as the first verse of Psalm 112 suggests:

Laudate, pueri, Dominum; laudate nomen Domini.

Praise the Lord, you children: praise the name of the Lord.

Lectio

Laudate (Praise, imperative), pueri (O children/servants (vocative), Dominum (the Lord)

The allusion to children here is interpreted by the Fathers as reflecting the Gospel injunction (and numerous Old Testament allusions) to the need to be childlike in our openness to the faith: Christ, after all, instructs us to pray to God as 'Our Father'.  It is an injunction to cultivate the purity of heart necessary for worship.

It is true, of coures, that in both Greek and Latin the same word can be used to mean both 'servants' and 'children'.  Yet given the line of continuity in the patristic commentaries, as well as the Our Lord's own emphasis on cultivating a childlike faith, the change of the Latin in the Neo-Vulgate to servi seems a poor choice.

laudo, avi, atum, are  to praise, glorify, to boast, glory, rejoice.

puer, eri, m. lit., a boy, child; a servant.

 Meditatio

What does a childlike faith entail?

The Fathers variously suggest purity and piety as key components of this state.  But there are other dimensions we need to consider.  First, St Augustine teaches that it lies not in the rejection of an adult understanding of the faith, but rather in the rejection of pride:

"For it is pride that, presuming in false greatness, suffers not man to walk along the narrow path, and to enter by the narrow gate; but the child easily enters through the narrow entrance; and thus no man, save as a child, enters into the kingdom of heaven."

St Robert Bellarmine adds the duty of obedience to the mix, providing a helpful reconciliation of the two possible meanings of pueri, suggesting that the key duty of both children and servants is to obey the will of God:

"Children, here, represent the servants of the Lord who worship him in all sincerity. That is clear from the Hebrew for children. Children and servants, however, are so clearly allied that the term may be applied indiscriminately to both, for ser­vants should be as obedient to their masters as children are to their parents. Hence, St. Paul says, "As long as the heir is a child he differeth nothing from a servant." We are, therefore, reminded by the term "children," that we should be the pure and simple servants of God, and be directed by his will, with­out raising any question whatever about it. "Praise the Lord, ye children; praise ye the name of the Lord." Let it be your principal study, all you who claim to be servants of God, to reflect with a pure mind on the greatness of your Lord, and with all the affections of your heart to praise his infinite name. A similar exhortation is to be found in Psalm 133, "Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord;" and in Psalm 134, "Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his ser­vants, praise the Lord."

Oratio

Teach us Lord to do your will.

To obey your commandments, and accept and do all that your holy Church teaches and instructs us to.

To take up the tasks you have given us at this moment and always to advance your kingdom.

Contemplatio

Cassiodorus' commentary reminds us of the fundamental dignity of the child that commends this childlike state to us:

"The label children is known to be applied to the simplest and purest, for the Lord himself is called a Child, as in the passage: Unto us a child is born. Clearly this period of life was chosen by the Lord for its innocence, for He says to His disciples: Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

You can find the next part in this set of notes on Psalm 112 here.

The psalms of Sunday Vespers; Psalm 112

Quite a while back I started a series on the psalms of Sunday Vespers, which I interrupted for Lent.

Today I want to resume that series, with a look at the final psalm for Sunday Vespers in the Benedictine Office, Psalm 112.

You can find the previous posts in this series as follows:

• Psalm 109 (110) introduction (contains links to subsequent posts);
• Psalm 110 (111) introduction; and 
• Psalm 111 (112).

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja.
1 Laudáte, púeri, Dóminum: * laudáte nomen Dómini.	Praise the Lord, you children: praise the name of the Lord
2  Sit nomen Dómini benedíctum, * ex hoc nunc, et usque in sæculum.	2 Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.
3  A solis ortu usque ad occásum, * laudábile nomen Dómini.	3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
4  Excélsus super omnes gentes Dóminus, * et super cælos glória ejus.	4 The Lord is high above all nations; and his glory above the heavens.
5  Quis sicut Dóminus, Deus noster, qui in altis hábitat, * et humília réspicit in cælo et in terra?	5 Who is as the Lord our God, who dwells on high: 6 And looks down on the low things in heaven and in earth?
6  Súscitans a terra ínopem, * et de stércore érigens páuperem:	7 Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill:
7  Ut cóllocet eum cum princípibus, * cum princípibus pópuli sui.	8 That he may place him with princes, with the princes of his people.
8  Qui habitáre facit stérilem in domo, * matrem filiórum lætántem.	9 Who makes a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.

Psalm 112 in the Benedictine Psalter

The Benedictine version of Sunday Vespers is one psalm shorter than the Roman, and that is I think a very deliberate decision on St Benedict's part, for their is an important symmetry at play.

At Lauds, the first of the variable psalms is Psalm 117, the last of the Hallel Psalms, the set of psalms used at the Paschal liturgy.  And now here at Vespers the Office ends on the first of the set, Psalm 112.

How fitting for the day when, above all, we celebrate once again the Paschal mystery and the sacrifice of Christ, our Paschal lamb!

There is more to it than that though, I think, for in Psalm 117, we are told that Christ, the stone that the builders rejected', has become the cornerstone of the New Testament, the founder of the Church.

Psalm 112 brings us back to that theme very clearly, particularly in its final verse which speaks of the barren woman bearing many children, an image interpreted as referring to the Church.

Each verse of the psalm takes on new light when interpreted Christologically, and I'll look at the verses in more detail in subsequent parts of this mini-series.

First though by way of an overview, here are some comments on the psalm by Pope Benedict XVI from a General Audience he gave on it in 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI on Psalm 112

"We have just heard, in its simplicity and beauty, Psalm 113[112], a true introduction into a small group of Psalms that go from 113[112] to 118[117], commonly known as the "Egyptian Hallel". It is the Alleluia, or song of praise, that exalts the liberation from Pharaoh's slavery and the joy of Israel to serve the Lord freely in the Promised Land (cf. Ps 114[113]). 

The Jewish tradition intentionally connected this series of Psalms to the Paschal liturgy. The celebration of that event, according to its historical-social and, more especially, spiritual dimensions, was perceived as a sign of liberation from the multifaceted forms of evil. Psalm 113[112] is a brief hymn that in its original Hebrew consists of only 60 or so words, all imbued with sentiments of trust, praise and joy. 

The first strophe (cf. Ps 113[112]: 1-3) praises "the name of the Lord" who, as is known, indicates in Biblical language the person of God himself, his presence, living and working in human history. Three times, with impassioned insistence, the "name of the Lord" resounds at the centre of the prayer of adoration. All being and all time - "from the rising of the sun to its setting", as the Psalmist says (v. 3) - are involved in a single action of grace. It is as if a ceaseless breath were rising from earth to heaven to praise the Lord, Creator of the universe and King of history. 

Precisely by means of this ascending movement, the Psalm leads us to the divine mystery. Indeed, the second part (cf. vv. 4-6) celebrates the Lord's transcendence, described with vertical images that go beyond the mere human horizon. It is proclaimed: the Lord is "sublime", "enthroned on high", and no one is equal; also, to look at the heavens he must "stoop", since "above the heavens is his glory" (v. 4).
The divine gaze watches over all realities, over all beings, earthly and heavenly.  However, his eyes are not arrogant and distant, like that of a cold emperor. The Lord, the Psalmist says, "stoops... to look" (v. 6). 

In this way, we pass to the last part of the Psalm (cf. vv. 7-9), which moves the attention from the heights of the heavens to our earthly horizon. The Lord attentively stoops down towards our littleness and poverty, which drives us to withdraw in fear. He looks directly, with his loving gaze and his real concern, upon the world's lowly and poor: "From the dust he lifts up the lowly, from his misery he raises the poor" (v. 7). 

God bends down, therefore, to console the needy and those who suffer; this word finds its ultimate wealth, its ultimate meaning in the moment in which God bends over to the point of bending down, of becoming one of us, one of the world's poor. He bestows the greatest honour on the poor, that of sitting "in the company of princes, yes, with the princes of his people" (v. 8). 

To the abandoned and childless woman, humiliated by ancient society as if she were a worthless, dead branch, God gives the honour and the immense joy of many children (cf. v. 9). And so, the Psalmist praises a God who is very different from us in his grandeur, but at the same time very close to his suffering creatures. 

It is easy to draw from these final verses of Psalm 113[112] the prefiguration of the words of Mary in the Magnificat, the Canticle of God's chosen one, who "looked with favour on his lowly servant". More radically than our Psalm, Mary proclaims that God "casts down the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly" (cf. Lk 1: 48, 52; Ps 113 [112]: 6-8). 

A very ancient "Hymn of Vespers", preserved in the so-called Apostolic Constitutions (VII, 48), takes up once more and develops the joyful introduction to our Psalm. We recall it here, at the end of our reflection, to highlight the customary "Christian" re-reading of the Psalms done by the early community: "Praise the Lord, O children, praise the name of the Lord. We worship you, we sing to you, we praise you for your immense glory. Lord King, Father of Christ, spotless Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. To you all praise, to you our song, to you the glory, to God the Father through the Son in the Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen" (S. Pricoco M. Simonetti, La preghiera dei cristiani, Milan, 2000, p. 97)." 

 Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Lk 1:52 (6)
RB cursus	Sunday Vespers+AN (4971), v2
Monastic feasts etc	Full psalm V Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, Transfiguration, Holy Cross; 1 Vespers of all male saints; Dedication of a Church; 2 V of Apostles, Several martyrs, Common of Our Lady&female saints St Joseph, St Benedict, Nativity of St JB; AN: 3588 (v1); 2774, 2775 (v4); 1854 (v8)
Responsories	7045 (v, 3 in H, AD4); 6005, (v3&4), 6692 (v4)
Roman pre 1911	Sunday Vespers
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sunday Vespers . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	Easter Sat AL (1); Sept Ember Wed, GR (5-6); IN (triplex 5322) v2, 9

You can find lectio divina notes for each verse in a series starting here.

Tenebrae/36 - Psalm 150

And to bring this series on the psalms of  Holy Week Tenebrae to a close, the last psalm of Tenebrae strikes an almost joyful note, for we wait now for the Easter Vigil to begin, with the last psalm of the psalter, Psalm 150.

Awaiting the Resurrection

Psalm 150 is sung daily in the Benedictine Office, as one of the concluding set of 'Laudate psalms' of Lauds, and in the pre-1911 version of Tenebrae, all three of the Laudate psalms were sung each night.  In the update version of the Tenebrae of Holy Saturday, it fulfills a similar function, for Christ has preached salvation to those in hell, who surely praised him; for those in  Hades the trumpet has indeed sounded, and they await their entry to heaven.

Yet this rejoicing is kept in perspective by the antiphon that goes with it: O all you who walk by on the road, pay attention and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow (O vos omnes).  It is a reminder that suffering must come first.

And with this short psalm, I'll end up this series, hopefully just in time for you to either attend Tenebrae for Maundy Thursday, or perhaps sing or say it by yourself if that is impossible.  You can find the full text of Tenebrae in English and Latin here.  You can find the chant for it in the Liber Usualis.

May you have a happy and holy Triduum and Easter.

Psalm 150: Laudate Dominum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Alleluja.	Alleluia
Laudáte Dóminum in sanctis ejus: * laudáte eum in firmaménto virtútis ejus.	Praise the Lord in his holy places: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2  Laudáte eum in virtútibus ejus: * laudáte eum secúndum multitúdinem magnitúdinis ejus.	2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to the multitude of his greatness.
3  Laudáte eum in sono tubæ: * laudáte eum in psaltério, et cíthara.	3 Praise him with the sound of trumpet: praise him with psaltery and harp.
4  Laudáte eum in tympano, et choro: * laudáte eum in chordis, et órgano	4 Praise him with timbrel and choir: praise him with strings and organs.
5  Laudáte eum in cymbalis benesonántibus: laudáte eum in cymbalis jubilatiónis: * omnis spíritus laudet Dóminum.	5 Praise him on high sounding cymbals: praise him on cymbals of joy: 6 Let every spirit praise the Lord. Alleluia

Tenebrae of Holy Saturday

Nocturn I: Psalms 4, 14, 15

Nocturn II: Psalms 23, 26, 29

Nocturn III: Psalms 53*, 75*, 87*

Lauds: 50*, 91, 63, [Is 38], 150 [pre-1911: 50, 42, Is 38, 148-150]

Here is a Victoria setting of the responsory using the same text as the antiphon.

Tenebrae psalms/35 - Canticle of Hezekiah

The canticle for Tenebrae of Holy Saturday (also used at Lauds on Tuesday in the Benedictine Office as well as the Office of the Dead) is the Song of King Hezekiah, who was told by the prophet Isaiah that he was about to die.

Scriptural context

At first he resisted the message out of pride (2 Chron 32: 24).  But then he repented, and prayed desperately to God for more time.  His prayer was granted, a miracle confirmed by the sign of the sundial winding backwards (Is 38:7-8; 2 Kings 20).  The story of Hezekiah’s miraculous restoration to health appears three times in the Old Testament, signaling its importance: as well as Isaiah 38, the story appears in 2 Kings 20 and 2 Chron 32.

In the context of the Office of Holy Saturday, Hezekiah's story functions as typology: for Christ did indeed go down to the gates of hell; yet his death is but temporary, until he rises again in glory.

Canticle of Hezekiah

Is. 38:10-20

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Ego dixi: in dimídio diérum meórum * vadam ad portas ínferi.	10 I said: In the midst of my days I shall go to the gates of hell:
2  Quæsívi resíduum annórum meórum. * Dixi : Non vidébo Dóminum Deum in terra vivéntium.	I sought for the residue of my years. 11 I said: I shall not see the Lord God in the land of the living.
3  Non aspíciam hóminem ultra, * et habitatórem quiétis.	I shall behold man no more, nor the inhabitant of rest.
4  Generátio mea abláta est, et convolúta est a me, * quasi tabernáculum pastórum.	12 My generation is at an end, and it is rolled away from me, as a shepherd's tent.
5  Præcísa est velut a texénte, vita mea: dum adhuc ordírer, succídit me: * de mane usque ad vésperam fínies me.	My life is cut off, as by a weaver: whilst I was yet but beginning, he cut me off: from morning even to night you will make an end of me.
6  Sperábam usque ad mane, * quasi leo sic contrívit ómnia ossa mea:	13 I hoped till morning, as a lion so has he broken all my bones:
7  De mane usque ad vésperam fínies me: * sicut pullus hirúndinis sic clamábo, meditábor ut colúmba:	from morning even to night you will make an end of me. 14 I will cry like a young swallow, I will meditate like a dove:
8  Attenuáti sunt óculi mei, * suspiciéntes in excélsum:	my eyes are weakened looking upward
9  Dómine, vim pátior, respónde pro me. * Quid dicam, aut quid respondébit mihi, cum ipse fécerit?	Lord, I suffer violence; answer for me. 15 What shall I say, or what shall he answer for me, whereas he himself has done it?
10  Recogitábo tibi omnes annos meos * in amaritúdine ánimæ meæ.:	I will recount to you all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
11  Dómine, si sic vivítur, et in tálibus vita spíritus mei, corrípies me et vivificábis me. * Ecce in pace amaritúdo mea amaríssima	16 O Lord, if man's life be such, and the life of my spirit be in such things as these, you shall correct me, and make me to live. 17 Behold in peace is my bitterness most bitter:
12  Tu autem eruísti ánimam meam ut non períret: * projecísti post tergum tuum ómnia peccáta mea.	but you have delivered my soul that it should not perish, you have cast all my sins behind your back.
13  Quia non inférnus confitébitur tibi, neque mors laudábit te: * non exspectábunt qui descéndunt in lacum, veritátem tuam.	18 For hell shall not confess to you, neither shall death praise you: nor shall they that go down into the pit, look for your truth.
14  Vivens vivens ipse confitébitur tibi, sicut et ego hódie: * pater fíliis notam fáciet veritátem tuam.	19 The living, the living, he shall give praise to you, as I do this day: the father shall make the truth known to the children.
15  Dómine, salvum me fac, * et psalmos nostros cantábimus cunctis diébus vitæ nostræ in domo Dómini.	20 O Lord, save me, and we will sing our psalms all the days of our life in the house of the Lord.

Tenebrae of Holy Saturday

Nocturn I: Psalms 4, 14, 15

Nocturn II: Psalms 23, 26, 29

Nocturn III: Psalms 53*, 75*, 87*

Lauds: 50*, 91, 63, [Is 38], 150

And for the final part in this series, go here.

Tenebrae psalms/34 - Psalm 63

The original historical context for Psalm 63 is not clear: the title claims Davidic authorship, and the style and language seems to support this, so some modern commentators have suggested that it may refer to David’s early days at Saul’s court, when enemies plotted to bring about his downfall.

The Fathers, however, gave it an entirely Christological interpretation, as Cassiodorus explains:

“The words of this heading, as has often been remarked, are wholly related to the Lord Christ, who is to speak through the entire psalm. These words are written without historical narration; the clarity of the heading seems to waft the light of the coming psalm over us. The Lord will speak of His passion, which has afforded life to the world and has poured on us the light of belief…initially prays that He be freed from fear of the Jewish people, as He relates their deceits and impious deeds as if they have already been performed. He teaches that they have failed in their acts of persecution, whereas He has attained the glory of resurrection.”

When it is said on Wednesday in the Benedictine Office, the focus is on those plotting to betray Jesus in the assembly of the malignant (verse 2), and those resolute in wickedness (verse 6).  In the context of the great works done on Holy Saturday night, its inclusion in the post-1911 version of the hour is perhaps meant to remind us that we must actively choose to join the just, the upright of heart.  The Apostles preached the works of the Lord (v10) to those who had crucified Jesus, offering them the chance of redemption.  And many of those same persecutors were indeed converted, as the life of St Paul attests.

Psalm 63

Psalm 63: Exaudi Deus

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, a psalm for David.
1 Exáudi, Deus, oratiónem meam cum déprecor: * a timóre inimíci éripe ánimam meam.	Hear O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to you: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.
2 Protexísti me a convéntu malignántium: * a multitúdine operántium iniquitátem.	You have protected me from the assembly of the malignant; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity.
3  Quia exacuérunt ut gládium linguas suas: * intendérunt arcum rem amáram, ut sagíttent in occúltis immaculátum.	For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing, to shoot in secret the undefiled.
4  Súbito sagittábunt eum, et non timébunt: * firmavérunt sibi sermónem nequam.	They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness.
5 Narravérunt ut abscónderent láqueos: * dixérunt: Quis vidébit eos?	They have talked of hiding snares; they have said: Who shall see them?
6  Scrutáti sunt iniquitátes: * defecérunt scrutántes scrutínio.	They have searched after iniquities: they have failed in their search.
7  Accédet homo ad cor altum: * et exaltábitur Deus.	Man shall come to a deep heart: And God shall be exalted.
8  Sagíttæ parvulórum factæ sunt plagæ eórum: * et infirmátæ sunt contra eos linguæ eórum.	The arrows of children are their wounds: And their tongues against them are made weak
9  Conturbáti sunt omnes qui vidébant eos: * et tímuit omnis homo.	All that saw them were troubled; and every man was afraid.
10  Et annuntiavérunt ópera Dei, * et facta ejus intellexérunt.	And they declared the works of God, and understood his doings.
11  Lætábitur justus in Dómino, et sperábit in eo: * et laudabúntur omnes recti corde.	The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised.

Tenebrae of Holy Saturday

Nocturn I: Psalms 4, 14, 15

Nocturn II: Psalms 23, 26, 29

Nocturn III: Psalms 53*, 75*, 87*

Lauds: 50*, 91, [63], [Is 38], 150

And for the next part in this series go here.

Tenebrae/33 - Psalm 91

The Third Nocturn of Tenebrae for Holy Saturday is entirely composed of psalms we have already looked at earlier in this series (viz Psalms 53, 75 and 87), so today we move onto the Lauds section of Tenebrae for Holy Saturday.

In the pre-1911 version of Tenebrae, the variable psalm for the hour was Psalm 42, arguably far more apt for Holy Saturday.  But Psalm 91 probably seemed an obvious pick for Holy Saturday since its title suggests that in the Jewish tradition it was said on the Sabbath (ie Saturday), and it is believed that it was said while the Sabbath sacrifice of the lamb took place.  The Old Roman Office (ie pre-1911) retained that position for it in the ferial psalter; interestingly though, St Benedict actually places it at Lauds on Friday instead, as a symbol  that it is on Fridays that the saving sacrifice of Christ occurs.

It is, though, one of those psalms that encompasses several different messages, and is, on the whole, a rather upbeat hymn that points to the coming Resurrection.

In this psalm, I think we are called on to contemplate the deep mystery of God’s plan (vs 5). The fool, the psalmist states in verse 6, fails to understand: to him, St Paul points out, the Cross is a scandal.

Yet the Cross enables all of us to be reconciled to God through Christ. Indeed, the Fathers interpreted verse 10, talking about the exaltation of the horn of the unicorn, as a direct reference to Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Horned animals were sacrificed to God, as Our Lord became the Lamb of God on the Cross.

Psalm 91

Psalm 91 (92): Bonum est confiteri Dominum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus cantici, in die sabbati.	A psalm of a canticle on the sabbath day.
1 Bonum est confitéri dómino: * et psállere nómini tuo, altíssime.	It is good to give praise to the Lord: and to sing to your name, O most High.
2  Ad annuntiándum mane misericórdiam tuam: * et veritátem tuam per noctem	3 To show forth your mercy in the morning, and your truth in the night:
3  In decachórdo, psaltério: * cum cántico, in cíthara.	4 Upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the psaltery: with a canticle upon the harp.
4. Quia delectásti me, Dómine, in factúra tua: * et in opéribus mánuum tuárum exsultábo.	5 For you have given me, O Lord, a delight in your doings: and in the works of your hands I shall rejoice.
5  Quam magnificáta sunt ópera tua, Dómine! * nimis profúndæ factæ sunt cogitatiónes tuæ	6 O Lord, how great are your works! your thoughts are exceeding deep.
6  Vir insípiens non cognóscet: * et stultus non intélliget hæc.	7 The senseless man shall not know: nor will the fool understand these things.
7  Cum exórti fúerint peccatóres sicut fœnum: * et apparúerint omnes, qui operántur iniquitátem.	8 When the wicked shall spring up as grass: and all the workers of iniquity shall appear:
8  Ut intéreant in sæculum sæculi: * tu autem Altíssimus in ætérnum, Dómine.	That they may perish for ever and ever: 9 But you, O Lord, are most high for evermore.
9  Quóniam ecce inimíci tui, Dómine, quóniam ecce inimíci tui períbunt: * et dispergéntur omnes, qui operántur iniquitátem.	10 For behold your enemies, O lord, for behold your enemies shall perish: and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10. Et exaltábitur sicut unicórnis cornu meum: * et senéctus mea in misericórdia úberi.	11 But my horn shall be exalted like that of the unicorn: and my old age in plentiful mercy.
11  Et despéxit óculus meus inimícos meos: * et in insurgéntibus in me malignántibus áudiet auris mea.	12 My eye also has looked down upon my enemies: and my ear shall hear of the downfall of the malignant that rise up against me.
12  Justus, ut palma florébit: * sicut cedrus Líbani multiplicábitur.	13 The just shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow up like the cedar of Libanus.
13  Plantáti in domo Dómini, *  in átriis domus Dei nostri florébunt.	14 They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
14  Adhuc multiplicabúntur in senécta úberi: * et bene patiéntes erunt,  ut annúntient:	15 They shall still increase in a fruitful old age: and shall be well treated, 16 that they may show,
15  Quóniam rectus Dóminus, Deus noster: * et non est iníquitas in eo.	That the Lord our God is righteous, and there is no iniquity in him.

Tenebrae of Holy Saturday

Nocturn I: Psalms 4, 14, 15

Nocturn II: Psalms 23, 26, 29

Nocturn III: Psalms 53*, 75*, 87*

Lauds: 50*, 91, 63, [Is 38], 150

And for the next part in this series, go here.