Why did St Benedict set Psalm 32 as the
opener for Monday?
The first and most
obvious reason is surely its reference to the Incarnation, particularly in the
phrase 'sing a new song' in verse 3.
The
new song of the Incarnation
When we read a psalm verse with the phrase
sing 'a new song' (canticum novum), verse 3, we are liable to take it pretty
literally, as 'compose a new hymn'. Indeed, the Navarre commentary's take on the
phrase in Psalm 39 (40) is "God inspires the psalmist to sing a
"new" song as distinct from one of lamentation over his
suffering..." (Psalms, p151).
Yet when a monk of a previous era read the phrase he would know that the phrase also occurs in a passage in Isaiah 42 that makes clear its Messianic significance. And he would also read the psalm in the light of its use in Revelation 5, that makes it clear that what follows is a song of the people formed by the New Covenant, the Church:
"...and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth."
Yet when a monk of a previous era read the phrase he would know that the phrase also occurs in a passage in Isaiah 42 that makes clear its Messianic significance. And he would also read the psalm in the light of its use in Revelation 5, that makes it clear that what follows is a song of the people formed by the New Covenant, the Church:
"...and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth."
Accordingly, when the monk of St Benedict's
time read the phrase 'canticum novum' (new song), then, (as occurs in Psalms
32, 39, 95, 97, 143, and 149) he was likely to interpret what followed as a
song about Messianic times. And St
Benedict's contemporary Cassiodorus tells us exactly that:
"The new canticle means the Lord's
incarnation, at which the world was filled with the exultation of salvation and
the angels sounded forth with tuneful voices..."
The
vocation of praise
The Benedictine connections of this psalm,
however, are I think deeper than this.
First, verses 1-3 instruct us to give praise to God. Who is to do this? The just, or upright (v1),
those who have put off the flesh of the old man who, as Bellarmine puts it,
have "a taste for the things of the world, and is delighted with them:,
but instead "renewed in the spirit of his mind, longs after the things of
the other world, and takes pleasure in those things alone that appertain to
heaven" (v3). The people called out
of every tribe and nation by God as his own (Rev 5:9).
At one level this can obviously be applied
to all Christians. Yet it can also be
applied in a special way to monks, as Pope Benedict XVI's comments on their
vocation to give praise to God for no reason other than his goodness:
In fact St Robert Bellarmine's commentary
on the opening verses of this psalm make the connection to the Benedictine
charism very directly indeed:
"St Benedict,
in his Rule, lays down that Psalmody is a divine work, and should be preferred
to any other work. St Bernard has:"
My dearly beloved, I advise you to assist at the Divine Office, with a pure
intention and an active mind; I say active, because I wish you to be active, as
well as reverent; neither lazy, nor drowsy, nor nodding; nor sparing your
voice, or clipping the words, not skipping sentences, nor in a weak and
tremulous voice, full of sloth and effeminacy, but in an open and manly tone,
vigorous, as well as affectionate, give out the language of the Holy
Spirit.""
Renunciation
of the world
There is another connection between this
psalm and the monastic life as well, for St Basil the Great's commentary on it
opens with an injunction for those who are God's servants, those who take up
the invitation to be labourers in his
vineyard (RB Prologue), to ponder God's goodness, beauty and wisdom:
"Therefore, Scripture urges the just to
be aware of their dignity, because they have been considered worthy to be the
servants of so great a Master, and to glory in His service with inexpressible
joy and exultation, since the heart is, as it were, bounding with ecstasy of
love of the good."
St Basil goes on to suggest the progress we
hope to experience, starting with brief moments of illumination, and
progressing to the enjoyment of the fruits of the spirit with the permanent joy
of heaven.
God the Creator and Lord of history
There are some other
key themes of the day set up by this psalm as well. The Opening verses, as noted above, go to the
recreation of the world through Christ in the Incarnation. But that recreation can only be effected by
the creator himself, and verses 6-9 remind us of that, providing a recapitulation
in poetic form of the account of creation contained in Genesis 1-2, with
references to both the 'word' without whom nothing is made (John 1:3), and the
'spirit' who in Genesis is depicted as hovering over the cosmic waters. God's power as creator is also featured at
Vespers on Monday in Psalm 113 (In exitu Israel de Aegypto), where we are told
that this is the God who 'odes whatever he wants', and 'who made heaven and
earth'.
The psalm then goes on,
in verses 10-17, to point to God as the Lord of history, and there are some
allusions to Old Testament salvation
history, for example in the references armies and horses (perhaps an allusion
to the destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea) and other sources of
earthly power proving of no use when confronted with God's power.
Psalm 113, of course,
also reflects this theme, with its references to some of the key evens in
salvation history. The main focus here though,
is clearly Messianic, with some obvious links here to Psalms 1& 2 which are
said at Prime on Monday. In Psalm 1, the
way of the good (consilio justorum) is contrasted with the councils of the evil
(consilio impiorum). In Psalm 2, the
kings and princes gather together to plot against Christ:
2: 2 Astitérunt reges terræ, et
príncipes convenérunt in unum * advérsus Dóminum, et advérsus Christum ejus.
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The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against
the Lord, and against his Christ.
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In Psalm 2, the
narrative, the continues with the appointment of a King to rule over them,
God's son begotten that day. Psalm 32
provides a summary of this:
32: 10 Dóminus díssipat consília
Géntium: * réprobat autem cogitatiónes populórum et réprobat consília
príncipum.
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10 The Lord
brings to nought the counsels of nations; and he rejects the devices of
people, and casts away the counsels of princes.
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Verse 12 provides another link to the Prime
psalms with its beatitude: this time 'happy the nation'.
God
our hope
In both psalms he is
the hope of those who fear him (Ps 113:19; 32:18, 22); our 'protector and helper' (Ps 113:17-19; 32:20).
Other liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm
Other liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm
NT
references
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Rev 5:9; 14:3 (v3);Jn 11,
3, Heb 11:3, 2 Pet 3:5 (v6); Jn 1:3 (v9); 1 Pet 3:12 (v19);
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RB
cursus
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Monday Matins
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Monastic/(Roman)
feasts etc
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Pentecost, Trinity;
Sacred Heart
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Roman
pre 1911
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Monday Matins
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Roman
post 1911
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1911-62:
Monday None . 1970: Lauds, Tuesday week 1
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Mass
propers (EF)
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Lent Wed 4, GR 6, 12;
Eastertide 2, IN 1, 5-6;
Pent Ember Wed AL 6;
Sept Ember Wed GR 6, 12;
Sacred Heart, IN 1, 11, 19;
PP 17 GR 6, 12;
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The text
Psalm 32: Exsultáte, justi in Dómino
Vulgate
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Douay-Rheims
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Psalmus David.
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A psalm for David.
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1 Exsultáte,
justi in Dómino: * rectos decet collaudátio.
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Rejoice in the Lord, O you just: praise becomes
the upright.
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2 Confitémini
Dómino in cíthara: * in psaltério decem chordárum psállite illi.
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2 Give
praise to the Lord
on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings
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3 Cantáte
ei cánticum novum: * bene psállite ei in vociferatióne.
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3 Sing to
him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.
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4 Quia
rectum est verbum Dómini, * et ómnia ópera ejus in fide.
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4 For the word of the Lord is
right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.
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5 Díligit
misericórdiam et judícium: * misericórdia Dómini plena est terra.
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5 He loves mercy and
judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
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6 Verbo Dómini
cæli firmáti sunt: * et spíritu oris ejus omnis virtus eórum.
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6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were
established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:
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7 Cóngregans
sicut in utre aquas maris: * ponens in thesáuris abyssos.
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7 Gathering
together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.
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8 Tímeat
Dóminum omnis terra: * ab eo autem commoveántur omnes inhabitántes orbem.
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8 Let all
the earth fear the Lord,
and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.
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9 Quóniam
ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.
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9 For he
spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.
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10 Dóminus
díssipat consília Géntium: * réprobat autem cogitatiónes populórum et
réprobat consília príncipum.
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10 The Lord brings to nought
the counsels of nations; and he rejects the devices of people, and casts away
the counsels of princes.
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11 Consílium
autem Dómini in ætérnum manet: * cogitatiónes cordis ejus in generatióne et
generatiónem.
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11 But the
counsel of the Lord
stands for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
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12 Beáta gens,
cujus est Dóminus, Deus ejus: * pópulus, quem elégit in hereditátem sibi.
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12 Blessed is the nation
whose God is the Lord: the people whom
he has chosen for his inheritance.
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13 De
cælo respéxit Dóminus: * vidit omnes fílios hóminum.
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13 The Lord has looked from heaven: he has beheld
all the sons of men.
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14 De
præparáto habitáculo suo * respéxit super omnes, qui hábitant terram.
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14 From his
habitation which he has prepared, he has looked upon all that dwell on the
earth.
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15 Qui
finxit sigillátim corda eórum: * qui intélligit ómnia ópera eórum.
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15 He who
has made the hearts of every one of them: who understands all their works.
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16 Non
salvátur rex per multam virtútem: * et gigas non salvábitur in multitúdine
virtútis suæ.
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16 The king
is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great
strength.
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17 Fallax
equus ad salútem: * in abundántia autem virtútis suæ non salvábitur.
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17 Vain is
the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his
strength.
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18 Ecce óculi
Dómini super metuéntes eum: * et in eis, qui sperant super misericórdia ejus
:
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18 Behold
the eyes of the Lord
are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.
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19 Ut
éruat a morte ánimas eórum: * et alat eos in fame.
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19 To
deliver their souls
from death; and feed them in famine.
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20 Anima
nostra sústinet Dóminum: * quóniam adjútor et protéctor noster est.
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20 Our soul waits for the Lord: for he is our
helper and protector.
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21 Quia
in eo lætábitur cor nostrum: * et in nómine sancto ejus sperávimus.
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21 For in
him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.
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22 Fiat
misericórdia tua, Dómine, super nos: * quemádmodum sperávimus in te.
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22 Let your
mercy, O Lord, be
upon us, as we have hoped in you.
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You can find verse by verse notes on this psalm in a series of posts starting here.