Psalm 144/1:Overview

The first part of Psalm 144 concludes Friday Vespers in the Benedictine Office, and moves us on, perhaps from the suffering of the Passion, to its purpose, in this hymn of praise for the greatness of God's works.

It is an alphabetic psalm, and case where the Septuagint/Vulgate textual tradition is clearly the better, since in the Massoretic Text one of the Hebrew letters is missing.

St Alphonsus Liguori commented that:

The psalmist here exalts the perfection of God, and especially his goodness and mercy...Verses 1-2 announce the subject: praise of our Lord, God and King; 3-10, his grandeur, power, glory, justice, goodness, mercy, meekness, considered in his works...

Pope Benedict XVI on the psalm

Pope Benedict XVI gave a General Audience on the psalm which is worth a read:

We have just prayed Psalm 145[144], a joyful song of praise to the Lord who is exalted as a tender and loving King, concerned for all his creatures. The liturgy presents this hymn to us in two separate parts that also correspond to the two poetical and spiritual movements of the Psalm itself. We now reflect on the first part, which corresponds to verses 1-13.   

The Psalm is raised to the Lord who is invoked and described as "King" (cf. Ps 145[144]: 1), a depiction of the divine that is also dominant in other psalmic hymns (cf. Ps 47[46], 93[92]; 96[95]-99[98]).  Indeed, the spiritual centre of our canticle is constituted precisely by an intense and passionate celebration of the divine kingship. The Hebrew word malkut, "reign", is repeated in it four times, almost as if to indicate the four cardinal points of being and of history (cf. Ps 145[144]: 11-13).  

We know that this royal symbolism, which was also to be central in Christ's preaching, is the expression of God's saving project:  he is not indifferent to human history; on the contrary, he desires to put a plan of harmony and peace for human history into practice with us and for us.  The whole of humanity is called together to implement this plan in order that it comply with the divine saving will, a will that is extended to all "men", to "all generations", from "age to age".  It is a universal action that uproots evil from the world and instils in it the "glory" of the Lord, that is, his personal, effective and transcendent presence. 

The prayerful praise of the Psalmist, who makes himself the voice of all the faithful and today would like to be the voice of all of us, is directed to this heart of the Psalm, placed precisely at the centre of the composition. The loftiest biblical prayer is in fact the celebration of the works of salvation, which reveal the Lord's love for his creatures. In this Psalm the Psalmist continues to praise the divine "name", that is, the person of the Lord (cf. vv. 1-2), who manifests himself in his historical action:  indeed, his "works", "splendour", "wonderful works", "mighty deeds", "greatness", "justice", "patience", "compassion", "grace", "goodness" and "love" are mentioned. 

It is a prayer in the form of a litany which proclaims God's entry into human events in order to bring the whole of created reality to a salvific fullness. We are not at the mercy of dark forces nor alone with our freedom, but rather, we are entrusted to the action of the mighty and loving Lord, who has a plan for us, a "reign" to establish (cf. v. 11).  

This "kingdom" does not consist of power and might, triumph and oppression, as unfortunately is often the case with earthly kingdoms; rather, it is the place where compassion, love, goodness, grace and justice are manifested, as the Psalmist repeats several times in the flow of verses full of praise.Verse 8 sums up this divine portrait:  the Lord is "slow to anger, abounding in love". These words are reminiscent of God's presentation of himself on Sinai when he said:  "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Ex 34: 6).

We have here a preparation for the profession of faith in God of St John the Apostle, who simply tells us that he is love:  "Deus caritas est" (cf. I Jn 4: 8, 16).  Our attention, as well as being fixed on these beautiful words that portray to us a God who is "slow to anger" and "full of compassion", always ready to forgive and to help, is also fixed on the very beautiful verse 9 which follows:  "How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures". These are words to meditate upon, words of consolation, a certainty that he brings to our lives. In this regard, St Peter Chrysologus (c. 380 c. 450) says in his Second Discourse on Fasting:  "Great are the works of the Lord'; but this grandeur that we see in Creation is surpassed by the greatness of his mercy. Indeed, after the Prophet has said, "Great are the works of God', in another passage he adds:  "His compassion is greater than all his works'. 

Mercy, brothers and sisters, fills the heavens, fills the earth.... That is why the great, generous, unique mercy of Christ, who reserved every judgment for a single day, allotted all of man's time to the truce of penance.... That is why the Prophet who did not trust in his own justice abandons himself entirely to God's mercy; "Have mercy on me, O God', he says, "according to your abundant mercy' (Ps 51[50]: 3)" (42, 4-5:  Sermoni 1-62bis, Scrittori dell'Area Santambrosiana, 1, Milan-Rome, 1996, pp. 299, 301). And so, let us too say to the Lord, "Have mercy on me, O God, you who are great in your mercy". 

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Laudatio ipsi David.	Praise, for David himself.
Exaltábo te, Deus meus, rex: * et benedícam nómini tuo in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.	I will extol you, O God my king: and I will bless your name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
2  Per síngulos dies benedícam tibi: * et laudábo nomen tuum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.	2 Every day will I bless you: and I will praise your name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
3  Magnus Dóminus, et laudábilis nimis: * et magnitúdinis ejus non est finis.	3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end
4  Generátio et generátio laudábit ópera tua: * et poténtiam tuam pronuntiábunt.	4 Generation and generation shall praise your works: and they shall declare your power.
5  Magnificéntiam glóriæ sanctitátis tuæ loquéntur: * et mirabília tua narrábunt.	5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of your holiness: and shall tell your wondrous works.
6  Et virtútem terribílium tuórum dicent: * et magnitúdinem tuam narrábunt.	6 And they shall speak of the might of your terrible acts: and shall declare your greatness.
7  Memóriam abundántiæ suavitátis tuæ eructábunt: * et justítia tua exsultábunt.	7 They shall publish the memory of the abundance of your sweetness: and shall rejoice in your justice.
8  Miserátor, et miséricors Dóminus: * pátiens, et multum miséricors.	8 The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient and plenteous in mercy
9  Suávis Dóminus univérsis: * et miseratiónes ejus super ómnia ópera ejus.	9 The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Rom 11:33 (3);
RB cursus	Friday Vespers+AN 2266 (2)
Monastic feasts etc
Roman pre 1911	Sat Vespers
Responsories	7117 (Trinity Sunday no 7), v3
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sat Vespers 1970: Vespers of Friday wk 4
Mass propers (EF)	Mass of several martyrs in Eastertime, IN 1, [10, 11]

Psalm 143 Pt 2: Overview

The second part of Psalm 143 is said at Friday Vespers in the Benedictine Office.

Pope Benedict XVI on the psalm

Pope Benedict XVI gave a General Audience on it in January 2006:

At this gathering of ours, I would like to take up once more the meditation on Psalm 144[143], proposed by the Liturgy of Vespers in two distinct moments (cf. vv. 1-8 and vv. 9-15). The tone is still hymnal and entering into the scene is, also in the second movement of this Psalm, the figure of the "Anointed One", that is, the "Consecrated One" par excellence, Jesus, who draws everyone to himself to make of all "one" (cf. Jn 17:11, 21). 

It is not by chance that the scene dominating the hymn is marked by prosperity and peace, symbols typical of the messianic era. For this reason, the hymn is defined as "new", a term which, in biblical language, evokes not so much the exterior novelty of the words, as the ultimate fullness that seals hope (cf. v. 9). It sings, therefore, of the destination of history where the voice of evil, described by the Psalmist as "lies" and "perjury", expressions which indicate idolatry (cf. v. 11), will finally be silenced. 

But this negative aspect is replaced by a more spacious positive dimension, that of the new world, a joyful one about to appear. This is the true shalom or messianic "peace", a luminous horizon that is articulated with a series of images drawn from social life: they too can become for us an auspice for the birth of a more just society.  It is above all the family (cf. v. 12) that is founded on generations of young people. Sons, the hope of the future, are compared to strong saplings; daughters are like sturdy columns supporting the house, similar to those of a temple. From the family we pass on to agriculture and farming, to the fields with its crops stored in the barns, with large flocks of grazing sheep and the working animals that till the fertile fields (cf. vv. 13-14). 

Our gaze then turns to the city, that is, to the entire civil society which finally enjoys the precious gift of public peace and order. Indeed, the city walls are never more to be "breached" by invaders during assaults; raids are over, that mean plundering and deportation, and finally, the "sound of weeping" of the despairing, the wounded, victims and orphans, the sad inheritance of war, is no longer raised (cf. v. 14). This portrait of a different yet possible world is entrusted to the work of the Messiah and also to that of his people. 

Under the guidance of Christ the Messiah, we must work together for this project of harmony and peace, stopping war's destructive action of hatred and violence. It is necessary, however, to make a choice, choosing to be on the side of the God of love and justice. It is for this reason that the Psalm ends with the words: "Happy the people whose God is the Lord" (v. 15). God is the Good of goods, the condition of all other goods. Only a people that knows God and defends spiritual and moral values can truly go towards a profound peace and also become a strength of peace for the world and for others; therefore, together with the Psalmist they can sing the "new song", full of trust and hope. 

Spontaneous reference is made to the new covenant, to the novelty itself of Christ and his Gospel. This is what St Augustine reminds us. Reading this Psalm, he also interprets the words: "I will play on the ten-stringed harp to you". To him, the ten-stringed harp is the law summed up in the Ten Commandments. But we must find the right peg for these ten strings, these Ten Commandments. And only if these ten cords of the Ten Commandments - as St Augustine says - are strummed by the charity of the heart do they sound well. Charity is the fullness of the law. He who lives the Commandments as a dimension of the one charity, truly sings the "new song". Charity that is united to the sentiments of Christ is the authentic "new song" of the "new man", able to create also a "new world". This Psalm invites us to sing "on the ten-stringed harp" with a new heart, to sing with the sentiments of Christ, to live the Ten Commandments in the dimension of love and to thereby contribute to the peace and harmony of the world (cf. Esposizioni sui Salmi, 143, 16: Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana, XXVIII, Rome, 1977, p. 677). 

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
10  Deus, cánticum novum cantábo tibi: * in psaltério, decachórdo psallam tibi.	9 To you, O God, I will sing a new canticle: on the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings I will sing praises to you.
11  Qui das salútem régibus: * qui redemísti David, servum tuum, de gládio malígno : éripe me.	10 Who give salvation to kings: who have redeemed your servant David from the malicious sword:
12  Et érue me de manu filiórum alienórum, quorum os locútum est vanitátem: * et déxtera eórum, déxtera iniquitátis.	11 Deliver me, And rescue me out of the hand of strange children; whose mouth has spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity:
13  Quorum fílii, sicut novéllæ plantatiónes * in juventúte sua.	12 Whose sons are as new plants in their youth:
14  Fíliæ eórum compósitæ: * circumornátæ ut similitúdo templi.	Their daughters decked out, adorned round about after the similitude of a temple:
15  Promptuária eórum plena: * eructántia ex hoc in illud.	13 Their storehouses full, flowing out of this into that.
16  Oves eórum fœtósæ, abundántes in egréssibus suis: * boves eórum crassæ.	Their sheep fruitful in young, abounding in their goings forth: 14 Their oxen fat.
17  Non est ruína macériæ, neque tránsitus: * neque clamor in platéis eórum.	There is no breach of wall, nor passage, nor crying out in their streets.
18  Beátum dixérunt pópulum, cui hæc sunt: * beátus pópulus, cujus Dóminus Deus ejus.	15 They have called the people happy, that has these things: but happy is that people whose God is the Lord.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3 (10);
RB cursus	Friday Vespers
Monastic feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Sat Vespers
Responsories	-
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sat Vespers. 1970: Friday Vespers of wk 4
Mass propers (EF)	-

Psalm 143 Pt 1: overview

This psalm is set for Friday Vespers in the Benedictine Office; Saturday in the Roman.  St Benedict divides it although it is not actually that long, and the Liturgy of the Hours follows this lead.

David and Goliath

Cassiodorus explains the typological significance of the title, David to Goliath:

The historical event represented by this heading took place in the early life of the prophet, before he became king, but the importance of its typology summons it from that outworn context to our attention to enable you to realise that everything uttered and written in the psalms bears an allegorical meaning, as we shall state more explicitly in the conclusion. 

It is fitting for us to be aware that this war of David was a prophecy of the Lord Christ's struggle. Just as David laid low Goliath by using a rock as the weapon of war, so the power of the devil was overcome by the Rock which is the Lord Christ. These parallels are accordingly observed in this psalm as well. Not only is the victory described here which is contained in the Book of Kings,nor are thanks offered for that victory alone; there are many comments apposite to the Lord Christ's struggle which we shall duly expound in their proper place... 

After the slaying of Goliath, which we have said was fulfilled as a deed of typological significance, the prophet in the first section thanks the Lord, saying that he has been delivered from danger in the fight now over. He prays that the Lord's coming may be swiftly an-nounced, for through it the devil was overcome, and the consummation of the spiritual conflict waged in figure by Goliath was achieved, for at that moment the faithful were freed from great danger. In the second section, the prophet promises to hymn the Lord in the New and the Old Testaments, since he has been freed from most wicked enemies who reposed their happiness in success in this world; he states that only those whose Lord is their God are truly happy... 

Though the Lord through the agency of this holy man has revealed many mysteries of His religion, this one is seen to have been devised to announce the Church's battles which she endures spiritually; thus the proud one could be brought low by the shepherd's rock when he boasted in the presumption of his strength. So we must interpret this as an exemplar of the whole faith, pregnant with a sense of this kind: Goliath must represent the devil and his agents, and David must typify the entire Christian people, which is known to have overcome its fearful enemy through the solidity of the Rock. We must also pay great attention to the fact that after this extended chain of numerous psalms, this appears to have been set as the close, so to say, of worldly matters; for after this psalm nothing is recounted about persecutions of the Church, the bitterness of the world, the sufferings of martyrs, the afflictions of penitents, the laments of the faithful, or the execrable arrogance of Antichrist...

General Audience

Both Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI provided commentaries on this part of the psalm as General Audiences; here is the one from Pope Benedict XVI, from January 2006.  Note that the allusion to the 'rock' though it appears in some modern translations, is absent from the Septuagint-Vulgate (and Neo-vulgate) tradition:

"He is my stronghold' : Our journey through the Psalter used by the liturgy of Vespers now comes to a royal hymn, Psalm 144[143], the first part of which has just been proclaimed: in fact, the liturgy divides this hymn into two separate sections. The first part (cf. vv. 1-8) shows clearly the literary character of this composition:  the Psalmist has recourse to citations of other texts of psalms, presenting them in a new project of song and prayer... represents the shining and glorious figure of the Messiah, whose triumph is no longer an event of war or politics but an intervention of liberation from evil. The "messiah" - a Hebrew word that means "anointed one", as was a sovereign - thus gives way to the "Messiah" par excellence, who in the Christian interpretation has the Face of Jesus Christ, "son of David, son of Abraham" (cf. Mt 1: 1). 

The hymn opens with a blessing, that is, with an exclamation of praise addressed to the Lord, celebrated with a brief litany of saving titles:  he is the rock, safe and sound, he is loving grace, he is the protected fortress, the stronghold of defence, liberation, the shield that keeps at bay any assault by evil (cf. 144[143]: 1-2). There is also the martial image of God who trains his faithful one for battle so that he will be able to face the hostilities of the environment, the dark powers of the world. 

Before the all-powerful Lord, the person of prayer feels weak and frail, despite his royal dignity. He therefore makes a profession of humility that is formulated, as was said, with words from Psalms 8 and 39[38]. Indeed, he feels like "a breath", similar to a fleeting shadow, ephemeral and inconsistent, plunged into the flow of time that rolls on and marked by the limitations proper to the human creature (cf. Ps 144[143]: 4). 

Here then, is the question:  why does God care for and think about this creature who is so wretched and ephemeral? This question (cf. v. 3) elicits the great manifestation of the divine, the so-called theophany that is accompanied by a procession of cosmic elements and historical events, directed at celebrating the transcendence of the supreme King of being, of the universe and of history. Here, mountains smoke in volcanic eruptions (cf. v. 5), lightning like arrows routs the wicked (cf. v. 6), here are the "mighty waters" of the ocean that are the symbol of the chaos from which, however, the king is saved by the action of the divine hand itself (cf. v. 7). 

In the background remain the wicked who tell "lies" and swear false oaths (cf. vv. 7-8):  a practical depiction, in the Semitic style of idolatry, of moral perversion and evil that truly oppose God and his faithful. 

Now, for our meditation, we will reflect initially on the profession of humility made by the Psalmist, and entrust ourselves to the words of Origen, whose commentary on our text has come down to us in St Jerome's Latin version. "The Psalmist speaks of the frailty of the body and of the human condition", because "with regard to the human condition, the human person is nothing. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity', said Ecclesiastes". But the marvelling, grateful question returns: ""Lord, what is man that you manifested yourself to him?'... It is a great happiness for men and women to know their Creator. In this we differ from wild beasts and other animals, because we know we have our Creator, whereas they do not". 

It is worth thinking a bit about these words of Origen, who sees the fundamental difference between the human being and the other animals in the fact that man is capable of recognizing God, his Creator, that man is capable of truth, capable of a knowledge that becomes a relationship, friendship. It is important in our time that we do not forget God, together with all the other kinds of knowledge we have acquired in the meantime, and they are very numerous! They all become problematic, at times dangerous, if the fundamental knowledge that gives meaning and orientation to all things is missing:  knowledge of God the Creator. 

Let us return to Origen. He says: "You will not be able to save this wretch that is man unless you take it upon yourself. "Lord..., lower your heavens and come down'. Your lost sheep cannot find healing unless it is placed on your shoulders.... These words are addressed to the Son: "Lord, lower your heavens and come down'.... You have come down, lowered the heavens, stretched out your hand from on high and deigned to take our human flesh upon yourself, and many believed in you" (Origen-Jerome, 74 Homilies on the Book of Psalms, Milan, 1993, pp. 512-515). 

For us Christians God is no longer a hypothesis, as he was in the philosophy that preceded Christianity, but a reality, for God "lowered the heavens and came down". Heaven is God himself and he came down among us. Origen rightly sees in the Parable of the Lost Sheep that the shepherd takes upon his shoulders the Parable of God's Incarnation. Yes, in the Incarnation, he came down and took upon his shoulders our flesh, we ourselves. Thus, knowledge of God became reality, it became friendship and communion. Let us thank the Lord because he "lowered the heavens and came down", he took our flesh upon his shoulders and carries us on our journey through life. 

The Psalm, having started with our discovery that we are weak and far from divine splendour, ends up with this great surprise of God's action:  beside us, with us, is God-Emmanuel, who for Christians has the loving Face of Jesus Christ, God made man, God made one of us. 

The text of the psalm

 Psalm 143/1

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David. Adversus Goliath.	A psalm of David against Goliath.
Benedíctus Dóminus, Deus meus, qui docet manus meas ad prælium, * et dígitos meos ad bellum	1 Blessed be the Lord my God, who teaches my hands to fight, and my fingers to war.
2  Misericórdia mea, et refúgium meum: * suscéptor meus, et liberátor meus :	2 My mercy, and my refuge: my support, and my deliverer:
3  Protéctor meus, et in ipso sperávi: * qui subdit pópulum meum sub me.	My protector, and I have hoped in him: who subdues my people under me.
4  Dómine, quid est homo quia innotuísti ei? * aut fílius hóminis, quia réputas eum?	3 Lord, what is man,that you are made known to him? Or the son of man, that you make account of him?
5  Homo vanitáti símilis factus est: * dies ejus sicut umbra prætéreunt.	4 Man is like to vanity: his days pass away like a shadow.
6  Dómine, inclína cælos tuos, et descénde: * tange montes, et fumigábunt.	5 Lord, bow down your heavens and descend: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
7  Fúlgura coruscatiónem, et dissipábis eos: * emítte sagíttas tuas, et conturbábis eos.	6 Send forth lightning, and you shall scatter them: shoot out your arrows, and you shall trouble them.
8  Emítte manum tuam de alto, éripe me, et líbera me de aquis multis: * de manu filiórum alienórum.	7 Put forth your hand from on high, take me out, and deliver me from many waters: from the hand of strange children:
9  Quorum os locútum est vanitátem: * et déxtera eórum, déxtera iniquitátis.	8 Whose mouth hath spoken vanity: and their right hand is the right hand of iniquity.

 (divisio)

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	=
RB cursus	Friday Vespers+AN 1720
Monastic feasts etc	AN 2111 (7)
Roman pre 1911	: Sat Vespers
Responsories	Easter4&5 v9 (6419)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Sat Vespers. 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	-

Psalm 141: Overview

Psalm 141 opens Friday Vespers in the Benedictine Office, and the placement is not random: it is also used at Vespers during the Triduum due to its clear allusions to the events of the Passion, and Christ's descent into hell (the prison of the last verse).

Psalm 141 and the Passion

Pope John Paul II commented, for example, that:

Christian tradition has applied Psalm 142[141] to the persecuted and suffering Christ. In this perspective, the luminous goal of the Psalm's plea is transfigured into a paschal sign on the basis of the glorious outcome of the life of Christ and of our destiny of resurrection with him. This is also what St Hilary of Poitiers, a famous fourth-century Doctor of the Church, says in his Treatise on the Psalms. 

The original historical context is suggested by the title "The understanding of David: a prayer when he was in the cave", as Cassiodorus explained:

David, the son of Jesse, fled from the prince Saul, and when he lay hidden in a cave he uttered a prayer which he revealed that the Lord Christ would make in the flesh before His passion. When understanding prefaces this prayer, the comparison is shown to refer to Him who avoided His persecutors as He prayed and hid himself by moving to various places. This was so that the Son of God could fulfil the promise which He had made about Himself through the prophets, and reveal the truth of the incarnation which He had assumed; for this psalm includes the words of the Lord Saviour when He sought to avoid the most wicked madness of the Jews. So the flight of David was rightly placed in the heading to point to the persecution by the Jews, for David, as we have often said, denotes both that earthly king and the King of heaven....

 In the first section, the Lord Christ cries to the Father, recounting the wicked tricks of the persecution by the Jews. In the second, He prays to be delivered from the prison of hell, for the trust of all the faithful hung on His resurrection. 

Verse 5 is generally seen as a reference to the denial by St Peter and the Apostles who fled; verse 8 as a plea to be freed from the prison of flesh so that he might come to the Resurrection.

A treatise on prayer

St Augustine, in his commentary on it, also treated this psalm as a treatise on prayer, and the key points of his exposition were nicely summarised and amplified by Cassiodorus, who, drawing also on Cassian, provides a commentary that echoes St Benedict's own instructions on prayer:

This marks the conclusion of the line of psalms prefaced with the heading: A prayer, so now at the end of them we must make some summary observations so that through the Lord's help we may obtain a salutary stimulus to hasten to the remedy appointed to us. 

We must especially follow the commandments, and signing our lips with the seal of the cross we must pray to the Lord that He may cleanse our mouths which are disfigured with human foulness; in Isaiah's words: I have unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people that have unclean lips. 

Next we must pray in words not such as human longings prompt, but those which the Godhead Himself has granted as a remedy for our wickedness. Prayer itself must come from a humble, meek, pure heart; it must confess its sins without making excuses, and in the course of bitter tears show trust in the most sweet pity of the Lord. It must not seek earthly aims, but desire heavenly ones. It must be sequestered from desires of the body, and attach itself solely to the divine. In short, it must be wholly spiritual, bestowing nothing but tears on the flesh. 

In so far as it is lawful, seek to behold in mental contemplation Him whom you entreat, and then you realise what sort of person you should be in offering yourself prostrate before Him. He is, as Paul says: the Blessed and only Mighty, King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and inhabits light inaccessible, whom no man has seen nor can see.  So such is the mighty Lord whom we should approach with all fear or love, directing our mental sight on Him in such a way as to realise that such splendour, brightness, brilliance and majesty as is conceivable to the human mind is all inferior to God, who with goodness beyond compare controls all His creatures. 

We must not with false presumption within ourselves form some mental picture of Him, for the hidden substance of God who made all things cannot be grasped in its essence by the knowledge which creatures possess. God has no shape, no outline; His nature cannot be assessed, nor His power grasped, and His devotion is unique. As has been most aptly remarked of Him, we can say what God is not, but we cannot grasp what He is. So we are to pray to Him who is almighty and without beginning or end, who traverses and fills all parts of the universe and every creature, but in such a way that He is wholly within Himself everywhere. 

He forsakes evil men not by His presence but by the power of His grace. Father Augustine when writing to Dardanus explained this at greater length. The words of the prophet warn us in salutary fashion to make haste: Come, let us adore and fall down before the Lord: let us lament before God (then he added, so that we should not be left wholly floundering and trembling) who made us; so that once we recognise that we have been created by Him, we may pray with confidence to our Maker. 

Then the humble plea which we are to utter in divine praise we virtually realise as we pray, for we gain a merciful hearing from the Lord, provided that what we ask for is in our interest. No-one is rebuffed coldly from heaven's generosity if grace is lent him to entreat with a simple and a committed heart, for a person feels that he has gained pardon to the degree that he knows that he has shed devoted tears. 

There is this further mark of our progress: the more a person realises that he loves and fears God, the more necessary he finds it to crawl near to divine help. Thus by the Lord's kindness all the devil's guile is defeated, and by His pity our sins are overcome.  

We have said as much about prayer as our mean intelligence and the nature of the occasion have demanded.  If anyone desires to gain the fullest abundance of satisfaction on this subject, he must read the most eloquent Cassian, who in his ninth and tenth conference has discussed the types of prayer with such power and quality that the holy spirit seems clearly to have spoken through his mouth.

The text of the psalm

Psalm 141 (142): Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Intellectus David, cum esset in spelunca, oratio	Of understanding for David, A prayer when he was in the cave.
1 Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * voce mea ad dóminum deprecátus sum.	2 I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
2. Effúndo in conspéctu ejus oratiónem meam, * et tribulatiónem meam ante ipsum pronúntio	3 In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble:
3. In deficiéndo ex me spíritum meum: * et tu cognovísti sémitas meas.	4 When my spirit failed me, then you knew my paths.
4  In via hac, qua ambulábam, * abscondérunt láqueum mihi.	In this way wherein I walked, they have hidden a snare for me.
5 Considerábam ad déxteram, et vidébam: * et non erat qui cognósceret me.	5 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me.
6. Périit fuga a me: * et non est qui requírat ánimam meam.	Flight has failed me: and there is no one that has regard to my soul.
7. Clamávi ad te, Dómine, * dixi: Tu es spes mea, pórtio mea in terra vivéntium.	6 I cried to you, O Lord: I said: You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
8.  Inténde ad deprecatiónem meam: * quia humiliátus sum nimis.	7 Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low.
9.  Líbera me a persequéntibus me: * quia confortáti sunt super me.	Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
10 Educ de custódia ánimam meam ad confiténdum nómini tuo: me exspéctant justi, donec retríbuas mihi.	8 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise your name: the just wait for me, until you reward me.

Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	-
RB cursus	Friday Vespers+AN 4316 (6)
Monastic feasts etc	Triduum Vespers AN 1891 (5), 3724 (8)
Roman pre 1911	Friday Vespers
Responsories	6622 (5, 8)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Friday Vespers  . 1970:
Mass propers (EF)	-

Psalm 144 (Pt 2): Overview

The second half of Psalm 144 opens Saturday Vespers in the Benedictine Office.

It helps give the hour the flavour of first Vespers of the Resurrection rather than the close of the week in my view.

Pope Benedict on Psalm 144:

Pope Benedict XVI gave a General Audience on vers3s 14-21 of the psalm on 8 February 2006, entitled "The Lord is faithful in all his words':

Following the liturgy that divides it into two parts, let us return to a wonderful hymn in honour of the Lord, a loving King who is attentive to his creatures. Let us now meditate upon the second part of the Psalm:  they are verses 14 to 21, which take up the fundamental theme of the hymn's first part. In them are exalted the divine compassion, tenderness, fidelity and goodness which are extended to the whole of humanity, involving every creature. 

The Psalm now focuses on the love that the Lord reserves particularly for the poor and the weak. Divine kingship is not, therefore, detached and haughty, as can be the case in the exercise of human power. God expresses his sovereignty by bending down to meet the frailest and most helpless of his creatures. Indeed, he is first and foremost a father who supports those who falter and raises those who have fallen into the dust of humiliation (cf. v. 14). Consequently, living beings are reaching out to the Lord like hungry beggars and he gives them, like a tender parent, the food they need to survive (cf. v. 15). 

At this point the profession of faith in justice and holiness, the two divine qualities par excellence, emerges from the lips of the person praying:  "The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds" (cf. v. 17). In Hebrew we have two typical adjectives to illustrate the Covenant between God and his People:  saadiq and hasid. They express justice that seeks to save and to liberate from evil, and the faithfulness that is a sign of the Lord's loving greatness. 

The Psalmist takes the side of those who have benefited, whom he describes in various words: in practice, these terms portray true believers. They "call on" the Lord in trusting prayer, they seek him in life with a sincere heart (cf. v. 18); they "fear" their God, respecting his will and obeying his word (cf. v. 19), but above all "love" him, certain that he will take them under the mantle of his protection and his closeness (cf. v. 20). 

Then, the Psalmist's closing words are the ones with which he opened his hymn:  an invitation to praise and bless the Lord and his "name", that is, as a living and holy Person who works and saves in the world and in history. Indeed, his call is an assurance that every creature marked by the gift of life associates himself or herself with the prayerful praise:  "Let all mankind bless his holy name for ever, for ages unending" (v. 21). This is a sort of perennial hymn that must be raised from earth to heaven; it is a community celebration of God's universal love, source of peace, joy and salvation. 

To conclude our reflection, let us return to that sweet verse which says:  "[The Lord] is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts" (v. 18). This sentence was particularly dear to Barsanuphius of Gaza, an ascetic who died in the mid-sixth century, to whom monks, ecclesiastics and lay people would often turn because of the wisdom of his discernment. Thus, for example, to one disciple who expressed his desire "to seek the causes of the various temptations that assailed him", Barsanuphius responded:  "Brother John, do not fear any of the temptations that come to test you, for the Lord will not let you fall prey to them. So, whenever one of these temptations comes to you, do not tire yourself by endeavouring to discern what is at stake, but cry out Jesus' Name:  "Jesus, help me!'. And he will hear you, for he "is close to all who call on him'. Do not be discouraged, but run on with enthusiasm and you will reach the destination in Christ Jesus, Our Lord" (Barsanuphius and John of Gaza, Epistolario, 39:  Collana di Testi Patristici, XCIII, Rome, 1991, p. 109). 

And these words of the ancient Father also apply to us. In our difficulties, problems, temptations, we must not simply make a theoretical reflection - where do they come from? - but must react positively; we must call on the Lord, we must keep alive our contact with the Lord. Indeed, we must cry out the Name of Jesus:  "Jesus, help me!". And let us be certain that he hears us, because he is close to those who seek him. Let us not feel discouraged, but let us run on with enthusiasm, as this Father says, and we too will reach the destination of our lives:  Jesus, the Lord.

The text of the psalm

Psalm 144(pt 2): Confiteantur tibi Domine 

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
1  Confiteántur tibi, Dómine, ómnia ópera tua: * et sancti tui benedícant tibi.	10 Let all your works, O lord, praise you: and let your saints bless you.
2  Glóriam regni tui dicent: * et poténtiam tuam loquéntur	11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom: and shall tell of your power:
3  Ut notam fáciant fíliis hóminum poténtiam tuam: * et glóriam magnificéntiæ regni tui.	12 To make your might known to the sons of men: and the glory of the magnificence of your kingdom.
4  Regnum tuum regnum ómnium sæculórum: * et dominátio tua in omni generatióne et generatiónem.	13 Your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages: and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
5  Fidélis Dóminus in ómnibus verbis suis: * et sanctus in ómnibus opéribus suis	The Lord is faithful in all his words: and holy in all his works.
6  Allevat Dóminus omnes qui córruunt: * et érigit omnes elísos.	14 The Lord lifts up all that fall: and sets up all that are cast down.
7  Oculi ómnium in te sperant, Dómine: * et tu das escam illórum in témpore opportúno.	15 The eyes of all hope in you, O Lord: and you give them meat in due season.
8  Aperis tu manum tuam: * et imples omne ánimal benedictióne.	16 You open your hand, and fill with blessing every living creature.
9 Justus Dóminus in ómnibus viis suis: * et sanctus in ómnibus opéribus suis.	17 The Lord is just in all his ways: and holy in all his works.
10  Prope est Dóminus ómnibus invocántibus eum: * ómnibus invocántibus eum in veritáte.	18 The Lord is near unto all them that call upon him: to all that call upon him in truth.
11  Voluntátem timéntium se fáciet: * et deprecatiónem eórum exáudiet: et salvos fáciet eos.	19 He will do the will of them that fear him: and he will hear their prayer, and save them.
12  Custódit Dóminus omnes diligéntes se: * et omnes peccatóres dispérdet.	20 The Lord keeps all them that love him; but all the wicked he will destroy.
13  Laudatiónem Dómini loquétur os meum: * et benedícat omnis caro nómini sancto ejus in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi.	21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name forever; yea, for ever and ever.

Scriptural and liturgical uses of the psalm

NT references	1 Tim 1:17, Rev 11:15 (13); Mt 6:25ff (16-17); Acts 14:17 (17); Rev 15:3, 16:5 (18); Acts 17:27 (19); Jn 9:31 (20)
RB cursus	Saturday Vespers+AN 4600
Monastic feasts etc	AN 3546 (17), 2085 (20)
Roman pre 1911	Saturday Vespers
Responsories	7591 (Several Martyrs, OSB All Saints: 10-11)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Saturday Vespers 1970: Vespers of Friday of the 4th Week
Mass propers (EF)	Advent IV GR (17, 21) Holy Name, AL (13=21); Lent 3 Thursday, (GR 7-8=15-16); Corpus Christi GR (7-8); PP20 GR (7-8=15-16) Mass of several martyrs in Eastertime, IN [1], 10, 11