Tuesday Sext

While keepest thou the body whole
Shed forth thy peace upon the soul

Two thoughts from the Sext Hymn Rector potens set the tone of this Hour.  Psalm 40 is a prayer against temptation in illness.  Psalm 41 is a cry of longing for heaven, true home of the soul.

Psalm 40.  Beatus qui intelligit

During illness

Bodily illness may sometimes be a punishment from God, but more often it is a trial, a temptation for the soul.  Especially during sickness our enemy (Satan) doubles his evil snares in order to lead us into impatience, faint-heartedness and despair.  In Psalm 40, which is the prayer of a sick person against hypocritical enemies, we beg both for ourselves and for our fellow men the grace we need to overcome such temptations.

Blessed are the merciful

Beátus qui intélligit super egénum, et páuperem: * in die mala liberábit eum Dóminus.
2  Dóminus conservet eum, et vivíficet eum, et beátum fáciat eum in terra: * et non tradat eum in ánimam inimicórum ejus.
3  Dóminus opem ferat illi super lectum dolóris ejus: * univérsum stratum ejus versásti in infirmitáte ejus.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy; * the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2  The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon earth; * and deliver him not up into the will of his enemies.
3  The Lord comfort him upon his bed of sorrows; * thou hast turned all his couch in his sickness.

Heartlessness of others

4  Ego dixi : Dómine, miserére mei: * sana ánimam meam, quia peccávi tibi.
5  Inimíci mei dixérunt mala mihi: * Quando moriétur, et períbit nomen ejus?
6  Et si ingrediebátur ut vidéret, vane loquebátur: * cor ejus congregávit iniquitátem sibi.
7  Egrediebátur foras, * et loquebátur in idípsum.

4  I said, Lord, be merciful unto me; * heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5  Mine enemies hath spoken evil of me, * When shall he die, and his name perish?
6  And if he came to see me, he spake vanity, * and his heart conceived falsehood within itself.
7  He went forth, * and spake in the selfsame.

Deceits of the enemy

8  Advérsum me susurrábant omnes inimíci mei: * advérsum me cogitábant mala mihi.
9  Verbum iníquum constituérunt advérsum me: * Numquid qui dormit non adjíciet ut resurgat?
10  Etenim homo pacis meæ, in quo sperávi: * qui edébat panes meos, magnificávit super me supplantatiónem.

8  All mine enemies whispered together against me; * against me did they imagine evils.
9  They established an evil word against me : * Shall he that sleepeth rise again no more?
10  Yea, even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, * who did also eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me.

Prayer for recovery

11  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére mei, et resúscita me: * et retríbuam eis.
12  In hoc cognóvi quóniam voluísti me: * quóniam non gaudébit inimícus meus super me.
13  Me autem propter innocéntiam suscepísti: * et confirmásti me in conspéctu tuo in ætérnum.

11  But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord, and raise thou me up again, * and I shall reward them.
12  By this I know thou hast favoured me, * for mine enemy shall not triumph against me.
13  And because of my innocency thou upholdest me, * and shalt set me before thy face for ever.

Finale (End of Book I of Psalms)

14  Benedíctus Dóminus, Deus Israël, a sæculo et usque in sæculum: * fiat, fiat.

14  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for ever and ever, and world without end: * Amen, Amen.

Psalm 41

Homesick for God

This Psalm, a jewel of biblical poetry, was sung by the Jews of the captivity to express their intense longing for their homeland and the temple.  Since the fall, earth has become a land of exile for us, and we look and long for our heavenly home.  The sinner also suffers this nostalgia for true joy, his home and union with God.

Psalm 41. i.  Quemadmodum

Longing for God's sanctuary

Quemádmodum desíderat cervus ad fontes aquarum: * ita desíderat ánima mea ad te, Deus.
2  Sitívit ánima mea ad Deum fortem vivum: * quando véniam, et apparébo ante fáciem Dei?
3  Fuérunt mihi lácrimæ meæ panes die ac nocte: * dum dícitur mihi quotídie: Ubi est Deus tuus?
4  Hæc recordátus sum, et effúdi in me ánimam meam: * quóniam transíbo in locum tabernáculi admirábilis, usque ad domum Dei.
5  In voce exsultatiónis, et confessiónis: * sonus epulántis.
6  Quare tristis es, ánima mea? * et quare contúrbas me?
7  Spera in Deo, quóniam adhuc confitébor illi: * salutáre vultus mei, et Deus meus.

Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, * so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
2  My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the strong, living God: * when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3  My tears have been my meat day and night, * while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
4  These things I remembered, and poured out my soul within me; * for I shall go over into the place of the wondrous tabernacle, even unto the house of God.
5  In the voice of praise and thanksgiving, * the sound of one keeping holy-day.
6  Why art thou sad, O my soul? * and why dost thou trouble me?
7  O put thy trust in God, for I will yet praise him, * the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 41. ii.  Ad meipsum

Overcome with suffering

8  Ad meípsum ánima mea conturbáta est : * proptérea memor ero tui de terra Jordánis, et Hermóniim a monte módico.
9  Abyssus abyssum ínvocat, * in voce cataractárum tuárum.
10  Omnia excélsa tua, et fluctus tui * super me transiérunt.
11  In die mandávit Dóminus misericórdiam suam : * et nocte cánticum ejus.
12  Apud me orátio Deo vitæ meæ, * dicam Deo : Suscéptor meus es.
13  Quare oblítus es mei? * et quare contristátus incédo, dum afflígit me inimícus?
14  Dum confringúntur ossa mea, * exprobravérunt mihi qui tríbulant me inimíci mei.
15  Dum dicunt mihi per síngulos dies : Ubi est Deus tuus? * quare tristis es, ánima mea? et quare contúrbas me?
16  Spera in Deo, quóniam adhuc confitébor illi : * salutáre vultus mei, et Deus meus.

8  My soul is vexed within me; * therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, from Hermon and the little hill.
9  The deep calleth on the deep, * at the noise of thy water-floods.
10  All thy waves and storms * are gone over me.
11  The Lord hath commanded his mercy in the daytime; * and a canticle to him in the night season.
12  The prayer to the God of my life is with me, * I will say unto God : Thou dost uphold me.
13  Why hast thou forgotten me? * and why go I mourning, whilst the enemy oppresseth me?
14  Whilst my bones are smitten asunder, * mine enemies that trouble me have reproached me.
15  While they say daily unto me: Where is now thy God? * why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou trouble me?
16  O put thy trust in God, for I will yet praise him, * the salvation of my countenance, and my God.