Wednesday Lauds

The divine, risen Judge

Again, the prevailing theme of this day comes to the fore.  On Wednesday, the zenith of the week, the battle rages at its height.  This idea makes its way into even the joyful Psalms of Lauds; today the Lauds Psalms are indeed hymns of praise, but mostly in praise of God as Judge (Ps. 96, Ps. 100, Canticle).  Nevertheless, Christ is praised as Saviour of the poor and needy (Ps. 145).  Moreover, the early morning invites us to a nature song (Ps. 64).

Seen as a whole, the Hour is a crown of beautiful songs of praise, studded with nature pictures.  All the Psalms are permeated by a lofty and joyous tone of praise for God's honour and glory, even though the picture of God as Judge is never far away.

Majestic in judgment

God's judgment under the figure of a thunderstorm.

The Judge in majesty

Dóminus regnávit exsúltet terra: * læténtur ínsulæ multæ.
2  Nubes, et calígo in circúitu ejus: * justítia, et judícium corréctio sedis ejus.
3  Ignis ante ipsum præcédet: * et inflammábit in circúitu inimícos ejus.
4  Illuxérunt fúlgura ejus orbi terræ: * vidit et commóta est terra.
5  Montes, sicut cera fluxérunt a fácie Dómini: * a fácie Dómini omnis terra.
6  Annuntiavérunt cæli justítiam ejus: * et vidérunt omnes pópuli glóriam ejus.

THE Lord is King, the earth may be glad thereof; * yea, the multitude of the isles may be glad thereof.
2  Clouds and darkness are round about him: * righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his seat.
3  There shall go a fire before him, * and burn up his enemies on every side.
4  His lightnings gave shine unto the world: * the earth saw it, and was afraid.
5  The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord; * the whole earth at the presence of the Lord.
6  The heavens have declared his righteousness, * and all the peoples have seen his glory.

Destruction of idols

7  Confundántur omnes, qui adórant sculptília: * et qui gloriántur in simulácris suis.
8  Adoráte eum, omnes Angeli ejus: * audívit, et lætáta est Sion.
9  Et exsultavérunt fíliæ Judæ: * propter judícia tua, Dómine:
10  Quóniam tu Dóminus Altíssimus super omnem terram: * nimis exaltátus es super omnes deos.

7  Confounded be all they that worship carved images, and that delight in vain gods: * worship him, all ye gods.
8  Sion heard of it, and rejoiced; and the daughters of Judah were glad, * because of thy judgments, O Lord.
9  For thou, Lord, art higher than all that are in the earth: * thou art exalted far above all gods.

Salvation of the just

11  Qui dilígitis Dóminum, odite malum: * custódit Dóminus ánimas sanctórum suórum, de manu peccatóris liberábit eos.
12  Lux orta est justo, * et rectis corde lætítia.
13  Lætámini, justi in Dómino: * et confitémini memóriæ sanctificatiónis ejus.

10  O ye that love the Lord, see that ye hate the thing which is evil: * the Lord preserveth the souls of his saints; he shall deliver them from the hand of the ungodly.
11  There is sprung up a light for the righteous, * and joyful gladness for such as are true-hearted.
12  Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; * and give thanks for a remembrance of his holiness.

Psalm 64.  Te decet hymnus

The divine Provider

In this beautiful nature song, which pictures a summer landscape, God is praised for the blessings of nature during times of peace.

Gratitude

Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion: * et tibi reddétur votum in Jerúsalem.
2  Exáudi oratiónem meam: * ad te omnis caro véniet.
3  Verba iniquórum prævaluérunt super nos: * et impietátibus nostris tu propitiáberis.
4  Beátus quem elegísti et assumpsísti: * inhabitábit in átriis tuis.

THOU, O God, art praised in Sion; * and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem.
2  Thou that hearest the prayer, * unto thee shall all flesh come.
3  My misdeeds prevail against me: * O be thou merciful unto our sins.
4  Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and receivest unto thee: * he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.

Divine Providence

5  Replébimur in bonis domus tuæ, sanctum est templum tuum: *  mirábile in æquitáte.
6  Exáudi nos, Deus salutáris noster: * spes ómnium fínium terræ et in mari longe.
7  Præparans montes in virtúte tua: * accínctus poténtia.
8  Qui contúrbas profúndum maris: * sonum flúctuum ejus turbabúntur Gentes.
9  Et timébunt qui inhábitant términos a signis tuis: * éxitus matutíni, et véspere delectábis.

5  Thou shalt shew us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our salvation; * thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea.
6  Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains, * and is girded about with power.
7  Who stilleth the raging of the sea, * and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the peoples.
8  They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens, * thou that makest the out-goings of the morning and evening to praise thee.

Bountiful harvest

10  Visitásti terram, et inebriásti eam: * multiplicásti locupletáre eam.
11  Flumen Dei replétum est aquis; parásti cibum illórum: * quóniam ita est præparátio ejus.
12  Rivos ejus inébria multíplica genímina ejus: * in stillicídiis ejus lætábitur gérminans.
13  Benedíces corónæ anni benignitátis tuæ: * et campi tui replebúntur ubertáte.
14  Pinguéscent speciósa desérti: * et exsultatióne colles accingéntur.
15  Indúti sunt aríetes óvium et valles abundábunt frumento: * clamábunt, étenim hymnum dicent.

9  Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it; * thou makest it very plenteous.
10  The river of God is full of water: * thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth.
11  Thou waterest her furrows; thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof; * thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it.
12  Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; * and thy clouds drop fatness.
13  They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; * and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.
14  The folds shall be full of sheep; * the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.

Morning resolutions

In this Psalm, a Jewish king sets forth the principles according to which he means to govern.  Christ, possessor of a priestly kingdom, in this prayer sets forth his program for the day: battle against sin.

Misericórdiam, et judícium * cantábo tibi, Dómine:
2  Psallam, et intélligam in via immaculáta, * quando venies ad me.
3  Perambulábam in innocéntia cordis mei: * in médio domus meæ.
4  Non proponébam ante óculos meos rem injústam: * faciéntes prævaricatiónes odívi.
5  Non adhæsit mihi cor pravum: * declinántem a me malígnum non cognoscébam.
6  Detrahéntem secréto próximo suo, * hunc persequébar.
7  Supérbo óculo, et insatiabili corde, * cum hoc non edébam.
8  Oculi mei ad fidéles terræ ut sédeant mecum: * ámbulans in via immaculáta, hic mihi ministrábat.
9  Non habitábit in médio domus meæ, qui facit supérbiam: * qui lóquitur iníqua, non diréxit in conspéctu oculórum meórum.
10  In matutíno interficiébam omnes peccatóres terræ: * ut dispérderem de civitáte Dómini omnes operántes iniquitátem.
 

MY song shall be of mercy and judgment; * unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.
2  O let me have understanding * in the way of godliness!
3  When wilt thou come unto me? * I will walk in my house with a perfect heart.
4  I will take no wicked thing in hand; I hate the sins of unfaithfulness; * there shall no such cleave unto me.
5  A froward heart shall depart from me; * I will not know a wicked person.
6  Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, * him will I destroy.
7  Whoso hath also a haughty look and a proud heart, * I will not suffer him.
8  Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land, * that they may dwell with me.
9  Whoso leadeth a godly life, * he shall be my servant.
10  There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house; * he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
11  I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land; * that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

Creation: God's creative power

Hymnum cantémus Dómino: * hymnum novum cantémus Deo nostro.
2  Adonai, Dómine, magnus es tu, et præclárus in virtúte tua, * et quem superare nemo potest.
3  Tibi serviat omnis creatura tua: * quia dixísti, et facta sunt :
4  Misísti spíritum tuum, et creáta sunt: * et non est qui resistat voci tuæ.
5  Montes a fundaméntis movebúntur cum aquis: * petræ, sicut cera, liquescent ante fáciem tuam.

LET us tune a hymn to the Lord; * let us sing a new song to our God.
2  O Lord, thou art great and glorious, * wonderful in strength and invincible.
3  Let all thy creatures serve thee, * for thou spakest, and they were made ;
4  Thou didst send forth thy Spirit and they were created; * and there is none that can resist thy Word.
5  Though the mountains be moved from their foundations, with the waters, and though the rocks melt as wax at thy presence, * yet thou art merciful to them that fear thee.

Providence: God's directive power

6  Qui autem timent te, * magni erunt apud te per ómnia.
7  Væ genti insurgénti super genus meum : Dóminus enim omnípotens vindicábit in eis, * in die judícii visitábit illos.
8  Dabit enim ignem, et vermes in carnes eórum, * et urántur, et séntiant usque in sempitérnum.

6  Lo, all sacrifice is too little for a sweet savour unto thee, * but he that feareth the Lord is thereby made great at all times.
7  Woe to the nations that rise up against my People! * the Lord Almighty will take vengeance of them in the day of judgment.
8  For he will give fire, and worms into their flesh, that they may burn, and may feel for ever.

Psalm 145.  Lauda, anima mea

The Saviour

"Come to me, all ye that are weary and heavy burthened..."

Praise of God

Lauda, ánima mea, Dóminum, laudábo Dóminum in vita mea: * psallam Deo meo quámdiu fúero.

PRAISE the Lord, O my soul: while I live, will I praise the Lord; * yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.

Fickleness of men

2  Nolíte confídere in princípibus: * in fíliis hóminum, in quibus non est salus.
3  Exíbit spíritus ejus, et revertétur in terram suam: * in illa die períbunt omnes cogitatiónes eórum.

2  O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man; * for there is no help in them.
3  For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth, * and then all his thoughts perish.

Our most faithful friend is God in heaven

4  Beátus, cujus Deus Jacob adjútor ejus, spes ejus in Dómino Deo ipsíus: * qui fecit cælum et terram, mare et ómnia, quæ in eis sunt.

4  Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, * and whose hope is in the Lord his God:
5  Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is; * who keepeth his promise for ever;

He is a faithful helper

5  Qui custódit veritátem in sæculum, facit judícium injúriam patiéntibus: * dat escam esuriéntibus.
6  Dóminus solvit compedítos: * Dóminus illúminat cæcos.
7  Dóminus érigit elísos: * Dóminus díligit justos.
8  Dóminus custódit ádvenas, pupíllum et víduam suscípiet: * et vias peccatórum dispérdet.

6  Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; * who feedeth the hungry.
7  The Lord looseth men out of prison; * the Lord giveth sight to the blind.
8  The Lord helpeth them that are fallen; * the Lord careth for the righteous.
9  The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow: * as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.

Eternal King