Thursday Lauds

Eucharist and Resurrection

Lauds usually does not have have a unifying theme.  The Hour is a mosaic of praise and nature Psalms resembling the gaily coloured tapestry of a flowery meadow.  But Thursday Lauds has a leit-motif: the mystery of the most holy Eucharist.  A well developed liturgical mind will find liturgical references to the Eucharist in all five Psalms.  Two of them (Psalm 35 and the Canticle) have been selected just on that account.

The King in the holy Eucharist

The first Psalm of Lauds is always an act of homage to our King: today we greet him as the Eucharistic King who in this sacrament of love has "done wonders" and "made known his salvation."  Particularly impressive is the worship paid by nature in the third strophe.

May Israel praise him

Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum: * quia mirabília fecit.
2  Salvávit sibi déxtera ejus: * et bráchium sanctum ejus.
3  Notum fecit Dóminus salutáre suum: * in conspéctu Géntium revelávit justítiam suam.
4  Recordátus est misericórdiæ suæ, * et veritátis suæ dómui Israël.
5  Vidérunt omnes términi terræ * salutáre Dei nostri.

O sing unto the Lord a new song; * for he hath done marvellous things.
2  His right hand hath wrought for him salvation : * and his arm is holy.
3  The Lord hath made known his salvation; * his righteousness hath he revealed in the sight of the heathen.
4  He hath remembered his mercy, * and his truth toward the house of Israel.
5  All the ends of the world have seen * the salvation of our God.

May the Gentiles praise him

6  Jubiláte Deo, omnis terra: * cantáte, et exsultáte, et psállite.
7  Psállite Dómino in cíthara, in cíthara et voce psalmi: * in tubis ductílibus, et voce tubæ córneæ.

6  Be ye joyful unto God, all the earth : * make melody, rejoice, and sing.
7  Sing praise unto the Lord upon the harp, yea, upon the harp and with the voice of a psalm : * with long trumpets, and with the sound of the shawm.

May all Creation praise him

8  Jubiláte in conspéctu regis Dómini: * moveátur mare, et plenitúdo ejus: orbis terrárum, et qui hábitant in eo.
9  Flúmina plaudent manu, simul montes exsultábunt a conspéctu Dómini: * quóniam venit judicáre terram.
10  Judicábit orbem terrárum in justítia, * et pópulos in æquitáte.

8  O shew yourselves joyful before the Lord, the King : * let the sea be moved, and the fulness thereof: the round world, and they that dwell therein.
9  Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; * for he is come to judge the earth.
10  With righteousness shall he judge the world, * and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 89.  Domine, refugium

Original sin and Redemption

This grave, melancholy Psalm does not seem at home in the sunny atmosphere of Lauds.  It is the dark side of the day's theme for prayer, background for the Resurrection and the Eucharist.  It portrays human frailty and death as consequences of original sin, and ends with a petition for the joy and blessedness for which every human heart yearns.  This blessedness is destined for us through the Redemption of Jesus Christ.  And the holy Eucharist is the tree of life whose fruit is a pledge of immortality and future resurrection.

God's years and man's years

Dómine, refúgium factus es nobis: * a generatióne et generatiónem.
2  Priúsquam montes fíerent, aut formarétur terra et orbis: * a sæculo et usque in sæculum tu es, Deus.
3  Ne avértas hóminem in humilitátem: * et dixísti: Convertímini, fílii hóminum.
4  Quóniam mille anni ante óculos tuos, * tamquam dies hestérna, quæ prætériit.
5  Et custódia in nocte, * quæ pro níhilo habéntur, eórum anni erunt.
6  Mane sicut herba tránseat, mane flóreat, et tránseat: * véspere décidat, indúret et aréscat.

Lord, thou hast been our refuge, * from one generation to another.
2  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, * thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
3  Turn thou not man to be made low ; * thou hast said, Turn ye, O ye children of men.
4  For a thousand years in thy sight * are but as yesterday when it is past.
5  And as a watch in the night, * things that are counted as nought, shall their years be.
6  In the morning man shall grow up like the grass, yea, in the morning he shall flourish and pass away : * in the evening he shall fall, dry up, and wither.

Sin as the basis of human misery

7  Quia defécimus in ira tua, * et in furóre tuo turbáti sumus.
8  Posuísti iniquitátes nostras in conspéctu tuo: * sæculum nostrum in illuminatióne vultus tui.
9  Quóniam omnes dies nostri defecérunt: * et in ira tua defécimus.
10  Anni nostri sicut aránea meditabúntur: * dies annórum nostrórum in ipsis, septuagínta anni.
11  Si autem in potentátibus, octogínta anni: * et ámplius eórum, labor et dolor.
12  Quóniam supervénit mansuetúdo: * et corripiémur.
13  Quis novit potestátem iræ tuæ: * et præ timóre tuo iram tuam dinumeráre?
14  Déxteram tuam sic notam fac: * et erudítos corde in sapiéntia.

7  For we are consumed away in thy wrath, * and are troubled in thine indignation.
8  Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee; * and our life in the light of thy countenance.
9  For all our days are gone: * and thy wrath we are consumed away.
10  Our years shall be considered as a spider : * the days of our years are threescore years and ten.
11  But if in the strong they come to fourscore years, * then what is more of them is but labour and sorrow.
12  For meekness hath come upon us, * and we shall be swept away.
13  Who knoweth the power of thy wrath? * or how for fear to number aright thy wrath?
14  So make thy right hand hand known : * and men applied their hearts unto wisdom.

Plea for grace and mercy

15  Convértere, Dómine, úsquequo? * et deprecábilis esto super servos tuos.
16  Repléti sumus mane misericórdia tua: * et exsultávimus, et delectáti sumus ómnibus diébus nostris.
17  Lætáti sumus pro diébus, quibus nos humiliásti: * annis, quibus vídimus mala.
18  Réspice in servos tuos, et in ópera tua: * et dírige fílios eórum.
19  Et sit splendor Dómini Dei nostri super nos, et ópera mánuum nostrárum dírige super nos: * et opus mánuum nostrárum dirige.

15  Turn thee again, O Lord, at the last, * and be gracious unto thy servants.
16  We are filled in the morning with thy mercy, * and we have rejoiced and we are glad all the days of our life.
17  We have rejoiced for the days in which thou hast humbled us; * and for the years wherein we have suffered evils.
18  Look upon thy servants, and upon thy works : * and be thou a guide unto their children.
19  And the glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us: prosper thou the work of our hands upon us; * O prosper thou our handy-work.

Life without God and life with God

This Psalm is composed of two poems set in opposition to each other.  The first one portrays the wicked confirmed in their evildoing; the second depicts God as the fountain of life.  It is on account of the second part that the Psalm has been chosen for Lauds―it is a very fine reference to the holy Eucharist.  In the Eucharist Christ is, in the fullest and deepest sense, "the fountain of life," the source of sanctifying grace.  It is a very fervent song.

The godless

Dixit injústus ut delínquat in semetípso: * non est timor Dei ante óculos ejus.
2  Quóniam dolóse egit in conspéctu ejus: * ut inveniátur iníquitas ejus ad ódium.
3  Verba oris ejus iníquitas, et dolus: * nóluit intellígere ut bene ágeret.
4  Iniquitátem meditátus est in cubíli suo: * ástitit omni viæ non bonæ, malítiam autem non odívit.

The ungodly hath said within himself that he would sin, * there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2  For he hath done deceitfully in his own sight, * that his wickedness be found out unto hatred.
3  The words of his mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit: * he would not understand that he might do good.
4  He imagineth mischief upon his bed, * and hath set himself in no good way, neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.

God's grace towards all

5  Dómine, in cælo misericórdia tua: * et véritas tua usque ad nubes.
6  Justítia tua sicut montes Dei: * judícia tua abyssus multa.
7  Hómines, et juménta salvábis, Dómine: * quemádmodum multiplicásti misericórdiam tuam, Deus,
8  Fílii autem hóminum, * in tégmine alárum tuárum sperábunt.
9  Inebriabúntur ab ubertáte domus tuæ: * et torrénte voluptátis tuæ potábis eos.
10  Quóniam apud te est fons vitæ: * et in lúmine tuo vidébimus lumen.

5  Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens, * and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6  Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains: * thy judgments are like the great deep.
7  Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast : * how excellent is thy mercy, O God.
8  And the children of men * shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
9  They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house; * and thou shalt give them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure.
10  For with thee is the fountain of life; * and in thy light shall we see light.

Plea for perseverance

11  Præténde misericórdiam tuam sciéntibus te, * et justítiam tuam his, qui recto sunt corde.
12  Non véniat mihi pes supérbiæ: * et manus peccatóris non móveat me.
13  Ibi cecidérunt qui operántur iniquitátem: * expulsi sunt, nec potuérunt stare.

11  O extend thy mercy unto them that know thee, * and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.
12  O let not the foot of pride come against me; * and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
13  There are they fallen, all that work wickedness; * they are cast out, and are not able to stand.

The prophet describes the solemn thanksgiving at the deliverance from the Babylónian captivity.  This deliverance prefigures our redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Like the Jews of old, we too, in a deeper sense, come to Mt. Sion, the Church, and hasten to the "goodness of this the Lord, unto the wheat and the wine" (that is, the Eucharist).  Our blessed Lord in the Eucharist refreshes all our souls; he is the greatest gift of redemption himself.

The good news

Audíte verbum Dómini, Gentes, * et annuntiáte in insulis, quæ procul sunt,
2  Et dícite: Qui dispérsit Israel, congregábit eum: * et custódiet eum sicut pastor gregem suum.
3  Redemit enim Dóminus Jacob, * et liberávit eum de manu potentioris.

Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, * and declare it in the isles afar off.
2  And say : He that scattereth Israel will gather him, * and keep him as a shepherd gathereth and keepeth his flock.
3  For the Lord did ransom Jacob, * and redeem him from the hand of one that was mightier than he.

Homecoming

4  Et vénient, et laudábunt in monte Sion: * et confluent ad bona Dómini,
5  Super frumento, et vino, et óleo, * et fœtu pécorum et armentórum:
6  Eritque ánima eórum quasi hortus irriguus, * et ultra non esurient.
7  Tunc lætábitur virgo in choro, * júvenes et senes simul:
8  Et convértam luctum eórum in gáudium, * et consolabor eos, et lætificábo a dolóre suo.
9  Et inebriábo ánimam sacerdotum pinguédine: * et pópulus meus bonis meis adimplébitur.

4  And they shall come, and shall give praise on mount Sion, * and shall flow together unto the goodness of the the Lord.
5  For the corn and wine and oil, * and the increase of cattle and of the herd.
6  And their soul shall be like a watered garden, * and they shall not hunger any more.
7  Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, * and the young men and the old together.
8  And I will change their mourning into joy, * and will comfort them, and make them to rejoice after their sorrow.
9  And I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness, * and my people shall be filled with my goodness.

Psalm 146.  Laudate Dominum

Praise the Lord our Provider

This Psalm sings of God's providence over animate and inanimate creation.  In his morning prayer the Christian praises not only the Creator and Preserver of nature, but also his Saviour our Lord Jesus Christ, who today as the merciful Samaritan heals countless spiritual wounds and nourishes souls by his own Body.

Praised be the Healer of hearts

Laudáte Dóminum quóniam bonus est psalmus: * Deo nostro sit jucunda, decóraque laudátio.
2  Ædíficans Jerúsalem Dóminus: * dispersiónes Israël congregábit.
3  Qui sanat contrítos corde: * et alligat contritiónes illórum.

O praise ye the Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises : * unto our God be joyful and seemly praise.
2  The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, * he shall gather together the dispersed of Israel.
3  He healeth those that are broken in heart, * and bindeth up their bruises.

Who is both mighty and merciful

4  Qui númerat multitúdinem stellárum: * et ómnibus eis nómina vocat.
5  Magnus Dóminus noster, et magna virtus ejus: * et sapiéntiæ ejus non est númerus.
6  Suscípiens mansuétos Dóminus: * humílians autem peccatóres usque ad terram.
7  Præcínite Dómino in confessióne: * psállite Deo nostro in cíthara.

4  He telleth the number of the stars, * and calleth them all by their names.
5  Great is our Lord, and great is his power; * yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
6  The Lord lifteth up the meek, * and bringeth the ungodly down even to the ground.
7  O sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; * sing praises upon the harp unto our God:

Praised be our Provider

8  Qui óperit cælum núbibus: * et parat terræ plúviam.
9  Qui prodúcit in móntibus fœnum: * et herbam servitúti hóminum.
10  Qui dat juméntis escam ipsórum: * et pullis corvórum invocántibus eum.

8  Who covereth the heaven with clouds, * and prepareth rain for the earth.
9  Who maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, * and herb for the use of men.
10  Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, * and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.

Trust in God alone

11  Non in fortitúdine equi voluntátem habébit: * nec in tibiis viri beneplácitum erit ei.
12  Beneplácitum est Dómino super timéntes eum: * et in eis, qui sperant super misericórdia ejus.

11  He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse; * neither delighteth he in the legs of man.
12  But the Lord's delight is in them that fear him, * and put their trust in his mercy.