Thursday Lauds 2

Eucharist and Resurrection

Thursday's penitential Lauds turns the joyful news of Resurrection into the sober realization of the need to be redeemed.  This note is struck by the Miserére, Moses' Red Sea Canticle, and the Antiphons with their stress on penitential themes.  By comparing them with the Antiphons of First Lauds for Thursday, we can see the difference very strikingly.

Turning to God

Confession of guilt

Miserére mei Deus, * secúndum magnam misericórdiam tuam.
2  Et secúndum multitúdinem miseratiónum tuárum, * dele iniquitátem meam.
3  Amplius lava me ab iniquitáte mea: * et a peccáto meo munda me.
4  Quóniam iniquitátem meam ego cognósco: * et peccátum meum contra me est semper.
5  Tibi soli peccávi, et malum coram te feci: * ut justificéris in sermónibus tuis, et vincas cum judicáris.
6  Ecce enim in iniquitátibus concéptus sum: * et in peccátis concépit me mater mea.
7  Ecce enim veritátem dilexísti: * incérta et occúlta sapiéntiæ tuæ manifestásti mihi.

Have mercy upon me, O God, * after thy great goodness.
2  According to the multitude of thy mercies * do away mine offences.
3  Wash me throughly from my wickedness, * and cleanse me from my sin.
4  For I acknowledge my faults, * and my sin is ever before me.
5  Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; * that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
6  Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, * and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
7  But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts, * and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

Plea for inner conversion

8  Aspérges me hyssópo, et mundábor: * lavábis me, et super nivem dealbábor.
9  Audítui meo dabis gáudium et lætítiam: * et exsultábunt ossa humiliáta.
10  Avérte fáciem tuam a peccátis meis: * et omnes iniquitátes meas dele.
11  Cor mundum crea in me, Deus: * et spíritum rectum ínnova in viscéribus meis.
12  Ne projícias me a fácie tua: * et spíritum sanctum tuum ne áuferas a me.
13  Redde mihi lætítiam salutáris tui: * et spíritu principáli confírma me.

8  Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; * thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
9  Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness, * that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
10  Turn thy face from my sins, * and put out all my misdeeds.
11  Make me a clean heart, O God, * and renew a right spirit within me.
12  Cast me not away from thy presence, * and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
13  O give me the comfort of thy help again, * and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

Thanksgiving and a promise

14  Docébo iníquos vias tuas: * et ímpii ad te convertentur.
15  Líbera me de sanguínibus, Deus, Deus salútis meæ: * et exsultábit lingua mea justítiam tuam.
16  Dómine, lábia mea apéries: * et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam.
17  Quóniam si voluísses sacrifícium dedíssem útique: * holocáustis non delectáberis.
18  Sacrifícium Deo spíritus contribulátus: * cor contrítum, et humiliátum, Deus non despícies.

14  Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked, * and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
15  Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; * and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
16  Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, * and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
17  For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; * but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
18  The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: * a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

Finale

19  Benígne fac, Dómine, in bona voluntáte tua Sion: * ut ædificéntur muri Jerúsalem.
20  Tunc acceptábis sacrifícium justítiæ, oblatiónes, et holocáusta: * tunc impónent super altáre tuum vítulos.

19  O be favourable and gracious unto Sion; * build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
20  Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations; * then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

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.

This is the song of thanksgiving sung by Moses after the Israelites had passed through the Red Sea and the armies of the Pharaoh had been annihilated.  This Canticle is one of the best models of Hebrew poetry.  The Christian will have thoughts of redemption and baptism as he prays: deliverance from Egypt and passing through the Red Sea are figures for these two mysteries.

Jubilation over Pharaoh's ruin

Cantémus Dómino: gloriose enim magnificátus est, * equum et ascensórem dejécit in mare.
2  Fortitúdo mea, et laus mea Dóminus, * et factus est mihi in salútem.
3  Iste Deus meus, et glorificábo eum: * Deus patris mei, et exaltábo eum.
4  Dóminus quasi vir pugnator, (fit reverentia) Omnípotens nomen ejus. * Currus Pharaónis et exercitum ejus projecit in mare.
5  Electi príncipes ejus submersi sunt in mari Rubro: * abyssi operuérunt eos, descendérunt in profúndum quasi lapis.

Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously magnified; * the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
2  The Lord is my strength and my praise, * and to me he is become salvation.
3  This is mine own God, and I will glorify him; * the God of my father, and I will exalt him.
4  The Lord is a mighty man of war, (all bow) Almighty is his Name. * Pharaoh's chariots and his host did he cast into the Sea.
5  Yea, even his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea: * the depths have covered them, they went down to the bottom like a stone.

God's power and faithfulness

6  Déxtera tua, Dómine, magnificáta est in fortitúdine: déxtera tua, Dómine, percússit inimícum. * Et in multitúdine glóriæ tuæ deposuísti adversarios meos.
7  Misísti iram tuam, quæ devorávit eos sicut stípulam. * Et in spíritu furoris tui congregátæ sunt aquæ:
8  Stetit unda fluens, * congregátæ sunt abyssi in médio mari.
9  Dixit inimícus: Pérsequar et comprehéndam, * dívidam spólia, implébitur ánima mea:
10  Evaginábo gládium meum, * interfíciet eos manus mea.
11  Flavit spíritus tuus, et opéruit eos mare: * submersi sunt quasi plumbum in aquis veheméntibus.
12  Quis símilis tui in fortibus, Dómine? * quis símilis tui, magnificus in sanctitáte, terríbilis atque laudábilis, fáciens mirabília?
13  Extendísti manum tuam, et devorávit eos terra. * Dux fuísti in misericórdia tua pópulo quem redemísti:
14  Et portásti eum in fortitúdine tua, * ad habitáculum sanctum tuum.
15  Ascendérunt pópuli, et iráti sunt: * dolóres obtinuérunt habitatóres Philisthiim.
16  Tunc conturbáti sunt príncipes Edom, robustos Moab obtinuit tremor: * obriguérunt omnes habitatóres Chánaan.
17  Irruat super eos formído et pavor, * in magnitúdine bráchii tui:
18  Fiant immobiles quasi lapis, donec pertránseat pópulus tuus, Dómine, * donec pertránseat pópulus tuus iste, quem possedísti.
19  Introduces eos, et plantábis in monte hereditátis tuæ, * firmíssimo habitáculo tuo quod operátus es, Dómine.
20  Sanctuárium tuum, Dómine, quod firmavérunt manus tuæ. * Dóminus regnábit in ætérnum et ultra.
21  Ingréssus est enim eques Pharao cum cúrribus et equítibus ejus in mare: * et redúxit super eos Dóminus aquas maris:
22  Fílii autem Israel ambulavérunt per siccum * in médio ejus.

6  Thy right hand, O Lord, is magnified in strength; thy right hand, O Lord, hath slain the enemy. * And in the multitude of thy glory hast thou put down mine adversaries.
7  Thou hast sent forth thy wrath, and it hath consumed them as stubble. * And with the blast of thine anger the waters were gathered together.
8  The flowing water stood upright : * the depths were gathered together in the midst of the sea.
9  The enemy said: I will pursue, I will overtake, * I will divide the spoils; my soul shall have its fill.
10  I will draw my sword, * my hand shall slay them.
11  Thou hast blown with thy breath, and the sea did cover them; * they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
12  Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the mighty? * who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praiseworthiness, performing wondrous things?
13  Thou stretchedst forth thy hand, and the earth did swallow them; * in thy mercy thou hast been a leader unto the people which thou hast redeemed.
14  And in thy strength thou hast carried them, * even unto thy holy habitation.
15  Nations rose up, and were angry; * sorrows took hold on the inhabitants of Palestine.
16  Then were the princes of Edom dismayed; trembling seized on the mighty men of Moab; * all the inhabitants of Canaan did become stiff.
17  Let fear and dread fall upon them; * in the greatness of thine arm.
18  Let them be as still as a stone * till thy people pass over, O Lord, which thou hast possessed.
19  For thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, * in thy most firm habitation which thou hast made, O Lord.
20  Even thy sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established; * the Lord shall reign from one eternity to another.
21  For Pharaoh went in on horseback with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, * and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them.
22  But the children of Israel, they did walk on dry land * in the midst thereof.

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.