I'm continuing this series on the psalms of Sunday Vespers today, with an overview of the third psalm of the hour, Psalm 111 (112), Beatus Vir.
Psalm 111 is regarded as something of a twin to its predecessor, Psalm 110.
Both are alphabetical psalms in the original Hebrew.
More importantly, in this psalm, the just man (who fears God) and his works are praised in similar terms to those applied to God in the previous psalm. In the previous psalm, we praised God for his great works, above all the gift of the Eucharist; in this psalm we are invited to contemplate on how, with the aid of grace, we can participate in the divine life ourselves.
Happy the man...
The opening line of the psalm 'Happy the man' immediately places it with the other 'beatitude' psalms, such as Psalm 1.
Pope Benedict XVI sees the psalmist as posing the question, how can we live well, and find happiness?
"This Psalm answers: happy is the man who gives; happy is the man who does not live life for himself but gives; happy is the man who is merciful, generous and just; happy is the man who lives in the love of God and neighbour. In this way we live well and have no reason to fear death because we experience the everlasting happiness that comes from God."
In the Septuagint and Vulgate, the title of the psalm is given as 'Alleluia, of the returning of Aggeus and Zacharias', which implies that the psalm was sung by the two prophets on returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon as an expression of their joy. The Christian can feel the same joy at being admitted to the Eucharist each week after being freed from his or her sins.
Psalm 111
Here is the text as a whole. You can hear the Latin being read out loud at the Boston Catholic Journal website.
Vulgate
|
Douay-Rheims
|
Alleluja,
reversionis Aggæi et Zachariæ.
|
|
1 Beátus vir, qui timet Dóminum: * in
mandátis ejus volet nimis.
|
Blessed is the man that fears the Lord: he shall delight
exceedingly in his commandments.
|
2 Potens in terra erit semen ejus: * generátio
rectórum benedicétur.
|
2 His seed shall
be mighty upon earth: the generation
of the righteous shall be blessed.
|
3 Glória, et divítiæ in
domo ejus: * et justítia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi.
|
3 Glory and wealth shall
be in his house: and his justice
remains for ever and ever.
|
4 Exórtum est in ténebris
lumen rectis: * miséricors, et miserátor, et justus.
|
4 To the
righteous a light is risen up in darkness: he is merciful, and compassionate
and just.
|
5 Jucúndus homo qui
miserétur et cómmodat, dispónet sermónes suos in judício: * quia in ætérnum
non commovébitur.
|
5 Acceptable is
the man that shows
mercy and lends: he shall order his words with judgment:
|
6 In memória ætérna erit
justus: * ab auditióne mala non timébit.
|
6 Because he
shall not be moved for ever. 7 The just shall be in
everlasting remembrance: he shall not fear the evil hearing.
|
7 Parátum cor ejus speráre
in Dómino, confirmátum est cor ejus: * non commovébitur donec despíciat
inimícos suos.
|
His heart is ready to hope in the Lord: 8 His heart is strengthened, he shall not be moved
until he look over his enemies.
|
8 Dispérsit, dedit
paupéribus: justítia ejus manet in sæculum sæculi, * cornu ejus exaltábitur
in glória.
|
9 He has distributed,
he has given to the poor: his justice remains for
ever and ever: his horn shall be exalted in glory.
|
9 Peccator videbit, et irascetur;
dentibus suis fremet et tabescet : desiderium peccatorum peribit.
|
10 The wicked shall see, and
shall be angry, he
shall gnash with his teeth and pine away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
|
|
NT references
|
Jn 8:12, 2 Cor 4:6 (4);
2 Cor 9:8-9 (8);
Mt 8:12, Acts 7:54 (9)
|
|
RB cursus
|
Sunday Vespers+AN v1 (3251)
|
|
Monastic feasts etc
|
1 vespers of all male saints;
2 v of: Easter, Epiphany, Ascension,
Trinity, Pentecost, Transfiguration, Holy Cross, Christ the King;
CC, Sacred Heart;
Dedication of a Church
All Saints, St Michael,
AN 1676, 1678, 2794, 2937, 3510, 3258,
|
|
Responsories
|
Apostles in Eastertide (v1;6231);
|
|
Roman pre 1911
|
Sunday Vespers
|
|
Roman post 1911
|
1911-62 Sunday
Vespers .
1970:
|
|
Mass propers (EF)
|
Common
of a confessor not a bishop AL (v1)
Common
of a martyr not a bishop GR (v1-2)
Common
of a martyr bishop TR (v1-3)
St
Clement IN V – v1
St
Joachim IN v9, 1
St
Lawrence AL v9
Office
of the Dead GR v – v7
|
No comments:
Post a Comment