Psalm 50: A commentary by St Thomas Aquinas: Verse 13

 

David singing. J-J Tissot. Jewish Museum (NYC)

Today's post continues a series which presents the commentary St Thomas Aquinas wrote on David's Psalm 50. Through David's penitential words, the Holy Spirit breathes a sublime strengthening of faith, hope and love - for all who have ears to hear.

I am including the original Latin with my translation and notes.

The footnotes follow each section.

[13] Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Ne projicias me a facie tua, et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.

According to what follows from sin, there is a disorder of the mind that is produced by a turning away from its due end. In this way, therefore, through turning to some changeable good, the souls is made unclean thrpough turning away from its sue end. And in this way is rectitude opposed to to disorder, whereby man is directed to God: “The righteous love thee.”[9] And so he says: “and renew a right spirit;” that is, grant it anew, for I have lost it through sin: “ Be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”[10] And renew not outwardly but “within my bowels,” so that not only may the lips be made for speaking, but the heart may be made right for knowing.

Secundum quod sequitur ex peccato, est inordinatio mentis, quae fit per aversionem a fine debito. Sicut ergo per conversionem ad aliquod commutabile bonum animus efficitur immundus, ita per aversione a fine deordinatur; et huiusmodi deordinationi opponitur rectitudo qua homo dirigitur in Deum. I Cant. 1. "Recti diligunt te." Et ideo dicit: Et spiritum rectum innova; idest, de novo tribuas, quia per peccatum amisi. Ephes. 4. "Renovamini spiritu mentis vestrae." Et innova non exterius, sed in visceribus meis, ut scilicet non labia tantum ad loquendum, sed cor fit rectum ad cognoscendum.

[9] Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. CHORUS ADOLESCENTULARUM. Trahe me, post te curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua; exsultabimus et laetabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinum. Recti diligunt te. [I Cant. i. 3]
[10] And be renewed in the spirit of your mind: Renovamini autem spiritu mentis vestrae. [Eph. iv. 23]

“Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” Here he asks for the restoration of grace: and first he asks for grace itself; second he asks for the effect of grace, where he says: “Restore.” A person is said to have the grace of God in two ways:  for someone is said to have the grace of God and of man; and with regard to anything similar, that is when he is pleasing to both, namely to God and to man.

Ne proiicias me a facie tua, et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me. Hic petit restitutionem gratiae: et primo petit ipsam gratiam, secundo petit gratiae effectum, ibi, Redde. Gratiam Dei dicitur quis habere dupliciter. Nam aliquis dicitur habere gratiam Dei, et hominis, et quantum ad aliquid similiter, scilicet quando est utrique gratus, scilicet Deo, et homini.

 And this grace is called making agreeable: “ in which he hath graced us in his beloved son.”[11]  And according to this, grace is called the benevolence of God, by which God loves man unto life everlasting. And as far anything, it is dissimilar; for the grace of man does not make him good but, from its goodness, he is made agreeable to man; but with God, it is in an opposite manner: for, from the benevolence of God, it follows that man should be made good. There are, therefore, two things in the grace of God: namely, benevolence itself and its effects in the soul; and he seeks both when he says: “Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

Et haec vocatur gratia gratum faciens. Ephes. 1. "In qua gratificavit nos in dilecto filio suo.' Et secundum hoc gratia dicitur benevolentia Dei, qua Deus diligit hominem ad vitam aeternam. Et quantum ad aliquid est dissimile. Gratia enim hominis non facit eum bonum, sed ex sua bonitate efficitur gratus homini; sed apud Deum est e converso: quia ex Dei benevolentia sequitur quod homo fiat bonus. Duo ergo sunt in gratia Dei; scilicet ipsa benevolentia, et effectus eius in anima; et utrumque petit cum dicit: Ne proiicias me a facie tua; et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me.

[11] Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children through Jesus Christ unto himself: according to the purpose of his will: Qui praedestinavit nos in adoptionem filiorum per Jesum Christum in ipsum : secundum propositum voluntatis suae; Unto the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he hath graced us in his beloved son. in laudem gloriae gratiae suae, in qua gratificavit nos in dilecto Filio suo. [Eph. i. 5-6]

And this can be understood in a twofold sense: He who is in the face of someone is seen by him and is able to see him. That one is said to be in the face of God, according to the Book of Kings: “ In whose sight I stand;"[12] and in Genesis: “  God, in whose sight my fathers . . .  walked;”[13] and this, because they are upright to see God;”  and in Psalm xxvi: “ One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”[14]

Et hoc potest dupliciter intelligi. Ille qui est in facie alicuius, videtur ab eo, et potest illum videre. Iste dicitur esse in facie Dei secundum illud III Reg. 17. "Vivit Dominus, in cuius conspectu sto." Genes. 48. "Deus, in cuius conspectu ambulaverunt patres nostri." Et hoc quia ipsi recti sunt ad videndum Deum. Psalm. 26. Unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram, ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnibus diebus vitae meae.

[12] And Elias the Thesbite of the inhabitants of Galaad said to Achab: As the Lord liveth the God of Israel, in whose sight I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to the words of my mouth. Et dixit Elias Thesbites de habitatoribus Galaad ad Achab : Vivit Dominus Deus Israel, in cujus conspectu sto, si erit annis his ros et pluvia, nisi juxta oris mea verba. [III Reg. xvii. 1]
[13] And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day; Benedixitque Jacob filiis Joseph, et ait : Deus, in cujus conspectu ambulaverunt patres mei Abraham, et Isaac; Deus qui pascit me ab adolescentia mea usque in praesentem diem : [Gen. Xlviii. 15]
[14] One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. Unam petii a Domino, hanc requiram, ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnibus diebus vitae meae, ut videam voluptatem Domini, et visitem templum ejus. [Ps. Xxvi. 4]

Through each sin, one is lost; because sinners desert God and are abandoned by God, and they lose the trust of confidence in God: “ But your iniquities have divided between you and your God, (as to the first) and your sins have hid his face from you;”[15] as to the second. That one, therefore, is from the face of God cast out; and so he asks that he be not finally cast out by either way.

Per peccatum utrumque perditur; quia peccatores deserunt Deum, deseruntur a Deo, et amittunt fiduciam confidendi de Deo. Esa. 59. "Peccata, et iniquitates diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrum (quantum ad primum) et peccata vestra absconderunt faciem eius a vobis;" quantum ad secundum. Iste est ergo a facie Dei per peccatum proiectus; et ideo petit ne finaliter proiiciatur utroque modo.

[15] But your iniquities have divided between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he should not hear. Sed iniquitates vestrae diviserunt inter vos et Deum vestrum; et peccata vestra absconderunt faciem ejus a vobis, ne exaudiret. [Isa. Lix. 2]

Also, note that in man there are two things: namely guilt, for which he is worthy of punishment, and nature, from which he has the potential for grace’ and so he asks that He should not focus on his guilt but on his nature; whence he says: “ Cast me not away.”

Item nota, quod in homine duo sunt; scilicet culpa, ex qua dignus est poena, et natura, ex qua habet congruitatem ad gratiam: et ideo petit ut non prospiciat culpam, sed naturam, et ideo dicit, Ne proiicias me.

Also, the gift of grace is given through charity, and such a gift is given through the Holy Spirit, and so he says: “ And take not thy holy spirit from me,” whose temple I was but lost on account of sin: “   and see: “ The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful;”[16] Therefore he says “take not” finally (thy holy spirit from me).   

Item donum gratiae datur per caritatem, et tale donum datur per Spiritum sanctum; et ideo dicit: Et spiritum sanctum tuum ne auferas a me; cuius templum fueram, sed perdidi propter peccatum. Sap. 1. "Spiritus sanctus disciplinae effugiet fictum." Ne ergo auferas, scilicet finaliter.

[16] For the Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful, and will withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding, and he shall not abide when iniquity cometh in. Spiritus enim sanctus disciplinae effugiet fictum; et auferet se a cogitationibus quae sunt sine intellectu, et corripietur a superveniente iniquitate. [Sap. i. 5]

 Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.