The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 22

St Bonaventure Receiving the Banner of St Sepulchre
from the Madonna, by Francesco Solimena (1710). The 
Cathedral of San Paolo in Aversa, Italy. Public domain.

The following posts present the text of The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its authorship is generally attributed to St Bonaventure (1221-15 July 1274) who studied at the University of Paris where in 1243 he joined the Franciscan Order. In 1254, he was made a Master of Theology and took over the leadership of the Franciscan School in Paris. Bonaventure was officially confirmed as seventh Minister General of the Franciscans in 1257. He later wrote a life of St Francis and has been called the second founder of the Order. Appointed Cardinal the year before his death in 1274, he was canonised in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588 with the title of Seraphic Doctor.

I offer this annotated presentation of St Bonaventure’s Psalter as a small gift to our gentle Queen and Mother in gratitude for her many graces and favours, praying for her continued help and protection for the author and his family.

This presentation of St Bonaventure’s Marian Psalms will include: an English translation based upon that of Sr Mary Emmanuel O.S.B. in the 1932 edition published by Herder; the Latin text as published in the Psalterium B. Virignis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 22

“Blessed is the grace of thy face.” The Virgin of
the Rosary (1675-80), by Murillo. Dulwich
Picture Gallery (Personal use). 

1. The Lord ruleth me[1], O Virgin Mother of God: because thou hast turned on me thy[2] gracious countenance.

2. Blessed are thy most resplendent eyes: which thou deignest to turn on sinners.

3. Blessed is the light and the splendour of thy countenance: blessed is the grace of thy face.

4. Blessed be the mercy of thy hands: blessed be the stream of thy virginal milk[3].

5. Let the Prophets and Apostles of God bless thee: let Martyrs, Confessors, and Virgins sing praise to thee[4].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Dominus regit me, Virgo Dei genitrix : quia tu amabilem vultum eius ad me convertisti.

2. Benedicti sunt oculi tui splendissimi : quos digneris misericorditer convertere super nos peccatores.

3. Benedictum sit lumen et splendor faciei tuæ : benedicta sit gratia vultus tui.

4. Benedicta sit misericordia manuum tuarum : benedicta sit emanatio virginei lactis tui.

5. Benedicant te Apostoli tui et Prophetæ Dei : Martyres, Confessores, et Virgines psallant tibi.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “The Lord ruleth me,” Davidic Ps. XXII. 1. 

[2] “thy”: The 1679 Latin text has “eius” meaning “His,” but the 1932 English translation opted for “thy,” perhaps because the subject of the clause is “tu” (thou) and the next two verses speak of her eyes and her countenance.

[3] Cf. A certain woman in the crowd called out to Christ: “Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps (Lat. ubera) that gave thee suck:” Luke xi. 27.

[4] Cf. the titles of the titles of Mary as Queen in the Litany of Loreto (c1150-1200).

Davidic Psalm XXII

The Good Shepherd (1886-94), by James
Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. Public domain.

1 A psalm for David. The Lord ruleth me: and I shall want nothing.  2 He hath set me in a place of pasture. He hath brought me up, on the water of refreshment:  3 He hath converted my soul. He hath led me on the paths of justice, for his own name’s sake.  4 For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me.  5 Thou hast prepared a table before me against them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil; and my chalice which inebriateth me, how goodly is it!  6 And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And that I may dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.

Notes

The Good Shepherd

When the pious king wrote this gracious canticle, the Tabernacle had been erected on the hill of Sion (cf. Vers. 6);  from this it follows the date of its composition cannot be fixed before the ninth year of David’s reign.

The subject of the poem is praise of God : 1) as a Good Shepherd who feeds and protects David, His dear and faithful sheep (verses 1-4) ; 2) as a host  who shows generous liberality towards His friend (verses 5-6). The first and most direct explanation therefore concerns David personally ; but, in a spiritual sense, this applies to all the holy souls who also find Him the best of shepherds and the amiable of hosts.   

It is a most charming idyll, exuding calm and joy. It would be impossible to find anything more exquisite, more joyful, more profound, and more consoling – except perhaps the celebrated parable in the fourth Gospel,in which Jesus Christ describes himself as the Good Shepherd par excellence (cf. John x. 1 et seq.).

The Psalm may be divided into two parts: The shepherd, verses 1-4; and the amphitryon (generous host), verses 5-6. 

First part: the good Shepherd.

Verses 1-3: the care with which God leads and feed his sheep. “The Lord ruleth me”: better, “feedeth me.” The Lord is my shepherd, as the Hebrew has it (LXX: ποιμαίνει). The God of Revelation and of the theocratic covenant is often designated in the Old Testament, and particularly in the Psalms, by means of this touching image which expresses in a most effective manner  his loving behaviour . Cf. LXXIII, 1; LXXVI, 20; LXXVII, 52, 70 et seq.; LXXVIII, 13; LXXX, 1, etc.; Is. Xl, 11; Mich. vii, 14, etc. See too in the New Testament, Hebr. xiii, 20; I Petr. Ii, 25.

“I shall want nothing:” or rather, “I want nothing.” In this first part, all the verbs which the Vulgate shows in the past historic tense should should read as the present tense. His sheep can never want for anything: this is the general idea which is immediately developed with details full of grace, (verses 2-3), where all the words, chosen in an exquisite manner, make up a picture and recall the experience that David had of the pastoral during his youth.

“on the water of refreshment”: In the Orient,  sheep need water every day because of the heat and dryness of the climate.

Verses 3-4: the care taken by the Good Shepherd to protect his sheep. “He hath led me”: the shepherd in the Orient never walks behind his flock but always at the front,  where literally he leads it.

“For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death:” in the valley of the shadow of death (Vulg. : in medio), lost in thick shadows like those of the tomb, under which fear, already so great in itself, is increased further by the thought of unknown dangers that might intrude therein, he nevertheless remains without any fear.

“for thou art with me:” the Good Shepherd is enough to reassure the timid and helpless sheep.  

“Thy rod and thy staff;” synonymous expressions referring to the shepherd’s crook. He leans upon this as on rod and makes use of it to defend his flock against thieves and wild beasts. Cf. I Kings xvii, 39; Mich. vii, 14, etc.

Second part: the generous host.

“Thou hast anointed my head with oil;” the oriental custom during the course of formal meals was to use perfumed oil for anointing the guests who are to be honoured. Cf. Am. vi, 7; Luke vii, 46, etc.

“And thy mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Hebr. “mercy and happiness…” This astonishing beneficence of the Lord does not last only one day but follows (Hebr. pursues) unceasingly David and holy souls. 

 +       +        +

The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen. 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

He that hearkeneth to me, shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting. Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) xxiv. 30-31.30-31.