The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 24

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. Virginis Mariæ of 1679; the text of the Douay-Rheims Psalms; with footnotes and occasional notes translated from Fillion’s Bible (1900 edition).

Psalm 24

“Crush their violence in thy might : and with mildness meet my soul.”
The Virgin as the Woman of the Apocalypse (c1623-24), by Rubens.
Getty Centre, L.A. (Open Content Program).

1. To thee, O Lady, have I lifted up my soul[1]: in the judgment of God, by the help of thy prayers, I shall not be ashamed[2].

2. Let not my adversaries make game of me[3]: for those who trust in thee are strengthened.

3. Let not the snares of death prevail against me[4]: nor the camps of the malignant[5] hinder my steps.

4. Crush their violence in thy might[6]: and with mildness hasten to meet my soul[7].

5. Be my guide unto our Father’s home[8]: and deign to add me to the company of His Angels.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Ad te Domina levavi animam meam : in iudicio Dei, tuis precibus non erubescam.

2. Neque illudant mihi adversarii mei : etenim præsumentes de te roborantur.

3. Non prævaleant adversum me laquei mortis : et castra malignantium non impediant gressus meos.

4. Collide impetum eorum in virtute tua : et cum mansuetudine occurre animæ meæ.

5. Ductrix mea esto ad patriam : et me cœtui Angelorum digneris aggregare.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.” Davidic Ps. XXIV, 1.

[2] Cf. “In thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed.” Ps. XXIV, 2.

[3] Cf. “Neither let my enemies laugh at me”: Ps. XXIV, 3.

[4] Cf. “The snares of death have seized hold of me;” Ps. XVII. 6.

[5] “the malignant”; see Ps. XXI, 17; Ps. XXV, 5; & Ps. LXIII. 3.

[6] Cf. “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.”  Gen. iii. 15.

[7] Cf. “He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.” Davidic Ps. XXIV, 9.

[8] Cf. “Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths.” Davidic Ps. XXIV, 4.

Davidic Psalm XXIV

“The Lord is sweet and righteous.” See Mark ch. vi.
James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum N.Y. Public domain.

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David. To thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.  2 In thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed.  3 Neither let my enemies laugh at me: for none of them that wait on thee shall be confounded.  4 Let all them be confounded that act unjust things without cause. Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths.  5 Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art God my Saviour; and on thee have I waited all the day long.  6 Remember, O Lord, thy bowels of compassion; and thy mercies that are from the beginning of the world.  7 The sins of my youth and my ignorances do not remember. According to thy mercy remember thou me: for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

8 The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way.  9 He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.  10 All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to them that seek after his covenant and his testimonies.  11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, thou wilt pardon my sin: for it is great.  12 Who is the man that feareth the Lord? He hath appointed him a law in the way he hath chosen.  13 His soul shall dwell in good things: and his seed shall inherit the land.  14 The Lord is a firmament to them that fear him: and his covenant shall be made manifest to them.

“Keep thou my soul, and deliver me.” See Luke iv. 33-36.
James Tissot (1886-94). Brooklyn Museum, N.Y. Public domain.

15 My eyes are ever towards the Lord: for he shall pluck my feet out of the snare. 16 Look thou upon me, and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor.  17 The troubles of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities.  18 See my abjection and my labour; and forgive me all my sins.  19 Consider my enemies for they are multiplied, and have hated me with an unjust hatred.  20 Keep thou my soul, and deliver me: I shall not be ashamed, for I have hoped in thee.  21 The innocent and the upright have adhered to me: because I have waited on thee.  22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all his tribulations.

Notes

A prayer to obtain the remission of sins and help in the midst of affliction

This poem, composed by David, is the second of the alphabetical Psalms (i.e., in Hebrew). Prayer alternates with meditation ; feelings of confidence in God with those of profound humility, aroused by the memory of past sins. It is prayer which predominates: we find it at the beginning (verses 1-7), in the middle, (verse 11) and at the end of the Psalm (verses 16-22). This prayer calls for light and guidance on the journey to God, remission of sins and protection against powerful enemies. The rest of the poem is consecrated to pious reflections by means of which the Psalmist arouses his faith.

The Psalm is divided into three parts: verses 1-7 are a prayer to obtain forgiveness and protection from God; verses 8-14 are reflections on the character of God and on His treatment of those who fear him; verses 15-22 are a prayer imploring help in the midst of grave anxieties.

First part: A prayer to obtain protection from the Lord against powerful enemies and His forgiveness of their sins. Verses 1-7.

Verse 7: “The sins of my youth”: faults resulting from the weakness or impetuosity of youth. “and my ignorances”: in Hebr., “my rebellions.” Faults in maturity committed with greater deliberation.

“remember thou me”: “Remember thou me,” writes St Augustine in his commentary on this text, “not according to thine anger of which I am worthy, but according to thy mercy which is worthy of thee.”

Second part: reflections on the character of God and on His treatment of those who fear him; verses 8-14. The supplicant makes this little meditation in order to encourage himself to pray more effectively; he seeks to increase his confidence by seeking in the character and behaviour of the Lord reasons to hope that his prayers have been heard.

Verse 8. “he will give a law.” Hebr. “he will instruct.” “to sinners in the way:” The Lord will instruct in their way sinners who strayed from the true path.

Verse 11: “thou wilt pardon my sin: for it is great”: an enormous burden of sin weighs upon David and is crushing him.

Third part:  the prayer is repeated with greater urgency in order to obtain pardon and deliverance. Verses 15-22.

Verse 16: “for I am alone and poor.” Note the twofold reason: David is alone without any other friend than God ; andy plunged in deep affliction (pauper / poor; Hebr. “afflicted.”).

“an unjust hatred”: Hebr. “a violent hatred,” inspired by pure malice and hence unjust.

Verse 21: “The innocent and the upright have adhered to me”: The Hebrew has simply: “May integrity and uprightness protect me.” The poet is therefore praying that these two qualities should be for him like two Guardian Angels who keep him safe from his foes and from sin. 

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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.