The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 96

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).

Reminder: I began posting an annotated and illustrated version of St Bonaventure's Life of St Francis on the 4th October (his feast day) this year, the 800th anniversary of his death in 1226. To read these posts, please click on our sister blog:

St Bonaventure’s Life of St Francis

Psalm 96

“Praise her, all ye citizens of the heavenly court.” The Fiesole Altarpiece, by
Fra Angelico (1424-5).[6] The Convent of San Domenico, Fiesole.
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

1. The Lord hath reigned, let Mary rejoice[1]: in all the empire under her rule[2].

2. Praise her, all ye citizens of the heavenly court[3]: exalt her, ye fair virgins, her daughters.

3. For she is raised above Principalities and Dominations: she is exalted above Angels and the embassies of Archangels[4].

4. Patriarchs and Prophets, break forth in her praise: make a harmony, Apostles and martyrs of Christ.

5. Confessors and virgins, sing canticles to her from the songs of Sion: and congratulate her, holy monks, for the triumphs she has won[5].

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Dominus regnavit, exultet Maria: in omni imperio dominationis suæ.

2. Laudate eam, cives curiæ paradisi: exaltate eam, virgines speciosæ, filiæ ejus.

3. Quoniam elevata est super Principatus et Dominationes: exaltata est super Angelorum et Archangelorum legationes.

4. Patriarchæ et Prophetæ, concrepate illi laudem: concentum illi facite, Apostoli, Martyresque Christi.

5. Confessores cum Virginibus, de canticis Sion dicite canticum ei: et regratiamini ei, Monachi sancti, de acceptis triumphis.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice”: Davidic Ps. XCVI, 1.

[2] Mary is called by St. John Damascene “Queen, ruler, and lady,”[Homilia I in Dormitionem B.M.V.: P.G. XCVI, 719 A.] and also “the Queen of every creature.”[De fide orthodoxa, I, IV, c. 14: PG XLIV, 1158 B.], quoted in the Ad Cæli Reginam Encyclical Of Pope Pius XII on the Queenship Of Mary (1954).

[3] Cf. “Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: serve ye the Lord with gladness. Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy.” Ps. XCIX, 2.

[4] For the Angelic orders, see Aquinas ST.I.Q108.A5.

[5] Cf. the Litany of Loreto (Paris, 1150-1200): “Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Confessors, Queen of Virgins, Queen of All Saints ...pray for us.”

[6] The saints are, from left to right, Thomas Aquinas, Barnabas, Dominic and Peter of Verona.

Davidic Psalm XCVI

1 For the same David, when his land was restored again to him.

The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad.  2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: justice and judgment are the establishment of his throne.  3 A fire shall go before him, and shall burn his enemies round about.  4 His lightnings have shone forth to the world: the earth saw and trembled.  5 The mountains melted like wax, at the presence of the Lord: at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.  6 The heavens declared his justice: and all people saw his glory.

7 Let them be all confounded that adore graven things, and that glory in their idols. Adore him, all you his angels:  8 Sion heard, and was glad. And the daughters of Juda rejoiced, because of thy judgments, O Lord.  9 For thou art the most high Lord over all the earth: thou art exalted exceedingly above all gods.  10 You that love the Lord, hate evil: the Lord preserveth the souls of his saints, he will deliver them out of the hand of the sinner.  11 Light is risen to the just, and joy to the right of heart.  12 Rejoice, ye just, in the Lord: and give praise to the remembrance of his holiness.

Notes

The God-King and His infinite power, who must be adored in a spirit of obedience.

Title: 1: “For the same David, when his land was restored again to him.” This title is missing in the Hebrew text. The author is David and the historic occasion, according to the most probable opinion, was when David was acknowledged as king by all the tribes of Israel, a few years after the death of Saul (cf. II Kings v, 1 et seq.). Other commentators link it to the defeat of Absalom: cf., II Kings xix, 9 et seq. The predominant note in this series of Psalms (XCII-XCIX) is that the Lord is King and it resounds here again from the very first verse. This poem, which has a beautiful and noble simplicity, sings in its turn of the personal advent of the Lord in His capacity as King of the universe. God makes His appearance in the midst of a terrible hurricane, as in several other sacred canticles; his enemies, the pagans, are consumed by the flames of His anger, the heavens proclaim His greatness, His glory is spread over all the earth, the whole world comes to adore Him, and Sion experiences the heights of joy. These various details, as may be seen, match very well with the coming of the Messiah and St Paul applies verse 7 to our Lord Jesus Christ : “Let all the angels of God adore him.” Hebr. i, 6.

Structure: The psalm maybe Div into two parts:

‣ verses 1b-6:  the Lord appears on the scene to judge and punish the pagans;

‣ verses 7-12: the results of this theophany.

1: “let many islands be glad”: a reference not only to the multiple islands and peninsulas of the Mediterranean but more generally to the Pagan world. [Ed. I have for long fancied the reference includes the more than 6,000 islands making up the British Isles, of which a few hundred are inhabited...]

8: “the daughters of Juda rejoiced”: The other cities of the country share the joy of the Metropolis.

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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.