The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 65

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 65

“Blessed be thy heart, O Lady: with which thou hast
ardently and sincerely loved the Son of God.”
Our Lady of the Rosary (Murillo, 1650). Goya Museum,
Castres. Public domain. Didier Descouens CC BY-SA 4.0.

1. Shout with joy to Our Lady, all the earth: sing ye a psalm to her name: give honour to her majesty[1].

2. Blessed be thy heart, O Lady: with which thou hast ardently and sincerely loved the Son of God[2].

3. Look upon my poverty[3], O glorious Virgin: delay not to remove my misery and my difficulties.

4. Take away my tribulations[4]: sweeten my weariness[5].

5. Let all flesh bless thee: let every tongue glorify thee[6]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Jubilate Dominæ nostræ, omnis terra: psallite hymnum nomini ejus, date honorificentiam majestati ejus.

2. Benedictum sit cor tuum, Domina: cum quo ardenter et sinceriter Filium Dei dilexisti.

3. Respice paupertatem meam, gloriosa Virgo: miseriam et angustiam meam ne tardes removere.

4. Aufer tribulationem meam: dulcifica languorem meum.

5. Benedicat te omnis caro: glorificet te omnis lingua.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Shout with joy to God, all the earth, Sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.”: Davidic Ps. 1-2.

[2] Cf. “My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” Luke i, 46.

[3] Cf. “Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. / Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us.” From the Salve Regina, attributed to herman Contractus (1013-1054).

[4] Cf. “The troubles [tribulationes] of my heart are multiplied: deliver me from my necessities”: Ps. XXIV, 17.    “thou hast laid afflictions [tribulationes] on our back:” from Davidic Ps. LXV, 11.

[5] Cf. “Dulcis Parens clementiae / Sweet Mother of clemency”, from the Memento rerum Conditor, a traditional hymn for the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the Little Hours (Terce, Sext, and None) and for Compline. 

[6] Cf. “Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me”: ibid. 48-9.

Davidic Psalm LXV

1 Unto the end, a canticle of a psalm of the resurrection.

Shout with joy to God, all the earth,  2 Sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.  3 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works, O Lord! in the multitude of thy strength thy enemies shall lie to thee.  4 Let all the earth adore thee, and sing to thee: let it sing a psalm to thy name. 

5 Come and see the works of God; who is terrible in his counsels over the sons of men.  6 Who turneth the sea into dry land, in the river they shall pass on foot: there shall we rejoice in him.  7 Who by his power ruleth for ever: his eyes behold the nations; let not them that provoke him be exalted in themselves.  8 O bless our God, ye Gentiles: and make the voice of his praise to be heard.  9 Who hath set my soul to live: and hath not suffered my feet to be moved:  10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us by fire, as silver is tried.  11 Thou hast brought us into a net, thou hast laid afflictions on our back:  12 Thou hast set men over our heads. We have passed through fire and water, and thou hast brought us out into a refreshment.

13 I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,  14 Which my lips have uttered, And my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.  15 I will offer up to thee holocausts full of marrow, with burnt offerings of rams: I will offer to thee bullocks with goats. 16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great things he hath done for my soul.  17 I cried to him with my mouth: and I extolled him with my tongue.  18 If I have looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.  19 Therefore hath God heard me, and hath attended to the voice of my supplication.  20 Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

Notes

A canticle of thanksgiving to celebrate  deliverance resulting from God’s goodness.

Title: the customary dedication to the choirmaster : “unto the end.” This is a true lyric chant but the author is not indicated. The word resurrectionis (“of the resurrection”) was added by the Septuagint and the Vulgate, perhaps because of the first half of verse 9: “who hath set my soul to live,” in which there may be seen an allusion to the resurrection of the just. In the Greek Church this canticle is still called the “Psalm of the Resurrection.”

This is a hymn of thanksgiving composed on the occasion of a noteworthy deliverance granted by the Lord to the Israelites; for want of sufficient information, however, it is impossible to determine even approximately what this deliverance was. It is clear that it does not concern the end of the Babylonian captivity since none of the details have reference to this.

Structure: The psalm is divided into two parts :

‣ in the first, verses 1-12, the psalmist gives thanks to God in the name of the whole people;

‣ in the second, verses 13 -20, he speaks in his own name even though he seems to do this as a representative of his people.

First part: verses 1-12.

6: “Who turneth the sea into dry land, in the river they shall pass on foot”: the great miracle when the Red Sea opened to allow the Hebrews to cross ; and the similar miracle allowing them to cross through the waters of the River Jordan.

Second part: verses 13-20. Personal prayers of thanksgiving offered by the poet.  

15: “full of marrow” (Lat. medullata): the Hebrew substantive refers to fertile, plump lambs.

16-20: The psalmist recounts how his prayers have been heard in the midst of his distress.

20: Cf. The words of St Augustine who wrote: “Cum videris non a te amotam deprecationem tuam, securus esto, quia non est a te amota misericordia eius / When thou seest that thy prayer hath not been turned away from thee, rest assured, for His mercy hath not been turned away from thee.” (Enarrat. In Psalm., h. 1.)

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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.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 64

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 64

“He hath set a resplendent crown upon thy head.”
The Mother of fair love[6] (18th. c., anon).
 Museo de San Francisco, Ecuador. Public domain.

1. A hymn becometh thee, O Lady, in Sion: praise and jubilation in Jerusalem.[1]

2. The Lord hath given thee the blessing of all nations[2]: praise and glory in the sight of all peoples.

3. The Lord hath blessed thee in His mercy: and hath set thy throne above all the orders of angels.[3]

4. He hath placed grace and beauty in thy lips: and with a mantle of glory he hath clothed thy body.[4]

5. He hath set a resplendent crown upon thy head[5]: and hath adorned thee with the jewels of virtues.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Te decet hymnus, Domina nostra, in Sion: laus et jubilatio in Hierusalem.

2. Benedictionem omnium gentium dedit tibi Dominus: laudem et gloriam ante conspectum populorum.

3. Benedixit te Dominus in misericordia sua: et thronum tuum constituit super ordines angelorum.

4. Gratiam et decorem posuit in labiis tuis: et pallio gloriæ induit corpus tuum.

5. Coronam radiantem posuit in capite tuo: et virtutum monilibus te decenter ornavit.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “A Hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.” Davidic Ps. LXIV.

[2] Cf. “Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” Luke i, 48.

[3] Cf. God’s words to the serpent: “She shall crush thy head” (Gen. iii, 15), correcting the proud and inverted presumption of the latter when he dared to say “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (Is, xiv, 13).

[4] Cf. “The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; surrounded with variety”: Ps. XLIV, 10.

[5] Cf. “And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”: Apocalypse (Revelation) xii, 1; “Never has that hope wavered which they placed in the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ; nor has that faith ever failed by which we are taught that Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother's solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen.” Pope Pius XII in his Encyclical proclaiming the queenship of Mary, Ad Caeli Reginam (1954).

[6] Cf. “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations.They that eat me, shall yet hunger: and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. 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, 24.

Davidic Psalm LXIV

1 To the end, a psalm of David. The canticle of Jeremias and Ezechiel to the people of the captivity, when they began to go out.

2 A Hymn, O God, becometh thee in Sion: and a vow shall be paid to thee in Jerusalem.  3 O hear my prayer: all flesh shall come to thee.  4 The words of the wicked have prevailed over us: and thou wilt pardon our transgressions.  5 Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen and taken to thee: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be filled with the good things of thy house; holy is thy temple,  6 Wonderful in justice. Hear us, O God our saviour, who art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and in the sea afar off.

7 Thou who preparest the mountains by thy strength, being girded with power:  8 Who troublest the depth of the sea, the noise of its waves. The Gentiles shall be troubled,  9 And they that dwell in the uttermost borders shall be afraid at thy signs: thou shalt make the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to be joyful.

10 Thou hast visited the earth, and hast plentifully watered it; thou hast many ways enriched it. The river of God is filled with water, thou hast prepared their food: for so is its preparation.  11 Fill up plentifully the streams thereof, multiply its fruits; it shall spring up and rejoice in its showers.  12 Thou shalt bless the crown of the year of thy goodness: and thy fields shall be filled with plenty.  13 The beautiful places of the wilderness shall grow fat: and the hills shall be girded about with joy, 14 The rams of the flock are clothed, and the vales shall abound with corn: they shall shout, yea they shall sing a hymn.

Notes

Thanksgiving to God for the benefits he has bestowed and especially to thank him for an extraordinary harvest.

Title, verse 1: This is a true canticle by David which is in fact remarkable for its lyrical verve, its vivid colours , its bold  changes of direction, its concision, its depth,  its elegance and its delicacy, as well as containing a variety of sentiments. The last verses partake of idyllic sweetness.

The king is speaking in the name of the entire people whom he pictures reunited in front of the Tabernacle on Mount Sion. The words “of Jeremias and Ezekiel . . .  when they began to go out” were added by the Vulgate and in certain Septuagint manuscripts. They are most probably apocryphal. According to those interpreters who believe in their authenticity, they indicate that the prophets Jeremias and Ezekiel invited their fellow citizens to sing this song at the end of the captivity, when the Israelites exiled in Egypt or deported into Chaldea were starting to leave the foreign country in order to return to Palestine.

This is a hymn of thanksgiving to celebrate in a general way the benefits received from the Lord by His chosen people and, most particularly, to thank God for an extraordinarily abundant harvest.

Structure: God is praised 

1. for his mercy and his goodness: verses 2-6; 

2. for his infinite power : verses 6-9; and 

3. his recently demonstrated generosity shown in a rich harvest: verses 10-14. 

First part: verses 2-6.

2: according according to the most common translation of the Hebrew, this means: For Thee praise is silent, Oh God, in Sion. This makes the point once more that the most worthy praise for God consists in the silent meditation of His infinite attributes, this being more expressive than words. Cf. Hab. ii, 20; Zach. Ii, 13.

4: a humble confession and an appeal to God’s mercy. The supplicants declare that they allowed themselves to be seduced by the lying words of the wicked. The Hebrew says more simply: iniquities overwhelmed me. They feel as though crushed beneath the weight of their sins.

Second part: verses 6-9. a eulogy celebrating the divine omnipotence which has preserved Israel despite the repeated attacks by pagan nations.  

9: These miracles do not produce only fear but, adds the poet, they also have a gracious side which gives rise to joy.

“of the morning and of the evening”: according to the Hebrew: the places where dawn rises and the sun sets.

Third part: a eulogy celebrating the generosity of the Lord towards his people, as evidenced by a magnificent harvest. Verses 10-14.

10-11: How God irrigated the earth through abundant rainfall.

12-14: A description of the miraculous harvest.

“the crown of the year”: as shown by the details which follow, all the agricultural products of the country.

“The rams of the flock are clothed”: they are clothed with wool or with plumpness. The Hebrew expresses a much more poetic thought: The pastures are clothed with sheep. The prairies being very rich in glass during this year of blessing, all the flocks are taken out to pasture, so that the fields are clothed in white.  

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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.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 63

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 63

“Blessed be thou above all women.” The Annunciation
(1380, artist unknown). Cleveland Museum of Art, USA.
Public domain: CC0 1.0 Universal. 

1. Hear my prayer, O Lady, when I beseech thee: from the fear of the cruel one deliver my soul.[1]

2. Obtain for us peace and salvation: in the last day.[2]

3. Blessed be thou above all women: and blessed be the fruit of thy womb.[3]

4. Enlighten, O Lady, mine eyes: and illumine my blindness.[4]

5. Give me firm confidence in thee: in my life and in mine end.[5]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Exaudi, Domina, orationem meam, cum deprecor: a pavore crudelis libera animam meam.

2. Impetra nobis pacem et salutem: in die novissimo.

3. Benedicta sis super mulieres: et benedictus sit fructus ventris tui.

4. Illumina, Domina, oculos meos: et illustra cæcitatem meam.

5. Da mihi in te confidentiam bonam: in vita et in fine meo.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy”: Davidic Ps. LXIII, 2.

[2] Cf. the triple reference to the last day by Christ: “And this is the will of my Father that sent me: that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have life everlasting, and I will raise him up in the last day . . . No man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him; and I will raise him up in the last day . . . He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day”: John vi, 40, 44 & 55.

[3] Cf. the Angel’s words: “And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”: Luke i, 28; and the words of St Elizabeth: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” Luke i, 42.

[4] Cf. Ps. XII, 4; Ps. XVII, 29; & Ps. CXVIII, 135.

[5] “in my life and in mine end.” Cf. the words in the second part of the “Hail Mary”: “now and at the hour of our death.” In Part IV of the Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566) we read of this second part: “The Church of God has wisely added prayers to, and an invocation of, the most holy Mother of God, by which we piously and humbly fly to her patronage, in order that, by interposing her intercession, she may conciliate the friendship of God to us miserable sinners, and may obtain for us those blessings which we stand in need of in this life and in the life to come. Exiled children of Eve, who dwell in this vale of tears, should we not earnestly beseech the Mother of mercy, the advocate of the faithful, to pray for us? Should we not earnestly implore her help and assistance? That she possesses exalted merits with God, and that she is most desirous to assist us by her prayers, it were wicked and impious to doubt.”

Davidic Psalm LXIII

1 Unto the end, a psalm for David.

2 Hear, O God, my prayer, when I make supplication to thee: deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy.  3 Thou hast protected me from the assembly of the malignant; from the multitude of the workers of iniquity.  4 For they have whetted their tongues like a sword; they have bent their bow a bitter thing,  5 To shoot in secret the undefiled.  6 They will shoot at him on a sudden, and will not fear: they are resolute in wickedness. They have talked of hiding snares; they have said: Who shall see them?

7 They have searched after iniquities: they have failed in their search. Man shall come to a deep heart:  8 And God shall be exalted. The arrows of children are their wounds:  9 And their tongues against them are made weak. All that saw them were troubled;  10 And every man was afraid. And they declared the works of God: and understood his doings.  11 The just shall rejoice in the Lord, and shall hope in him: and all the upright in heart shall be praised.

Notes

This is a moral and didactic poem composed by David. The historical background is not altogether clear. The details provided indicate a time of anxiety for David but it is difficult to determine whether the reference is to the period of Saul’s persecution or that of Absalom’s revolt. The subject matter is simple enough: the psalmist, surrounded by wicked and unjust detractors, has recourse to God in his distress. Next he describes the cruel wounds which malignant tongues are inflicting upon him. Finally, confident that his prayers will be heard, he predicts the just punishment which awaits the guilty parties and the beneficial effects which will be produced by the divine vengeance when applied to them. The literary style is energetic and the transitions are occasionally somewhat abrupt. The Church Fathers have frequently applied this Psalm in a spiritual manner to our Lord Jesus Christ who had so much to suffer from wicked tongues.

Structure : The psalm may be divided into two parts :

1. David describes the sufferings that his detractors are forcing him to endure : verses 2-7;

2. he predicts their punishment, which will be applauded by the just: verses 7-11.

First part: a description of the sufferings  inflicted on the psalmist by the wicked words of his detractors . Verses 2-7.

4: “a bitter thing”: Hebr. dâbar: a bitter word.

5: “in secret”: in an ambush.

6: “they have said: Who shall see them?”:  As though it were written: They say to each other: Who will see us? These wicked men are supposing that God is indifferent to their conduct. Cf. Ps. LVIII, 8.

7: (first part): Hebr.: we have accomplished a project well conceived. The interior and the heart of man is deep. This is commonly understood to be a continuation of the praise that David’s enemies lavish upon themselves: “We are truly intelligent and deep men!”

Second part: David predicts the punishment awaiting these wicked men and the joy to be experienced by the just. Verses 7-11.

7-9: They were hoping to pierce David through and through with the barbs of their words; but these arrows lose all their force when they reach the king, just as though fired by the hands of children.

9: “All that saw them were troubled”: moved to the depths of their souls by this vengeance evidently divine. According to the Hebrew: All that saw them shake their head.

11: The just rejoice in seeing good triumph and their trust in God grows apace.  

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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.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 62

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 62

“Beauty and brightness are in thy sight.”
The Virgin and Child, by Wllem Vrelant (1460’s).
Getty Museum, L.A. Public domain.[7]

1. O God, my God[1]: I will glorify thee by Thy Mother.

2. For she hath conceived thee in virginity[2]: and without travail she hath brought Thee forth.[3]

3. Blessed be thou, O Lady: stand for us before the throne of God.[4]

4. Beauty and brightness are in thy sight.[5]

5. Keep my soul[6], O Lady: that it may never fall into sin.

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Deus, Deus meus: per Matrem te glorificabo.

2. Virginaliter enim te concepit: et sine angustia te parturivit.

3. Benedicta sis, o Domina nostra: et pro nobis assiste ante thronum Dei.

4. Species et claritas: in conspectu tuo.

5. Custodi animam meam, Domina: ut nunquam corruat in peccata.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day.”: Davidic Ps. LXII, 2.

[2] Cf. “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel.” Is. vii, 14. 

[3] Cf. “To Eve it was said : ‘In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children:’ Mary was exempt from this law, for preserving her virginal integrity inviolate, she brought forth Jesus the Son of God, without experiencing, as we have already said, any sense of pain.” The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566): On the third article of the Creed.

[4] Cf. “And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God”: Apoc. viii, 3.

[5] Cf. “With thy comeliness [specie tua] and thy beauty set out, proceed prosperously, and reign.” Ps. XLIV, 5.

[6] “Custodi animam meam / Keep my soul”: Cf. “Keep thou my soul”: Ps. XXIV, 2o; “Preserve my soul”: Ps. LXXXV, 2.

[7]  The Latin text under the image reads: “Devotissima salutatio ad Mariam: salve. / A most devout salutation to Mary: Hail! Salve Virgo virginum, stella matutina / Hail, Virgin of virgins, morning star; Sordidorum criminum vera medicina / True remedy for sordid sins; Consolatrix hominum, qui sunt in ruina / Consoler of men who are in ruin.” These words are part of a Latin hymn for long attributed to St Bonaventure: see, for example, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Latin 3639.

Davidic Psalm LXII

1 A psalm of David when he was in the desert of Edom.

2 O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day. For thee my soul hath thirsted; for thee my flesh, O how many ways!  3 In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.  4 For thy mercy is better than lives: thee my lips shall praise.  5 Thus will I bless thee all my life long: and in thy name I will lift up my hands.  6 Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.  7 If I have remembered thee upon my bed, I will meditate on thee in the morning: 8 Because thou hast been my helper. And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings:  9 My soul hath stuck close to thee: thy right hand hath received me.

10 But they have sought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: 11 They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.  12 But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.

Notes

A morning prayer filled with holy desires and ardent love, despite the desperate situation of the supplicant.

Historical background 

1: “in the desert of Edom”: This refers to the time when David was a fugitive in the desert as a result of the intrigues and plans of his enemies. Instead of Edom, the Hebrew has: of Judah, and this would appear to be accurate. The reference is therefore to the desert of Judah situated between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. David was obliged on several occasions to seek refuge in this desert, whether during the persecution by Saul or during Absalom’s revolt. It is probable that Psalm LXII does not relate to the first of these periods because the poet speaks of himself as a king in verse 12, which he would not have been able to do before the death of Saul. That leaves the second period during which David was obliged to take flight far from Jerusalem and to seek refuge in the desert of Judah. The account in II Kings xvi, 14 seems to match very closely the situation which is described here (cf. Verses 2, 3, 7, 10-11).

Even though David was at this point in extreme danger, it is remarkable that he does not express any feelings of fear in this beautiful Psalm and he has no thoughts of complaining. The only sighs coming from his heart are his love for God and his trust in Him. These are expressed with exquisite delicacy and wonderful energy.

In form, the beauty of the psalm is perfect, with images which are numerous, powerful and captivating. There is no formal and explicit demand in the psalm, and yet the whole is one long intimate prayer, albeit expressed tacitly, to obtain David’s prompt deliverance from danger and the ruin of his enemies. The Ancient Church designated Psalm LXII as a prayer for the morning. Even today it forms part of the Office of Lauds which is recited at the dawn of the day.

Structure :  the psalm may be divided into two parts:

1. David gives free rein to his feelings of loving confidence and trust in the Lord : verses 2-9.

2. he predicts the ruin of his enemies and his own triumph : verses 10-12. 

First part: verses 2-9.

2: “for thee my flesh”: the words “hath hungered” need to be understood, extending the metaphor of thirst (which also reflects his concrete situation in the desert).

3: “so in the sanctuary have I come before thee”: Exiled in the wilderness,  I am transported in my thoughts to the Sanctuary.

4: “better than lives”: thy mercy is worth more than a million lives.

6: “marrow and fatness”: according to the Vulgate, these are the choice favours which David wishes to draw down upon himself by his prayer. According to the Hebrew, where the verb is in the present tense, the words represent the holy and exquisite sweetness that he experiences in praising his Divine friend. When I sing thy praises it is, O God, as if I were tasting the most succulent and sumptuous dishes. In the Middle East, the fat parts of meat are the most highly esteemed and are given to distinguished guests. The Mosaic Law made a point of reserving them for the Lord.

Second part: verses 10-12.

11: “the portions of foxes”: In Hebr., “the prey of jackals.” These animals very numerous in Palestine and it is by no means unheard of for them to dig up corpses in order to eat them. In the desert of Judah, David could often hear them howling. The prophecy was not long in being realised because a great number of those who had revolted against David perished in the subsequent battle he waged against them and they suffered the dreadful fate which has just been described.  

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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.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 61

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 61

“O Lady, shall not my soul be subject to thee: who hast brought forth the Lord

and Saviour of all?” Virgin and Child with kneeling members of the Guild of 

the Misericordia, by Bartolomeo Buon (1445-50). V & A. Public domain.

Photograph by Jonathan Cardy (CC BY-SA 3.0).

1. O Lady, shall not my soul be subject to thee: who hast brought forth the Lord and Saviour of all ?[1]

2. Be mindful of us, O Lady Saviour[2] of the lost: hear thou the weeping of our hearts.

3. Pour forth graces from thy treasury[3]: and with thine unguents soothe our grief.

4. Give us joy and peace: that thou mayest confound the enemies of the good.

5. Wash away all our sins: heal all our infirmities.[4]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Nonne, Domina, libi subjecta erit anima: qua; Salvatorem omnium genuisti?

2. Memento nostri, perditorum Salvatrix: exaudi planctus cordis nostri.

3. Infunde gratiam de thesauris tuis: et unguentis tuis placa dolorem nostrum.

4. Da nobis gaudium et lætitiam: ut confundas bonorum inimicos.

5. Ablue omnia peccata nostra: sana omnes infirmitates nostras.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Shall not my soul be subject to God? for from him is my salvation.”: Davidic Ps. LXI, 2.

[2] Cf. use of Salvatrix as a title for Mary by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179): “Unde, o Salvatrix, que novum lumen humano generi protulisti: / O Lady Saviour, who has offered to the human race a new and brighter light”: from “O virga ac diadema” – Sequence for the Virgin. The Armenian liturgy invokes Mary as “salvatrix” and “liberatrix,” and this can be traced back to the fifth century. In the Akathistos, a hymn recited by Eastern Catholic Christians, the faithful praise the Virgin Mary’s role in the Redemption praying, “Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded, the world’s salvation”: see Mattheson Trust website.

[3] Cf. “God the Father made an assemblage of all the waters, and He named it the sea (mare). He has made an assemblage of all His graces, and He has called it Mary (Maria). This great God has a most rich treasury in which He has laid up all that He has of beauty, of splendour, of rarity, and of preciousness, even to His own Son; and this immense treasury is none other than Mary, whom the Saints have named the Treasure of the Lord, out of whose plenitude all men are made rich.” From “True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” (Pt I, Ch. 1), by St Louis de Montfort (c. 1712).

[4] Cf. Mary’s title in the Litany of Loreto (Paris 1150-1200): “Salus infirmorum” / “Health of the sick.”

Davidic Psalm LXI

1 Unto the end, for Idithun, a psalm of David.

2 Shall not my soul be subject to God? for from him is my salvation.  3 For he is my God and my saviour: he is my protector, I shall be moved no more.  4 How long do you rush in upon a man? you all kill, as if you were thrusting down a leaning wall, and a tottering fence.  5 But they have thought to cast away my price; I ran in thirst: they blessed with their mouth, but cursed with their heart.

6 But be thou, O my soul, subject to God: for from him is my patience.  7 For he is my God and my saviour: he is my helper, I shall not be moved.  8 In God is my salvation and my glory: he is the God of my help, and my hope is in God.  9 Trust in him, all ye congregation of people: pour out your hearts before him. God is our helper for ever.

10 But vain are the sons of men, the sons of men are liars in the balances: that by vanity they may together deceive.  11 Trust not in iniquity, and cover not robberies: if riches abound, set not your heart upon them.  12 God hath spoken once, these two things have I heard, that power belongeth to God,  13 And mercy to thee, O Lord; for thou wilt render to every man according to his works.

Notes

Trust in God alone, amongst the greatest of dangers.

The title : Verse 1. “for Idithun”:  indicating a special dedication to this celebrated Choirmaster. Cf. Ps. XXXVIII.

David is the author of this Psalm which was probably composed at the beginning of Absalom's revolt. He finds himself in most serious danger; his enemies are powerful and determined to bring about his downfall. They need only one final effort to bring him down completely. In this situation, which is in human terms desperate, David shows again and again his confidence and trust in the Lord. He knows that, protected by God, he has nothing to fear whereas the protection of men is useless.

Psalm LXI bears a remarkable resemblance to Psalm XXXVIII. They both clearly reveal the vanity of relying upon any human help. The frequent use of the Hebrew particle ‘ak,  “yes, in truth,” (Vulgate : verumtamen) – see verses 5, 6 & 10) – highlights the principal ideas. Psalm LXI is noteworthy by reason of the gravity of the thoughts expressed, the depth and power of the religious sentiment, as well as by its vigorous and sublime language.

Structure: 

1. Trusting in God for his support, David does not fear his enemies , however powerful they may be : verses 2-5; 

2. He expresses an even higher level of trust in verses 6-9;

3. The vanity of all human help ; the power and goodness of the Lord when it comes to helping his friends: verses 10-13.  

First part: Supported by God, the poet has no fear whatsoever of his enemies, however wicked and powerful they may be. Verses 2-5.

4: They all in great numbers and in a cowardly manner rushed towards their king who has almost been abandoned in order to put him to death. The vivid language shows to what extent David has been reduced : he is like a wall already beginning to topple over or a ramshackle fence on the point of collapse, that the slightest blow would cast down.  Cf. Is. xxx, 18. The sense is different in the Hebrew where the wall on the point of falling represents the enemies of the psalmist who have surrounded him in order to crush him.

5: “I ran in thirst:”: these words very obscure in our Latin text which may have been altered, since St Ambrose and the Septuagint translators read as follows : “They ran in thirst” – meaning, “They rushed upon me, thirsting for my blood.”

Second part: David stirs himself to an even higher level of trust in God and he exhorts his people to share this noble sentiment with him. Verses 6-9.

Third part: The vanity of all human help, the power and goodness of God when he helps his friends. Verses 10-13.

10: “in the balances”: There is a certain obscurity in the Vulgate text. The Hebrew text is simpler and more picturesque: Placed in a balance, all of them together would be seen to weigh lighter than a breath. The comparison is striking : If they were all placed on one side of a balance, they are so light that instead of making it go down it would rise.

13: Cf. “Who will render to every man according to his works.” Rom. ii, 6.

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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.

The Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St Bonaventure : Psalm 60

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 60

“Hear my prayer, O Lady . . . Be thou to me a tower of strength.”
Our Lady of Victories, 1809 (artist n/k). From the Basilica 
Notre-Dame des Victoires, Paris. Public domain.[9]

1. Hear my prayer, O Lady[1]: upon a firm rock establish my mind.[2]

2. Be thou to me a tower of strength[3]: protect me from the face of the cruel destroyer.[4]

3. Be thou to him terrible as an army in battle array[5]: and may he fall living into the depths of hell.[6]

4. For thou art shining and terrible: a cloud full of dew, and the rising dawn.[7]

5. Thou art beautiful and bright as the full moon: thy sacred aspect is as when the sun shines in its strength.[8]

Glory be to the Father etc.

1. Exaudi, Domina, orationem meam super firmam petram stabilias mentem meam.

2. Esto mihi turris fortitudinis: me tuearis a facie crudelis vastatoris.

3. Ut castrorum acies, sis illi terribilis: et vivus corruat in profundum inferni.

4. Tu enim es rutilans et decora: nubes rorifera, et consurgens aurora.

5. Pulchra es et clara, ut luna plenissima: tanquam sol refulget, sacer aspectus tuus.

Gloria Patri, etc.

Footnotes

[1] Cf. “Hear, O God, my supplication: be attentive to my prayer,”: Davidic Ps. XL, 2.

[2] Cf. “when my heart was in anguish, thou hast exalted me on a rock;” Ibid. 3;  “He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock”: Luke vi, 48.

[3] Cf. “For thou hast been my hope; a tower of strength against the face of the enemy.”: Davidic Ps. LX, 3; “Tower of David” in Litany of Loreto (Paris, 1150-1200) : “And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with strong towers, and made it a fortress for them:” 1 Machabees i, 35.

[4] “destroyer”: Cf. “A king, the angel of the bottomless pit; whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon; in Latin Exterminans”: Apoc. ix, 11.

[5] Cf. “Who is she . . . terrible as an army set in array?” Cant. vi, 9.

[6] Cf. “And there came down fire from God out of heaven, and devoured them; and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, where both the beast; and the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Apoc xx, 9-10.

[7] “rutilans”: bright as the light of dawn (Cf. “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising,”: (Cant. vi, 9)’ “decora”: beautiful, graceful.

[8] Cf. “Who is she . . . fair as the moon, bright as the sun?” Cant. vi, 9.

[9] For St Thérèse's attachment to Our Lady of Victories (following a particular miracle of healing), see the website of  Notre-Dame des Victoires. 

Davidic Psalm LX

1 Unto the end, in hymns, for David.

2 Hear, O God, my supplication: be attentive to my prayer,  3 To thee have I cried from the ends of the earth: when my heart was in anguish, thou hast exalted me on a rock. Thou hast conducted me;  4 For thou hast been my hope; a tower of strength against the face of the enemy.  5 In thy tabernacle I shall dwell for ever: I shall be protected under the covert of thy wings.

6 For thou, my God, hast heard my prayer: thou hast given an inheritance to them that fear thy name.  7 Thou wilt add days to the days of the king: his years even to generation and generation.  8 He abideth for ever in the sight of God: his mercy and truth who shall search?  9 So will I sing a psalm to thy name for ever and ever: that I may pay my vows from day to day.

Notes

In exile, David calls upon the Lord to lead him back to Jerusalem and to grant him long days.

Title: Vers 1: “in hymns”: Hebr. ‘al-n’ginat. literally: On the corded instrument; with the singular denoting the plural, meaning “with the accompaniment of corded instruments.” Cf. Ps. IV, 1. 

A king (see vers. 7) prey to bitter sadness, finding himself in one of the remote corners of his kingdom and threatened by his enemy, prays that God may save him. This is the subject matter of this composition.

Historical background: The psalm was probably written on the occasion of Absalom’s revolt when David was fleeing from the other side of the Jordan in the province of Galaad. Cf. II Kings xviii, 24.

Structure: The may be divided into two parts separated by a sélah:(a punctuation indicating a pause or a "forte").

1. verses 2-5, the Exiled King calls upon the Lord to lead him back soon to the sanctuary;

2. verses 6-9, he also asks him for length of days, promising to thank him in sacred chants. The second part is messianic , since predicts the eternal duration of David’s dynasty, a promise which is realised only in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

First part: David implores the Lord to put an end to his exile and to lead him back to Jerusalem to this sanctuary. Verses 2-5.

3: “thou hast exalted me on a rock”: in a completely safe place of refuge where David’s enemies could not approach.

5: “In thy tabernacle I shall dwell for ever”: David firmly believes that God will allow him to return to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem and to dwell there forever : in sæcula sæculorum : an expression which signifies a lively belief in a future state of happiness throughout eternity. 

Second part: the king asks God to grant him a long life, promising to thank Him forever through his psalms. Verses 6-9.

6: “thou hast given an inheritance”: God returns to his faithful servants their legitimate inheritance when they have been unjustly dispossessed of the same.

7: “Thou wilt add days to the days”: a picturesque locution denoting numerous days, in other words a long life. The psalmist is speaking directly about himself in this passage but, as the Jewish and Christian commentators have in turn admitted, his language goes far beyond himself and is especially suited to the M alka’ M’sihah (the king Messiah), for in him alone was David’s royalty to have an eternal duration. Cf. II Kings vii, 12-16; Luke i, 32-33.

8: “his mercy and truth”: according to the Vulgate: Who could scrutinise and understand the depths of these infinite attributes of God? According to the Hebrew: Order thy goodness and thy fidelity to keep him safe. Two precious Guardian angels. Cf. “Send forth thy light and thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles.” Ps. XLII, 3.

9: “So will I sing a psalm to thy name for ever and ever: that I may pay my vows from day to day”: [Ed. This reads almost like a prophecy that his psalms will be chanted in prayer from his time onwards even to the present day, et in sæcula sæculorum!]

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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.