Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sidneian Psalms: Psalm 2

Quare fremuerunt gentes?

What ailes this Heath'nish rage? what do the people meane,
         To mutter murmurs vaine?
Why do these earthly kings and lords such meetings make,
         And councell joyntly take
Against the Lord of Lords, the lord of ev'rie thing,
         And his annointed king?
Come, let us break their bonds, say they, and fondly say,
         And cast their yokes away.
But he shall them deride who by the Heav'ns is borne,
         He them shall laugh to scorn,
And after speak to them with breath of wrathfull fire;
         And vex them in his ire.
And say, O kings, yet have I set my King upon
         My holy hill Sion;
And I will (saith this king) the Lords decree display,
         And say that he did say,
Thou art my Son indeed, this day begot by me:
         Ask, I will give to thee
The heath'n for thy childs right, and will thy realm extend
         Far as worlds farthest end;

With iron scepter bruise thou shalt and piecemeal break
         These men like potsherds weak.
Therefore, O kings! be wise, O rulers, rule your minde,
         That knowledge you may finde.
Serve God, serve him with fear, rejoice in him, but soe
         That joy with trembling goe;
With loving homage kiss that only Son he hath,
         Lest you inflame his wrath ;
Whereof if but a sparke once kindled be, you all
         From your way perish shall;
And then they that in him their only trust do rest,
         O, they be rightly blest!

Catena aurea: Matthew 9

Butler's Lives: September 5

The Advent and Christmas sermons of St Bernard of Clairvaux

From the 1896 Eales edition.

A definition of acedia

From Amy Welborn: skimming the surface of the present.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Sidneian Psalms: Psalm 1

Beatus vir.

He blessed is who neither loosely treads
The straying steps as wicked councel leads,
         Ne for bad mates in way of sinners waiteth,
         Nor yet himself with idle scorners seateth;
But on Gods law his whole delight doth bind,
Which night and day hee calls to marking mind.

He shall be like a freshly planted tree,
To which sweet springs of waters neighbours be;
         Whose branches faile not timely fruite to nourish.
         Nor withered leaf shall make it faile to flourish:
So all the things whereto that man doth bend
Shall prosper still with well succeeding end.

Such blessing shall not wicked wretches see,
But like vile chaff with wind shall scattred be;
         For neither shall the men in sinne delighted
         Consist when they to highest doome are cited,
Ne yet shall suff'red be a place to take
Where godly men do their assembly make.

For God doth know, and knowing doth approve
The trade of them that just proceedings love:
         But they that sinne in sinfull breast do cherish,
         The way they go, shall be the way to perish.

Catena aurea: Matthew 8

Butler's Lives: September 4

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Ruskin on Sidney

While googling for clarification of a spotty text in the psalms of Philip Sidney and Mary Herbert, I stumbled upon John Ruskin's lengthy commentary on the Sidneian Psalms and their metres. It beginneth heere.

Gregory the Great - Moralia in Job

Here's the Oxford Movement translation of the whole of Gregory the Great's Moralia in Job. On the surface it's a commentary on the book of Job; within, it's a sure guide to the interior life.

Quoth the 19th century patrologist Otto Bardenhewer:

A work of far greater importance is his voluminous: Expositio in librum Job sive Moralium libri xxxv, begun by Gregory while he was legate at Constantinople, but not finished until after his election to the papacy. In the dedicatory epistle to Leander, archbishop of Seville, the author says that he will expound the Book of Job in a triple sense: the historical, allegorical, and moral. He is all too brief and sparing in the historical elucidation of the text, though the deeper speculative or contemplative sense is treated with some fulness. On the other hand, the practical application of the text of Job is carried out so exhaustively that this work was recognized at once as a thesaurus of moral theology.

  • The Epistle
    Wherein he explains the time, occasion, division, plan, and the method of discourse and of interpretation pursued in his work.
  • The First Part
    Preface
    Wherein he in few words goes through the particulars, which are to be laid open in the course of the entire work.
    Book I
    The first verses of the first chapter of the Book of Job are explained first historically, then in an allegorical, and lastly in a moral sense.
    Book II
    From the sixth verse of the first chapter to the end, he follows out the exposition according to the threefold interpretation.
    Book III
    the whole of the second chapter of the book of Job is explained after the manner of the former Books, historically, allegorically, and morally.
    Book IV
    Wherein Gregory, having in the Preface set forth in few words, that the letter of Scripture is at times at variance with itself, and that the imprecations of Job, as of Jeremiah and David, cannot be understood without absurdity according to the sound which they convey, explains the words of Job in historical, mystical, and moral sense, from the commencement of the third chapter to the twentieth verse of the same.
    Book V
    He explains the remainder of chap. iii. from ver. 20. the whole of chap. iv. and the first two verses of chap. v.
  • The Second Part
    Book VI
    The whole of the fifth chapter, beginning at the third verse, is explained first in a spiritual sense, a few parts in an allegorical, and a great many in a moral sense.
    Book VII
    He explains the whole of the sixth chapter, except the three last verses, in part allegorically and in part morally.
    Book VIII
    He explains part of the sixth chapter, from verse 27, and the whole of the seventh and eighth chapters. In the course of this exposition, from verse 11, to the end of the eighth chapter, he speaks at length on the sin of hypocrisy.
    Book IX
    He explains the ninth chapter, together with the whole of the tenth.
    Book X
    The whole of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Job, and the five first verses of the twelfth, being made out, he closes the Second Part of this work.
  • The Third Part
    Book XI
    In which the twelfth chapter, from the sixth verse, the thirteenth, and the first four verses of the fourteenth, are explained, a different style heing adopted for the time.
    BOOK XII
    Wherein after the fourteenth chapter of the Book of Joh has been explained, beginning at the fifth verse, the fifteenth chapter entire is explained for the most part in a moral sense.
    Book XIII
    Wherein is contained a short exposition, moral and typical, of the sixteenth and seventeenth chapters of the Book of Job.
    Book XIV
    Wherein S. Gregory unfolds the historical, allegorical, and moral sense of the eighteenth and nineteenth chapters of the Book of Job.
    Book XV
    In which there is a brief explanation given of the twentieth and twenty-first chapters of the Book of Job.
    Book XVI
    After going through the twenty-second and twenty-third chapters of the Book of Job, and the twenty-fourth to the middle of verse twenty with a brief explanation, he brings the Third Part to a close.
  • The Fourth Part
    Book XVII
    What remains of the twenty-fourth chapter beginning from the middle of verse 20, together with chapters twenty-five and twenty-six entire, he sets forth chiefly in a moral sense.
    Book XVIII
    Contains the exposition of the twenty- seventh and twenty-eighth chapters of the Book of Job, to the twenty-first verse and half through it, after manifold senses.
    Book XIX
    The interpretation being carried on from the last part of the twenty-first verse of the twenty-eighth chapter to the twenty-first verse of the following chapter exclusive, various meanings are laid open not less learnedly than piously, chiefly concerning Christ and the Church.
    Book XX
    The five concluding verses of chapter twenty-nine of the Book of Job are more largely explained, together with the whole of chapter thirty, chiefly on the subject of heretics and carnal persons distressing the Church.
    Book XXI
    The thirty-first chapter of the Book of Job is explained to verse twenty- four, exclusive, and chastity, humility, and mercifulness being first commended, many particulars are especially taught relative to the avoiding of the occasion of sin.
    Book XXII
    All that remained of chapter thirty-one of the Book of Job is explained, and submissiveness of mind, and moderation, patience, charity, and earnest interest for those under our charge, are especially commended.
  • The Fifth Part
    Book XXIII
    The thirty-second chapter, and the thirty-third, as far as the twenty-second verse, are expounded ; in which, while Job keeps silence, Eliu, a younger person, enters on many right and sound topics, though not rightly, or with sound intention.
    Book XXIV
    The last eleven verses of the thirty-third chapter and the eighteen first verses of the thirty-fourth chapter are expounded, and striking truths are taught concerning Christ the Mediator, contemplation, the course of conversion, and the pastoral office.
    Book XXV
    In explanation of the thirty-fourth chapter from the nineteenth to the thirtieth verse, the punishments of the reprobate, and the secret judgments of God are discussed.
    Book XXVI
    The holy Doctor expounds the seven last verses of the thirty- fourth chapter, the whole of the thirty-fifth, with the first twenty-one verses of the thirty-sixth chapter ; and launches out, at very great length, into both allegorical and moral meanings.
    Book XXVII
    The last twelve verses of the thirty-sixth chapter are expounded, with the whole of the thirty-seventh, and their meanings ingeniously examined, for the sake of establishing a system of Christian doctrine, and ethics.
  • The Sixth Part
    Book XXVIII
    The first eleven verses of the thirty-eighth chapter are explained, in various senses, but especially in a moral sense.
    Book XXIX
    Twenty-two verses of the thirty-eighth chapter, from the twelfth to the thirty-third inclusive, are explained ; and many truths are taught, especially concerning the arts and snares of Satan, grace, predestination, reprobation, and the secret judgments of God.
    Book XXX
    Contains an exposition of the last eight verses of the thirty-eighth chapter, and of the same numher of the thirty-ninth : where the holy Doctor discusses very many questions in a pious and learned manner, especially concerning the preaching of the Gospel.
    Book XXXI
    The ninth, with the remaining verses of the thirty-ninth chapter, is explained, the last three only heing omitted ; and the efficacy of Divine Grace, in the preaching of the Gospel, and in the conversion of sinners, is especially demonstrated.
    Book XXXII
    The two last verses of the thirty-ninth chapter having been explained, the first fourteen verses of the fortieth chapter are expounded, and many things are taught, both concerning the infinite power of God, and the hurtful designs of Satan against men.
    Book XXXIII
    Sets forth in exposition of the fifteenth, and remaining verses of the fortieth chapter, and also of the first twelve verses of the forty-first chapter : where the various arts of the devil are exposed, and pre- destination of free grace is taught, and reconciled with free will.
    Book XXXIV
    The thirteenth, with the remaining verses of the forty-first chapter is explained, chiefly with reference to the pride of the Devil, and the most cruel persecutions of Antichrist against the Saints.
    Book XXXV
    In which many things already said are repeated in recapitulation, and this immense work is brought to a close by a most lowly confession of human infirmity.

The itch to simplify and rationalize

This post from Fr Ray Blake brought to mind the great interstate highways that now cut through the heart of Indianapolis. They were laid down in the 50s and 60s, that era in which the old was seen fit only for destruction, the better to put something new, simple and rational in its place. Nevermind the old neighborhoods and parishes that simply disappeared overnight, old communities bulldozed and cut in pieces. Now, as you drive across Indy at 70 mph, you see the scarred stump-ends of forgotten streets, neighborhoods and yards pass by. Seems rather like what happened to our liturgy around the same time.

Catena aurea: Matthew 3

Butler's Lives: August 30

Augustine's commentaries on the Psalms

The Oxford Movement translation of Augustine's commentaries on the Psalms.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75
76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125
126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150