Homily of Augustine on Psalm XIII
Trinity Home
LORD, make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name: for thou never failest to help and govern them whom thou doest bring up in thy steadfast love. Grant this, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Collect source: Sacrementary of Gelasius, Bishop of Rome [ca 494AD]. 1549 BCP version. A different arrangement appeared in the 1662 BCP
I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Commentary
In the collect for this Second Sunday after Trinity we hear the prayer of Galacius of Rome that we may fear and love God's holy name. I want you to notice carefully the wording of this prayer. God is the actor. He "brings up" the elect in steadfast love of God. We should not attribute our steadfastness in faith to our merit, as though we have been justified in it, but praise God for his work in us. For "we love him because he loved us first"
This theme is picked up in the homily of Augustine on Psalm 13 when he write, "that he abide fixed in the Lord, he should not attribute to self",
"But I have hoped in Thy mercy" Because this very thing, that a man be not moved, and that he abide fixed in the Lord, he should not attribute to self: lest when he glories that he hath not been moved, he be moved by this very pride. "My heart shall exult in Thy salvation;" in Christ, in the Wisdom of God. "I will sing to the Lord who hath given me good things;" spiritual good things, not belonging to man's day. "And I will chant to the name of the Lord most high" (ver. 6); that is, I give thanks with joy, and in most due order employ my body, which is the song of the spiritual soul. But if any distinction is to be marked here, "I will sing" with the heart, "I will chant" with my works; "to the Lord," that which He alone seeth, but "to the name of the Lord," that which is known among men, which is serviceable not for Him, but for us.
The right love and fear of God is chiefly manifest in our worship of him. We sing or say the liturgy as an act of humble approach to God as Augustine says "in most due order employ with my body". Our Alleluias and Gloria proclaim his greatness and his graciousness to us. In our formal worship we fulfill our rule to love God with heart, soul, and mind. We do our duty. Formal worship is a turning to God in reverent awe and love. Outside of our worship, we honor our love of God by acts of kindness and care for our neighbor; this is true worship as James said in his epistle.
We remember the admonition of John in his first epistle, and that "this commandment have we from him [Jesus], That he who loveth God love his brother also. " [1 Jn 4:21]
FINIS
--
Released by Primus Pilus
Legio Christi-Ecclesia Militans
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]
* ORDO CENTURIONUM * IN HOC SIGNO VINCES * TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM
No comments:
Post a Comment