Wednesday Sext

Crisis and trust in God

There are two chief themes to this Hour: great crisis and great trust in God.

Wednesday Sext is the exact middle of the week's Hours.  Sext (12 noon to 3 o'clock) is the zenith of the day's combat, and Wednesday is the middle of the week's fight.  The Church and the individual soul both use this Hour to present all their most pressing needs, and to be more and more deeply rooted in their trust in God.

In Psalm 57, with its unjust judges, we can think of the high court that our blessed Lord in his innocency was made to face.

Psalm 55.  Miserere mei, Deus

Great crisis and great trust in God

The Church is speaking in this Psalm.  With tears and deep solicitude she looks upon the evil one attacking her dear children; and confident in God, she lifts up her hands to him in trusting prayer.  "The world hath hated them...," she reflects.  "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:15).

Plea for aid

Miserére mei, Deus, quóniam conculcávit me homo: * tota die impúgnans tribulávit me.
2  Conculcavérunt me inimíci mei tota die: * quóniam multi bellántes advérsum me.

Confidence

3  Ab altitúdine diéi timébo: * ego vero in te sperábo.
4  In Deo laudábo sermónes meos, in Deo sperávi: * non timébo quid fáciat mihi caro.

3  From the height of the day I shall fear, * yet put I my trust in thee.
4  In God will I praise my words, in God have I put my trust, * I will not be afraid what flesh can do unto me.

The crisis described

5  Tota die verba mea exsecrabántur: * advérsum me omnes cogitatiónes eórum in malum.
6  Inhabitábunt, et abscóndent: * ipsi calcáneum meum observábunt.
7  Sicut sustinuérunt ánimam meam, pro níhilo salvos fácies illos: * in ira pópulos confrínges.

5  All the day long they detested my words; * all their thoughts were against me unto evil.
6  They will dwell and hide themselves, * and mark my steps.
7  As they have laid wait for my soul, for nothing shalt thou save them : * in thy displeasure thou shalt break the people.

Renewed confidence

8  Deus, vitam meam annuntiávi tibi: * posuísti lácrimas meas in conspéctu tuo.
9  Sicut et in promissióne tua: * tunc converténtur inimíci mei retrórsum :
10  In quacúmque die invocávero te: * ecce cognóvi quóniam Deus meus es.
11  In Deo laudábo verbum, in Dómino laudábo sermónem: * in Deo sperávi, non timébo quid fáciat mihi homo.

8  O God, I have declared my life unto thee : * thou hast set my tears in thy sight.
9  As also in thy promise : * then shall mine enemies be put to flight.
10  In what day soever I shall call upon thee, * behold I know thou art my God.
11  In God will I praise the word, yea, in the Lord will I praise his speech : * in God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Thanksgiving and a promise

12  In me sunt, Deus, vota tua, * quæ reddam,  laudatiónes tibi.
13  Quóniam eripuísti ánimam meam de morte, et pedes meos de lapsu: * ut pláceam coram Deo in lúmine vivéntium.

12  Unto thee, O God, will I pay the vows that are in me; * unto thee be the praise.
13  For thou hast delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling, * that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Psalm 56.  Miserere mei, Deus

In the shadow of thy wings

In content, this Psalm is the continuation of the previous song.  Trust in God wins out.  This Psalm, too, we can very well sing in the name of the Church: Thy kingdom come!

In danger, hide in God

Miserére mei, Deus, miserére mei: * quóniam in te confídit ánima mea.
2  Et in umbra alárum tuárum sperábo: * donec tránseat iníquitas.
3  Clamábo ad Deum altíssimum: * Deum, qui benefécit mihi.
4  Misit de cælo, et liberávit me: * dedit in oppróbrium conculcántes me.
5  Misit Deus misericórdiam suam, et veritátem suam, * et erípuit ánimam meam de médio catulórum leónum: dormívi conturbátus.
6  Fílii hóminum dentes eórum arma et sagíttæ: * et lingua eórum gládius acútus.
7  Exaltáre super cælos, Deus: * et in omnem terram glória tua.

BE merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee; * and under the shadow of thy wings shall be my refuge, until this tyranny be overpast.
2  I will call unto the Most High God, * even unto the God that shall perform the cause which I have in hand.
3  He shall send from heaven, * and save me from the reproof of him that would eat me up.
4  God shall send forth his mercy and truth: * my soul is among lions;
5  And I lie even among the children of men, that are set on fire, * whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
6  Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens; * and thy glory above all the earth.

Consolation and security

8  Láqueum paravérunt pédibus meis: * et incurvavérunt ánimam meam.
9  Fodérunt ante fáciem meam fóveam: * et incidérunt in eam.
10  Parátum cor meum, Deus, parátum cor meum: * cantábo, et psalmum dicam.

7  They have laid a net for my feet, and pressed down my soul; * they have digged a pit before me, and are fallen into the midst of it themselves.
8  My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; * I will sing and give praise.

In thanksgiving for God's aid

11  Exsúrge, glória mea, exsúrge psaltérium et cíthara: * exsúrgam dilúculo.
12  Confitébor tibi in pópulis, Dómine: * et psalmum dicam tibi in Géntibus :
13  Quóniam magnificáta est usque ad cælos misericórdia tua, * et usque ad nubes véritas tua.
14  Exaltáre super cælos, Deus: * et super omnem terram glória tua.

9  Awake up, my glory; awake, lute and harp: * I myself will awake right early.
10  I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples; * and I will sing unto thee among the nations.
11  For the greatness of thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens, * and thy truth unto the clouds.
12  Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens; * and thy glory above all the earth.

Psalm 57.  Si vere utique

The deaf judges

The devil has his hirelings on earth.  Just as he directed the fury of the high priests against our Lord, so he has always stirred up rulers, princes, governments, to fight his battles against God's kingdom.  In this Psalm, we pray, quite without any desire for vengeance: "That it may please thee to overthrow the enemies of thy holy Church..."

Their unjust doings

Si vere útique justítiam loquímini: * recta judicáte, fílii hóminum.
2  Etenim in corde iniquitátes operámini: * in terra injustítias manus vestræ concínnant.
3  Alienáti sunt peccatóres a vulva, erravérunt ab útero: * locúti sunt falsa.
4  Furor illis secúndum similitúdinem serpéntis: * sicut áspidis surdæ, et obturántis aures suas.
5  quæ non exáudiet vocem incantántium: * et venéfici incantántis sapiénter.

ARE your minds set upon righteousness, O ye congregation? * and do ye judge the thing that is right, O ye sons of men?
2  Yea, ye imagine mischief in your heart upon the earth, * and your hands deal with wickedness.
3  The ungodly are froward, even from their mother's womb; * as soon as they are born, they go astray, and speak lies.
4  They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent, * even like the deaf adder, that stoppeth her ears;
5  Which refuseth to hear the voice of the charmer, * charm he never so wisely.

Just punishment

6  Deus cónteret dentes eórum in ore ipsórum: * molas leónum confrínget Dóminus.
7  Ad níhilum devénient tamquam aqua decúrrens: * inténdit arcum suum donec infirméntur.
8  Sicut cera, quæ fluit, auferéntur: * supercécidit ignis, et non vidérunt solem.
9  Priúsquam intellígerent spinæ vestræ rhamnum: * sicut vivéntes, sic in ira absorbet eos.

6  Break their teeth, O God, in their mouths; * smite the jaw-bones of the lions, O Lord.
7  Let them fall away like water that runneth apace; * when they shoot their arrows, let them be rooted out.
8  Let them consume away like a snail, and be like the untimely fruit of a woman; * and let them not see the sun.
9  Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns, * he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

Everlasting justice

10  lætábitur justus cum víderit vindíctam: * manus suas lavábit in sánguine peccatóris.
11  Et dicet homo: Si útique est fructus justo: * útique est Deus júdicans eos in terra.

10  The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; * he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the ungodly.
11  So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; * doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth.