St. Bonaventure: The Psalter of Our Lady

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PSALM LXXXI.

God has stayed in the synagogue of the Jews; and from there, as a rose in the midst of thorns, is come forth the Mother of God.

Purify my foulness, 0 Lady; thou who emittest rays of perpetual purity.

Make thou this spring of life to flow in my mouth, from whence escape and gush living waters.

All ye who thirst, come to her; and, from her fountain, she will with joy satisfy thy thirst.

He, who from thence draws water, will spring up to eternal life ; and he who there drinks will never suffer thirst.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXII.

Oh Lady, who is like unto thee, thou who, by grace and glory surpassest all creatures.

As far as the heavens are raised above the earth, so far art thou raised and exalted above all things.

Bind my heart with thy love, and render me worthy of thy favour and thy presents.

Let my soul be grounded in thy love, and let my heart be inflamed with desire towards thee.

Make me desire thy glorification and thy honour to the end that by thee I may be received into the peace of Jesus Christ.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXIII.

How amiable are thy tabernacles, Lady of virtues; how admirable are the tents of thy repose.

Honour her, sinners, and she will obtain for you pardon and salvation.

The perfume of her prayers is above incense and balm ; her requests never return refused — never ungranted.

Intercede for me, 0 Lady, with Christ thy Son; and leave me not either in death or in life.

For thy spirit is mercy, and thy grace fills the whole earth.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXIV.

Thou hast blessed thy dwelling, Lord; thou hast consecrated thy habitation.

She is beautiful among all the daughters of Jerusalem ; her effulgence is blessed.

Proclaim her blessed, holy angels ; glorify her virtues and dominions.

People of all nations, solicit her wisdom, and search out the treasures of her mercy.

Think of her in goodness, and search for her in simplicity of heart.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXV.

O Lady, incline thine ear and hear me; turn thy face toward me, and have pity upon me.

The dew of thy sweetness charms the souls of the saints, and the infusion of thy charity surpasses the sweetest honey.

The rays of thy glory illuminates the spirit, and the light of thy mercies conducts to salvation.

The source of thy goodness intoxicates those who thirst, and the light of thy countenance turns from sin.

To know and to appreciate thee is the root of immortality ; and to recount thy virtues is the way of salvation.

Glory, &c.


PSALM LXXXVI.

The foundations of life in the soul of the just are to persevere in thy love to the end.

Thy favour raises the poor in adversity, and the invocation of thy name, sweeter than honey, fills him with solid confidence.

Paradise is full of thy mercies, and the infernal enemy is confounded by the terror which thou inspirest.

He who hopeth in thee will find treasures of peace; and he who calleth not upon thee in this life, will never enter the kingdom of God.

Make us, O Lady, live in the grace of thy Holy Spirit, and conduct our souls to the blissful end.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXVII.

O Lady, help of my salvation, I have cried unto thee during the day, and during the night.

Let my prayer come unto thy presence; console my sorrow by the appearance of thy face.

Evils are multiplied in my soul, purify it from the stains of its sins.

Let thy virtues pursue our enemies; and let them not hinder our salvation.

Confer upon my soul grace to resist them; strengthen our hearts against the lusts of the flesh.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXVIII.

O holy Lady! I will sing for ever of thy mercies.

By the balm of thy piety heal the broken heart; and by the oil of thy mercy appease our sorrows.

Let thy gracious countenance appease me in my last moment; let the beauty of thy face rejoice my soul in the hour of its departure.

Excite my spirit to love thy goodness; excite my intelligence to extol thy nobleness and thine excellence.

Deliver me from all evil tribulation, and guard my soul from every sin.

Glory, &c.



PSALM LXXXIX.

O Lady, thou hast become our refuge in all our necessities.

The diffusion of thy savour produces holy works, and the dew of thy sweetness brings forth chaste affections.

O Lady, I will recollect thy mercies; I will sing to thee a sacrifice of praise, and a hymn of joy.

They who honour thee will exchange their ashes for an immortal crown, and their spirit of affliction for a robe of glory.

They who hope in thee shall be clothed with light; joy and gladness shall be their perpetual lot.

Glory, &c.



PSALM XC.

He who dwells in the confidence of the mother of God, shall abide under her protection.

The assault of his enemies shall not hurt him; the flying arrow shall not reach him.

For she will deliver him from the ambuscade of his persecutors, and she will cover him with the defence of her wings.

Cry unto her in thy perils, and the plague will not approach thy tent.

He who has hope in her will find the fruits of grace; and the gates of Paradise will be open to him.

Glory, &c.