tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post185929463053519066..comments2024-03-14T11:50:14.761-04:00Comments on DarwinCatholic: The Sacraments in Psalm 51, Color-codedDarwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572976822786862149noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-90292634039639863672021-04-07T10:27:34.487-04:002021-04-07T10:27:34.487-04:00How very beautiful! Thank you! I'll try to loo...How very beautiful! Thank you! I'll try to look at other psalms from this angle too. Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00047890626000373572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-67360245916435530872021-04-04T11:18:47.116-04:002021-04-04T11:18:47.116-04:00I like that a lot, and it's a far richer inter...I like that a lot, and it's a far richer interpretation of the sevenfold voice than the footnote in the NAB: "[29:3] The voice of the LORD: the sevenfold repetition of the phrase imitates the sound of crashing thunder and may allude to God’s primordial slaying of Leviathan, the seven-headed sea monster of Canaanite mythology."<br /><br />https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/29<br /><br />I took up Psalm 23 and tried this reading, and despite it only having six verses, it's not a stretch to find all seven sacraments there. I can't color-code the comments, so I'll use parentheses.<br /><br />The LORD is my shepherd;<br />there is nothing I lack.<br />In green pastures he makes me lie down;<br />to still waters he leads me; (Baptism)<br />he restores my soul. (Penance)<br />He guides me along right paths <br />for the sake of his name. (Confirmation)<br />Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,<br />I will fear no evil, for you are with me; (Unction)<br />your rod and your staff comfort me. (Holy Orders)<br /><br />You set a table before me<br />in front of my enemies; (Eucharist)<br />You anoint my head with oil; (Holy Orders)<br />my cup overflows. (Eucharist)<br />Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me<br />all the days of my life; (Matrimony)<br />I will dwell in the house of the LORD<br />for endless days. (Unction)<br /><br />One can quibble with interpretations -- I like Holy Orders for "anoint my head with oil...", but some may prefer Confirmation. And of course there are the wags who would say that "the valley of the shadow of death" refers to Matrimony, but with them we have no truck.MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-61586937751724242021-04-03T19:50:00.144-04:002021-04-03T19:50:00.144-04:00St. Robert Bellarmine, in his commentary on the Ps...St. Robert Bellarmine, in his commentary on the Psalms, mentions such a reading for Psalm 29 (Ps. 28 in the Vulgate), which has seven mentions of 'the voice of the Lord'. (He himself doesn't commit to it, but reads the Psalms as instead about preaching; but he did nonetheless think it notable enough to mention.) <br /><br />super aquas -- baptism<br />in virtute -- confirmation<br />in magnificentia -- eucharist<br />confringentis cedros -- penance<br />intercidentis flammam ignis -- matrimony<br />concutientis desertum -- orders<br />praeparantis cervos -- unction<br /><br />My color perception is slightly defective for a range of colors, so I don't even notice.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06698839146562734910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-91020713182005755992021-04-03T13:20:05.532-04:002021-04-03T13:20:05.532-04:00One could do this with most of the psalms, I think...One could do this with most of the psalms, I think. It would be a good exercise for a religion class.<br /><br />I like your suggestions, especially "do not cast away..." for anointing, which (as you can see) was one for which I couldn't find many references. A friend suggested "offenses truly I know them..." for Confession, and "joy of your presence..." for Confirmation, as joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.<br /><br />And I see I've made a mistake! I meant to make the last two lines refer to Holy Orders, and I hit the adjacent color for Anointing of the Sick. I'll edit it, but I'm fessing up here.MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-11670204114448198852021-04-03T09:52:50.810-04:002021-04-03T09:52:50.810-04:00I like this quite a bit, especially that you found...I like this quite a bit, especially that you found a plausible connection to matrimony. At the very least, the psalm is only fully answered as a prayer in the sacraments as a whole, so it makes sense that there would be connections, even if they end up messy and not sharply defined.<br /><br />I think one could also connect "...truth in the heart..." to confirmation, "A pure heart..." to confession, "Do not cast away..." to anointing, and "...the joy of your help..." to confession. The "Have mercy..." at the beginning could be seen as a general summation and it does make sense that the Church-building sacraments end the psalm. Then the only verses not so linked would be the ones contrasting the non-sacramental state with the sacramental one for which we pray. Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06698839146562734910noreply@blogger.com