Part II — Preces Quotidianae
§40 Ἀφορμαὶ *Meditationum* (three catenæ: ante Preces Pœnitentiales · ante Intercessionum · ante Εὐχαριστίαν ἢ Εὐλογίαν)
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1Beda.Ideo Christus ingemuit, ut nobis gemendi daret
2exemplum.
3Arnob.Non desiderat Deus nos supplices esse, aut
4amat substerni; utilitas hæc nostra est, et commodi
5nostri rationem habet.
6Aug.Ascendit precatio, descendit miseratio.
7Ambr.Uberior est Dei gratia quam precatio: semper
8plus tribuit Deus quam rogatur.
9Ambr.Jubet Deus ut petas, et docet quid petas, et pro-
10mittit quod petis, et displicet Ei, si non petis;
11et tu non petis tamen?
12Oratio est breviarium fidei, interpres spei.
13Non passibus, sed precibus, itur ad Deum.
14Fides fundit orationem, et fundatur in oratione.
15Col. iv. 12.Perge igitur ἀγωνίζεσθαι ἐν προσευχαῖς.
16Luc. xviii. 1.Πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν.
17Jo. iv. 23.———— ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
18Meditationum ἀφορμαὶ ante Intercessionum.
192 Cor. ix. 15.Χάρις τῷ Θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ
20δωρεᾷ.
21Aug.Inenarrabile donum Dei esse dicit Apostolus, dum
22plurimi sibi mutui succurrunt officiis, et pro se
23mutuo orant, et gratias agunt.
241 Sam. xii. 23.Ἐμοὶ δὲ μηδαμῶς γένοιτο, τὸ ἁμαρτεῖν
25ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου· ἀνιέναι τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι ἐνώ-
26πιον αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, inquit Samuel.
27Hieron.In præsenti sæculo, scimus nos orationibus
28posse adjuvari; cum autem ante tribunal Christi
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1Bede.Christ therefore groaned, that he might give us
2an example of groaning.
3Arnobius.God doth not desire that we should be suppliants, nor
4love to have us laid low before him; this profit is ours, and hath
5regard to our own advantage.
6Augustine.Prayer goeth up, pity cometh down.
7Ambrose.God's grace is more plentiful than prayer: he ever
8giveth more than he is asked.
9Ambrose.God biddeth thee ask, and teacheth thee what to ask, and pro-
10miseth what thou askest, and it displeaseth him if thou ask not;
11and dost thou not ask, for all that?
12Prayer is the abridgement of faith, the interpreter of hope.
13Not by paces, but by prayers, is the way to God.
14Faith poureth out prayer, and is founded upon prayer.
15Col. iv. 12.Go on therefore to strive in prayers.
16Luke xviii. 1.To pray always, and not to faint.
17John iv. 23.———— in spirit and in truth.
18Occasions of Meditation before the INTERCESSIONS.
192 Cor. ix. 15.Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable
20gift.
21Augustine.The Apostle calleth it the unspeakable gift of God, when
22very many succour one another with mutual offices, and pray one
23for another, and give thanks.
241 Sam. xii. 23.God forbid that I should sin
25before the Lord, in ceasing to pray be-
26fore him for you, saith Samuel.
27Jerome.In this present world we know that we may be
28helped by prayers; but when we are come before the judgement seat of Christ,
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1venerimus, nec Job, nec Daniel, nec Noah pro nobis
2rogare possunt, sed unusquisque portat onus suum.
3Rom. viii. 26.Τὸ Πνεῦμα ὑπερεντυγχάνει ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν
4στεναγμοῖς ἀλαλήτοις.
5Aug. contra Max.Postulat Spiritus pro nobis gemitibus
6inenarrabilibus: num tuus vel meus spiritus est in-
7enarrabilis, qui sæpe nullus, sæpe frigidus est? sed
8quia nullus est dies, nullum momentum, quo non a
9sanctis supplicatur Deo, ab uno ferventius, ab alio
10tepidius: et quia omnes unam Columbam constituunt,
11hinc fiunt gemitus inenarrabiles, nempe ex omnibus
12in commune gemitibus, qui omnibus in Ecclesiæ cor-
13pore constituti prosunt.
14Qui pro aliis orat, pro se laborat.
15Si pro te solo rogas, rogabis pro te solus.
16Si oras pro omnibus, orabunt pro te.
17Meditationum ἀφορμαὶ ante Εὐχαριστίαν ἢ Εὐλογίαν.
18Ecclus. xv. 9.Οὐχ ὡραῖος ὁ αἶνος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρ-
19τωλῶν.
20Psal. lii. 10.Ὅτι χρηστὸν ἐναντίων τῶν ὁσίων.
21Psal. cxlv. 10.Confiteantur Tibi, Domine, omnia opera
22Tua, et sancti Tui benedicant Tibi.
23Psal. lxxxix. 16.Μακάριος ὁ γινώσκων ἀλαλάγματα.
24Judith xvi. 16.Μικρὸν πᾶσα θυσία εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας.
25Ecclus, xliii. 27.Πολλὰ ἐροῦμεν καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐφικώμεθα.
26Aug. Conf. l. i.Væ tacentibus de Te, Domine: quoniam
27etiam loquaces muti sunt.
28לך דומיה תהלה, tacet tibi laus vel Psalmus,
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1neither Job, nor Daniel, nor Noah can entreat for us,
2but every man beareth his own burden.
3Rom. viii. 26.The Spirit maketh intercession for us
4with groanings which cannot be uttered.
5Augustine, against Maximinus.The Spirit asketh for us with groanings
6unutterable: is thy spirit, or mine, un-
7utterable — which is oftentimes no spirit at all, oftentimes cold? But
8because there is no day, no moment, wherein God is not
9besought by the saints, by one more fervently, by another
10more lukewarmly; and because they all make up one Dove,
11hence come the unutterable groanings, namely out of the
12groanings of all in common, which profit all that are set
13in the body of the Church.
14He that prayeth for others laboureth for himself.
15If thou ask for thyself alone, thou shalt be alone in asking for thyself.
16If thou pray for all, they shall pray for thee.
17Occasions of Meditation before the EUCHARIST or the BLESSING.
18Ecclus. xv. 9.Praise is not seemly in the mouth of sin-
19ners.
20Psal. lii. 10.For it is good in the sight of thy saints.
21Psal. cxlv. 10.Let all thy works praise thee, O Lord,
22and let thy saints bless thee.
23Psal. lxxxix. 16.Blessed is he that knoweth the joyful sounds.
24Judith xvi. 16.Every sacrifice for a sweet savour is a small thing.
25Ecclus, xliii. 27.We may say much, and yet come short.
26Aug. Conf. bk. i.Woe unto them that keep silence of thee, O Lord: seeing
27that even the talkative are dumb.
28לך דומיה תהלה — unto thee silence is praise, — praise is silent unto thee, or the Psalm is,
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1i. e. Opera Tua non attingit, plus habet silentii; et
2videtur procedere ex ore lactentium.Psal. viii. 2.
3Bar. iv. 28.Ὥσπερ ἐγένετο ἡ διάνοια ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ πλανη-
4θῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, διπλασιάσατε ἐπιστραφέντες
5ζητῆσαι αὐτόν.
6Ut antea in peccatis, sic jam in bonis operibus et laudi-
7bus Dei abundemus.
8Ἀλλὰ τίς εἰμι ἐγώ, Κύριε—&c.
9Oratio præparatoria ante Εὐλογίαν.
10Fac me, Domine, pœnitentiæ meæ, laudibusque Tuis
11vacare, Χωρῆσαι εἰς μετάνοιαν καὶ εὐλογίας.
12Domine, labia mea aperies, et os meum annuntiabit
13laudem Tuam.
14Sed peccantem me, Domine, et prorsus indignum magis
15deceret coram Te jacere prostratum, ac cum fletu
16ac gemitu peccatorum veniam postulare, quam Te
17ore polluto laudare.
18Verum de ingenita Tua bonitate confido;
19O suscipe laudes quas decantare desidero,
20Indignus peccator,
21Certe indignus,
22Sed utinam devotus et Tibi gratus.
23Monita et Meditationes præparatoriæ in Vespertina ad
24Deum elevatione mentis.
25In bello{ ἐγκελευστικὸς, ad agendum accommodatus.
26cantus est{ ἀνακλητικὸς, quo palantes revocantur.
27Sic mens humana ut mane excitanda, ita ad vesperum
28quasi anacletico ad se ducemque suum revocanda,
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1that is, it reacheth not thy works, it hath more of silence in it; and
2it seemeth to proceed out of the mouth of sucklings.Psal. viii. 2.
3Baruch iv. 28.As it was your mind to go a-
4stray from God, so, being turned, seek him
5double as much.
6That as before we abounded in sins, so now we may abound in good works
7and in the praises of God.
8But who am I, O Lord?—&c.
9A Prayer of Preparation before the BLESSING.
10Make me, O Lord, to have leisure for my repentance and for thy
11praises — Χωρῆσαι εἰς μετάνοιαν καὶ εὐλογίας, room enough for repentance and for blessings.
12O Lord, thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth
13thy praise.
14But me a sinner, O Lord, and altogether unworthy, it were more
15seemly to lie prostrate before thee, and with weeping
16and groaning to beg pardon for my sins, than to praise thee
17with a polluted mouth.
18Yet I trust in thine inborn goodness;
19O receive the praises which I long to sing,
20An unworthy sinner,
21Unworthy indeed,
22But would God, devout, and pleasing unto thee.
23Counsels and Preparatory Meditations for the Evening
24Lifting-up of the Mind unto God.
25In war the{ ἐγκελευστικός, the charge, fitted for the doing.
26trumpet-call is{ ἀνακλητικός, the recall, whereby the stragglers are called back.
27So the mind of man, as it must be roused in the morning, so at evening
28must be called back, as by a recall, unto itself and unto its own captain,