Sunday, August 23, 2020

Thomas Merton: The Invitatory

Glencairn's Two-Foot Tall Medieval Hymnal — Glencairn Museum 

The Invitatorium—Psalm 94— {is} a psalm of processional entrance to the Temple {and} prostration before the Holy of Holies. Here the office really begins. This whole idea is probably an original invention of St. Benedict. The two invitators stand at the presbytery step, before the dark sanctuary—a most solemn reminder of the presence of the All-holy God.

 

The Invitatory sets the tone for the whole office; and that tone is invariably one of praise, but also secondarily of repentance and compunction, and preparation for a day of holiness. Praise is primary: Exultemus Domino; Jubilemus Deo salutari nostro (the rock of our salvation). We come to stand before Him "in confessione"  confessio laudis above all. Why do we praise Him? because of His greatness (Deus magnus Dominus ); because of His mercy (Non repellet Dominus plebem suam ); because of His power as our Creator (In manu ejus sunt omnesfines terrae. . . Ipsius est mare.. . ).

Penance {is also important}: in view of the greatness and holiness and goodness of God, we are also aware of our own nothingness and misery, our need to cast ourselves down, to adore, to implore Him (Ploremus coram Domino qui fecit nos) Yet our prayer is confident and full of love, for we recognize that we are His people and "the sheep of His pasture." Hence {we show} vigilance. The last two sections are in effect a call to spiritual alertness and attention to God and a recalling to mind of the faults of the Fathers in the desert who did not understand His wonders. Attention to His will {is required}—not to be one of those who "errant corde." (For the temptation in the desert, see Exodus 1 7:1-7 and Numbers 20:2-13.) All these things will be recounted in the psalms. In reciting the psalter we implore Him (tion. The seed is sown and springs up in our heart.

In reciting the psalter we will be spiritually passing through the Red Sea and the desert; we must be alert to the "great works" of God, and forge ahead in our journey to enter into His rest. Parsch says:

 “The invitatory is a cry to wake up. It is the herald, announcing tersely what the feast is about. {This focuses on} the kerygmatic character of the liturgy a statement of a glorious fact that calls for our acclamation today (hodie) God reveals Himself to us anew each day (cf. St. Benedict, Prologue ). We hail God our Savior as our Lord and our King. This acclamation of the Divine Word is a great work of salvation.

Dom Hilaire Duesberg says, "Chanting the invitatory psalm is not a job for lazy people and those with heart trouble should be persuaded not to undertake it, because in it one picks up the whole world to carry it away into the cycle of sacred praise."

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