Mondays with the New Psalms: Psalm 130

Psalm 130 (De profundis)


A song of ascents.

Out of the depths I call to you, LORD;

Lord, hear my cry!

May your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy.

If you, LORD, keep account of sins,

Lord, who can stand?

But with you is forgiveness

and so you are revered.

I wait for the LORD,

my soul waits

and I hope for his word.

My soul looks for the Lord

more than sentinels for daybreak.

More than sentinels for daybreak,

let Israel hope in the LORD,

For with the LORD is mercy,

with him is plenteous redemption,

And he will redeem Israel

from all its sins.

-NABRE

A Song of Ascents.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

Lord, hear my voice!

O let your ears be attentive

to the sound of my pleadings

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,

Lord, who could stand?

But with you is found forgiveness,

that you may be revered.

I long for you, O LORD,

my soul longs for his word.

My soul hopes in the Lord

more than watchmen for daybreak.

More than watchmen for daybreak,

let Israel hope for the LORD.

For with the LORD there is mercy,

in him is plentiful redemption.

It is he who will redeem Israel

from all its iniquities.

-Revised Grail Psalms

NABRE Notes:

[Psalm 130] This lament, a Penitential Psalm, is the De profundis used in liturgical prayers for the faithful departed. In deep sorrow the psalmist cries to God (Ps 130:1–2), asking for mercy (Ps 130:3–4). The psalmist’s trust (Ps 130:5–6) becomes a model for the people (Ps 130:7–8).

[130:1] The depths: Sheol here is a metaphor of total misery. Deep anguish makes the psalmist feel “like those descending to the pit” (Ps 143:7).

[130:4] And so you are revered: the experience of God’s mercy leads one to a greater sense of God.

The Canon of Scripture in the Various Traditions

 This is from the primarily evangelical magazine Bible Study Magazine, published by Logos.

 HT: Louis

The Hobbit in One Picture

Since I plan on reading The Hobbit this summer, I found this image, from madbatter at DeviantArt, a nice overview of future reading.  Start at the bottom right.

HT: Brandon

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Ten Oddest Gifts Given to the Pope

Mondays with the New Psalms: Psalm 129

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,
let Israel say now.
Viciously have they attacked me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.

Upon my back the plowers plowed,
as they traced their long furrows.
But the just LORD cut me free
from the ropes of the wicked.

May they recoil in disgrace,
all who hate Zion.
May they be like grass on the rooftops
withered in early growth,

Never to fill the reaper’s hands,
nor the arms of the binders of sheaves,
And with none passing by to call out:
“The blessing of the LORD be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the LORD!”
-NABRE


A Song of Ascents.

"They have pressed me hard from my youth,"
let Israel sing.
"They have pressed me hard from my youth,
but could never overcome me.

The plowmen plowed my back,
drawing long furrows.
Yet the LORD, who is just, has destroyed
the yoke of the wicked."

Let them be shamed and routed,
all those who hate Sion!
Let them be like grass on the roof,
that withers before it flowers.

With that no reaper fills his hands,
no binder of sheaves his arms.
And those passing by will not say,
"The blessing of the LORD be upon you!"
We bless you in the name of the LORD!
-Revised Grail Pslams


NABRE Notes:
[Psalm 129] A Psalm giving thanks for God’s many rescues of Israel over the long course of their history (Ps 129:1–4); the people pray that their oppressors never know the joy of harvest (Ps 129:5–8).


[129:4] The ropes of the wicked: usually understood as the rope for yoking animals to the plow. If it is severed, the plowing (cf. Ps 129:3) comes to a halt.

[129:6] Like grass on the rooftops: after the spring rains, grass would sprout from the coat of mud with which the flat roofs of simple houses were covered, but when the dry summer began there was no moisture in the thin roof-covering to sustain the grass.

[129:8] The blessing of the LORD be upon you: harvesters greeted one another with such blessings, cf. Ru 2:4.

Your Summer Reading Plan

So, what will you be reading this summer?  As the school year comes to a conclusion for me next week, it is about time I start figuring out what my summer reading plan will be for the next two months.  Perhaps this is something that teachers only do, since most of us have some time off in the summer.  I am looking forward to a fairly peaceful and uneventful summer, minus of course the birth of my son sometime in July which increasingly brings both joy and anticipation to my heart as each day passes.

So, below I have compiled a fairly modest list of books that I plan on reading this summer.    I also, of course, do not include Scripture because it is always profitable for reading and praying with in and out of season.  Not quite sure if my list would be considered long or short.  I am certain, however, that the summer months tend to go by faster than I think they will, so perhaps a short list is wise.


True Devotion to Mary by St. Louis de Montfort
(True Devotion to Mary is a book I am currently reading in my men's fellowship group.)

100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura by Dave Armstrong
(I am eager to see if this will be helpful in the Catholic Apologetics class I teach.....how could it not?)

What's Wrong with the World by GK Chesterton
(A book the SE Michigan Chesterton Society is currently reading.)

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
(I am ashamed to say that I have never read this book, but plan to do so before the movie is released in December.)

Converts and Kingdoms by Diane Moczar 
(This book looks intriguing.  I don't have it yet, still waiting for it to be published.)