Peace and All Good
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Part V: For the season of the Nativity of the Lord until
the octave of Epiphany At Vespers on the Nativity of the Lord Antiphon: Holy Virgin Mary Psalm XV
1.
Exult in God our
helper + raise a shout of joy, to the Lord God living and true, in a voice of
exultation.
2.
Since the Lord, is exalted +the terrible great
king over every Nation.
3.
Because the
Holiest Father of heaven, Our King before the ages ~ has sent His beloved son
from on high + and He was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
4.
He Himself called to me: You are my Father +
and I will set him as my firstborn, raised up before the Rulers of the world.
5.
On that day
the Lord will command his mercy+ and at night his song.
6.
This is the
day the Lord has made + let us rejoice and be glad in it.
7.
Because the most
holy Beloved Boy has been given to us ~ and He has been born for us on the road
and placed in a manger + because there was no place for them in the
8.
Glory to God in the Highest + and on Earth
peace to men of good will.
9.
Let the
heavens be glad and the earth rejoice ~ let the sea be shaken in all her fullness
10.
Sing a new
song to the Lord + sing to Him all the earth. 11. For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; + He is to be feared above all gods.
12.
Bring to the Lord, you origins of the Nations
~ bring to the Lord glory and honour, +
bring to the Lord the glory due his
name.
13.
Lift up your bodies ~ and bear His Holy Cross
+ and follow his Most Holy precepts unto the end. Note, that this psalm is said from the Nativity of the Lord until the octave of Epiphany at all hours. If one wants to say this Office of blessed Francis, let him say it thus: first say the Our Father with the praises, namely: Holy, Holy, Holy. With the praises finished with the prayer as above the antiphon is begun: Holy Virgin Mary with the psalm, which has been established for each hour of the day and night. And let it be said with great reverence.
This final Psalm in Francis cycle of his year, a mixture of old and new, encompassing both the cradle and the cross; the entire psalm may be summarised in three verses:
4. He Himself called to me: You are my Father + and I will set him as my firstborn, raised up before the Rulers of the world.
7. Because the most Holy Beloved Boy has been given to us ~ and He has been born for us on the road and placed in a manger + because there was no place for them in the Inn. 13. Lift up your bodies ~ and bear His Holy Cross + and follow his Most Holy precepts unto the end. From the cross, our Lord Jesus looks down upon his cradle and from His cradle we look towards the long road to new-birth, carrying the holy Cross and walking in His ways. It was Francis one desire to imitate his Lord: since Francis could not lie in the manger, he made one, surrounded by living beasts. Francis went on to receive the stigmata, to die as his Lord had died with nails in his hands and feet and a wound in his side. Let us follow in his ways, with Christ before us and Francis behind us
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