Psalm 66 [MT 67]

Your Love remembereth, that in two Psalms, which have been already treated of, we have stirred up our soul to bless the Lord, and with godly chant have said, "Bless thou, O my soul, the Lord." If therefore we have stirred up our soul in those Psalms to bless the Lord, in this Psalm is well said, "May God have pity on us, and bless us" [Psalm 67:1]. Let our soul bless the Lord, and let God bless us. When God blesseth us, we grow, and when we bless the Lord, we grow, to us both are profitable. He is not increased by our blessing, nor is He lessened by our cursing. He that curseth the Lord, is himself lessened: he that blesseth the Lord, is himself increased. First, there is in us the blessing of the Lord, and the consequence is that we also bless the Lord. That is the rain, this the fruit. Therefore there is rendered as it were fruit to God the Husbandman, raining upon and tilling us. Let us chant these words with no barren devotion, with no empty voice, but with true heart. For most evidently God the Father hath been called a Husbandman. [John 15:1] The Apostle saith, "God's husbandry ye are, God's building ye are." [1 Corinthians 3:9] In things visible of this world, the vine is not a building, and a building is not a vineyard: but we are the vineyard of the Lord, because He tilleth us for fruit; the building of God we are, since He who tilleth us, dwelleth in us. And what saith the same Apostle? "I have planted, Apollos hath watered, but the increase God hath given. Therefore neither he that planteth is anything, nor he that watereth, but He that giveth the increase, even God." [1 Corinthians 3:6-7] He it is therefore that giveth the increase. Are those perchance the husbandmen? For a husbandman he is called that planteth, that watereth: but the Apostle hath said, "I have planted, Apollos hath watered." Do we enquire whence himself hath done this? The Apostle maketh answer, "Yet not I, but the Grace of God with me." [1 Corinthians 15:10] Therefore whithersoever thou turn thee, whether through Angels, thou wilt find God thy Husbandman; whether through Prophets, the Same is thy Husbandman; whether through Apostles, the very Same acknowledge to be thy Husbandman. What then of us? Perchance we are the labourers of that Husbandman, and this too with powers imparted by Himself, and by Grace granted by Himself....

This, I say, is the universal way for the deliverance of believers, concerning which the faithful Abraham received the divine assurance, "In thy seed shall all nations be blessed." He, indeed, was by birth a Chaldaean; but, that he might receive these great promises, and that there might be propagated from him a seed "disposed by angels in the hand of a Mediator," in whom this universal way, thrown open to all nations for the deliverance of the soul, might be found, he was ordered to leave his country, and kindred, and father's house. Then was he himself, first of all, delivered from the Chaldaean superstitions, and by his obedience worshipped the one true God, whose promises he faithfully trusted. This is the universal way, of which it is said in holy prophecy, "God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations." And hence, when our Savior, so long after, had taken flesh of the seed of Abraham, he says of himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

May God have mercy on us and bless us. Let him not be our judge, but be merciful. May God have mercy on us. This is the voice of the apostles speaking to the people gathered from the nations: You have indeed believed at our voice; behold, this Church is gathered together in the name of God; therefore we say, May God have mercy on us and bless us, that by his blessing he may undo the first curse laid upon man. May he make his countenance shine upon us. Let us not see him sorrowful, but rejoicing; let us not see him sorrowful over our sins, but rejoicing in our virtues; let us not experience him as a judge, but as a Father. May he make his countenance shine upon us. What is the face of God? Surely his image. For the apostle too says that the Son is the image of the Father. Therefore let him make us shine with his image — that is, let him make his image, the Son, shine upon us, so that the Son himself may make us shine. For the light of the Father is the light of the Son. He who sees the Father sees also the Son; and he who sees the Son sees also the Father — where there is no distance between glory and glory, both are one glory.

"That we may know on earth Thy way" [Psalm 67:2]. "On earth," here, in this life, "we may know Thy way." What is, "Thy way"? That which leadeth to Thee. May we acknowledge whither we are going, acknowledge where we are as we go; neither in darkness we can do. Afar Thou art from men sojourning, a way to us Thou hast presented, through which we must return to Thee. "Let us acknowledge on earth Thy way." What is His way wherein we have desired, "That we may know on earth Thy way"? We are going to enquire this ourselves, not of ourselves to learn it. We can learn of it from the Gospel: "I am the Way," [John 14:6] the Lord saith: Christ hath said, "I am the Way." But dost thou fear lest thou stray? He hath added, "And the Truth." Who strayeth in the Truth? He strayeth that hath departed from the Truth. The Truth is Christ, the Way is Christ: walk therein. Dost thou fear lest thou die before thou attain unto Him? "I am the Life: I am," He saith, "the Way and the Truth and the Life." As if He were saying, "What fearest thou? Through Me thou walkest, to Me thou walkest, in Me thou restest." What therefore meaneth, "We may know on earth Thy Way," but "we may know on earth Thy Christ"? But let the Psalm itself reply: lest ye think that out of other Scriptures there must be adduced testimony, which perchance is here wanting: by repetition he hath shown what signified, "That we may know on earth Thy Way:" and as if thou wast inquiring, "In what earth, what way?" "In all nations Thy Salvation." In what earth, thou art inquiring? Hear: "In all nations." What way art thou seeking? Hear: "Thy Salvation." Is not perchance Christ his Salvation? And what is that which the old Symeon hath said, that old man, I say, in the Gospel, preserved full of years even unto the infancy of the Word? For that old man took in his hands the Infant Word of God. Would He that in the womb deigned to be, disdain to be in the hands of an old man? The Same was in the womb of the virgin, as was in the hands of the old man, a weak infant both within the bowels, and in the old man's hand, to give us strength, by whom were made all things; and if all things, even His very mother. He came humble, He came weak, but clothed with a weakness to be changed into strength, because "though He was crucified of weakness, yet He liveth of the virtue of God," [2 Corinthians 13:4] the Apostle saith. He was then in the hands of an old man. And what saith that old man? Rejoicing that now he must be loosed from this world, seeing how in his own hand was held He by whom and in whom his Salvation was upheld; he saith what? "Now Thou lettest go," he saith, "O Lord, Thy servant in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation." [Luke 2:29-30] Therefore, "May God bless us, and have pity on us; may He lighten His countenance upon us, that we may know on earth Thy Way!" In what earth? "In all nations." What Way? "Thy Salvation."

That we may know your way upon earth. This is what we ask: that you may make your countenance shine, that is, your image, upon us — that image which has always been hidden with you, and was, as it were, in the secret and darkness of your mysteries, according to what is written: "He made darkness his hiding-place." This is what we ask, that you make it shine upon us, so that the mystery which was hidden from the generations, as the apostle says, may be revealed in us. But why do we ask for all this? Why do we desire it? Unless you make your image shine upon us, we cannot know your way and your knowledge. Therefore it follows, That we may know your way upon earth: that your majesty, which is known in the heavens, we may hold known also upon earth. That we may know your way upon earth. "I am," he says, "the way and the life and the truth." That we may know your way upon earth. Let us know it upon earth. "Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth"; that the one whom the angels adore in the heavens, men too may adore upon earth. But someone may say that the way of God was known. "For God is known in Judaea, in Israel his name is great." God was known, but the way of God was not known in Judaea. Since, then, the way of God the Father was not known among the Jews, therefore he now says: Among all the nations your salvation. Not in one people, but in all the nations. Among all the nations your salvation. Where we have in Latin "salvation" (salutare), in Hebrew it is called "Jesus." And indeed the angel too speaks this: "And you shall call," he says, "his name Jesus: for he shall save his people." Among all the nations your salvation. Behold, what the apostles prayed for is fulfilled: among all the nations his salvation is known. Wherever human speech can be, there Jesus resounds.

What followeth because the Salvation of God is known in all nations? "Let the peoples confess to Thee, O God" [Psalm 67:3]; "confess to Thee," he saith, "all peoples." There standeth forth a heretic, and he saith, In Africa I have peoples: and another from another quarter, And I in Galatia have peoples. Thou in Africa, he in Galatia: therefore I require one that hath them everywhere. Ye have indeed dared to exult at that voice, when ye heard, "Let the peoples confess to Thee, O God." Hear the following verse, how he speaketh not of a part: "Let there confess to Thee all peoples." Walk ye in the Way together with all nations; walk ye in the Way together with all peoples, O sons of peace, sons of the One Catholic Church, walk ye in the Way, seeing as ye walk. Wayfarers do this to beguile their toil. Sing ye in this Way; I implore you by that Same Way, sing ye in this Way: a new song sing ye, let no one there sing old ones: sing ye the love-songs of your fatherland, let no one sing old ones. New Way, new wayfarer, new song. Hear thou the Apostle exhorting thee to a new song: "Whatever therefore is in Christ is a new creature; old things have passed away, behold they have been made new." A new song sing ye in the way, which ye have learned "on the earth." In what earth? "In all nations." Therefore even the new song doth not belong to a part. He that in a part singeth, singeth an old song: whatever he please to sing, he singeth an old song, the old man singeth: divided he is, carnal he is. Truly in so far as carnal he is, so far he is old; and in so far as he is spiritual, so far new. See what saith the Apostle: "I could not speak to you as if to spiritual, but as if to carnal." [1 Corinthians 3:1] Whence proveth he them carnal? "For while one saith, I am of Paul; but another, I of Apollos: are ye not," he saith, "carnal?" [1 Corinthians 3:4] Therefore in the Spirit a new song sing thou in the safe way. Just as wayfarers sing, and ofttimes in the night sing. Awful round about all things do sound, or rather they sound not around, but are still around; and the more still the more awful; nevertheless, even they that fear robbers do sing. How much more safely thou singest in Christ! That way hath no robber, unless thou by forsaking the way fallest in the hands of a robber. ...Why fear ye to confess, and in your confession to sing a new song together with all the earth; in all the earth, in Catholic peace, dost thou fear to confess to God, lest He condemn thee that hast confessed? If having not confessed thou liest concealed, having confessed thou wilt be condemned. Thou fearest to confess, that by not confessing canst not be concealed: thou wilt be condemned if thou hast held thy peace, that mightest have been delivered, by having confessed. "O God, confess to Thee all peoples."

Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let the peoples confess to you. The Jews? No: all peoples. Just as all the nations, so also all peoples. Let the peoples confess to you, O God. What should they confess? Surely their sins — or at least let them confess that your image is in you: let them confess you in the Son, in him let them see you, in him let them adore you.

And because this confession leadeth not to punishment, he continueth and saith, "Let the nations rejoice and exult" (ver. 4). If robbers after confession made do wail before man, let the faithful after confessing before God rejoice. If a man be judge, the torturer and his fear exact from a robber a confession: yea sometimes fear wringeth out confession, pain extorteth it: and he that waileth in tortures, but feareth to be killed if he confess, supporteth tortures as far as he is able: and if he shall have been overcome by pain, he giveth his voice for death. Nowise therefore is he joyful; nowise exulting: before he confesseth the claw teareth him; when he hath confessed, the executioner leadeth him along a condemned felon: wretched in every case. But "let the nations rejoice and exult." Whence? Through that same confession. Why? Because good He is to whom they confess: He exacteth confession, to the end that He may deliver the humble; He condemneth one not confessing, to the end that He may punish the proud. Therefore be thou sorrowful before thou confessest; after having confessed exult, now thou wilt be made whole. Thy conscience had gathered up evil humours, with boil it had swollen, it was torturing thee, it suffered thee not to rest: the Physician applieth the fomentations of words, and sometimes He lanceth it, He applieth the surgeon's knife by the chastisement of tribulation: do thou acknowledge the Physician's hand, confess thou, let every evil humour go forth and flow away in confession: now exult, now rejoice, that which remaineth will be easy to be made whole. ..."Let the nations rejoice and exult, for Thou judgest the peoples in equity." And that unrighteous men may not fear, he hath added, "and the nations on the earth Thou directest." Depraved were the nations and crooked were the nations, perverse were the nations; for the ill desert of their depravity, and crookedness and perverseness, the Judge's coming they feared: there cometh the hand of the same, it is stretched out mercifully to the peoples, they are guided in order that they may walk the straight way; why should they fear the Judge to come, that have first acknowledged Him for a Corrector? To His hand let them give up themselves, Himself guideth the nations on the earth. But guided nations are walking in the Truth, are exulting in Him, are doing good works; and if perchance there cometh in any water (for on sea they are sailing) through the very small holes, through the crevices into the hold, pumping it out by good works, lest by more and more coming it accumulate, and sink the ship, pumping it out daily, fasting, praying, doing almsdeeds, saying with pure heart, "Forgive us our debts, as also we forgive our debtors" -saying such words walk thou secure, and exult in the way, sing in the way. Do not fear the Judge: before thou wast a believer, thou didst find a Saviour. Thee ungodly He sought out that He might redeem, thee redeemed will He forsake so as to destroy? "And the nations on earth Thou directest."

If there is any thought at which a Christian trembles it is the thought of God's "judgement". The "Day" of Judgement is "that day of wrath, that dreadful day". We pray for God to deliver us "in the hour of death and at the day of judgement". Christian art and literature for centuries have depicted its terrors...

It was therefore with great surprise that I first noticed how the Psalmists talk about the judgements of God. They talk like this; "O let the nations rejoice and be glad, for thou shalt judge the folk righteously" (67:4)... Judgement is apparently an occasion of universal rejoicing. People ask for it.

The reason for this soon becomes very plain. The ancient Jews, like ourselves, think of God's judgement in terms of an earthly court of justice. The difference is that the Christian pictures the case to be tried as a criminal case with himself in the dock; the Jew pictures it as a civil case with himself as the plaintiff. The one hopes for acquittal, or rather for pardon; the other hopes for a resounding triumph with heavy damages... We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of the longing for judgement, and regard the announcement that "judgement" is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgement. They know their case is unanswerable—if only it could be heard. When God comes to judge, at last it will.

Let the nations be glad and rejoice. Because they have been freed from the captivity of the devil; because those who before were bent down to adore idols, wood and stones, now with upright face look upon the heavens. Because you judge the peoples in equity. Wherever there is equity and judgment, there is not gladness, but the dread of sinners. And how did he say, May God have mercy on us and bless us; and now he says, Let the nations be glad and rejoice, because you judge the peoples in equity? It seems to be contradictory. For if they need mercy, how are they glad and rejoice, because you judge the peoples in equity? For wherever there is mercy, there is no judgment; but where there is judgment and the equity of judgment, there mercy is far off. But this is the sense. Let the nations be glad and rejoice: why should they be glad? Because you judge the peoples in equity: because you in no way show favoritism to one nation, but are the God of all. Not the Jews alone are pleasing to you, but the whole world is yours. Someone may say: You are doing violence to Scripture; it did not speak in this sense. Let Scripture interpret itself, which says, Because you judge the peoples in equity. Which peoples? And you direct the nations upon earth. The nations which before did not walk with upright foot, the nations which before did not walk on an upright path, you made them to walk in your way: that we might know your way upon earth, that we might walk in the way, not in the ways, that through one way we might come to you, from whom the way is born. For we do not go to the Father except through the Son. Someone may say: This is the doctrine of the Arians. So, then, one comes to the Father through the Son? I say this: that through the image we go to the face, and in the light we see the light, in the Son we see the Father. It is the mystery and the dispensation that speaks. But if anyone thinks it blasphemous that we have called the Son the way, and that through the way we go as it were to God, let us see what this very way says. "No one comes to me, unless my Father draws him to me." So, just as the Son leads to the Father, so also the Father leads to the Son. These are human words. But both the Son leads to the Father, and the Father leads to the Son: and there is one nature, one substance.

Let the peoples confess to you, O God — he had already said this above, and in this little psalm he repeats these two verses again. For he had said above, "Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let all the peoples confess to you. Let the nations be glad and rejoice," and so on: and now again he repeats these very verses. It is as though the apostles lead the chant for all the nations. "Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say: often have they fought against me from my youth." See how they lead the chant, and the throng of all the nations responds. So too now, when they say at the beginning "Let all the peoples confess to you," and when they urge the peoples and say "Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let all the peoples confess to you" — because they see them falling silent, therefore they rebuke them with the same words, and say, Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let all the peoples confess to you. Once we have said it, and you did not hear; let us say it again, that you may sing.

He exults, rejoices, exhorts, he repeats those same verses in exhortation. "The earth has given her fruit" [Psalm 67:6]. What fruit? "Let all peoples confess to You." Earth it was, of thorns it was full; there came the hand of One rooting them up, there came a calling by His majesty and mercy, the earth began to confess; now the earth gives her fruit. Would she give her fruit unless first she were rained on? Would she give her fruit, unless first the mercy of God had come from above? Let them read to me, you say, how the earth being rained upon gave her fruit. Hear of the Lord raining upon her: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." [Matthew 3:2] He rains, and that same rain is thunder; it terrifies: fear thou Him thundering, and receive Him raining. Behold, after that voice of a thundering and raining God, after that voice let us see something out of the Gospel itself. Behold that harlot of ill fame in the city burst into a strange house into which she had not been invited by the host, but by One invited she had been called; [Luke 7:37] called not with tongue, but by Grace. The sick woman knew that she had there a place, where she was aware that her Physician was sitting at meat. She has gone in, that was a sinner; she dares not draw near save to the feet: she weeps at His feet, she washes with tears, she wipes with hair, she anoints with ointment. Why do you wonder? The earth has given her fruit. This thing, I say, came to pass by the Lord raining there through His own mouth; there came to pass the things whereof we read in the Gospel; and by His raining through His clouds, by the sending of the Apostles and by their preaching the truth, the earth more abundantly has given her fruit, and that crop now has filled the round world.

But why have we said all this, both once and a second time, that the peoples should confess to God? Why do we say this? Why do we urge this? The earth has given its fruit. The earth — holy Mary — from our earth, from our seed, from this clay, from this mud, from Adam. "You are earth, and into the earth you shall go." This earth has given its fruit: what it lost in paradise, it has found in the Son. The earth has given its fruit. First it gave a flower. He says in the Song of Songs: "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys." This flower, then, has been made fruit, that we might eat him, that we might feed on his flesh. Do you wish to know what this fruit is? A virgin from a virgin, the Lord from a handmaid, God from man, a son from a mother, fruit from the earth. See what this fruit himself says. "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it cannot bear much fruit." The earth has given its fruit, it has given the grain of wheat: which grain of wheat fell into the earth and died, and therefore brings forth much fruit. It was multiplied in the ear of corn: what had fallen as one thing, rose again with many. For the grain of wheat fell into the earth, and an abundant harvest sprang up. The earth has given its fruit. Therefore Let the peoples confess to you, O God, let all the peoples confess to you: the earth has given its fruit.

What is this fruit? May God bless us, our God; may God bless us. God — the Father; our God — the Son. For he himself is our God. "And you shall call," he says, "his name Emmanuel" — that is, God with us. Our God. May God bless us — the Holy Spirit. See the mystery of the Trinity comprehended in one little verse, The earth has given its fruit with many; in this fruit the mystery of the Trinity is contained. May God bless us, our God. He who is the God of all by nature has been made our God in a proper sense. May God bless us. May he drive out the old curse. The curse cast us out of paradise: may the blessing bring us back. May God bless us, our God; may God bless us.

The fruit of the earth was first in Jerusalem. For from thence began the Church: there came there the Holy Spirit, and filled full the holy men gathered together in one place; miracles were done, with the tongues of all men they spake. They were filled full of the Spirit of God, the people were converted that were in that place, fearing and receiving the divine shower, by confession they brought forth so much fruit, that all their goods they brought together into a common stock, making distribution to the poor, in order that no one might call anything his own, but all things might be to them in common, and they might have one soul and one heart unto God. For there had been forgiven them the blood which they had shed, it had been forgiven them by the Lord pardoning, in order that now they might even learn to drink that which they had shed. Great in that place is the fruit: the earth hath given her fruit, both great fruit, and most excellent fruit. Ought by any means that earth alone to give her fruit? "May there bless us God, our God, may there bless us God" (ver. 7). Still may He bless us: for blessing in multiplication is wont most chiefly and properly to be perceived. Let us prove this in Genesis; see the works of God: God made light, and God made a division between light and darkness: the light He called day, and the darkness He called night. It is not said, He blessed the light. For the same light returneth and changeth by days and nights. He calleth the sky the firmament between waters and waters: it is not said, He blessed the sky: He severed the sea from the dry land, and named both, the dry land earth, and the gathering together of the waters sea: neither here is it said, God blessed. ...

And let all the ends of the earth fear him. He did not say, Let all the ends of the earth love him: "for perfect love casts out fear." To fear belongs to beginners, to love belongs to the perfect. He who still fears is placed at the start, he does not have perfect and full faith; but he who loves God, all things turn out to good for him. This little sentence seems brief and simple: but let us fan it out, and in these simple words we shall discover immense mysteries. We shall find within what lay hidden without. "But to those who love God all things work together for good." Job, the holy man, was tempted: he lost his sons and daughters, his house collapsed, he lost everything, he lost all things suddenly — neither father nor master; for nothing sound remained to him in his body, except only his tongue with which he might blaspheme. See the tempter, the devil. "From the sole," he says, "of his foot to the crown of his head he struck him with a most grievous wound" — that is, with elephantiasis. From it worms flowed over his whole body, and gore, and rottenness. His tongue alone he kept intact for him, that he might be able to blaspheme his God. "In all these things Job did not sin with his lips." See the greatness of the temptation, see the greatness of his virtue. See and consider that the apostle's saying is fulfilled: But to those who love God all things work together for good. At the time when he was losing his possessions, when he was losing his sons, the things that had happened did indeed seem to him to be adverse: but because he loved the Lord, those evils, which he brings upon him, work together to his good. Those worms of his body were preparing for him the crown of heaven. Before he was tempted, God had never spoken to him: but after he was tempted, God came to him, and speaks familiarly, as a friend with his friend. Let the plagues come, every kind of punishment, so long as after the plagues Christ arrives.

We have gone out of the psalm, but not uselessly; because we had said And let all the ends of the earth fear him, and we had said that to fear belongs to the little ones, but to love belongs to the perfect; and to prove this we had cited from the apostle, But to those who love the Lord all things work together for good. And let all the ends of the earth fear him. By no means Judaea alone, but all the ends of the earth. But according to the figurative sense (tropology), all the ends of the earth — not all the middles of the earth, not those who are in the middle of the earth, but those who are at the end of the earth, who leave the earth behind and hasten to go to heaven. This, then, which the apostles said at the beginning, let us say at the end. May God have mercy on us and bless us: may he make his countenance shine upon us, and have mercy on us.