Cap. XVI
QUALITER DIVINA OPERA PER DIEM AGANTUR

[Ms P, fol. 81r – Paulus Diaconus – 
Ps.-Basil: Ms K¹, fol. 5r; Ms E¹, fol. 92r; Ms. E², fol. 139r]

Ch. 16
HOW THE WORK OF GOD IS TO BE PERFORMED DURING THE DAY

Translated by: Susan Boynton

₁Ut ait propheta: Septies in die laudem dixi tibi. [Ps 118:64]

₁As the prophet said: Seven times a day I have given praise to you. [Ps 118:64]

Nunc quasi interrogare se videtur S. Benedictus, cum dicit: Qualiter divina opera per diem agantur, et iterum quasi respondisse sibimet videtur, cum dicit: Ut ait propheta: Septies in die laudem dixi tibi ac si diceret aliis verbis: Septies in die laudes Deo referendae sunt, ut dicit propheta.

Now Saint Benedict seems almost to ask himself, when he says: How is the work of God performed during the day, and again he seems to have answered himself, when he says: As the prophet says: Seven times a day I have given praise to you as if he said in other words: One must give praise to God seven times a day, as the prophet says.

Solet S. Benedictus sensum divinarum scripturarum ad suum trahere, sicuti in hoc loco facere videtur, quamquam alii doctores aliter intelligant. Istud enim quod dicit propheta: Septies in die laudem dixi tibi, secundum proprium sensum suum intelligitur, i. e. semper laudem dixi tibi, septies enim pro semper ponitur; et quod semper laudem referebat Domino, alibi manifestat idem propheta, cum dicit: Semper laus ejus in ore meo. [Ps 33:2] Ille enim semper laudes refert Deo, cujus devotio semper in Deo consistit. Sive enim dormiat sive vigilet, semper laus Domini in ore ejus est. Quia cognovit B. Benedictus, non semper posse os corporis laudem Deo referre sicut in corde, ideo hunc sensum scripturae hujus ad suum sensum traxit, et intellexit, cum etiam de horis, in quibus jussit Deo laudes esse referendas, dictum fuisse.

Saint Benedict is accustomed to make the meaning of holy scripture his own, as he appears to do in this passage, although other doctors of the church understand it differently. For that which the prophet says: Seven times a day I have given praise to you, is understood according to its strict sense, that is, I have always praised you, for seven times stands for “always”; and the prophet demonstrates elsewhere the fact that one must always give praise to God, when he says: His praise is always in my mouth [Ps 33:2]. For one who is always devoted to God always gives praise to God. For whether he should sleep or wake, the praise of The Lord is always in his mouth. Since Saint Benedict knew that the mouth of the body cannot always give praise to God as in the heart, he made this meaning of this scripture his own, and understood that it also applied to the hours in which he ordered that one must give praise to God.

Quia os corporis, sicut diximus, non potest Deum laudare, sicut os cordis, ideo constituit horas, ut saltem in his temporibus Deo omnipotenti referre laudes queat: i. e. ₂prima, tertia, sexta, nona, vespera, completorioque tempore nostrae servitutis officia persolvamus.

Since, as we said, the mouth of the body cannot praise God like the mouth of the heart, he established hours so that at least at these times one would be able to give praise to almighty God: that is, ₂let us sing the offices of our service at the first, third, sixth, ninth, evening, and Compline hour.

Senarius enim numerus ideo sacratus dicitur, quia perfectus [page 307] est et pro perfectione ponitur. Perfectus enim est secundum auctoritatem divinae scripturae, quia in sex diebus creavit Deus omnia secundum saecularem artem, eo quod in suis partibus divisus efficitur. Habet enim partes tres: i. e. unum et duo et tria; si enim dividitur per sex, habet unum, quia sex uni sex faciunt; si autem dividitur per duo, habet tria, quia si dividitur per medium, illius media pars tria sunt; si vero dividitur per tria, habet duo, ter enim duo similiter sex faciunt. Ac per hoc junge unum, duo atque tria, sex faciunt.

The number six is said to be sacred because it is perfect [page 307] and it stands for perfection. It is perfect according to the authority of holy scripture, since in six days God created all things; [it is perfect] according to human art because it can be divided into its parts. For it has three parts: that is, one, two, and three [parts]; for if it is divided by six, it has one part, because six times one make six; if, however, it is divided by two, it has three parts, since if it is divided in half, each half part is three; but if it is divided by three, it has two, for three times two likewise make six. And adding one, two, and three makes six.

Septenarius enim numerus perfectus est, sed alio modo, sicut dicit B. Gregorius: Quia omne bonum opus septem per Spiritum virtutibus agitur, ut et fides simul et opera consumentur. [Gregory the Great, Moralia in Hiob XXXV, c. 16.42, CCSL 153B, p. 1802] Quare enim laudes Deo referre debeamus tam in die quam in nocte, manifestat, cum subjunxit super judicia justitiae suae.

The number seven is perfect, but in a different way, as Saint Gregory says: Every good work is accomplished through the Spirit by the seven virtues, so that both faith and works may be taken together. [Gregory the Great, Moralia in Hiob XXXV, c. 16.42] For he demonstrates the reason we must give praise to God both by day and by night, when he adds above the judgments of his justice.

Istud enim super pro propter ponitur in hoc loco, ac si diceret: propter judicia justitiae suae, quia judicia Dei incomprehensibilia sunt. Et quamquam incomprehensibilia sint in aliis, maxime tamen in massa generis humani incomprehensibilia esse cognoscuntur, eo quod de ipsa massa salvantur alii et alii pereunt. Verumtamen credendum est, quia, qui salvantur, gratuita misericordia Dei salvantur, et qui pereunt, justo judicio Dei pereunt. Reddit enim causam, cujus sint ipsa judicia, cum subjunxit justitiae suae, h. e. aequitatis suae, eo quod judicia Domini ex justitia procedunt.

That above stands for 'on account of' in this passage, as if he said: 'on account of the judgments of his justice,' since the judgments of God are incomprehensible. And although they are incomprehensible in other ways, they are especially known to be incomprehensible in the mass of the human race, because from that mass some are saved and others perish. Nevertheless it must be believed, since those who are saved are saved by the free mercy of God, and those who perish, perish by the just judgment of God. He tells whose judgments they are when he adds 'of his justice,' that is, 'of his equity,' since the judgments of The Lord proceed from justice.

Deinde, quia docuit, etiam nocte esse surgendum ad laudes Deo referendas, voluit confirmare per exemplum auctoritatis divinae adhibens exemplum David prophetae dicens: ₄Media nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi, [Ps 118:62] quatenus ei facilius crederetur. Dicit enim, dixisse ipsum David: Media nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi. Verumtamen animadvertendum est, quare S. Benedictus adhibuit exemplum de media nocte, cum ipse non media nocte, sed octava hora noctis praecipit esse surgendum ad laudes Deo referendas [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 8.1].

Thereupon, since he taught that praise must be given to God at night as well, he wished to confirm this through the example of divine authority, using the example of the prophet David saying: ₄At midnight I arose to confess to you [Ps 118:62], however it may be believed to be easier for him. For he says that David himself said: At midnight I arose to confess to you. Nevertheless, one must notice why Saint Benedict used the example concerning midnight, when he himself commands us to rise not at midnight but at the eighth hour of the night to give praise to God. [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 8.1]

Cui respondendum [page 308] est: Quamquam S. Benedictus causa discretionis atque temperamenti octava hora noctis praecipit esse surgendum, hoc testimonium non congruat et conveniat, quantum ad horas attinet, suae praeceptioni, tamen congruit quantum attinet ad noctem, eo quod sive octava hora surgamus, sicut Benedictus dicit, sive media nocte, sicut dicit propheta, tamen in nocte surgimus. Ille enim quoniam non habuit, unde congruentius adhiberet exemplum ad confirmandam suam praeceptionem adhibuit istud exemplum, ubi de media nocte dicitur esse surgendum.

The response is as follows: [page 308] Although Saint Benedict ordered us to rise at the eighth hour of the night on account of discretion and temperament, this evidence does not coincide with and agree with his command concerning the hours, but coincides with it inasmuch as it pertains to the night, because either we may rise at the eighth hour, as Benedict says, or at midnight, as the prophet says; in any case we rise at night. For since he did not have an example he could use to confirm his command more fittingly, he used the example where it speaks of rising at midnight.

In hoc loco sollertius intuendum est, quia ille laudes Deo refert, qui hoc, quod ore dicit, corde cogitat, et propterea vigilanter S. Benedictus subjunxit, cum dicit: ₅His temporibus referamus laudes, et statim adjecit creatori nostro - quasi diceret: Ita laudes referamus, ut creator noster cognoscatur. Nam sunt multi, qui videntur laudes referre, sed non referunt Deo, quia hoc, quod ore dicunt, corde non intendunt.

In this passage it must be carefully observed, since he gives praise to God, that he believes with his heart what he says with his mouth, and for this reason Saint Benedict carefully added, when he said: ₅We give praise at these times, and immediately added to our creator, as if he said: Thus we give praise so that our creator may be recognized. For there are many who seem to give praise but they do not give praise to God, since they do not believe with their heart that which they say with their mouth.

Et ideo admonendi sunt monachi, ut, cum audiunt signum, sicut dimittunt ea, quae habent in manibus, ita etiam quae habent in corde, dimittant, quia nil valet, manibus dimittere et corde gestare [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 53.1]; nam tolerabilius est manibus gestare opus et corde dimittere, quam manibus dimittere et corde gestare.

And therefore monks are to be warned that, when they hear the bell, just as they leave those things which they have in their hands, thus also they must leave those things which they have in their hearts, since it is useless to leave something with the hands and keep it in the heart [cf. Regula Benedicti, c. 53.1]; for it is more acceptable to keep work in the hands and leave it with the heart, than to leave it with the hands and keep it in the heart.

De hoc quod dicit: Nocte surgebam ad confitendum tibi.  Bene B. Ambrosius, episcopus Mediolanensis, in tractatu Beati immaculati [v. 62.] exponit hoc modo dicens: Non tibi dicit propheta, ut tantummodo [omitted in ed. Mittermüller, inserted from PL: Non tibi dicit Propheta, ut tantummodo media nocte surgas: sed ut surgas nocte, et maxime nocte media. Nocte enim surgendum antepraemisit dicens: Memor fui in nocte nominis tui, Domine. [Ps 118:55]

For this reason, he says At night I arose to confess to you, Saint Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, explains fittingly in his tractate “Blessed are the pure” in this manner, saying: “The prophet does not tell you that you must simply rise at midnight, but that you must rise at night, and especially at midnight. For he puts rising at night earlier, saying: 'I remembered your name at night, Lord.' [Ps 118:55]

Potest unusquisque memor esse, et non surgere: potest unusquisque et surgere, et cum surrexerit, ea quae proprio arbitrio sederint, postulare.

Each person can remember, and not rise; everyone can also rise, and when arisen, he can ask for those things which sit in his own judgment.

Addidit: Media nocte surgebam, docens surgendum esse media nocte. Nec otiosum est quod adjunxit: Ad confitendum tibi, hoc est, ut illo maxime tempore deprecari Deum, et propria debeamus deflere peccata: nec solum praeteritis veniam postulare, sed etiam praesentia declinare, futuris cavere; multa enim illo in tempore tentamenta proserpunt. Tunc fervet carnis illecebra: tunc tentator illudit: coquitur cibus, potusque digeritur: stomachus aeger, mens somnolenta, animus occupatus est. Itaque aut quiescenti calor soporis augetur, aut vigilanti nondum plenior refusus est vigor, qui errorum cavere] possit incursus. [Ambrose, Expositio de psalmo CXVIIII, sermo 8, c. 45-46, PL 15, col. 1313 A-C, CSEL 62]

He added: I arose at midnight, teaching that one must rise at midnight. Nor is it in vain that he added To confess to you,' meaning that we must pray to God especially at that time, and we must lament our own sins: nor should we only beg forgiveness for past sins, but also correct the present ones and avoid future ones; for many temptations creep forward at that time. Then the enticement of the flesh burns; then the tempter deceives; food is digested and drink is absorbed; the stomach is corrupt, the mind is sleepy, the soul is busy. And either the heat of sleep is increased in a resting person, or energy is poured back into one not yet fully awake, who could avoid the onslaught of sin. [Ambrose, Expositio de psalmo CXVIIII, Sermo 8, c. 45-46]