Sunday, 7 March 2021

Bellarmine on Psalm CXXI: Verse 6

Verse 6


Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee.

Rogate quæ ad pacem sunt Jerusalem, et abundantia diligentibus te.


The Prophet now exhorts the exiles returning from their captivity to greet, even from afar, the city of Jerusalem, offering kindly prayers of peace and plentifulness, which are two of the 
best gifts for making citizens happy; but peace without plentifulness is merely security in the possession of misery; plentifulness without peace is a doubtful and uncertain happiness; but when plentifulness is conjoined with peace, nothing is wanting in the city for its happiness. He therefore says: “Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem,” that is, pray for a true and solid peace from God for your country, and that there may be abundance not only for the city of Jerusalem herself but for all them that love thee, o holy city. In Hebrew, it has ask for peace for Jerusalem herself; from this it is clear that the words quæ ad pacem sunt Jerusalem / that are for the peace of Jerusalem, are nothing other than a circumlocution for peace.

Totus tuus ego sum 
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam. 

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