Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto you.
Read Chapter 102
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. Let him add poverty then to poverty: let Him transfigure unto Himself our humble body: let Him be our Head, we His limbs, let there be two in one flesh. ...For He hath deigned to hold even us as His limbs. The penitent also are among His limbs. For they are not shut out, nor separated from His Church: nor would He make the Church His spouse, unless by words like these: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Let us then hear what the head and the body prayeth, the bridegroom and bride, Christ and the Church, both one Person; but the Word and the flesh are not both one thing; the Father and the Word are both one thing; Christ and the Church are both one Person, one perfect man in the form of His own fulness. ...Let us hear therefore Christ, poor within us and with us, and for our sakes. For the title itself indicates the poor one. Lastly, remember that I conjectured who that poor one was: let us hear His prayer, and recognise His Person; and mistake not, when thou shall ha...
1. Behold, one poor man prayeth, and prayeth not in silence. We may therefore hear him, and see who he is: whether it be not perchance He, of whom the Apostle saith, "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." If it is He, then, how is He poor? For in what sense He is rich, who seeth not? What then is richer than He, by whom riches were made, even those which are not true riches? For through Him we have even these riches, ability, memory, character, health of body, the senses, and the conformation of our limbs: for when these are safe, even the poor are rich. Through Him also are those greater riches, faith, piety, justice, charity, chastity, good conduct: for no man hath these, except through Him who justifieth the ungodly. ...Behold, how rich! In one so rich, how are we to recognise these words? "I have eaten ashes as it were bread: and mingled my drink with weeping." Have these so great riches come to this? The former state is ...
Poor. Hebrew, "afflicted. "This may refer to some of the captives, who were returning, (ver. 14.; Calmet) or to Jesus Christ, (St. Augustine) to whom St. Paul applies ver. 26, 28., and whose redemption was prefigured by the former event. (Calmet)
David might have both in view. (Haydock)
Yet most believe that the psalm was written by Daniel, or Jeremias (Calmet) -- It may have two literal senses, like many others. (Berthier) Ver. 2. Cry. Fervent petition, though only in the heart, Exodus xiv. 15. Ver. 3. Turn not. We first abandon God, but must humbly beg for grace. (Worthington) Ver. 4. Fire. Cremium denotes any combustible matter. (Colum. xii. 19.) (St. Jerome) (Calmet)
While in mortal sin, our best actions, alms, avail nothing, 1 Corinthians xiii. (Worthington) Ver. 5. Bread. Through excessive sorrow, (Haydock) I am fainting in captivity. (Calmet)
The human race is relieved by the bread of life, the holy Eucharist. (St. Augustine) (Berthier)
Sinners have no relish for spiritual ...
