Fathers

Psalms 109

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God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin. Let his days be few. Let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins. Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth; because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them. Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him. This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul. But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me; for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat. I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head. Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness; that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it. They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice. Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude. For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 109:22

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"I am poor and needy," and I am better only when in sorrow of heart I detest myself and seek your mercy, until what is faulty in me is repaired and made whole and finally I come to that state of peace that the eye of the proud cannot see. Yet in what others say about us and in what they know of our deeds there is grave danger of temptation. For our love of praise leads us to court the good opinion of others and hoard it for our personal glorification. And even when I reproach myself for it, the love of praise tempts me. …

Confessions 10.38 ↗

Jerome

Deliver me, for I am needy and poor. The Lord calls himself poor, that he might console the poor. With men he was made poor, that no one of the poor might despair of salvation. And my heart is troubled within me. See what he says: And my heart is troubled within me. This is the same thing which he says elsewhere: "I was troubled, and did not speak." That I am troubled, belongs to a man: but to overcome the trouble and the anger, this belongs to great virtue. Therefore the apostle also says: "Be angry, and do not sin." Are you angry? …

Homily 35, on Psalm 108 ↗