THE PROLOGUE

PROLOGUS

 Jan 1;   May 2;   Sept 1

¹ Obsculta, o fili, praecepta magistri, et inclina aurem cordis tui et admonitionem pii ( cf RM Th 11) patris libenter excipe et efficaciter comple; 

² ut ad eum per obedientiae laborem redeas, a quo per inobedientiae desidiam recesseras.

³ To you therefore, my words are now addressed, whoever you are, that through renouncing your own will you may fight for the Lord Christ, the true king, by taking up the strong and bright weapons of obedience.

³ Ad te ergo, nunc mihi sermo dirigitur, quisquis  abrenuntians propriis voluntatibus, Domino Christo vero Regi militaturus, oboedientiae fortissima atque praeclara arma sumis.

 [Commentary on Psalm 34, from RM ThS 1-16]

     ⁴ FIRST, whenever you begin any good work, beg of him with most earnest prayer to perfect it;  ⁵ so that he who has now granted us the dignity of being counted among the number of his sons may not at any time be grieved by our evil deeds.

    ⁴ In primis, ut quidquid agendum inchoas bonum, ab eo perfici instantissima oratione deposcas; ⁵ ut, qui nos iam in filiorum dignatus est numero computare, non debet aliquando de malis actibus nostris contristari.

⁶ For we must always so serve him with the good things he has given us, that not only may he never, as an angry father, disinherit his children; ⁷ but may never as a dread Lord, incensed by our sins, deliver us to everlasting punishment as most wicked servants who would not follow him to glory.

⁶ Ita enim ei omni tempore de bonis suis in nobis parendum est, ut non solum iratus pater suos non aliquando filios exheredet, ⁷sed nec ut metuendus dominus, irritatus a malis nostris, ut nequissimos servos perpetuam tradat ad poenam qui eum sequi noluerint ad gloriam.

⁸ LET us then at last arise, since the Scripture arouses us saying: It is now time for us to rise from sleep (Rom. 13:11).

⁹ And let us open our eyes to the deifying light;

let us attune our ears to what the divine voice admonishes us, daily crying out:

¹⁰ Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Psalm 95:7-8).  ¹¹ And again, You who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev. 2:7).

⁸ Exsurgamus ergo tandem aliquando, excitante nos scriptura ac dicente: Hora est iam nos de somno surgere, ⁹

    et apertis oculis nostris ad deificum lumen,

    attonitis auribus audiamus divina cotidie clamans quid nos admonet vox, dicens:

¹⁰ Hodie si vocem eius audieritis, nolite obdurare corda vestra. ¹¹ Et iterum: Qui habet aures audiendi audiat quid spiritus dicat ecclesiis.

Jan 2;   May 3;   Sept 2

(RM ThS 5-9)

¹²  And what does he say?  Come my sons, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Psalm 34:12). ¹³  Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death seize hold of you (John 12:35).

¹² Et quid dicit?  Venite, filii, audite me; timorem Domini docebo vos.  ¹³ Currite dum lumen vitae habetis, ne tenebrae mortis vos comprehendant.

Jan 3;   May 4;   Sept 3

(RM ThS 10-16)

¹⁴ And the Lord, seeking his own workman in the multitude of the people to whom he cries out, says again: ¹⁵ Who is it who desires life, and longs to see good days? (Psalm 34:12)

¹⁴ Et quaerens Dominus in multitudine populi qui haec clamat operarium suum, iterum dicit: ¹⁵ Quis est homo qui vult vitam, et cupit videre dies bonos?

^16And if you, hearing him, respond, “I am the one!”  God says to you: ¹⁷ “If you desire true and everlasting life, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn aside from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it (Psalm 34:13-14).

¹⁶ Quod si tu audiens respondeas: Ego; dicit tibi Deus: ¹⁷ Si vis habere veram et perpetuam vitam, prohibe linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolum.  Deverte a malo et fac bonum, inquire pacem et sequere eam.

¹⁸ And when you have done these things, my eyes will be upon you, and my ears towards your prayers; and before you call upon me, I will say to you, ‘Behold, I am here.’ “(Isa. 58:9)

¹⁸ Et cum haec feceritis, oculi mei super vos et aures meas ad preces vestras, et antequam me invocetis dicam vobis: Ecce adsum.

 ¹⁹ What can be sweeter to us (cf ? Ps 34:9) than this voice of the Lord inviting us, dearest brothers?  ²⁰ Behold in his loving kindness the Lord shows us the way of life.

¹⁹ Quid dulcius nobis ab hac voce Domini invitantis nos, fratres carissimi?  ²⁰ Ecce pietate sua demonstrat nobis Dominus viam vitae.

[Commentary on Psalm 15, from RM ThS 17-27]

Jan 4;   May 5;   Sept 4

(RM ThS 17-27)

²¹  Having therefore girded our loins with faith and the performance of good works, with the Gospel as guide (Eph 6:14-15) let us walk in his paths, that we may deserve to see him who has called us into his kingdom (I Thess.2:12).

²¹ Succinctis ergo fide vel observantia bonorum actuum lumbis nostris, per ducatum evangelii pergamus itinera eius, ut mereamur eum qui nos vocavit in regnum suum videre.

²² Is the tent of this kingdom where we wish to dwell? Unless by our good deeds we run there, we shall never arrive there.

²² In cuius regni tabernaculo si volumus habitare, nisi illuc bonis actibus curritur, minime pervenitur.

²³ But let us with the Prophet inquire of the Lord, saying to him: Lord, who shall dwell in your tent, or who shall rest upon your holy mountain? (Ps. 15:1)

²³ Sed interrogemus cum propheta Dominum dicentes ei: Domine, quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, aut quis requiescet in monte sancto tuo?

²⁴ After this question, brothers, let us hear the Lord responding, showing us the way to his tent, ²⁵ saying: One who walks without stain and works justice; ²⁶ one who speaks truth in his heart, ²⁷ who has not practiced deceit with his tongue; one who has done no evil to his neighbor, and has not believed false accusations against his neighbor (Ps. 15:2-3);

²⁴ Post hanc interrogationem, fratres, audiamus Dominum respondentem et ostendentem nobis viam ipsius tabernaculi, ²⁵ dicens: Qui ingreditur sine macula et operatur iustitiam; ²⁶ qui loquitur veritatem in corde suo, ²⁷ qui non egit dolum in lingua sua; qui non fecit proximo suo malum, qui opprobrium non accepit adversus proximum suum;

²⁸ one who has expelled the malignant devil together with all his advise and persuasiveness out of the sight of his heart, casting him to naught; and has grasped his infantile thoughts, and hurled them against Christ. (Ps 14:4; 136:9)

²⁸ qui malignum diabolum aliqua suadentem sibi, cum ipsa suasione sua a conspectibus cordis sui respuens, deduxit ad nihilum, et parvulos cogitatos eius tenuit et allisit ad Christum;

²⁹ These are they who, fearing the Lord, are not elated over their own good observance; rather, knowing that the good which is in them comes not from themselves but from the Lord, ³⁰ they magnify (Ps. 15:4) the Lord who works in them, saying with the Prophet: Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give the glory. (Ps. 115:1)

²⁹ qui timentes Dominum, de bona observantia sua non se reddunt elatos, sed ipsa in se bona non a se posse sed a Domino fieri existimantes, ³⁰ operantem in se Dominum magnificant, illud cum propheta dicentes: Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam;

³¹ In this way the Apostle Paul imputed nothing of his preaching to himself, but said: By the grace of God I am what I am. (I Cor. 15:10)  ³² And again he says: He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. (II Cor. 10:17)

³¹ sicut nec Paulus apostolus de praedicatione sua sibi aliquid imputavit, dicens: Gratia Dei sum id quod sum; ³² et iterum ipse dicit: Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur.

Jan 5;   May 6;   Sept 5

(RM ThS 29-38)

³³ Hence also the Lord says in the Gospel: He who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house upon rock: ³⁴ the floods came, the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it did not fall; because it was founded upon rock. (Mt. 7:24-5)

³³ Unde et Dominus in Evangelio ait: Qui audit verba mea haec et facit ea, similabo eum viro sapienti qui aedificavit domum suam super petram; ³⁴  venerunt flumina, flaverunt venti, et impegerunt in domum illam, et non cecidit, quia fundata erat super petram.

³⁵ With these admonitions concluded, the Lord is waiting daily for us to respond by our deeds to his holy guidance.  ³⁶ Therefore, in order that we may amend our evil ways, the days of our lives have been lengthened as a reprieve, ³⁷ as the apostle says: Do you not know that the patience of God is leading you to repentance? (Rom. 2:4)  ³⁸ For the loving Lord says: I do not desire the death of a sinner, but that he should be converted and live. (Ezek. 33:11)

³⁵ Haec complens Dominus expectat nos cotidie his suis sanctis monitis factis nos respondere debere.  ³⁶ Ideo nobis propter emendationem malorum huius vitae dies ad indutias relaxantur, ³⁷ dicente apostolo: An nescis quia patientia Dei ad paenitentiam te adducit?  ³⁸ Nam pius Dominus dicit: Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed ut convertatur et vivat.

Jan 6;   May 7;   Sept 6

(RM ThS 39-44)

 ³⁹ THEREFORE, brothers, having asked the Lord who is to dwell in his tent, we have heard his commands to those who are to dwell there: it thus remains for us to complete the duties of those who dwell there.

³⁹ Cum ergo interrogassemus Dominum, fratres, de habitatore tabernaculi eius, audivimus habitandi praeceptum, sed si compleamus habitatoris officium.  

⁴⁰ Therefore our hearts and bodies must be prepared to fight in holy obedience to his commands.  ⁴¹ And for that which is hardly possible to us by nature, let us ask God to supply by the help of his grace.

⁴⁰ Ergo praeparanda sunt corda nostra et corpora sanctae praeceptorum oboedientiae militanda, ⁴¹ et quod minus habet in nos natura possibile, rogemus Dominum ut gratiae suae iubeat nobis adiutorium ministrare.

⁴² And if we wish to reach eternal life, escaping the pains of hell, then - ⁴³ while there is yet time, while we are still in the flesh and are able to fulfill all these things by this light of life given to us - ⁴⁴ we must run and perform now what will profit us for all eternity.

⁴² Et si, fugientes gehennae poenas, ad vitam volumus pervenire perpetuam, ⁴³ dum adhuc vacat et in hoc corpore sumus et haec omnia per hanc lucis vitam vacat implere ⁴⁴ currendum et agendum est modo quod in perpetuo nobis expediat.

Jan 7;   May 8;   Sept 7

(RM ThS 45-46)

nothing harsh,

nihil asperum

nothing oppressive.

nihil grave nos constituturos speramus;

according to the dictates of equity

dictante aequitatis ratione,

and for the amendment of vices

propter emendationem vitiorum

or for the preservation of love;

vel conservationem caritatis processerit,

 ⁴⁸ do not therefore flee in dismay from the way of salvation,

⁴⁸ non ilico pavore perterritus refugias viam salutis

which cannot be other than narrow at the beginning. (cf. Mat. 7:14)

our hearts open wide,

and with unspeakable sweetness of love

 we run  on the path of God’s commandments (Ps 119:32)

inenarrabili dilectionis dulcedine curritur via mandatorum Dei,

50 So that, never departing from his guidance, but persevering in his teaching (Acts 2:42) in the monastery until death, (Phil. 2:8)

⁵⁰ ut ab ipsius numquam magisterio discedentes, in eius doctrinam usque ad mortem in monasterio perseverantes,

we may by

patience

passionibus Christi per

participate in the

patientiam

passion of Christ;

participemur,