I'm going to cover the Coffin of the Virgate and use this psalm in Thursday Lords. But it is a psalm which I think is very adapted just to this day today, the last day of the old year. in interpreting it, of course, one always in interpretation has to be fragmentary, it can never be exhaust, all the contents of such a divinely inspired prayer, but it's also then left to the interpretation and the within reaction of the individual who apply it to himself and to our own circumstances.

[01:04]

Every year that we live through always reminds us, reminds us always of the two things, death and resurrection. The end of life, the beginning, it's a begetting and it's a dying. Hence, that is also the tone of this psalm, but in a real deep sense. I think here the inner mystery of time as we see it in the eyes of faith is in a wonderful way there demonstrated. So the psalm begins with that verse, which already in itself is a motto with which we not only conclude the bygone year, but also begin the new year. Domine refugium factus est nobis, generation in generation.

[02:05]

O Lord, domine. Refugium factus es nobis, Lord, thou hast been our help from generation to generation. God, our help in ages past, as the English poet has reworded the psalm. Domine Adonai, that is the first word of the psalm, Adonai, Adonai means master. And the one who uses that term Adonai immediately confesses himself or professes himself to be the servant, the abbot. So it is the word of the abbot or the servant that he directs to his master Adonai. And that is I think already important for the interpretation of the psalm because you can lay them on

[03:09]

finds then at the end of the psalm just this the word abetino so that is where answer the fulfillment of this beginning Adonai master the word of the servant but then this whole verse then indicates the burden of the psalm the support the refuge or as some also translate the dwelling place the haven Adonai, refugium factus est nobis, a generation in generation, from generation to generation.

[04:15]

And maybe one can already also have there this whole psalm as attributed by the title in the first prayer to Moses, the prayer of Moses, the man of God. of Moses, the man of God. It is a unique distinction given to this song, and it already characterizes it as a song of great wisdom, as the words of a man of great maturity, a man who has been initiated into the innermost heart, into the designs of the father of Israel. And he speaks this psalm out of the experience of a long life, a word of absolute maturity, the word of a wise man of God, Moses, a leader.

[05:18]

Domine Adonai, refugium factus es nobis, a generation in generation, from generation to generation, of one generation to the other. Maybe that there is a little indication in this, or at least the remembrance comes. We are reminded of the fifth chapter of Genesis, in which homo man is begotten and he dies, et mortuus est, lives so many years, et mortuus est. And that is the constant referral there of the fifth chapter of the book of Genesis. A generation in generation, man is begotten, he begins his life and he dies. But through all that change, the Adonai, the Master, is our home, our support, our refuge.

[06:27]

That is, say, the burden of the psalm, the essence of the psalm. That is the substance, you can say, of it. But then this substance then goes into a living song, is developed in such a way And everybody, by singing the psalm, is conducted, led up to this conclusion. A conclusion which is, of course, a conclusion of strength, a conclusion of optimism, a conclusion that lasts, that carries the eternity of God into the instability of our human life. you are our refuge from generation to generation and then this sound that's the now in the following verses beginning with verse 2 develops this feeling leads us to the realization

[07:45]

of this substance proceeds then in three maybe call it stages think one should because there are really three stages one following after the other it's a real development it's a vital living process that we have to go into in order to participate in order to become partakers of that substance expressed in the first verse and the first part of it is very evident and all the authors of God agree about the division of it from the second verse to the seventh there lies the first Therefore, incision would be after manas. He could have a tansyat, manaflow and a tansyat. Vesperi decitat, induret et arescat.

[08:47]

The up to thou is also, you can see that right away externally, that these first, verse 2 to verse 7, are all addressed to God, to you, thou. Then, starting with verse with the next quia, de fecimus, we, that is the confession, we, de fecimus in irat, we, that now the objective, say the experience or the singing of God's eternity in contrast to the... a fleeting time of everything created that is shown in the first part of this psalm from 2 to 6 this experience of the eternity of God in contrast to the fleeting character of everything created

[09:55]

which is to say objectively stated as it were then becomes a subjective experience but the experience really of the servant of god we the israelitic people and representing of course also the whole of mankind we experience this our transitoriness the transient character of our earthly existence as something that has spiritual significance spiritual meaning we that is then the second and that goes down to verse 11, next on to Eruditus called Insapientia, then the next verse, I think it's verse 12, Convertere Domine Uscurum, and it's then the last part of the psalm, there is a prayer, Convertere Domine, Jare, this prayer now,

[11:11]

because in the between is the very act of conversion. In the psalm is then directed, that prayer is directed to Yahweh, not anymore to Adonai, but to Yahweh. Yahweh who is the one who in his fatherly love provides. Yahweh. Conventere domine usque cum. That is then the last part of the prayer. so a real process which let us try just to get into it it starts with a or shall we say but of course one always has hesitated you understand that a kind of philosophical consideration but it isn't it's really a consideration which is born out of experience which is fed even by the as you can see that here strongly by the narration of the creation of the world.

[12:20]

Before the mountains were brought forth, however, thou hadst formed the earth and the world. Later, terra et oris, earth and the world. The world is always the orbis, or is pretty consistently, I must say, as Lady Niverga tells, the orb is the inhabited, that part of the earth which is inhabited by man, which is man's dwelling place, man's world, the cultivated part of the earth under man's direction. Bomareto terra et orbis, a seculo et usque in seculum tu es deus even from everlasting to everlasting a seculo et usque in seculum me olam ad olam olam is what we translate by seculo that is

[13:27]

period of the historical history of man. From one age to the other, you are that means here That means the Creator, the one who is the Creator and Lord of the history. Thou art God, Aaron. That means a term which is in connection and on the line and on the level of creation. and therefore something which naturally is accessible, a concept accessible to every human being, that guard which is described as the guard which can also be reached by the heathen in the first chapter of Genesis, of the Epistle to the Romans.

[14:43]

Yes, of course, it is the first chapter of Genesis, but then here St Paul makes the clear distinction of that first epistle to the Romans, that is the El, that is also the plural Elohim, the Creator. Now, see it goes as it goes. You see that so often. The psalm is tremendous. beautiful art you know of um intensification also of narrowing down you know one sees that especially in psalm of psalm 117 you know that constantly narrowing down until it comes to the to the messiahs the uh But here, too, as the center of that creation.

[15:54]

Avertis hominem. Avertis hominem. That's this translation here, of course. It's not Avertis or Convertis, you know. It's better. Convertis, you know, that is a very, very, very important word. You know, it's a key word of the Old Testament. Tashu, all these tashuba, you know, the conversio, is one of the key words of the Old Testament and actually throughout the New Testament now here it's unfortunately there's a little lost name it's not me but you turn man into And humilitate, now it is really into dust, into absolute contrition, you know. See, it's there what is left if something is really ground unto the end, you know.

[17:02]

What comes out, you know, if under the grinding, overwhelming grinding power, the result of that is what is left there is dust. Dust. And so that you turn man, you turn man into dust, and sayest, return, turn, ye children of man. And you say, turn, you children of man. You say, return, ye children of man. Now, some turns man into contrition and now says, return ye children of man. the term for man is not the same in the Hebrew. I think that is important to notice, you know, let's say just in the marginal note that thou turnest man to contrition is what is meant there, the term which is used there by the psalmist is enosh.

[18:17]

Enosh is not the same as adam. Adam is later eternal children of men, that is bene Adam. Adam is the man as God's representative here on earth. Enosh is man who is rebellious and on account of his rebelliousness is reduced to nothing. Some people would explain it that way, Enosh as the mortal man, but that is not true. Not enough, it seems to me. Enoch is the man in his misery, but in the misery which he himself has brought about him through his disobedience, through his rebellion. Thou turnest Enoch into contrition. Zumalmen, that is a wonderful German word, unfortunately is not, you know. But contrition is really the same, you know.

[19:20]

contrary you know this contrary means to ground into powder you would ground it you turn into powder the enosh that means man who becomes and has become victim of his pride has always lost the feeling that he is the abbot that he is a slave And you say, while you are doing this, you say, return ye children of man. That means, repent, start a new life, you children of man. mind in this vertical but I notice that this now is a personal interpretation you know so that is not the gospel truth just to but to me it's it's of tremendous importance this sound by the way that this word has a great even meaning in the whole economy and order of the psalm I think is evident

[20:37]

from the effects that then the prayer, you know, of which we once spoke, the third part of the psalm, you know, which starts with verse 13, , you see, repeats, as it were, and it seems to me it's a wonderful and beautiful thing, that in the beginning of this meditation on the essence, to say, of our human mortality, Let us say the spiritual essence, not the philosophical, this is not, the spiritual essence of our mortality. There is this word of God, you know, return ye children of man. And that in the prayer which then this Abed-Javid, you know who has obeyed this word who has entered in this process of contrition of being ground to powder that's the way I would consider this whole psalm it is the you know the

[21:48]

One has also pointed that out. You have in the book of Judith, you have a beautiful description of a Hebrew penitential ceremony, of a day of fast, of a penitential day. As you know, the new year, the Jewish new year, is celebrated as a judgment, and of course preceded by days of repentance. And it's very well possible that this psalm is very close, you know, that's the affinity to that Jewish New Year celebration, which is preceded by days of penance. and these days of penance are they in sackcloth and ashes sackcloth and ashes a sign as you know of repentance is the tearing of one's garment this tearing of one's garment one's garment is man himself the tearing of one's garment is the public to say agreement or the resignation

[23:07]

The agreement towards mortality. The agreement towards mortality. The essence of, let's say, of man, of course, of fallen man, is pride. The Enoch does not want to die. The Enoch does not want to die. That is the pride of man. We come to that later. It's expressed too in the psalm here, later on. And the tearing of one's garment is the abnegation, the renunciation of that pride. The agreement to the judgment of God that I am worthy to be reduced to dust. That is the tearing of that garment. That is the acceptance of death. The acceptance of the death sentence. All the garment in that way too is what man makes of himself.

[24:13]

That is the opus hominis, the work of man. That is torn. And in that torn, in that tearing of pieces, the work of man, that is the capitulation of man, before God as the Supreme Lord, the Adonai, the Creator, and the Judge. And to his sentence, from dust have you been taken, unto dust you shall be reduced. You will be turned into dust. It's the same word that here, that is here, you know, The same word which is also used in the 17th verse of the third chapter of Genesis. On dust have you been taken, unto dust you shall return. And that's, of course, here the word, return ye children of man. That's the word which is sort of in allusion to that verse 17.

[25:19]

Then comes the beautiful thing here, in my mind, is that The congregation takes up, you know, this word in Psalm 13, you know, in the third part of the Psalm, in the verse 13, takes up that word and then says, return, O Lord, return, O Lord. Shubah Yahweh, Shubah Yahweh. So the very word that God speaks to the enosh, is taken up there and is applied to God. Return, O Lord. Of course, the perspectives which such a word, you know, give in the light of the New Testament, you know very well, are simply infinite. It's like a flood of light. there it comes to us as soon as we see these things in the light of the son of man the whom we whose birth we celebrate in these days the son of David son of Abraham son of Adam the our Lord Jesus Christ who of whom we say when we start the

[26:46]

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and just at the moment in which we go up to the altar to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice, we say, Deus tu conversus vivi capis nos. O Lord, You turn, and through Your turning, You give us life. But this Psalm, this Psalm 89, shows us so clearly is that this teshuva, that this return, this repentance, this act of contrition, of having oneself ground to powder, that that act is out of the human reach, that we have to pray for it it is an act of grace only through God's grace that is possible to us but of course the idea that this return this repentance which is possible only through God's grace is then done in such a way that God sends His Son to become man and

[28:01]

to take upon himself our sins and to enter into that night which we ask here in this psalm to be redeemed. That is, of course, that is then the Christian fulfillment of the psalm, of this, what we say here, of this longing and singing of the Old Testament. But there is return, ye children of man. for a thousand years in thy sight but as yesterday when it is past the last day when it is past as now we dwell and we the singer, the psalmist wants us to experience the fleetness of our human time for a thousand years in thy sight, but as yesterday when it is past.

[29:05]

God is the one with al seculo in seculo. and what the span of thousand years before him is like yesterday when it is past again a masterful description of this and really a world an idea an image which catches the fleetness of time because we know that from our daily experience that we never realize the brevity of time more acutely than when it is past when we look back not when we look forward when we look back so whereas yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night which is the say the short period you know one of the nocturne means three hours a watch in the night now again there thou carriest them away with a flirt you know also these three images now thou carriest them away it's like a fast

[30:25]

rushing stream, you know, flood waters that rush down the mountains, carries them away as with a flood, probably especially impressive. in the Palestinian landscape. We know how these floodwaters, with which rapidity they come and rapidity with which they pass, they are as asleep. Maybe one could make the accent, the incision, I don't know. They are as asleep in the morning. It means because, again, In waking up, the sleep is like something that is passed as if it did not exist, as a sleep, maybe as a sleep in the morning. Or also, I mean, the usual thing is, in the morning, like grass which grows up, and then it flourishes and grows up, and in the evening it is cut down and withers.

[31:37]

That is why I would rather personally prefer to make the incision after in the morning, but I don't know these things enough, because the in the morning comes later with the grass. They are like grass, there are three comparisons, you know, like a rushing flood, like sleep, It seems like nothing when it wakes up in the morning, like grass which springs up, you know one would say, grows up, springs up. In the morning it flourishes and springs up, in the evening it has caught down and it withers. an image which is very often, as you know, in the Old Testament for this same purpose, because that again comes out of the Palestinian local circumstances of a desert country. After that comes the experience of the transitoriness of our human existence, part of the transitoriness of all this creation, but surrounded and carried by the eternity of God.

[33:01]

And for we are consumed in thine anger, and by thy wrath are we hurried away. That is now the confessional. That is now what is, can I say, an objective truth, or a kind of philosophical or ontological statement, if you want, now becomes a spiritual experience. The psalmist enters into the spiritual core of this transitoryness. And there is, of course, the whole difference, and that is difference enough, the essential difference, as I say, between a philosopher, a pessimistic philosopher, a philosopher of, let us say, of the, we would today, we would say of the existentialist, the existentialist, that means a philosopher who experiences that the human life is suspended in a vacuum.

[34:11]

It's just that we are leaning over the abyss of nothingness. But now comes the decisive step. That is of course the difference, what makes the infinite difference, That means that here this transitoriness and the experience of this transitoriness has a spiritual substance, spiritual significance, and that is the sin of man, the anger of God. This, our intlichkeit, limitation of our life by death, and to death, and to death thou shalt return, is the wages of sin, as St. Paul puts it. Death is the wages of sin.

[35:14]

And that is, of course, the whole difference. As soon as that is understood, as soon as man accepts death as divine judgment, as an expression of the divine anger with what is unholy and opposed to him in us, in that moment the dust, as it were, is turned into glory. That is also here. That's the essential point of the psalm. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee. See, that is the confession. The act of confession is now the getting out of the hiding, see, the believing of all excuses and the entering into the divine light, not with some makeup of any kind, you know, makeup, rose or green or whatever it is.

[36:19]

I said, do it black too, but only in spots. Heighten the whiteness. But all that is lie, you see, I mean, that's make-up. Then there is the opposite of confession, you see, of truth. Then this here is that entry into that divine truth. And that, as you see, that's why it is so beautiful. This is part of the old celebration of the chosen people, of the closing of the old year and of the beginning of the new year. That is the only possible death and generation, regeneration. That's the old and new year celebration. It's a regeneration. And that is possible only on this basis, on no other basis. That's the whole difference between the essence of our faith and anything that is not Christian.

[37:25]

That's all the same. You can look everywhere where you want. People never want... The one thing that they don't want to do is to enter into that process where they are ground into powder. instead of that, some nice phrases, everything is wonderful, and after all, you know, we are all people of good will, and I don't know what we think, you know, and our various beliefs, you know, all goodness of the heart, all this kind of, you know, that's makeup, you see, that's the avoiding of this, you know, this... Thou hast set out our iniquities before thee, our secret sins, in the light of thy countenance. Of course, you realize, isn't it, Julie, that here our work, the text, as much as we appreciate it, you know, has serious deficiency, defects also. Defection was in erat.

[38:28]

That is now the discovery, the opening up of the reason. What is the real reason? Not philosophical, ontological, the personal reason for our transitory. Now, how that saeculum gets there, I really don't know. Some people say, I think it must be... Maybe, I don't know. It may also be because sometimes those things come from the Septuagint or... Secretum nostrum in illuminatione vultus tui Our secret, that means the inner hidden, the hidden center of our existence

[39:34]

in the light of thy countenance. See, because that's the essence. Confession is the allowing, you know, the absolute truth to enter into our entire being. You know, that is the opening up for that, what they say, oh, you know, in the spirit of this, as that two-edged sword, two-edged sword, you know, which penetrates through the vision of the... of the bones and of the marrow. And that's here, that's what was meant here. And then in that, you know, now entering into that light of the church, entering into the very act of judgment, all our days are passed away in thy wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh.

[40:39]

We bring our years to an end as a sigh. The days of our years are three core years and three cores... I think it's rather old-fashioned, isn't it? There are three score years and ten... There are certain phrases which the English language loves. Even by reason of strength, four score years. Yet is there pride but travail and wretchedness, for it is speedily gone and we fly away. now there is among the exegetes a great ado about the world yet is their pride but the way you see they're here in the another thing in some way the vulgate you know see autumn input in tardivus octogenet you know that is here or even by reason of strength you know input in tardivus octogenet if somebody has great vitality you know and he keeps going for 80 years

[41:54]

Yet is their pride, you know, all the Masoretic texts and the Jewish interpreters keep to that word, you know, also people like, for example, not only they, but also others, that word. Here it's et amplius eobum, love of a dolo. Et amplius eobum, you see that there will be... What is more, you see, et amplius eon, labor et dolo. And what is more is labor et dolo. Now, with that, I cannot quite agree. You know, I think that, you see, even if someone lives 70 years, he has already labor et dolo. And if he lives 80 more, And to say that, to mean that, I mean, what would be at the surface, you know, kind of meaning that if somebody passes the 80 years, what then comes is love or a dull love.

[43:05]

and would be kind of pouring water into this tea. Oh dear, that's not the meaning, because the whole psalm goes on to say that the entire human existence is largo e dolo, is travail and is wretchedness. so I'm personally inclined to see in that line which is the acceptance translation at least in the Masoretic and Jewish tradition yet is their pride. That means, of course, you see, the Jewish words are difficult to translate. They are so strongly influenced. The whole Hebrew language is a language of roots, and we cannot get away from that. It is part of the whole, I think, one of the reasons why it has been chosen as the prime instrument of revelation.

[44:15]

the it's the ankylos you see it's the we would say the the the you know the It's not of great help, you know. I realize it. I always hoped, you know, that when I use German words that you can sound them out, you know. And I have great trust in that word, überschwung, you know, something that may convey to you, you know, this idea of overflowing. of which is, of course, that is the essence of pride, you know, that somebody just doesn't know his limits anymore and that in the fullness of his vitality he runs his course like a giant. doesn't take care, you know, and disregards as every young man does, you know, until his first heart attacks, you know, regards all the limits, you know, of space and so on, of time, you know, and just keeps on going and says, I can't do this kind of thing.

[45:38]

And that's, of course, the essence of this whole psalm, as you will see. That is what this psalm is directed against. That is the Enoch who does that. He cuts all the square corners. He makes life terribly difficult. He has that basic conviction that if he doesn't keep on going, this world is going to stop. That is, of course, that's just what this psalm is against. And that's a very serious consideration at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. And that is the essence of pride. That is also, in a word, it's the same root in the Hebrew language. Therefore, that is that over-trusting, you see, too much trust in one's unlimited strength, that one's vitality seems to prepare all the time. And therefore, and yet is their pride, that means all their strength, you know, and all their hurry and haste, you know, and all their rush, one can say, but travail and wretchedness.

[46:58]

For it is speedily gone, and we fly away. The heart attack comes, And the word goes on without this giant. One giant. And so it's here too. And who knoweth the power of thine anger and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? Verse 11. Who knows the power of thy anger? Now, there is a, I think in his translation, I think a very good point, you know, who knows the power of thy anger? of thy realm. And he points out, and I think that's very, very good in this whole context, you know, what is that word which is translated here of power, you know, by the word power.

[48:01]

What do we have there in the Latin? now I even the best Latinist will have some difficulties with that knows the power of that anger that this you know what is the power of that I think just keep it I mean this again you know just a strong personal healing, what is the power of thy anger, you see, and that you must weigh that, you know, now, again, not in any philosophical way, but in a way of faith, you know, the power of God's anger. That power of God's anger is, to put it this way, is not destruction, you see.

[49:04]

because you do not want the death of the sinner, but that he may be converted and live. He may be converted and live. Therefore, we say that here, and who knows the power of thy anger? That is, to my mind, is the... pointing out who knows the power. That means, as Rabbi Hirsch points out, that means the meaning of your anger. That means that what your anger is driving at, what your anger has for its purpose. And the divine anger would be so wrong to get that idea that some people have the Old Testament God is the God who if he is offended destroys you know this kind of bloodthirsty revenge thirsty being you see that's of course this is absolute nonsense Yahweh is never there the anger of God is

[50:23]

A life-giving anger. It's the other side of his love, of his charitas, of his agony. Who knows the power of your anger? See, that word, you know, can only again, I would say, be understood in the presence of the cross. On Calvary, we know the power of God's anger. In the resurrection of our Lord, we know the power of God's anger. That means, what is the thing to which God's anger is driving us? The resurrection. That he be converted and live. Converted, the teshuvah. That is the meaning of God's anger. And that is the power of God's anger. never think in that way of God's potestas or the potestas of Yahweh as the potestas of somebody who builds up and destroys, in that way, as an irrational, sometimes in modern comparative religion.

[51:45]

They describe that what we call there the mysterium tremendum, has this completely irrational joy, you know, in destroying things, you know, that's all nonsense. Who knoweth the power of thine anger, and thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee? That's a difficult verse, I can't go into that, but that keeps on the same line, essentially, of interpretation. so teach us to number our days that we may carry home, as it were, a heart of wisdom. That is now, you see, that is now the end of this inner conversion, of the confessio. First, the fact of our transitoriness, our human life delivered into the hands of death.

[52:48]

And then, on the other hand, the experience of the carrying power of God's eternity. Comparing these two, the psalmist in a living way, the psalmist experiences that transitoriness before the eternal God, death before the eternal God is an expression of God's wrath. It is an expression of God's justice. It is a punishment. And Stave falls in fear and trembling confesses that, says it, tears the garment. He puts dust upon himself. It's sackcloth and ashes, as we said. That means accept that, the contrition, the being ground into powder and man is of course you must always keep that in mind man is never ground into powder if not you know let's say morally in his conscience through his conscience otherwise he is never

[54:11]

It's why so many people try to save their conscience with all means, you know, at their disposal, making it up, you know, coloring it and so on, to get away from that. There it is. Philosophy never grounds a man to power. Who knows the power of that act, as I rather call it? So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. It was deep in the night. So teach us to number our days, you know. So teach us to number our days. You see, to this new evaluation of our human existence, that's what it means, teach us to number our days. You would say, make us evaluate our earthly existence.

[55:18]

Make us evaluate this, our transitoriness, in a new way. But you must do that. You align. In the light of thy countenance, the light of thy countenance, that's verse 12, teach us to number our days, that we may get, that we may bring it as a harvest, that's the word, a heart of wisdom. That's why I said this is a song of maturity, because that is now harvested from all the fields of time. and of our transitory human existence is that heart of wisdom. It may get us that we may harvest a heart of wisdom. Cor sapientiae. And that, of course, is also so beautiful, you know, as soon as we again, you know, apply that to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, pierced by the lance.

[56:25]

So, then after this, then we go to the third part, you know, just to be praying in a heart of wisdom. See, therefore, and that's also, you know, it's so beautiful. I think that if it was one or the other just of you, not that I would underestimate your spiritual power, your spiritual reactions, you know, but I'm happy if already one or the other does it, you know, at the end of a year, you know. For example, it says that prayer, you know, today, teach us to number our days. in such a way that we may harvest a heart of wisdom. What a wonderful way to look at the old year. Number our days in such a way that we may harvest from it a heart of wisdom. Of course, that can only be done if we do it here in the way of a confessio.

[57:28]

Return, O Lord. That's the prayer, the way it begins, because that's now the heart of wisdom which says this prayer. Return, O Lord. How long? How long will you wait? That is the lamentation. The lamentation is there. Return, O Lord. That is now. See, the Lord himself, he then enters the scene, you know, and he now takes over. And through his work, and that is now the beautiful thing of this last part, through his work, the splendor of his work, you know, now sanctifies our work. So that the end of this prayer, where we have begun with this kind of, shall we say, sad meditation, I don't know, this sad meditation of our transitoriness, of our nothingness, of our being ground into powder,

[58:43]

Then at the end he says, and let us, let the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us, establish you also upon us the work of our hands. Yes, the work of our hands established. See, there's no pessimism here. That's a regeneration. What starts there, the end of this verse, in this verse 17, is a new generation, because we have established ourselves in the course of this psalm in God as refugio a generazione in generazione. And this is the end of one generation, and it's the beginning of another generation. That's exactly what this psalm is. It is at the incision, the point, you know, where the scene of two generations is this psalm.

[59:47]

Establish upon the work of our heralds, establish our... So that we apply then, if you apply it, you know, to the new year, you look back, you start, God is our haven from generation to generation. And then we face the old generation, for heaven's sake, in a realistic way. Not in the liberal way, not in the rosy way. not in the way that all the false prophets, you know, try to present it that we can't sleep for another generation in peace, what they call peace of mind, you know. But no, in a realistic way, really experience that, let's say that's the positive aspect of existentialism. In a realistic way, Christianity is realistic. then but through the depth of confession repentance through that throwing dust on ourselves identifying ourselves with dust then we enter into a new thing and then we confidently and beautifully speak about the work of our hands but this work of our hands

[61:18]

is the graciousness of the Lord upon us. That is the work of our hands, the graciousness of God upon us. Now, therefore, we start there with that return of God. And, of course, there is that wonderful perspective of the cross, Deus conversus. and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. As always, you know, right away all the philosophers get shaky and right away say, of course, now we'll take that in any anthropomorphic sense, you know, but now it's a figurative language and poetically good, maybe philosophically not quite sound, you know. I think it's absolutely sound if we move in the terms and on the level of the incarnation.

[62:25]

What we experience, what we celebrate now in these days. Factus ex muliere, factus suplege. Made of a woman put under the made under the law, factus ex muliere, factus sublege. And of course, as factus sublege, he said that all justice may be fulfilled. He went into the River Jordan and was baptized. At the end said Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing, and that is, and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. Most satisfy us in the morning with thy mercy, as beautiful sensed. Satiate us, satisfy us, fill us. In the morning with thy mercy.

[63:27]

See, this is now the morning. We have passed through the night of the Galut, of the exile. Through the night in sackcloth and ashes. Now is the morning. It's the new day. It's the new generation. Satisfies in the morning with thy mercy. It would be a pity if that word mourning would be lost in this context. Say a special prayer. Say a special prayer in the morning with thy mercy that we may rejoice and be glad in all our days. And then make us glad according to the days, you see, now is that wonderful solution of this, you know, this last part is like a solution of all these, like a transfiguration, see, like a transfiguration. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, according to the years wherein you have seen evil.

[64:35]

bold now one should certainly not you know get the idea as something but to there you see that that evil idea of the knife or knife

[64:47]

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