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In illud: Memor fui dei

On the text, "I was mindful of God and was gladdened."

61.689 I was mindful of God, and was gladdened, testified the psalmist David. He did not testify from his own nature, but he sang out from the Holy Spirit of God; he did not simply remember, but David also wisely supplicated; he was not mindful with his lips only, but his heart also taught; David did not forget by night or by day, but asking for these things he was mindful at every hour.

And that you may learn that we describe the truth and not a lie, let us gather the melodies of the Holy Spirit from the written history itself. I was mindful of God, and was gladdened, said David. And if you wish to know truly that David was mindful of God both by night and by day, and being mindful was gladdened, pay attention with great love of hearing to what is said; I was mindful of your name in the night, O Lord; and, I will be mindful of your name in every generation and generation; At midnight I arose to give thanks to you, O Lord; In the mornings I meditated on you. In the evening and morning and at noon I will declare and proclaim; O God, my God, to you I keep watch at dawn. And again, To declare your mercy in the morning, and your truth by night. Do you see that there is no idle hour in which he forgot? Neither in the morning, nor at night. If you truly wish to learn that David did not simply remember God, but with anguish of heart, listen; Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; O Lord, I will give thanks to you in uprightness of heart. And so that David might bring a conclusion to all the hours, then he says; How I have loved your law, O Lord! It is my meditation all the day. Behold, as he meditated all day on the oracles of the Lord, and was mindful of God in every instance, what dignity of grace did he receive? Did he receive his rewards on earth? I think so, being distinguished and ruling on earth; here subjugating his enemies, and there commanding the angels; here wearing the purple of the earthly kingdom, and there flashing forth the glory of the kingdom in heaven; here illuminating the voices of euphony of the Holy Spirit, and there brightly shining with the gleams of all-virtuous wisdom.

And these things we sketch out in part. But he inherited what is better than all these things. For when the Holy Spirit saw God continuously being praised by David on earth, then the Holy Spirit proceeded to heaven in intercession, saying: Lord, at every moment David is mindful of you, and being mindful he is gladdened; be you also mindful of him, O Lord, our God, and he says: Be mindful, O Lord, of David and all his meekness. Then the philanthropic God answers: Since David is continuously and wisely mindful of me, I too will proclaim before all my disposition and love for him; above saints and angels and powers I will magnify him upon the earth. Saying what? 61.690 I have found David my servant, a man after my own heart; and, I will make him my firstborn, exalted above the kings of the earth; and, His throne as the days of heaven. And saying this, David presented himself as an example. Do you see that it is a great gain for man to be mindful of God? I was mindful of God, said David, and my heart was gladdened. For other gladnesses enter through the mouth, and are disposed of through the privy; but the gladness of God, like a spring, gladdens the heart with honey-flowing words, so that such a person says: How sweet are your words to my throat? Sweeter than honey to my mouth. For he who is mindful of God, all the good things of gladness

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In illud: Memor fui dei

Εἰς τὸ, "Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ηὐφράνθην."

61.689 Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ηὐφράνθην, ὁ μελῳδὸς ἐμαρτυρήσατο ∆αυΐδ. Οὐκ

ἐξ οἰκείας φύσεως ἐμαρτύρατο, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκελάδησεν· οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφῶς ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐλιτάνευσεν· οὐκ ἀπὸ χειλέων μόνον ἐμέμνητο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ καρδία ἐδίδαξεν· οὐκ ἐν νυκτὶ ἢ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπελανθάνετο ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα αἰτῶν κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν ἐμέμνητο.

Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι ἀλήθειαν καὶ οὐ ψεῦδος διαγράφομεν, ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἐγγράφου ἱστορίας τὰς μελωδίας τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος τρυγήσωμεν. Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ηὐφράνθην, εἶπεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ. Καὶ εἰ θέλεις γνῶναι ἀληθῶς, ὅτι καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐμέμνητο ὁ ∆αυῒδ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ μνημονεύων ηὐφραίνετο, μετὰ πολλῆς φιληκοΐας πρόσεχε τὰ λεγόμενα· Ἐμνήσθην ἐν νυκτὶ τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, Κύριε· καὶ, Μνησθήσομαι τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ· Μεσονύκτιον ἐξεγειρόμην τοῦ ἐξομολογήσασθαί σοι, Κύριε· Ἐν τοῖς ὄρθροις ἐμελέτων εἰς σέ. Ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωῒ καὶ μεσημβρίας διηγήσομαι καὶ ἀπαγγελῶ· Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου, πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω. Καὶ πάλιν, Τοῦ ἀναγγέλλειν τῷ πρωῒ τὸ ἔλεός σου, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν σου κατὰ νύκτα. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὥρα ἀργὴ, ἐν ᾗ ἐπελανθάνετο; οὐχ ἑωθινὴ, ἢ νυκτερινή. Εἴ γε θέλεις μαθεῖν ἀληθῶς, ὅτι οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐμνημόνευσε τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ συνοχῆς καρδίας, ἄκουε· Ἐκ βαθέων ἐκέκραξά σοι, Κύριε· Κύριε, ἐξομολογήσομαί σοι ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας. Καὶ ἵνα πασῶν τῶν ὡρῶν πέρας ἐπάγῃ ὁ ∆αυῒδ, εἶτα λέγει· Ὡς ἠγάπησα τὸν νόμον σου, Κύριε! ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελέτη μού ἐστιν. Ἰδοὺ ὡς ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μελετῶν τὰ λόγια Κυρίου, καὶ μεμνημένος τοῦ Θεοῦ παρ' ἕκαστα, ποίας ἀπέλαβε χάριτος ἀξίωμα; ἆρα ἐπὶ γῆς τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἐκολπώσατο; Οἶμαι καὶ αὐτὸν διαπρέποντα καὶ βασιλεύοντα ἐπιγείως· ὧδε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑποτάττοντα, κἀκεῖ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἐπιτάττοντα· ὧδε τῆς ἐπιγείου βασιλείας τὴν πορφύραν φορέσαντα, καὶ ἐκεῖ τῆς ἐν οὐρανῷ βασιλείας τὴν δόξαν ἀπαστράψαντα· ὧδε τῆς εὐφωνίας τὰς φωνὰς καταλάμψαντα τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, κἀκεῖ τῆς παναρέτου σοφίας τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς καταυγάσαντα.

Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν μερικῶς ὑπογράφομεν. Τούτων δὲ πάντων τὸ κρεῖττον ἐκληρώσατο. Ὡς γὰρ εἶδε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον συνεχῶς τὸν Θεὸν παρὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ὑμνούμενον ἐπὶ γῆς, λοιπὸν εἰς οὐρανοὺς τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐχώρησεν εἰς πρεσβείαν λέγον· Κύριε, ἐφ' ἑκάστης ὁ ∆αυῒδ μνημονεύει σου, καὶ μνημονεύων εὐφραίνεται· καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτοῦ μνήσθητι, Κύριε, Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ λέγει· Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ ∆αυῒδ καὶ πάσης τῆς πραότητος αὐτοῦ. Λοιπὸν ἀποκρίνεται ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός· Ἐπειδὴ συνεχῶς καὶ συνετῶς μνημονεύει μου ὁ ∆αυῒδ, κἀγὼ ἐπὶ πάντων κηρύξω τὴν ἐμὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον διάθεσιν καὶ ἀγάπην· ὑπὲρ ἁγίους καὶ ἀγγέλους καὶ δυνάμεις αὐτὸν μεγαλυνῶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τί λέγων; 61.690 Εὗρον ∆αυῒδ τὸν δοῦλόν μου, ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου· καὶ, Πρωτότοκον θήσομαι αὐτὸν, ὑψηλὸν παρὰ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι τῆς γῆς· καὶ, Τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ ὡς τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ εἰπὼν ἑαυτὸν ἐδειγμάτισεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι μέγα κέρδος γίνεται τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ μνημονεύειν τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἶπεν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλαι εὐφρασίαι διὰ τοῦ στόματος εἰσέρχονται, καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἀφεδρῶνος μεθοδεύονται· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐφρασία, ὡς πηγὴ, μελίῤῥυτα ῥήματα τὴν καρδίαν εὐφραίνει, ὥστε λέγειν τὸν τοιοῦτον· Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου; ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ μνημονεύων, πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς εὐφροσύνης