Saint Benedict called the Divine Office, the Work of God. And yet
for many it is a dry work, the mere recitation of prayers, when it
should lead us to sublime union with Almighty God. ST. ALPHONSUS
was seventy-eight years old when in 1774 he published his
TRANSLATION OF THE PSALMS AND CANTICLES OF THE DIVINE OFFICE. This
difficult work, composed at so advanced an age, amidst sufferings
almost continual, and numerous occupations, excited at Naples the
admiration of learned men. According to Canon Massa, professor of
theology and ecclesiastical examiner, the author in his work
explains so skilfully the sense and the obscure passages of the
psalms, that without taking anything from the purity of the
inspired word he aids both the heart and the mind of those that
read it. The Holy See has frequently praised and recommended all
the works of St. Alphonsus; but the decree of March 23, 1871, which
conferred on St. Alphonsus the title of Doctor of the Church, makes
special mention of this work, speaking of it as one of his most
useful and salutary works. The decree says: "He St. Alphonsus] has
made clear dark passages of the Holy Scriptures, both in his
ascetic writings, which are freighted with a celestial odor, and in
a most salutary commentary, in which, for the nourishment of piety
and the instruction of the soul, he has given expositions of the
Psalms, as well as of the Canticles, for the benefit especially of
those obliged to its recitation." Our holy author wished above all
to give, not an explanation, but, as the title expresses it, a
translation of the psalms, so that even those that do not
understand Latin may avail themselves of it; and he thus proceeds
in his work: He takes each verse of the psalms separately, and
gives of it a more or less extended paraphrase, which is
accompanied or interspersed by diverse explanations. We have judged
it proper, and even necessary, to modify this method in the present
volume namely, we have given in parallel columns the Latin text and
the English translation. Below the psalms we have placed the
explanations that are given by the holy author, and at the bottom
of the page foot-notes are here and there added whenever they were
found to be necessary. It must be remarked that all the foot-notes
have been added by the French translator, the Rev. Father Dujardin,
C.SS.R., upon whose work the present translation is based. By the
kind permission of the Rev. T. Livius, C.SS.R., we have freely used
his translation in the preparation of this volume.
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