Psalm 1- Compline Holy Thursday

Psalm 1 1. God, I have declared my life to You, and You have placed my tears where You can see them; all my enemies were plotting against me - they consorted together to make their plans. 2. They put evil against me in Your place, and returned me hatred for my love. 3. For reasons that they should have loved me, they have dragged me down, but I kept on praying. 4. O my Holy Father, King of Heaven and Earth, do not let Your help be far from me, for trouble is very near to me, and there is no one to help me. 5. May my enemies turn back from me, and on the day I call on you, may I always have known that You are my God. 6. My friends and my neighbours came against me and stood there. 7. And my acquaintances came from afar and joined them there. 8. You have distanced me from my friends, and they have set me up as an abomination to them. 9. I have been betrayed, and made unable to go out. 10. Holy Father, do not let Your help be far from me. 11. My God, look down upon me and help me. 12. Turn to me and help me, Lord God of my salvation. 13. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever and ever. Amen. Translation  by sr Giles EFO 2006

A look at Fr. Paschal Robinsons translation of Francis’ Psalms shows us that little of this first psalm was composed by Francis; rather he used the words of the Scriptures so that they spoke themselves to express the holy Spirit’s revelations to him of our lord’s final hours on earth. His first seven Psalms were composed for the Easter Triduum and so this first Psalm was composed to grant us insight into Jesus’ mind as he contemplated his coming Passion and death.