Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
CXLV: Vespers—Tuesday explained
A hymn praising the Creator for shaping the world from waters into stable earth and transforming it into fruitful abundance.
What happens
A hymn praising the Creator for shaping the world from waters into stable earth and transforming it into fruitful abundance. The prayer asks for divine grace to wash away sins, bring tears of repentance, and grant strength to obey God, shun worldly corruption, and overcome death, concluding with a doxology to the Trinity.
Themes in this chapter
Nature and the Divine
The poem describes God's creation of the earth from waters, its transformation into flowers, fruit, and herbs, linking the natural world directly to divine action.
Sin and Redemption
The prayer seeks washing of wounds and tears to blot out the past, cleansing the soul and preparing for obedience and eternal life, a clear arc from sin to redemption.
Characters to notice
- Lord
Addressed as the all-bountiful Creator who molded the world.
- Father, Son, and Paraclete
Invoked in the concluding doxology as the triune God of grace.
Key passages
“All-bountiful Creator, who, When Thou didst mould the world, didst drain The waters from the mass, that so Earth might immovable remain;”
Generous Creator, who formed the world by separating the waters from the land so the earth could be stable.
Describes the act of creation as a separation of elements to establish a firm foundation.
“Wash Thou our smarting wounds and hot, In the cool freshness of Thy grace; Till tears start forth the past to blot, And cleanse and calm Thy holy place;”
Cleanse our painful, burning wounds with the soothing coolness of your grace, until our tears wash away the past and purify your sacred dwelling.
A plea for spiritual healing through grace and repentance.