Verses on Various Occasions · Chapter
CXXVI: Matins—Tuesday explained
A hymn for Tuesday Matins, calling upon God as Light from Light to dispel the darkness of night and the spiritual gloom of sin, sloth, and doubt.
What happens
A hymn for Tuesday Matins, calling upon God as Light from Light to dispel the darkness of night and the spiritual gloom of sin, sloth, and doubt. The prayer seeks forgiveness for those who rise before dawn to worship in faith, trusting in what they cannot see.
Themes in this chapter
Faith and Doubt
The hymn emphasizes faith in the unseen ('By faith in what they do not see') as a central act of worship and trust in God's presence despite darkness.
Sin and Redemption
The prayer asks for indulgence of sins and the chasing away of 'sloth and drowsiness' that bind the senses, reflecting a plea for spiritual cleansing and renewal.
Characters to notice
- Lord
Addressed as the divine source of light and day, invoked to dispel darkness and grant forgiveness.
- Father, Son, and Paraclete
Implied in the closing doxology 'Grant this, O Father, etc.' as the triune God to whom the prayer is offered.
Key passages
“Consors Paterni luminis. O God from God, and Light from Light, Who art Thyself the day, Our chants shall break the clouds of night; Be with us while we pray.”
You are co-eternal with the Father's light, God from God, Light from Light, the very essence of day. Our hymns will pierce the darkness of night; remain with us as we pray.
The opening invokes Christ as divine light, setting the tone for a prayer of vigil and trust.
“Chase Thou the gloom that haunts the mind, The thronging shades of hell, The sloth and drowsiness that bind The senses with a spell.”
Drive away the mental darkness, the crowding shadows of evil, and the lethargy and sleepiness that enchant and imprison our senses.
A plea for spiritual vigilance and deliverance from both physical and moral torpor.
“Lord, to their sins indulgent be, Who, in this hour forlorn, By faith in what they do not see, With songs prevent the morn.”
Lord, be merciful to the sins of those who, in this desolate hour, through faith in the invisible, greet the dawn with hymns.
Highlights the theme of faith as the basis for worship and the request for divine mercy.