Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Bruno of Asti on the Ark in Psalm 132

St. Bruno de Asti, AD 1049-1123, Expositions on the Psalms, at Psalm 132 (Vulgate Psalm 131) at verses 8-9, identifies the ark as the Church:
"Arise, O Lord, into your rest, you and the ark of your sanctification." Behold, as if he says, the vow is completed; you have done what you promised: arise into your rest, and take with you that very ark, which you have just made of your sanctification. The Church is rightly called the ark, in which the most secret and better things are stored. This ark cannot entirely ascend all at once right now, yet it ascends daily, and in judgment, it will ascend all at once.

"Let your priests be clothed with righteousness and let your saints rejoice." You, he says, arise: but let your priests, your apostles, and their successors be clothed with righteousness, so that they may be able to rule over your ark and your Church justly and wisely, and may all your saints under their governance and protection rejoice.

"Exsurge, Domine, in requiem tuam, tu et arca sanctificationis tuæ." Ecce, quasi dicat, completum est votum; fecisti quod promisisti: exsurge in requiem tuam, et duc tecum ipsam arcam, quam modo fecisti sanctificationis tuæ. Merito autem Ecclesia arca vocatur, in qua quæque arcana et meliora reposita sunt. Non potest hæc arca tota modo simul ascendere ascendit tamen quotidie, et in judicio tota simul ascendet.

"Sacerdotes tui induantur justitiam et sancti tui exsultent." Tu, inquit, exsurge : sacerdotes vero tui, apostoli tui, eorumque successores induantur justitiam, ut arcam et Ecclesiam tuam juste el sapienter regere valeant, et omnes sancti tui sub eorum regimine et custodia exsultent.