Faith And Ascent

Primus gradus ascensionis nostrae humilitatis nostrae contribulatio, secundus est fides. Et sciendum est quod nihil aliud sunt hi gradus ascensionis nostrae, nisi salutis nostrae profectus; ideo in his canticis docemur ascendere, sed ascendere in corde, in affectu bono, in fide et spe et charitate, et in desiderio perpetuitatus et vitae aeternae. Unde in hoc sequente psalmo dixit: Levavi oculos meos in montes, unde veniet auxilium mihi. Montes isti, sancti sunt in altitudine positi, claritate illuminati, sed ab illo qui est lux vera, quae illuminat omnem hominem venietem in hunc mundam. Unde consequenter per fidem intellexit iste ascensor ad hoc monte, qui est super verticem montium elevatus, auxilium sibi esse petendum, sperandum accipiendumque. Auxilium meum a Domino, qui fecit coelum et terram. Et subsecutus adjunxit, loquens ad illum montem a qu sibi unicum speravit auxilium: Non des in commotionem pedem meum, neque dormitet qui custodit te. Fac firmum stare pedem meum in ascensione salutis meae, in humilitatis vel rectae fidei gradu. Ad proficiendum charitas pedem movet. Recte ergo iste audiens, ut ascendat et non cadat, ut incola in valle plorationis proficiat, non in tumore superbiae deficiat, ait Domino: Ne des in commotionem pedem meum. Et Deus ait illi: Neque dormitet qui custodit te: crede in eum qui nunquam dormitat. Quis est ille qui nunquam dormitat, nisi ille de quo Apostolus ait: Mors illi ultra non dominabitur? Ideo consequenter addidit: Ecce non dormitabit, neque dormiet, qui custodit Israel. Esto Israel, id est vir videns Deum, in fide et charitate, et nunquam illius dormiet gratia a custodia tua: et quasi iste interrogaret se, quis est qui non dormitat? Dictum est ei: Dominus custodit te. Et quomodo custodiet te? Dominus protectio tua super manum dexterae tuae. Manus potestatem, dextera aeternam felicitatem significat. Dominus protectio tua super per manum dextrae tuae, id est, si crediderit in eum, proteget te, ut potestatem habeas in dextera parte stare aeterni Judicis, et audire desiderabilem senteniam: Venite, benedicti Patris mei, percipite regnum, et reliqua. Adhuc quasi quaerenti respondetur, in quo custodiet eum Dominus? Per diem sol non uret te, neque luna per noctem. Custodiet te, id est, in fide recta servabit te, sive in aeternis, sive in temporalibus; sive in fide sanctae Trinitatis, quae hic solis nomine designatur; sive in fide sanctae Ecclesiae, quae hic lunae nomine demonstratur: ut non erret vel scandalizetur fides tua. Nam motio scandalum significat. Quisquis igitur errat in ipsa substantia veritatis, a sole uritur; et per diem uritur, quia in ipsa sapientia errat. Quisquis in Ecclesia et carne Christi, qui est caput Ecclesiae, non scandalizatur, a luna non uritur. Per diem sol non uret te, neque luna per noctem. Quare? Quia Dominus custodit te ab omni malo, custodiat animam tuam Dominus. A scandalis in sole, et a scandalis in luna. Ab omni malo te custodit, id est, animam tuam ab omni infidelitate, ut ipsa non cedat infidelibus, non frangatur tribulationibus. Dominus custodiat introitum tuum et exitum tuum, ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum. Quando tentamur, intramus; quando vincimus, eximus; custodit ergo nos intrantes ad fidem, custodiat nos exeuntes ad praemia, et hoc in saeculum ubi sancti regnaturi sunt cum Christo. Alcuinus, Expositio in Psalmos Graduales, Psalmus CXX Source: Migne PL 100.621a-622b

The first song of ascent concerns the trials of our humility, this second one is about faith. And it must be understood that these steps of our ascent are nothing but the advance of our salvation, therefore in these songs we are taught to ascend, that is, to ascend in the heart, in good affection, and in faith and in hope and in love, and in the ceaseless desire for eternal life. 'I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where help shall come to me.' 1 These mountains are the saints set on the heights who have been illuminated with brightness, that is, by Him 'who is the true light, who illuminates every man, coming into this world.' 2 Whence it follows that this one who would ascend has understood that it is through faith, which is elevated above the peaks of the mountains, that help must be sought for oneself, and hoped for and received. My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. And following this he adds, speaking to that mount from which alone he hopes for help from himself: You shall not allow my feet to stumble, nor shall He sleep who protects you. He makes my foot stand firm in the ascent of my salvation, in the step of humility or correct faith. He moves my foot to the perfection of love. Rightly, therefore, hearing this, so that he might ascend and not fall, so that he may advance from the valley of clamour and not perish in bloating of pride, he says to the Lord, 'You shall not allow my feet to stumble.' And the Lord says to him, 'Nor shall He sleep who protects you.' Believe in Him who never sleeps. Who is the one who never sleeps but Him concerning whom the Apostle says, 'Death shall not rule over Him anymore.'? 3 Thus in consequence he says: Behold, He shall not sleep nor slumber who protects Israel. Behold Israel, that is, the man who looks on God in faith and love, and never shall His grace sleep from protecting you. And as if he were asking himself, 'Who is the one who shall not sleep.' It is said to him, The Lord protects you. And how shall He protect you? 'The Lord is your protection, over your right hand.' The hand signifies power, the right one eternal joy. 'The Lord is your protection, over your right hand,' that is, if you believe in Him, He shall protect you, so that you shall have the power to stand on the right hand of the eternal judge, and hear the desired sentence: 'Come, blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom,' 4 and the rest. Yet, as if answering a questioner, 'In what shall the Lord protect him?' Through the day the sun shall not burn you, nor the moon through the night. He shall protect you, that is, He shall maintain you in the right faith, in eternal things and in temporal things, in the faith of the holy Trinity, which is designated here by the one name, so that you shall not err, nor shall your faith be scandalised. For movement signifies scandal. Therefore whoever errs in the substance of the truth, he is burnt by the sun, and through the day he is burnt, because he wanders in the truth. Whoever is not scandalised by the Church and the flesh of Christ, he is not burnt by the moon. 'Through the day the sun shall not burn you, nor the moon through the night' Why? Because The Lord guards you from every evil, may the Lord guard your soul. From scandals in the sun, and from scandals in the moon. From every evil He guards you, that is, your soul from every unfaithfulness, so that he does not fall into disbelief, nor is he crushed by tribulation. May the Lord guard your coming in and your going out, from now even to eternity. When we are tried, we come in, when we conquer, we go out. Therefore He protects us when we come in with faith, and He shall protect us when we go out to the reward, and this forever when the saints shall rule with Christ. Alcuin of York, Commentary on the Gradual Psalms, Psalm 120 1 Ps 120.1 2 Jn 1.9 3 Rom 6.9 4 Mt 25.34