Knowing The Way

Notam fac mihi viam in qua ambulem, quia ad te, Domine, levavi animam meam. Cum a Deo petit notam sibi fieri vitae viam, ostendit quoniam haec via hominibus habetur incognita. Illius enim lucerna hoc iter ostendit, illius lumen semitas istas aperit qui illuminat ominum hominem venientem in hunc mundum; sicut in trigesimo primo psalmo jam dictum est poenitenti: Intellectum tibi dabo, et instruam te in via hac qua gradieris. Quapropter merito rogat propheta ut ei Dominus viam salutis ostendat, et sic semper notam habeat, ne de eius corde aliquando discedat. Subiungitur quoque solemnis illa confessio: quoniam illud nos postulata mereri facit, si animam nostram non carnali gravamine inclinemus ad mundum, sed spirituali iuvamine levemus semper ad Dominum. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus CXLII Source: Migne PL 70.1012d-1013a

Make known to me the way in which I shall walk, because to you, Lord, I lift up my soul... 1 When he seeks from God the knowledge of the way of life for himself, he shows that this way is unknown to men. For His lamp reveals the way, His light opens the way, 'He who enlightens all men coming into the world.' 2  So it has already been said to the penitent man in the thirty first Psalm: 'I shall give you understanding and I shall instruct you on this way which you are to walk.' 3 Whence with merit the prophet asks that the Lord show him the way of salvation, that he might always have knowledge of it, lest at some time his heart fall away. Then a solemn confession is added, because what has been asked makes us worthy of it, that we not incline our soul to the world with carnal weight, but with spiritual lightness always be raised up to the Lord. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, from Psalm 142 1 Ps 142.9 2 Jn 1.9 3 Ps 31.8