A Rising Light

Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis corde; misericors, et miserator, et iustus Dominus. Venit ad admonitionem secundam, in qua Domini primus significatur adventus, qui confitentes beatos fecit, et superbos pro sua iniquitate damnavit. Sed iste adventus Domini mirabili proprietate describitur. Venit enim lux quae superat omnem lucem; et ut gratior esset, adiecit, in tenebris, non istas quas solis facit absentia; sed quae peccatorum magis praesentia tenebrescunt. Intus sunt enim in corde istae tenebrae, ubi sol mundanus non possit accedere, quas illud lumen expellit, quod mortem vicit, et delicta contrivit. Sed cum rectis corde dicitur, perversi ab isto lumine separantur. Sequitur, misericors, et miserator, et iustus Dominus. Pauca sunt quidem verba, sed omnium creaturarum rationabilium actus implexantia. Nam qui confitentur, habent misericordem; qui contemnunt iustum sine dubio sustinebunt. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus CXI Source: Migne PL 70.805c-806a

A light has arisen in the darkness for the righteous of heart. The Lord is merciful and long suffering and just. 1 He comes to the second admonition in which the first advent of the Lord is signified, which gave confidence to the those who were holy and condemned the proud for their wickedness. And this advent of the Lord is described in a wonderful way. For a light comes that exceeds every light, and because it is more blessed, he adds, 'in the darkness' not that it drives off the things of the sun, but the things of sin that darken the things of the present. For there is this darkness within the heart which the world's sun cannot reach, but which that light expels, because it overcomes death, and crushes down wrongdoing. But he says this is 'for the righteous of heart,' since the perverse are separated from this light. It then follows 'The Lord is merciful and long suffering and just.'  Certainly the words are few and yet their activity embraces all created rational beings, for they who confess shall have mercy, and without doubt those who scorn the just one will suffer. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, from Psalm 111 1 Ps 111.4