1 A gradual canticle. Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Pope Zephyrinus · AD 217 Assist, therefore, one another in good faith, and by deed and with a hearty will; nor let any one remove his hand from the help of a brother, since "by this," says the Lord, "shall all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love one toward another." Wherefore, too, he speaks by the prophet, saying, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell togeth…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Perform your duties in the church faithfully and joyfully, as they fall to your lot according to your rank, and fulfill your ministry with uprightness, because of that God under whom we are fellow servants and to whom we understand that we shall render an account of our actions.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 As a figure of this it is written in the Psalm: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Like ointment upon the head, which descended upon the beard, the beard of Aaron." We have one Father, one sacrifice, one Sacrament, and one reward.
2 In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.
Jerome · AD 420 Like ointment upon the head, which runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron. Oh, if there were time for us to discuss each detail, a day could not suffice us. We read in Exodus how the priestly ointment is prepared; then we read how there was another ointment, with which the kings were anointed. There was also another ointment with which the prophets were anointed.
John Cassian · AD 435 But it is, as we have already said, impossible for a novice to understand or to teach this. For if one is incapable of receiving it, how can he be fit to pass it on to another? But if he has had the audacity to teach anything on these matters, most certainly his words will be idle and useless and only reach the ears of his hearers without being able to touch their hearts.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 And so, in descending order, out of charity which is an ointment flowing from the head over the beard upon the collar of the robe, there is the cleaving to God, to self, to the neighbor and to one's body. Hence, as there are twelve fruits in the twelve examples of ascent towards charity, so also there are twelve fruits in the descent.
3 May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.
Jerome · AD 420 Like the dew of Hermon, which runs down upon Mount Zion. The dew of Hermon. We read a certain apocryphal book, that at the time when the sons of God descended to the daughters of men, they descended upon Mount Hermon, and there entered into a covenant, how they might come to the daughters of men, and join them to themselves.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "As the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hills of Sion" [Psalm 133:3]. He would have it understood, my brethren, that it is of God's grace that brethren dwell together in unity. ... But ye should know what Hermon is. It is a mountain far distant from Jerusalem, that is, from Sion.