- Feb 5, 2002
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When chanting the epistle at Mass for the feast of St Matthias, I must confess to being amused at the part where Saint Peter says,
“Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.” (Acts 1:20)
The prince of the Apostles first quotes verse 26 of Psalm 69 which is one of the many verses of various psalms that were omitted in the modern Liturgy of the Hours, and secondly verse 8 of Psalm 108, which is one of the three psalms that were omitted in their entirety. The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours explains that “Such omissions are made because of certain psychological difficulties” (n.131) I hope that you did not become depressed or neurotic during the epistle.
St Peter applies these verses to Judas because He betrayed Our Lord. He then explains to the 120 or so men and women, including the apostles and Our Lady, that they must choose someone to take his place. The reason is found in the Communion verse of the Mass:
“You who have followed Me shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The number twelve signifies a perfect complement. St Augustine says that the twelve thrones are a mystery or sign (sacramentum) of a certain universality because Our Lord willed that the Church should spread throughout the whole world; it must be universal or “catholic.”
Like the other marks of the Church, universality is both part of the Church from the beginning: nobody in the world is excluded from the Church, and it is not yet achieved: there are many people in the world who are not part of the Church.
Continued below.
St Matthias, the Cursing Psalms, and the Universal Mission of the Church
“Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric let another take.” (Acts 1:20)
The prince of the Apostles first quotes verse 26 of Psalm 69 which is one of the many verses of various psalms that were omitted in the modern Liturgy of the Hours, and secondly verse 8 of Psalm 108, which is one of the three psalms that were omitted in their entirety. The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours explains that “Such omissions are made because of certain psychological difficulties” (n.131) I hope that you did not become depressed or neurotic during the epistle.
St Peter applies these verses to Judas because He betrayed Our Lord. He then explains to the 120 or so men and women, including the apostles and Our Lady, that they must choose someone to take his place. The reason is found in the Communion verse of the Mass:
“You who have followed Me shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The number twelve signifies a perfect complement. St Augustine says that the twelve thrones are a mystery or sign (sacramentum) of a certain universality because Our Lord willed that the Church should spread throughout the whole world; it must be universal or “catholic.”
Like the other marks of the Church, universality is both part of the Church from the beginning: nobody in the world is excluded from the Church, and it is not yet achieved: there are many people in the world who are not part of the Church.
Continued below.
St Matthias, the Cursing Psalms, and the Universal Mission of the Church
