SR
← Preces Privatae (Private Devotions)/Book 1 · Preces Privatae (Private Devotions)
Chapter 109PrecesPriv.1.109

Preces Quotidianae

Evening Thanksgiving

The soul gives thanks for the day and prays that the evening of life may be joyful.

Now that the day is done, I give you thanks, Lord.1 Evening is drawing near; grant that it may be a joyful one.2 As evening is for the day, so it is also for life. The evening of life—old age—old age has overtaken me; grant that it may be a joyful one.3

Plea for Strength in Old Age

Citing Psalm 71 and Luke 24, the soul begs not to be forsaken in old age and asks the Lord to stay as evening falls.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me. Ps.4 71. 9.✦ Even into old age, be yourself, and even to gray hair carry me. You do it, and you bear it; you will carry me, and you will save me, Lord.5 Stay with me, Lord, for evening is coming on. Luke. 24.6 29.✦7

Weakness Made Perfect

Acknowledging the decline of life's day, the soul prays for God's power to be perfected in weakness, ending with a Greek fragment.

And already the day of this toilsome life has declined.8 Let your power be made perfect in my weakness.✦9 [incomplete Greek fragment: Ὁ]10

The Dying Day

The chapter closes with a stark reflection on the transience of life as the day dies.

As the day goes down and dies, life goes with it,11 A life barely alive.

Read the original Latin

ὍΤΕ transacta, Ago tibi gratias, Domine. Appropinquat vespera, Lsetam illam concede. Sicut diei vespera, sic est et vitae. Vitze vespera, senectus, occupavit me senectus, Lstam illam concede. Ne projicias me in tempore senectutis, cum defecerit virtus mea, ne me derelinquas. sal. lxxi. 9.

Usque ad senectam esto tu ipse, et usque ad canos porta me; Tu facias, et tu feras, Τὰ portabis, et salvabis me, Domine. Mane mecum, Domine, quoniam advesperascit, Luc. xxiv. 29. Et inclinata est jam dies laboriose hujus vite. Perficiatur virtus tua

in imfirmitate mea. Ὁ.

Abnt decedens dies, abit et vita,

Vita minime vitalis.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.71.9 — Do not cast me off in the time of old age; when my strength is spent, do not forsake me.
  2. ↩Luke.24.29 — And they urged him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." And he went in to stay with them.
  3. ↩2Cor.12.9 — And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Opening token ὍΤΕ is Greek for 'when'; with Latin transacta (feminine) the day is understood: when the day is completed/past. Rendered as a natural English temporal clause.
  2. 2 ↩Lsetam read as laetam (joyful); OCR/typography likely dropped the ae digraph.
  3. 3 ↩Vitze read as vitae; Lstam read as laetam (joyful).
  4. 4 ↩Abbreviation sal. taken as Psalm (Psal./Sal.); citation split across s6–s8.
  5. 5 ↩Greek Τὰ before portabis is almost certainly a corrupt reading of Latin tu (parallel with Tu facias / tu feras); translated as 'you'.
  6. 6 ↩Citation fragment continuing Luc. (s2): chapter xxiv of Luke.
  7. 7 ↩Citation fragment completing Luc. xxiv. 29 with s2–s3.
  8. 8 ↩laboriose hujus vite read as laboriosae hujus vitae (toilsome life); laboriose as adverb is less natural with the genitive cluster.
  9. 9 ↩Source reads imfirmitate; translated as the intended infirmitate ('weakness'). Continues the preceding petition Perficiatur virtus tua.
  10. 10 ↩Isolated Greek article Ὁ ('the', masc. nom. sg.) with no following noun or verb in this section; sense cannot be recovered from the supplied text alone.
  11. 11 ↩Source opens with corrupt 'Abnt'; translated as the parallel 'Abit' demanded by 'abit et vita' ('goes away… goes away too').

Preces Privatae (Private Devotions) companion

A prayer for every moment, already on your phone

Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.

Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.

  • One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
  • Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
  • Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →