April 25: Psalm 67
The nations exhorted to praise God
76.76 D Aurelia (The Church’s One Foundation), p. 120
May God, be gracious to us and bless us in His grace;
And make to shine upon us the brightness of His face;
So that Thy way most holy on earth may soon be known,
And unto ev’ry nation Your great salvation shown.
O God, let peoples praise Thee; let all the peoples sing;
Let nations now be joyful; let songs of gladness ring;
For Thou will rule the peoples with justice by Thy hand
And Thou will guide the nations in each and every land.
O God, let peoples praise Thee; let all the peoples sing;
For each in rich abundance to us her fruit will bring.
And God, our God, will bless us; yea, God will blessing send;
And all the earth shall fear Him to its remotest end.
For many centuries, among Western Christians, Psalm 67 was recited at the break of dawn each morning. Thus, just as the sunlight began to break through the darkness on the eastern horizon and to extend, bit by bit, its ever-ranging rays still further to lands in the distant west, the holy Church employed this psalm to summon all these myriad peoples to proclaim the praises of God. Twice during this psalm will come the double refrain: “May the peoples bless You, O Lord; may all the peoples bless You.” Just as God begins, at the opening of the day, to cause His sun to shine alike on both the just and the unjust, all the earth is invited to laud His mercy. (Reardon, p. 131)