Psallite Sapienter: And they all went marching into the ark to get out of the rain...

This week of Sexagesima, being nearly wholly ferial (but for commemoration of St Simeon, Bishop & Martyr, at Lauds to-day, and the Saturday Office of Our Lady still to come), is a good chance to prepare oneself for the sombre penance of Lent by drinking from the spiritual font of the Breviary Hours. (As a private devotion, while out walking in the evening I've used the former preces and so forth to get myself into a bit more prayer.)

All week, we place ourselves under St Paul's protection, we who trust not in our own works (as the Collect of Sexagesima declares); and this week, at Matins (covering Genesis v to xi), the account of Noë, his Ark, and the Flood is read, to instruct us that the only escape from the deluge of God's punishment of sin - for all flesh has gone astray, "had corrupted its way" (Gen. vi, 12) - is to hie oneself to the Church, the Ark of Salvation borne upon the cleansing flood (an image of baptism, slaying the old man): extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. As was sung at first Vespers of Sexagesima, at the Magnificat:

Dixit Dóminus ad Noë: Finis univérsæ carnis venit coram me: fac tibi arcam de lignis lævigátis, ut salvétur univérsum semen in ea.

(The Lord said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me: make thee an ark of wood, that thereby the seed of all flesh may be saved.)

Then, "In that ark a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water. Its counterpart, Baptism, now saves you also..." (I Peter iii, 20f). I've been humming that old children's song, as I half-remember it, "The animals went in two by two, hurrah, hurrah... And they all went marching into the ark to get out of the rain." Quite symbolic! (I recall those silly jokes about the unicorns and dinosaurs refusing to go aboard... absurd: everyone knows mediæval knights and damsels ran into unicorns and dragons!)

On Friday, the Tower of Babel is put before us, as an image of the sundering of man from man to be healed only at Pentecost when the one Gospel is proclaimed in all tongues to unite all men in the one Church; and on Saturday, Noë's descendants down to Abram are given, shewing how the history of salvation advances toward's God's next dealing with His people after the Noachic Covenant.

Here are the stirring historiæ, that is, the Matins responsories for this week - the first five detail the Flood, the last five, the Covenant God makes with Noë that He not destroy the world with water (no, it shall perish by fire):

R. Dixit Dóminus ad Noë: Finis univérsæ carnis venit coram me: repléta est terra iniquitáte eórum, * Et ego dispérdam eos cum terra.
V. Fac tibi arcam de lignis lævigátis mansiúnculas in ea fácies. * Et ego dispérdam eos cum terra.

(R. The Lord said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me: for all the earth is filled with violence and wickedness: * And behold I will destroy mankind with the earth.
V. Make thee an ark of wood; rooms shalt thou make in it. * And behold I will destroy mankind with the earth.) [Genesis vi, 13f]

R. Noë, vir justus atque perféctus, cum Deo ambulávit: * Et fecit ómnia quæcúmque præcépit ei Deus.
V. Fecit sibi arcam, ut salvarétur univérsum semen. * Et fecit ómnia quæcúmque præcépit ei Deus.

(R. Noah was a just man and perfect, and Noah walked with God: * According to all that God commanded him, so did he.
V. And Noah made him an ark of wood, that a seed of every sort might be saved alive. * According to all that God commanded him, so did he.) [Genesis vi, 9. 22 etc.]

R. In artículo diéi illíus ingréssus est Noë in arcam et fílii ejus, * Uxor illíus et uxóres filiórum ejus.
V. Deléta sunt univérsa de terra, remánsit autem solus Noë, et qui cum eo erant in arca. * Uxor illíus et uxóres filiórum ejus.

(R. In the selfsame day entered Noah into the ark, * His sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons.
V. All flesh died that moved upon the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. * His sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons.) [Genesis vii, 13. 21. 23]

R. Recordátus Dóminus Noë, addúxit spíritum super terram, et imminútæ sunt aquæ: * Et prohíbitæ sunt plúviæ de cælis.
V. Reversæque sunt aquæ de terra eúntes et redeúntes, et cœpérunt mínui post centum quinquagínta dies. * Et prohíbitæ sunt plúviæ de cælis.

(R. And God remembered Noah, and made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged: * And the rain from heaven was restrained.
V. The waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. * And the rain from heaven was restrained.) [Genesis viii, 1. 2. 3]

R. Quadragínta dies et noctes apérti sunt cæli, et ex omni carne habénte spíritum vitæ ingréssa sunt in arcam: * Et clausit a foris óstium Dóminus.
V. In artículo diéi illíus ingréssus est Noë in arcam et fílii ejus, et uxor illíus et uxóres filiórum ejus. * Et clausit a foris óstium Dóminus.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. * Et clausit a foris óstium Dóminus.

(R. Forty days and forty nights were the heavens opened; and two of all flesh went in unto Noah into the ark: * And the Lord shut them in.
V. In the selfsame day entered Noah into the ark, his sons, and his wife, and the wives of his sons. * And the Lord shut them in.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. * And the Lord shut them in.) [Genesis vii, 12. 13. 15. 16]

R. Ædificávit Noë altáre Dómino, ófferens super illud holocáustum: odoratúsque est Dóminus odórem suavitátis, et benedíxit ei, dicens: * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.
V. Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos. * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.

(R. Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings thereon: and the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and blessed him, saying: * Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.
V. Behold, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you. * Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.) [Genesis viii, 20. 21; ix, 1. 7. 9]

R. Ponam arcum meum in núbibus cæli, dixit Dóminus ad Noë: * Et recordábor fœderis mei, quod pépigi tecum.
V. Cumque obdúxero núbibus cælum, apparébit arcus meus in núbibus. * Et recordábor fœderis mei, quod pépigi tecum.

(R. The Lord said unto Noah: I do set my bow in the clouds of heaven, * And I will remember the Covenant betwixt God and man.
V. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the heaven, that my bow shall be seen in the cloud. * And I will remember the Covenant betwixt God and man.) [Genesis ix, 13f]

R. Per memetípsum jurávi, dicit Dóminus, non adjíciam ultra aquas dilúvii super terram: pacti mei recordábor * Ut non perdam aquis dilúvii omnem carnem.
V. Arcum meum ponam in núbibus, et erit signum fœderis inter me et inter terram. * Ut non perdam aquis dilúvii omnem carnem.
Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. * Ut non perdam aquis dilúvii omnem carnem.

(R. By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, that I will not again bring the flood of destruction upon the whole earth; for I will remember my Covenant: * And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
V. I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a Covenant betwixt me and the earth. * And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. * And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.) [Genesis ix, 15. 13 etc.]

R. Benedíxit Deus Noë, et fíliis ejus, et dixit ad eos: * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.
V. Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos. * Créscite, et multiplicámini, et repléte terram.

(R. God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: * Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.
V. Behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you. * Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.) [Genesis ix, 1. 9]

R. Ecce ego státuam pactum meum vobíscum, et cum sémine vestro post vos: * Neque erit deínceps dilúvium díssipans terram.
V. Arcum meum ponam in núbibus, et erit signum fœderis inter me et inter terram. * Neque erit deínceps dilúvium díssipans terram.

(R. Behold I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you : * Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
V. I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a Covenant betwixt me and the earth. * Neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.) [Genesis ix, 9. 11. 13]