Psalm Ninety-Four
The Invitatory of the Divine Office at Matins
The Morning Call to Prayer
The Breviary contains two different versions of this Psalm: first, the one which is read in the office of the Epiphany and which conforms to the Vulgate or Gallican can Psalter (second revision of St. Jerome); the second, which is our Invitatory, represents the older text of St. Jerome's first Version made by order of Pope Damasus. It had been used as a respbnsory to invite the monks from their cells at midnight or matin hour to the choir, and had served as Invitatory even before that time in the synagogues for the Sabbath service. The old form of this morning call to prayer retained its hold on the Roman clergy despite subsequent changes and corrections of the remaining parts.
Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us rejoice in God, our Saviour. Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving, and with psalms proclaim our joy.
For great is Our Lord, God; and a king He thrones above all who rule. For in His hand are all parts of the earth however remote, and He looks down upon the highest mountains.
For His is the sea, since He created it, and He fashioned the earth with His hands. Come, let us prostrate ourselves before God, and adore Him. Let us implore the Lord Who created us, for He is the Lord our God, and we are His people and the flock of His pasture.
O, that you would listen to His voice to-day! Do not harden your hearts
