St. Lawrence of Brindisi: Mary in the Psalms As Model of the Spiritual Life
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INTERNATIONAL MARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, OHIO in affiliation with the PONTIFICAL THEOLOGICAL FACULTY MARIANUM ROME, ITALY Daniel M. Clough St. Lawrence of Brindisi: Mary in the Psalms as Model of the Spiritual Life A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Licentiate of Sacred Theology with specialization in Marian Studies Director: Fr. Thomas A. Thompson, S.M. Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute University of Dayton 300 College Park Dayton OH 45469-1390 2021 ii Vidimus et approbamus: Thomas A. Thompson, S.M., S.T.L, Ph.D. – Director Sebastien Abalodo, S.M., S.T.D. – Revisore Daytonensis (USA), ex aedibus International Marian Research Institute, et Romae, ex aedibus Pontificiae Facultatis Theologicae Marianum, die 21 Maius 2021. © 2021 Daniel M. Clough All Rights Reserved iii This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Kate Clough May God reward her for supporting me in my studies and for helping to raise our children for the glory for God. We place our family under Mary’s Mantle so that we may always be led to her Son who will show us the light of His mercy. 1 Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1 – Life and Mariology of St. Lawrence of Brindisi ....................................... 7 1.1 The Life and Mission of St. Lawrence of Brindisi ......................................... 7 1.2 The Writings of St. Lawrence of Brindisi ....................................................... 9 1.3 His Mariology .............................................................................................. 10 1.3.1 Singularity .......................................................................................... 11 1.3.2 Fittingness ........................................................................................... 11 1.3.3 Eminence ............................................................................................ 11 1.3.4 Analogy or Similarity to Christ ........................................................... 12 1.3.5 Mary in Lutheranismi Hypotyposis ..................................................... 12 1.3.6 Mary in Explanatio in Genesim .......................................................... 13 1.3.7 Mary in the Mariale ............................................................................ 17 Chapter 2 – Mary in the Psalms Using the Spiritual Senses ...................................... 20 2.1 Principles of Interpretation in Explanatio in Genesim .................................. 20 2.2 The Spirituality of the Psalms in Brindisi ..................................................... 26 2.3 Ways of Seeing Mary in the Psalms ............................................................. 28 2.4 Comparison to the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary ........... 32 Chapter 3 – Mary in the Psalms According to the Mariale (Part 1) .......................... 39 3.1 Mary as the City of God ............................................................................... 40 3.1.1 Psalm 87 ............................................................................................. 40 3.1.2 Spiritual Senses of the “City of God” ................................................. 43 3.1.3 The Faithful Soul ................................................................................ 44 3.1.4 The Church ......................................................................................... 45 3.1.5 Mary as Mother of God....................................................................... 46 3.1.6 Heavenly Jerusalem ............................................................................ 50 3.2 Mother of Mercy .......................................................................................... 52 3.2.1 The Mercy of God the Father .............................................................. 53 2 3.2.2 Jesus Christ as Mercy ......................................................................... 56 3.2.3 Mary, Mother and Advocate ............................................................... 58 Chapter 4 – Mary in the Psalms According to the Mariale (Part 2) .......................... 62 4.1 The Virtues of Mary ..................................................................................... 62 4.1.1 Mary’s Humility ................................................................................. 62 4.1.2 Mary Had the Light of Faith ............................................................... 64 4.1.3 She is Queen of Virtues ...................................................................... 67 4.1.4 She Conformed Her Heart to a Virtuous Life ..................................... 70 4.1.5 Joy Accompanied Her Virtues ............................................................ 72 4.1.6 She Had Divine Wisdom, Trust and Hope in the Lord ....................... 73 4.2 Methodology in this Thesis .......................................................................... 75 4.2.1 Explanation of the Methodology ......................................................... 75 4.2.2 Data Analysis of the Psalms in the Mariale ........................................ 77 4.2.3 Chart of the Psalms Used in the Mariale ............................................ 80 Chapter 5 – Conclusion ................................................................................................. 88 5.1 Use of the Hebrew Text ................................................................................ 88 5.2 Mary in the Psalms ....................................................................................... 91 5.3 The Spirituality of the Psalms ...................................................................... 93 5.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem ............................................................................... 96 Appendix – Responsorial Psalms in the Lectionary and in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary ............................................................................................... 101 Bibliography ................................................................................................................. 102 Primary Sources ........................................................................................................ 102 Secondary Sources .................................................................................................... 102 3 Introduction The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Mariology of St. Lawrence of Brindisi to show how he applied the psalms to Mary. In order to understand this application it is necessary to explore both his principles of Mariology and the hermeneutic he used in interpreting Sacred Scripture. The focus of this thesis will be his work, the Mariale, but this volume alone is not sufficient for having a complete understanding of his method of biblical interpretation. His work, Explanatio in Genesim, will be reviewed to show the principles he had in mind when writing the Mariale. It will be shown how he found the literal sense of the text important for understanding the mysteries of the faith. His sermons in the Mariale were not meant to be scholarly examinations but Brindisi often went back to the Hebrew text to have the best possible meaning of what the sacred writer intended. Next, it will be shown how finding Mary in the psalms requires the use of the spiritual senses of Scripture. Then there will be shown a spirituality of the psalms with Mary as a model of the faithful and also an intercessor on their behalf. Finally, the psalms will show the way to heaven and it is Mary who led the way by living a virtuous life and now she aids the faithful in attaining the same goal. This thesis will begin with an overview of the life and mission of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, as well as an introduction to his Mariology. There will then follow an examination of the psalms as a way of prayer, which will be based on what he says in the introduction of Explanatio in Genesim, and how this forms the basis for his Marian interpretation. This examination will help show the right context in which to view his interpretation used in the Mariale. Beginning with the literal sense, the faithful are led higher to find Mary in the Old Testament, then to find out how to live a virtuous life like Mary and with her, and finally to come to the heavenly goal with Mary. The first chapter will be an overview of Brindisi’s life and explain his mission of preaching throughout Europe. After this discussion of his background, his Mariology will be introduced, especially as it appears in the Mariale. This work was originally written in Latin and has since been translated into English and 4 Italian. The foundation of his mariological principles can be found there; however, this thesis will not only be limited to this volume of his collected works. The English version of his works focuses on his sermons, including the Mariale, while some of his other writings remain untranslated.1 Due to the amount of writings Brindisi has throughout ten Latin volumes, some of which have two or three tomes for each section, it seems prudent to limit this study to a few volumes. The scope of this study will be limited: volumes 1 and 3 of his collected works: 1. Mariale, 3. Explanatio in Genesim. In addition, a selection of sermons throughout the liturgical year will be studied, especially if relevant psalms are referenced. The study hopes to begin to explore