Mine Upholder, lest I fall
From the Commentary on Psalm 143 by St Augustine, Bishop & Doctor
“Blessed be the Lord my God, who teaches my hands for battle, my fingers for war”. These are our words, if we be the Body of Christ. It seems a repetition of sentiment; our hands for battle, and our fingers for war, are the same. Or is there some difference between hands and fingers? Certainly both hands and fingers work. Not then without reason do we take fingers as put for hands. But still in the fingers we recognise the division of operation, yet still a sort of unity. Behold that grace! The Apostle says, “To one, this; to another, that; there are diversities of operations; all these works one and the self-same Spirit; there is the root of unity.” With these fingers then the Body of Christ fights, going forth to war, going forth to battle.
By works of mercy our enemy is conquered, and we could not have works of mercy unless we had charity, and charity we could have none unless we received it by the Holy Ghost; he then teaches our hands for battle, and our fingers for war: to him rightfully do we say, “My Mercy”, from whom we have also that we are merciful: for he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy. “My Mercy and my Refuge, my Upholder and my Deliverer!” Much toils this combatant, having his flesh lusting against his spirit. Keep what you have. Then shall you have in full what you wish, when death shall have been swallowed up in victory; when this mortal body has been raised, and is changed into the condition of the angels, and rises aloft to a heavenly quality.
There is life, there are good days, where nought lusts against the spirit, where it is not said, “Fight”, but “Rejoice”. But who is he that lusts for these days? Every man certainly says, “I do”. Hear what follows. I see that you are toiling, I see that you are engaged in battle, and in danger; hear what follows: “Depart from evil, and do good”: let not the poor first weep under you, that the poor may rejoice through you. For what reward, since now you are fighting? “Seek peace, and ensue it.” Learn and say, “My Mercy and my Refuge, mine Upholder and my Deliverer, my Protector”: mine Upholder, lest I fall; my Deliverer, lest I stick; my Protector, lest I be stricken. In all these things, in all my toil, in all my battles, in all my difficulties, in him have I hoped, who subdues my people under me. Behold, our Head speaks together with us.
