On weekdays the Morning Office shall be celebrated as follows. Let Psalm 66 be said without an antiphon and somewhat slowly, as on Sunday, in order that all may be in time for Psalm 50, which is to be said with an antiphon. After that let two other Psalms be said according to custom,namely: on Monday Psalms 5 and 35, on Tuesday Psalms 42 and 56, on Wednesday Psalms 63 and 64, on Thursday Psalms 87 and 89, on Friday Psalms 75 and 91, and on Saturday Psalm 142 and the canticle from Deuteronomy, which is to be divided into two sections each terminated by a "Glory be to the Father." But on the other days let there be a canticle from the Prophets, each on its own day as chanted by the Roman Church. Next follow the Psalms of praise, then a lesson of the Apostle to be recited from memory, the responsory, the Ambrosian hymn, the verse, the canticle from the Gospel book, the litany, and so the end.

In her commentary on this chapter of the Rule, Esther De Waal writes that Benedict seeks to keep two realities in tension.

"In the first psalm comes a plea for continued grace, which asks 'may God still give us his blessing."

"In the second is a recognition of our need for continual forgiveness, "Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offence."

I am blessed and I am broken. Each is as real as the other. Each is as persistent as the other. This is my condition.

Can - should - the tension be resolved? Not through my actions or will. Probably not in this life. The tension may even empower good.