AD LAUDES
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| The Visitation. Getty Center [Public domain] Willem Vrelant (Flemish,early 1460s) |
V. O God, ☩ come to my assistance;
R. Dómine, ad adjuvándum me festína.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Allelúia.
Alleluia.
From Compline of Saturday before Septuagesima to None of Holy Saturday Easter, instead of Alleluia, is said:
R. Laus tibi Dómine, Rex aetérnae glóriae
R. Praise the thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.
Ant. Missus est [Gábriel Angelus ad Maríam Vírginem desponsátam Joseph.]
Ant. The Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary, a Virgin spoused to Joseph.
Psalmus 92
Dominus regnavit. The glory and stability of the kingdom; that is, of the church of Christ. Praise in the way of a canticle, for David himself, on the day before the sabbath, when the earth was founded.Dóminus regnávit, decórem indútus est: * indútus est Dóminus fortitúdinem, et præcínxit se.
The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: * the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself.
Étenim firmávit orbem terræ, * qui non commovébitur.
For he hath established the world * which shall not be moved.
Paráta sedes tua ex tunc: * a sæculo tu es.
Thy throne is prepared from of old: * thou art from everlasting.
Elevavérunt flúmina, Dómine: * elevavérunt flúmina vocem suam.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord: * the floods have lifted up their voice.
Elevavérunt flúmina fluctus suos, * a vócibus aquárum multárum.
The floods have lifted up their waves, * with the noise of many waters.
Mirábiles elatiónes maris: * mirábilis in altis Dóminus.
Wonderful are the surges of the sea: * wonderful is the Lord on high.
Testimónia tua credibília facta sunt nimis: * domum tuam decet sanctitúdo, Dómine, in longitúdinem diérum.
Thy testimonies are become exceedingly credible: * holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Missus est Gábriel Angelus ad Maríam Vírginem desponsátam Joseph.
Ant. The Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary, a Virgin spoused to Joseph.
Ant. Ave María, [grátia plena : Dóminus tecum : Benedícta tu in muliéribus, allelúia.]
Ant. Hail Mary [full of grace; the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women].
Psalmus 99
Jubilate Deo. All are invited to rejoice in God the creator of all.Jubilate Deo, omnis terra: * servíte Dómino in lætítia.
Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: * serve ye the Lord with gladness.
Introíte in conspéctu ejus, * in exsultatióne.
Come in before his presence * with exceeding great joy.
Scitóte quóniam Dóminus ipse est Deus: * ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: * he made us, and not we ourselves.
Pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus: * introíte portas ejus in confessióne, átria ejus in hymnis: confitémini illi.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. * Go ye into his gates with praise, into his courts with hymns: and give glory to him.
Laudáte nomen ejus: quóniam suávis est Dóminus, in ætérnum misericórdia ejus, * et usque in generatiónem et generatiónem véritas ejus.
Praise ye his name: for the Lord is sweet, his mercy endureth for ever, * and his truth to generation and generation.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Ave María, grátia plena : Dóminus tecum : Benedícta tu in muliéribus, alleluia.
Ant. Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou among women.
Ant. Ne tímeas, María, [invenísti grátiam apud Dóminum : ecce concípies et páries fílium, alleluia.]
Ant. Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with the Lord: behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, (alleluia).
Psalmus 62
Deus Deus meus, ad te. The prophet aspireth after God.Psalmus David, cum esset in deserto Idumaeae.
[1] A psalm of David when he was in the desert of Edom.
Deus, Deus meus, * ad te de luce vígilo.
O God, my God, * to thee do I watch at break of day.
Sitívit in te ánima mea, * quam multiplíciter tibi caro mea.
For thee my soul hath thirsted; * for thee my flesh, O how many ways!
In terra desérta, et ínvia, et inaquósa: * sic in sancto appárui tibi, ut vidérem virtútem tuam, et glóriam tuam.
In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: * so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.
Quóniam mélior est misericórdia tua super vitas: * lábia mea laudábunt te.
For thy mercy is better than lives: * thee my lips shall praise.
Sic benedícam te in vita mea: * et in nómine tuo levábo manus meas.
Thus will I bless thee all my life long: * and in thy name I will lift up my hands.
Sicut ádipe et pinguédine repleátur ánima mea: * et lábiis exsultatiónis laudábit os meum.
Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: * and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.
Si memor fui tui super stratum meum, in matutínis meditábor in te: * quia fuísti adiútor meus.
If I have remembered thee upon my bed, I will meditate on thee in the morning: * because thou hast been my helper.
Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.
And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings: my soul hath stuck close to thee: * thy right hand hath received me.
Ipsi vero in vanum quæsiérunt ánimam meam, introíbunt in inferióra terræ: * tradéntur in manus gládii, partes vúlpium erunt.
But they have sought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: * they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.
Rex vero lætábitur in Deo, laudabúntur omnes qui jurant in eo: * quia obstrúctum est os loquéntium iníqua.
But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: * because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Ne tímeas, María, [invenísti grátiam apud Dóminum : ecce concípies et páries fílium, alleluia.]
Ant. Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with the Lord: behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, (alleluia).
Ant. Dabit ei Dóminus [sedem David patris eius, et regnábit in aetérnum.]
Ant. The Lord [shall give unto him the seat of David his father, and he shall reign for ever]
Canticle of the Three Youths – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Benedícite, ómnia ópera Dómini, Dómino: * laudáte et superexaltáte eum in sæcula.
All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: * praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Benedícite, Ángeli Dómini, Dómino: * benedícite, cæli, Dómino.
O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: * O ye heavens, bless the Lord:
Benedícite, aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, Dómino: * benedícite, omnes virtútes Dómini, Dómino.
O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord: * O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, sol et luna, Dómino: * benedícite, stellæ cæli, Dómino.
O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord: * O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, omnis imber et ros, Dómino: * benedícite, omnes spíritus Dei, Dómino.
O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: * O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, ignis et æstus, Dómino: * benedícite, frigus et æstus, Dómino.
O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord: * O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, rores et pruína, Dómino: * benedícite, gelu et frigus, Dómino.
O ye dews and hoar frosts, bless the Lord: * O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, glácies et nives, Dómino: * benedícite, noctes et dies, Dómino.
O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord: * O ye nights and days, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, lux et ténebræ, Dómino: * benedícite, fúlgura et nubes, Dómino.
O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord: * O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Benedícat terra Dóminum: * laudet et superexáltet eum in sæcula.
O let the earth bless the Lord: * let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Benedícite, montes et colles, Dómino: * benedícite, univérsa germinántia in terra, Dómino.
O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord: * O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, fontes, Dómino: * benedícite, mária et flúmina, Dómino.
O ye fountains, bless the Lord: * O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, cete, et ómnia, quæ movéntur in aquis, Dómino: * benedícite, omnes vólucres cæli, Dómino.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord: * O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, omnes béstiæ et pécora, Dómino: * benedícite, fílii hóminum, Dómino.
O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: * O ye sons of men, bless the Lord.
Benedícat Israël Dóminum: * laudet et superexáltet eum in sæcula.
O let Israel bless the Lord: * let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Benedícite, sacerdótes Dómini, Dómino: * benedícite, servi Dómini, Dómino.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: * O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, spíritus, et ánimæ justórum, Dómino: * benedícite, sancti, et húmiles corde, Dómino.
O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: * O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord.
Benedícite, Ananía, Azaría, Mísaël, Dómino: * laudáte et superexaltáte eum in sæcula.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: * praise and exalt him above all for ever.
(Bow head) Benedicámus Patrem et Fílium cum Sancto Spíritu: * laudémus et superexaltémus eum in sæcula.
(Bow head) Let us bless the Father and the Son, with the Holy Ghost; * let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Benedíctus es, Dómine, in firmaménto cæli: * et laudábilis, et gloriósus, et superexaltátus in sæcula.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven: * and worthy of praise, and glorious for ever.
Ant. Dabit ei Dóminus sedem David patris eius, et regnábit in aetérnum.
Ant. The Lord shall give unto him the seat of David his father, and he shall reign for ever.
Ant. Ecce ancilla Domini [fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum]
Ant. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, [be it done unto me according to thy word]
Psalmus 148
Laudate Dominum de caelis. All creatures are invited to praise their Creator. Alleluia.Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens * praise ye him in the high places.
Laudáte eum, omnes Ángeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.
Praise ye him, all his angels: * praise ye him, all his hosts.
Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.
Praise ye him, O sun and moon: * praise him, all ye stars and light.
Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: * and let all the waters that are above the heavens, praise the name of the Lord.
Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.
For he spoke, and they were made: * he commanded, and they were created.
Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.
He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: * he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Laudáte Dóminum de terra, * dracónes, et omnes abyssi.
Praise the Lord from the earth, * ye dragons, and all ye deeps:
Ignis, grando, nix, glácies, spíritus procellárum: * quæ fáciunt verbum ejus:
Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds * which fulfill his word:
Montes, et omnes colles: * ligna fructífera, et omnes cedri.
Mountains and all hills, * fruitful trees and all cedars:
Béstiæ, et univérsa pécora: * serpéntes, et vólucres pennátæ:
Beasts and all cattle: * serpents and feathered fowls:
Reges terræ, et omnes pópuli: * príncipes, et omnes júdices terræ.
Kings of the earth and all people: * princes and all judges of the earth:
Júvenes, et vírgines: senes cum Junióribus laudent nomen Dómini: * quia exaltátum est nomen ejus solíus.
Young men and maidens: * let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: For his name alone is exalted.
Conféssio ejus super cælum et terram: * et exaltávit cornu pópuli sui.
The praise of him is above heaven and earth: * and he hath exalted the horn of his people.
Hymnus ómnibus sanctis ejus: * fíliis Israël, pópulo appropinquánti sibi.
A hymn to all his saints: to the children of Israel, a people approaching him.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Ecce ancilla Domini Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Ant. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.
The Little Chapter. Isa. xi. 1, 2.
Et egrediétur virga de radíce Jesse, et flos de radíce ejus ascéndet. Et requiéscet super eum spíritus Dómini.
And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall rise up out of his root. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.
R. Deo gratias.
R. Thanks be to God.
Hymnus
O gloriósa Vírginum (O gloriósa Dómina),
Sublímis inter sídera,
Qui te creávit, parvulum
Lactásti sacro úbere.
O glorious lady! throned on highQuod Heva tristis ábstulit,
Above the star-illumined sky;
Thereto ordained, thy bosom lent
To thy creator nourishment.
Tu reddis almo gérmine:
Intrent ut astra flébiles,
Caeli reclúdis cárdines (Cæli fenéstra facta es).
Through thy sweet offspring we receiveTu regis alti jánua,
The bliss once lost through hapless Eve;
And heaven to mortals open lies
Now thou art portal of the skies.
Et porta lucis fúlgida:
Vitam datam per Vírginem
Gentes redémptæ pláudite.
Thou art the door of heaven’s high King,Jesu tibi sit glória (Glória tibi, Dómine),
Light’s gateway fair and glistering;
Life through a virgin is restored;
Ye ransomed nations, praise the Lord!
Qui natus es de Vírgine,
Cum Patre, et Sancto Spíritu
In sempitérna sæcula.
All honour, laud, and glory be,Amen.
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen.
V. Benedícta tu in muliéribus
V. Blessed art thou among women.
R. Et benedíctus fructus ventris tui.
R. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
Ant. Spíritus Sanctus in te descéndet, María: ne tímeas, habébis in útero fílium Dei.
Ant. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, Mary; fear not, thou shalt bear in thy womb the Son of God (alleluia).
The Benedictus or Canticle of Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79)
Benedíctus ☩ (Large sign of the cross) Dóminus, Deus Israël: * quia visitávit, et fecit redemptiónem plebis suæ:
Blessed be the Lord ☩ God of Israel; * because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:
Et eréxit cornu salútis nobis: * in domo David, púeri sui.
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, * in the house of David his servant:
Sicut locútus est per os sanctórum, * qui a sæculo sunt, prophetárum ejus:
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, * who are from the beginning:
Salútem ex inimícis nostris, * et de manu ómnium, qui odérunt nos.
Salvation from our enemies, * and from the hand of all that hate us:
Ad faciéndam misericórdiam cum pátribus nostris: * et memorári testaménti sui sancti.
To perform mercy to our fathers, * and to remember his holy testament,
Jusjurándum, quod jurávit ad Ábraham patrem nostrum, * datúrum se nobis:
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, * that he would grant to us,
Ut sine timóre, de manu inimicórum nostrórum liberáti, * serviámus illi.
That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, * we may serve him without fear,
In sanctitáte, et justítia coram ipso, * ómnibus diébus nostris.
In holiness and justice before him, * all our days.
Et tu, puer, Prophéta Altíssimi vocáberis: * præíbis enim ante fáciem Dómini, paráre vias ejus:
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: * for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
Ad dandam sciéntiam salútis plebi ejus: * in remissiónem peccatórum eórum:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, * unto the remission of their sins:
Per víscera misericórdiæ Dei nostri: * in quibus visitávit nos, óriens ex alto:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, * in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
Illumináre his, qui in ténebris, et in umbra mortis sedent: * ad dirigéndos pedes nostros in viam pacis.
To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: * to direct our feet into the way of peace.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Spíritus Sanctus in te descéndet, María: ne tímeas, habébis in útero fílium Dei.
Ant. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, Mary; fear not, thou shalt bear in thy womb the Son of God (alleluia).
Kyrie eléison. Christe eléison. Kyrie eléison.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
V. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat
R. And let my cry come out to Thee.
Orémus.
Let us pray.
Deus, qui de Beatae Mariae Virginis útero Verbum tuum Angelo nuntiánte carnem suscípere voluísti: præsta supplícibus tuis; ut, qui vere eam Genitrícem Dei crédimus, ejus apud te intercessiónibus adjuvémur.
O God, who didst will that, at the announcement of an Angel, thy Word should take flesh in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, grant to us thy suppliants, that we who believe her to be truly the mother of God may be helped by her intercession with thee.
Per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.
Through the same Jesus Christ, thy Son, Our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
The following Commemorations were removed in the 20th century but traditionally followed the final prayer of Lauds and Vespers.
Commemoration of St Joseph
Fidélis servus et prudens, quem constituit Dómius suae Matris solátium, suae carnis nutrítium, et solum in terris magni consílii coadjutórem.A faithful and wise servant, whom the Lord appointed to be the consolation of His Mother, the nursing-father of His own flesh, and alone in all the earth the most faithful fellow helper of great counsel.
V. Ecce homo sine queréla, verus dei cultor.
V. Behold a man without blame, a true worshipper of God.
R. Abstinens se ab omni ópere malo, et pérmanens in innocéntia sua.
R. Abstaining from every evil work, and abiding in his innocence.
Orémus
Let us pray
Assist us, O Lord we beseech Thee, by the merits of the spouse of Thy most holy Mother, that what of ourselves we are unable to obtain, may be granted to us by his intercession. Who liveth and reigneth world without end.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Pro Sanctis For the Saints
Ant. Ecce, Dóminus véniet et omnes sancti ejus cum eo, et erit in die illa lux magna. Allelúia.Ant. Behold, the Lord shall come, and all his saints with him, and in that day there shill be great light. Allelúia.
V. Ecce apparébit Dóminus super nubem cándidam.
V. Behold the Lord shall come upon a shining cloud.
R. Et cum eo Sanctórum millia.
R. And with Him thousands of Saints.
Orémus
Let us pray
Consciéntias nostra quaesumus Dómine visitándo purífica: ut véniens Iesus Christus fílius tuus Dóminus noster, cum ómnibus sanctis parátam sibi in nobis invéniat mansiónem. Qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte spíritus sancti Deus, per ómnia saecula saeculórum.
O Lord we beseech thee in visiting purify our consciences: that our Lord Jesus Christ thy son coming with all his saints, may find a dwelling prepared for him in us. Who liveth and reigneth, God, with thee, in the unity of the holy Ghost, world without end.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
V. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.
V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. Et clamor meus ad te véniat
R. And let my cry come out to Thee
V. Benedicámus Dómino.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Deo grátias.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. Benedicámus Dómino.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
V. Fidélium ánimae per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace. Dómino.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen.
R. Amen.
Continue to Prayers after the Office
Notes on Psalms 92, 99, 62 & 148
Psalm 92
[1] Dóminus regnávit, decórem indútus est: * indútus est Dóminus fortitúdinem, et præcínxit se.
The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty: * the Lord is clothed with strength, and hath girded himself.
The beginning of this Psalm may apply either to the creation or the redemption, and it is not unusual for passages in the Scripture to have more literal meanings than one. “The Lord hath reigned;” has got possession of his kingdom, has begun to reign; “he is clothed with beauty;” has assumed his beautiful robes of office. “The Lord is clothed with strength;” he has not only got possession of the throne, but he has got strength and power to hold it, a matter of great consequence to one in power; “and hath girded himself,” to govern and to rule. If this be referred to creation, God may be said to have begun to govern when he created the world, and peopled it. If it be referred to the reparation, it was in the resurrection that Christ began to reign, and then he was clothed with the beauty of his glorious body, as well as with strength; for all power in heaven and on earth was given unto him, so that he should no longer be subject to any creature, but have everything under his feet. Finally, he girded himself to extend his kingdom to the bounds of the earth, through the preaching of his Apostles.
[1a] Étenim firmávit orbem terræ, * qui non commovébitur.
For he hath established the world * which shall not be moved.
“For he hath established the world, which shall not be moved;” God began to reign from the beginning of the world, for he then founded it from its very lowest foundations, and he established and settled it so that it cannot be moved; and thus gave a fixed habitation to men, who are bound to obey and to acknowledge him as their King. Christ, too, by his passion and resurrection, established and settled the world, that was hitherto harassed by demons, and by the worship of many false gods, in one true faith and religion.
[2] Paráta sedes tua ex tunc: * a sæculo tu es.
Thy throne is prepared from of old: * thou art from everlasting.
Though your reign commenced with the creation of the world, or with the resurrection, your existence did not date from it; for, “thou art from everlasting;” which means that he not only existed, but that he had within him the fullness of existence, which contains everything; for, before the creation, God was not a pauper, nor did he need anything, nor did he become richer or more wealthy by the creation of the world, for God did not create the world to enrich himself, but to share his riches with us. Thus, it was not from coercion that he created the world, but from mercy and love, which same mercy and love led him to make atonement for the world. “For God so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting,” John 3.
[3] Elevavérunt flúmina, Dómine: * elevavérunt flúmina vocem suam.
The floods have lifted up, O Lord: * the floods have lifted up their voice.
Elevavérunt flúmina fluctus suos, *[4] a vócibus aquárum multárum.
The floods have lifted up their waves, * with the noise of many waters.
Mirábiles elatiónes maris: * mirábilis in altis Dóminus.
Wonderful are the surges of the sea: * wonderful is the Lord on high.
If these verses be referred to the creation, they explain the manner in which God made the earth habitable, so as to be the fixed residence of mankind. In the beginning of creation the waters covered the whole earth, and in consequence of a great inundation were raised considerably above it; but God, being brighter and more elevated again, and infinitely more powerful than them, rebuked and restrained the waters, and shut them up in the caverns of the earth, with strict orders never to return thence.
This is expressed more clearly in Psalm 103, where he says, “Who hast founded the earth upon its own basis, it shall not be moved forever and ever. The deep like a garment is its clothing; above the mountains shall the waters stand;” that is to say, the earth was originally so formed that an abyss of water completely enveloped it, covering even the tops of the highest mountains; but, “At thy rebuke they shall flee, at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear;” that means, but you, O Almighty, rebuked the waters and so confused them by your thunder, that they fled and hid themselves in the depths of the earth; and then “you set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.” A description of the same is to be found in Job 38, and has been beautifully condensed here by the Prophet, “Wonderful are the surges of the sea; wonderful is the Lord on high;” all the waters of the sea and the great abyss of waters raged and roared at a great elevation over the earth; but the Lord, who is wonderful, who dwelleth on high, and who is higher than anything created, confined the waters, and made the earth habitable.
If we interpret this in reference to the redemption, we must take it as a description of the extent of the persecutions got up by the Jews and Pagans against the kingdom of Christ, just commenced at his resurrection, and his victory over all his enemies. “The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods have lifted up their waves.” The Jews lifted up their voices when they began to speak out against the Gospel and to thwart it. “Wonderful are the surges of the sea;” the persecutions of Nero, Domitian, and the other Roman emperors, that were seas as compared to rivers, when set alongside the persecutions of the Jews. “Wonderful is the Lord on high;” more wonderful than them all is the Lord who dwells on high, having obtained a victory over all his persecutors; and having, in spite of them all, propagated his kingdom throughout the entire world.
[5] Testimónia tua credibília facta sunt nimis: * domum tuam decet sanctitúdo, Dómine, in longitúdinem diérum.
Thy testimonies are become exceedingly credible: * holiness becometh thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.
If this verse be referred to creation, it must be taken as a reply to an objection that may be raised, for one may say, how do we know that what has been said about the founding of the earth, the abyss of waters, and their being restrained and confined, took place at all; for this happened before the creation of man, when there was no one to witness it? The prophet replies that he has it from God’s own testimony, who revealed it to his servant Moses, and that such testimony is worthy of all belief, by reason of Moses having proved himself a faithful servant of God, and a true prophet, by many signs and prodigies.
The same may be said if we refer the verse to the redemption, for the testimonies to Christ, conveyed to us through his Apostles, are become so exceedingly credible, through the miracles of both, and through the accomplishment of the prophecies, and for various other reasons without end, that so established Christianity, that no one, having heard them, can possibly gainsay it. From which the prophet concludes that “holiness,” that is, that it should be regarded as holy, and that all who dwell in it should lead a holy life; and by the holiness of their lives, correspond with the holiness of “thy house,” the Church of God which has, and in which are preached, such testimonies; “unto length of days;” that it is right the Church should be saved and preserved by you, O Lord, unto length of days; “that the gates of hell may not prevail against her.”
Psalm 99
[1] Psalmus in confessione.
A psalm of praise.
[2] Jubilate Deo, omnis terra: * servíte Dómino in lætítia.
Sing joyfully to God, all the earth: * serve ye the Lord with gladness.
To sing joyfully means, as we have frequently repeated, to praise with loud and joyful voice and to serve with gladness means to be obedient through love, and not through fear. “Sing joyfully to God all the earth.” All you worshippers of the true God, in whatever part of the world you may be cast, praise him. Good and bad are to be found all over the world: in the wheat will be found the cockle, and thorns among the lilies. And as the wicked, when they do not succeed according to their wishes, are always ready to blaspheme and murmur against God, so it is meet that the good throughout the world, whatever may happen to them, whether for or against them, should praise and bless him; for, as St. Paul says, “we know that to them that love God all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.”—”Serve ye the Lord with gladness.” Serve him by obeying him freely, and not as if you were under coercion—with the joy of freemen, and not with the bitterness of slaves. For, as St. Augustine expresses it, Truth delivered us, but love has made us slaves; and he that is a slave from love is one with pleasure. The principal reason, however, for serving God with pleasure consists in love being the summary of his precepts, and nothing is sweeter than love. Besides, the service of God is a profitable thing to us, of no profit to him.
[2a] Introíte in conspéctu ejus, * in exsultatióne.
Come in before his presence * with exceeding great joy.
“Come in before his presence with exceeding great joy.” We are bound to praise God everywhere, but especially when we enter his house, “a house of prayer,” where we see God himself in his sacred things, and he, by a special providence, looks on and hears us, according to 2 Paralip. 7, “My eyes also shall be open, and my ears attentive to the prayer of him that shall pray in this place.” The prophet, therefore, admonishes them “to come in before his presence,” into the house of God, where they can specially see him, and he them, and to come “with exceeding great joy,” in high spirits, so that God may see their ardent desire for him.
[3] Scitóte quóniam Dóminus ipse est Deus: * ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos.
Know ye that the Lord he is God: * he made us, and not we ourselves.
Pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus: *[4] introíte portas ejus in confessióne, átria ejus in hymnis: confitémini illi.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. * Go ye into his gates with praise, into his courts with hymns: and give glory to him.
[3] Nothing tends so much to stir up that devotion suited to the house of God, as an attentive consideration of God’s greatness and his gifts. “Know ye that the Lord he is God.” Consider, and, after serious consideration, be it known to you, that the God you worship, and to whom you come to offer your tribute of prayer and praise, is the true God, than whom nothing greater or better can be imagined. To him you owe your whole life and existence; for “he made us, and not we ourselves;” he is the primary source of our being; for though parents beget children, they get them through God’s will only. How many in the world sigh and long for children, and are still denied them; and, on the other hand, how many would enjoy the married state without the burden of children, and still have children thrust upon them. Most justly, then, did the holy mother of the Machabees say to her sons, “I know not how you were formed in my womb, for I neither gave you breath, nor soul, nor life; neither did I frame the limbs of every one of you, but the Creator of the world that formed the nativity of man, and that formed out the origin of all.”—”We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” He now reminds them of another of God’s favors, for which they are bound to thank and praise him, because he not only created us, but he also directs and supports us. “We are his people,” directed by God’s special providence; “and the sheep of his pasture;” supported by the food of his word, that nourishes us as rich pastures support the sheep that feed on them.
[5] Laudáte nomen ejus: quóniam suávis est Dóminus, in ætérnum misericórdia ejus, * et usque in generatiónem et generatiónem véritas ejus.
Praise ye his name: for the Lord is sweet, his mercy endureth for ever, * and his truth to generation and generation.
The prophet now enumerates three of God’s attributes as a further reason for being praised and glorified by all. God’s sweetness, mercy and veracity which are so connected that one would seem to be the source of the other. “The Lord is sweet,” and, therefore, inclined to mercy; his mercy causes him to promise pardon, and his veracity causes him to fulfill his promise. “For the Lord is sweet.” An extraordinary attribute of that omnipotent and tremendous majesty that dwells in light inaccessible, that is terrible above all gods, who taketh away the spirit of the princes, and of whom the Apostle says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;” and yet, most truly is it said of him, “The Lord is sweet.” This is not the only passage that says so. It is frequently repeated in the Scriptures, Psalm 33, “O taste and see that the Lord is sweet;” and in Psalm 85, “For thou, O Lord, art sweet, and mild, and plenteous in mercy;” and, 1 Peter 2, “If yet you have tasted that the Lord is sweet;” and in 2 Cor. 1, “The Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation.” These two apparently contradictory attributes of God are, however, easily reconciled. God is sweet to the upright of heart, to those that fear him; he is rough and terrible to the crooked of heart, and to those that despise him. Hence the prophet, in another Psalm, exclaims, “How good is God to Israel, to them that are of a right heart;” for what is quite level seems rough to one with a crooked heart, and all those are crooked in heart, who will not conform themselves to the will of God; and hence we read in Psalm 102, “As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him; his mercy is from eternity, and unto eternity upon them that fear him;” an expression used by the Virgin, in her canticle, when she sang, “And his mercy is from generation to generation, to them that fear him.” If anyone, then, will begin to direct his heart, and make it conformable to God’s will, and to fear nothing so much as offending God, he will, at once, begin to taste how sweet God is; and in him will be realized the conclusion of the Psalm, “his mercy endureth forever, and his truth to generation and generation.”
Psalm 62
[1] Psalmus David, cum esset in deserto Idumaeae.
[1] A psalm of David when he was in the desert of Edom.
Idumaea/Edom: The country inhabited by the descendants of Edom. The word Idumea is the græcized form of the Hebrew name 'Edôm (Egypt., Aduma; Assyr., U-du-um-ma-ai, U-du-mu, U-du-mi), which appears to have been applied to the region from the red colour of its sandstone cliffs. Idumea was situated south of Juda and the Dead Sea.
[2] Deus, Deus meus, * ad te de luce vígilo.
O God, my God, * to thee do I watch at break of day.
A just man tells us his first impulse at the dawn of day, and that is to seek God, to desire God, to confess his misery to him. “O God, my God;” my help, my strength, for without you I am nothing, can do nothing. “To thee do I watch by break of day.” The moment I open the eyes of my body, I open those of my mind, to behold you, the increased light; and thus I watch to look for you, instead of looking for the things of this world.
[2] Sitívit in te ánima mea, * quam multiplíciter tibi caro mea.
For thee my soul hath thirsted; * for thee my flesh, O how many ways!
I do so, because “For thee my soul hath thirsted;” it longs for thee as its meat and drink; its light and gladness. My flesh thirsts in various ways for thee, the fountain of all good. Though the flesh, properly speaking, cannot be said to thirst for God, it is said to thirst, because by reason of its manifold miseries, it needs his mercy, just as parched land is said to thirst for rain, without which it can produce nothing. Everyone has experienced the necessities, wants, and miseries of our corruptible flesh, which he alone, of whom it is said, “Who heals all your infirmities,” can heal.
[4] In terra desérta, et ínvia, et inaquósa: * sic in sancto appárui tibi, ut vidérem virtútem tuam, et glóriam tuam.
In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: * so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.
The characteristics of a desert are three, uninhabited, inaccessible, without water; the second being the effect, and the third the cause, of the first; for a country is generally deserted by reason of a want of water; for that makes the ground dry and barren, and when so deserted and barren, it becomes inaccessible. The prophet means to convey that such uncultivated land, wanting not only the luxuries, but even the necessaries of life, was of great use to him in finding God. For the more the soul is destitute of the goods of this world, or, certainly, the more it takes its affections off them, and betakes itself to a spiritual desert, the more easily it ascends to the contemplation and enjoyment of things celestial. “In that desert land, and where there is no way and no water;” here I come to thee in spirit, raising up my soul to thee, as if I were “in thy sanctuary,” so that the desert became a sanctuary to me, “to see thy power and thy glory.”
[5] Quóniam mélior est misericórdia tua super vitas: * lábia mea laudábunt te.
For thy mercy is better than lives: * thee my lips shall praise.
The word “For” must be referred to the following, and not to the preceding; and the meaning is, I will not only see thy power and thy glory, but my lips shall daily praise you, for your mercy is better to me than life itself; for it was your mercy that gave me that life, that preserves that life; and the same mercy will make that life a much happier one to me, should I lose it for your sake; but if, for the purpose of preserving that life, I should fall from your grace and mercy, I will lose both my life and your mercy.
[6] Sic benedícam te in vita mea: * et in nómine tuo levábo manus meas.
Thus will I bless thee all my life long: * and in thy name I will lift up my hands.
With such daily praise: “I will bless thee my life long;” whatever may befall me, whether in prosperity or adversity, I will bless you forever;
[6a] “And in thy name I will lift up my hands.” Whenever I invoke your name, I will raise up my hands in prayer, expecting help from you alone in adversity; and, on the other hand, thanking you alone in my prosperity. The custom of raising the hands in prayer was practised in both the old and the new law; for, when Moses lifted up his hands to God, the people conquered. And the Apostle, 1 Tim. 2, says, “Raising their pure hands.” St. Augustine reminds those who raise their hands to God in prayer, that if they wish to be heard, they should also raise their hands to do good works. Raising the hand also was used by the Jews as a form of oath; thus, we find Abraham saying “I lift up my hand to the Lord God, the Most High, the possessor of heaven and earth, that from the very woof thread unto the shoe latchet, I will not take of anything that are thine.” And, in the Apocalypse 10, “He lifted up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever and ever.” The expression, then, may mean, I will swear by your name, and thus worship you alone as the true God.
[7] Sicut ádipe et pinguédine repleátur ánima mea: * et lábiis exsultatiónis laudábit os meum.
Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: * and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.
Here is what he asked when he lifted his hands in prayer to God, that his “soul should be filled as with marrow and fatness;” that his soul should become replete with that spiritual marrow and fatness that acts upon the soul as the natural marrow and fatness do upon the body. Those who enjoy it are generally sound, strong, active, ruddy, and good humored; on the other hand, those who lack it are shriveled, weak, deformed, and gloomy; so those who are full of grace, of the spiritual richness here described, are devout, fervent, always in good temper; while, on the contrary, those who have it not, nauseate everything spiritual, are wasted away by listlessness; being quite weak and infirm, they can neither resist anything bad, nor do anything good. St. Augustine properly observes, that while we are in this desert, we cannot ask for and desire the feast of wisdom and justice, which we can only enjoy when we shall have arrived at our country; then will the expression of the Psalm, “And filleth thee with the fat of corn,” be fulfilled, as also that in Mat. 8, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be filled;” and then, “my mouth,” for praise shall succeed to prayer, shall perfectly, without end, without tiring, praise God, “with joyful lips;” when we shall be so full that we shall want nothing; for, at present, no matter what we have, we always want something still; and thus we must have recourse to daily and constant prayer.
[8] Si memor fui tui super stratum meum, in matutínis meditábor in te: * quia fuísti adiútor meus.
If I have remembered thee upon my bed, I will meditate on thee in the morning: *[8a] because thou hast been my helper.
Not only in the next life, when “filled with marrow and fatness,” he will praise God with exultation, but also, while in this world, will he remember God and his gifts. “If I have remembered thee upon my bed;” in the depth of the night, as I lay thereon, much more so will I do it by day; and, therefore, “I will meditate on thee in the morning;” I will think and reflect on your power and glory for the following reason:
[8a] No wonder I should always reflect on your power and glory, “because thou hast been my helper,” always remembered me by helping and protecting me. St. Augustine gathers a useful lesson from this passage, for those who, while at their work, wish to remember God and to keep his fear and love before their eyes. To do that, they must, while lying on their bed at night, remember him, and reflect on his mercy and his promises. Most people go through their daily work as if God were not over them at all, and that because they have no fixed time for reflection or meditation.
[9] Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.
And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings: my soul hath stuck close to thee: * thy right hand hath received me.
“And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings.” Having said, “because thou hast been my helper,” for fear he may be considered as looking upon himself as now secure and indifferent as to God’s protection, he now adds, “And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings.” I will keep myself under the cover of your wings, trusting in your protection. “I will rejoice,” being perfectly secure from the birds of prey. “My soul hath stuck close to thee.” Such protection, so many favors so moved me, that “my soul hath stuck close to thee,” united by a tie of charity so strong, that nothing can separate it; and for fear it may be supposed he was taking credit to himself for being so ardently attached to God, he adds, “Thy right hand hath received me.” I follow you, because you draw me; I love you, because you first loved me, and by loving me made me love you. Happy is he, who, however perfect he may be, ascribes all to God, and like a chicken, shelters himself under God’s wings. More happy is he who can truly say, “my soul hath stuck close to thee,” who, not only puts his trust in the covering of God’s wings, but also loves him so entirely, with his whole heart, that he can say with the Apostle, “Who shall separate me from the love of Christ?” and more happy than that again is he, who, by his own experience, or by the testimony of his conscience, has learned “that thy right hand received me,” for of such the Lord says:
[27] Oves meae vocem meam audiunt, et ego cognosco eas, et sequuntur me :[10] Ipsi vero in vanum quæsiérunt ánimam meam, introíbunt in inferióra terræ: *
My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow me.
[28] et ego vitam aeternam do eis, et non peribunt in aeternum, et non rapiet eas quisquam de manu mea.
And I give them life everlasting; and they shall not perish for ever, and no man shall pluck them out of my hand.[John 10]
But they have sought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: *
In the three last verses the prophet foretells the ultimate destruction and extermination of the persecutors of the just, and the everlasting happiness and felicity of the same just. “But they,” the wicked persecutors, “have sought my soul in vain,” endeavored in vain to have my life, to put me to death; for the wicked persecute the just, with a view of becoming masters of everything, and revel in pleasure and power; but to no purpose, for instead of being masters of the earth, they will be swallowed up by it: and when so condemned to hell, instead of the luxuries, the ease, and enjoyment they set their hearts on, they will never be allowed even a moment’s rest, but will be consigned to eternal punishment, inflicted by the demons who tear them more cruelly than so many ravenous wolves and foxes. “They shall go into the lowest parts of the earth.” See why they laboured in vain, they thought to become masters, but instead of that, they will be hurled beneath the earth, into its very heart, and compelled to take up their abode forever in hell.
[11] tradéntur in manus gládii, partes vúlpium erunt.
they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.
“They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword.” They will have no rest in hell, much less will they enjoy the blessings of the earth, but will be “delivered into the hands of the sword,” given up for torment; for God’s punishments, as coming from a supreme and angry Judge, will be both grievous and interminable “They shall be the portion of foxes.” Instead of lording it over the just, they will be lorded over by the unjust demons, as being now their “lot and inheritance.” These demons are styled foxes, rather than lions or wolves, because they entrap sinners, and enslave them more by the cunning of the fox, than the strength of the lion.
[12] Rex vero lætábitur in Deo, laudabúntur omnes qui jurant in eo: * quia obstrúctum est os loquéntium iníqua.
But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: * because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.
How vain have been all the labors of the wicked! They will not only be disappointed in what they set their hearts upon, but they will not be able to deprive the just of their own, for “their king,” Christ, of whom the Jews said, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him,” whose name the pagans, with all their power, endeavored to eradicate, and which is blasphemed by all the wicked, will live and reign forever, and “shall rejoice in God”, sitting in glory on the right hand of the father; and “all they shall be praised (on the day of judgment) that swear by him,” they, who in this life, in spite of all persecution, religiously worship him as the true God, and swear by his name, or rather swear faithful obedience to him. All Christ’s faithful “will be praised,” “because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.” In the day of judgment, the mouth of all the wicked will be stopped, for then the truth will be manifest, and cannot be demurred to or gainsaid; and then the wicked will exclaim, as we read in Wisdom 5, “Therefore we have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us, and the sun of understanding hath not risen upon us. Behold, how they are numbered among the children of God, and their lot is among the saints.” Thus the just will be praised by their very enemies, when the truth, having been exposed by God’s judgment, shall shut up the mouths of those who now, by their blasphemies, maledictions, calumnies, detractions, reproaches, and lies, “speak evil things.” Some apply those verses to David, others to Christ. Saul and the other enemies of David, who sought to kill him, that they might reign in security, truly “labored in vain,” for they were destroyed, and David had a glorious reign of it. So with the Jews, who sought to put Christ to death, “lest the Romans should come and take away their place and their nation,” they would not have a Lamb for their King, they preferred a fox and a lion together, for the Romans sacked their city, took away their kingdom, nearly annihilated them; while Christ rose again, had a glorious reign of it, “and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Psalm 148
[1] Laudáte Dóminum de cælis: * laudáte eum in excélsis.
Praise ye the Lord from the heavens * praise ye him in the high places.
[2] Laudáte eum, omnes Ángeli ejus: * laudáte eum, omnes virtútes ejus.
Praise ye him, all his angels: * praise ye him, all his hosts.
The Angels, as residing in the supreme heavens, as it were, in the very palace of the eternal King, get the first invitation. The words “praise ye” are not used in a spirit of command or exhortation, as if the Angels were deficient in their duty, and needed such; it is spoken in a spirit of invitation and strong affection by the prophet, who is highly excited and inflamed with the love of God, as if he said, Oh that all created things would praise their Creator! and you, ye Angels, who hold the first place in creation, follow up the praise you daily offer him; “from the heavens,” indicates where the Angels reside, which he repeats when he adds, “praise ye him in the high places.”
This he explains more clearly when he adds who they are that dwell there, saying, “praise ye him, all his hosts,” meaning the heavenly powers, and not the sun, moon, and stars, as some will have it; (1) because nothing is more usual than such repetitions with David; (2), the holy fathers are unanimous that these words refer to the Cherubim, Seraphim, and the other Angels; (3), from Lk. 2, where the Angels are called “The multitude of the heavenly host;” and (4), from Psalm 102, where the Angels are more clearly indicated, when he says, “Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; you ministers of his, that do his will.”
[3] Laudáte eum, sol et luna: * laudáte eum, omnes stellæ et lumen.
Praise ye him, O sun and moon: * praise him, all ye stars and light.
[4] Laudáte eum, cæli cælórum: * et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt, laudent nomen Dómini.
Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: * and let all the waters that are above the heavens, praise the name of the Lord.
From the Angels, who, as being endowed with reason and intelligence, praise God in the strict sense of the word, he descends to the heavenly bodies who do not offer that intellectual praise they are incapable of, but still praise him by reason of their greatness, grandeur, size, speed, efficacy, splendor, and beauty, just as every beautiful work redounds to the credit of its maker. He names the sun first, it being universally allowed to be the principal body in nature; next, the moon, it being apparently next in size to the sun; then he calls upon the stars, concluding with “the light,” (cf creation of light in Genesis 1, before the sun, moon and stars) by which he means the light derived from the sun, moon, and stars.
Having enumerated the heavenly bodies, he then calls upon “the heaven(s) of heavens,” that is, the superior heavens, beneath which lie the inferior heavens in which the clouds and the birds move about; whence we read in the Scriptures, “the birds of heaven, the clouds of heaven.” To those upper heavens he adds the waters that lie above the heavens, thus leaving no one thing in the superior part of the world without an invitation. In regard of those waters men are at liberty to argue to a certain extent, but in other respects they are not. (1), it is certain that the waters named here are material, not spiritual waters, an error into which Origen fell, and which was exposed by the holy fathers. (2), that these waters are above, and not in, the heavens, as some erroneously imagine, for the prophet indicates it clearly here, by calling on the “heaven of heavens” to praise him, and at once adds, “all the waters that are above the heavens,” those heavens, surely, that he had just quoted; and in Psalm 103, when speaking of the same heavens, he says, “Who stretchest out the heavens like a pavilion, who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water;” and Moses, in the first chapter of Genesis, clearly places water over the firmament, in which firmament he shortly after places the stars; and more clearly in Daniel 3, where all the works of the Lord are enumerated, in order; first are placed the Angels, then the heavens, then the waters that are over the heavens, then the sun, moon, stars, and other inferior beings. (3), these waters are incorruptible and eternal, for to them, as well as to the other things hereinbefore enumerated, applies what he subsequently adds, “He hath established them forever, and for ages of ages.”
[5] Quia ipse dixit, et facta sunt: * ipse mandávit, et creáta sunt.
For he spoke, and they were made: * he commanded, and they were created.
[6] Státuit ea in ætérnum, et in sæculum sæculi: * præcéptum pósuit, et non præteríbit.
He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: * he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.
The reason why all those things aforesaid should praise God is, because they were all made by him, and will remain forever incorrupt; and what is much more wonderful, they were made without any labour, without any loss of time, by one word or command brought from nonexistence to existence, and that for eternity. He merely said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” He commanded a thing that had no existence to start into existence, and at once it, in obedience to his command, appeared. “He hath established them forever, and for ages of ages.” He endowed them with immortality, in order that, like the inferior bodies, they may not rise up and die again. “He hath made a decree,” passed a decree on this matter; “and it shall not pass away,” a decree that will not evaporate or become a dead letter, but will remain, and by remaining will preserve the very things it has reference to, so that they shall not pass away.
[7] Laudáte Dóminum de terra, * dracónes, et omnes abyssi.
Praise the Lord from the earth, * ye dragons, and all ye deeps:
He now passes to the perishable elements and to the world below, which consists of the earth, the air, the water, the beasts, fishes, fowl, as also the thunder, lightning, hail, winds, and other such matters. And as he first said, “Praise ye the Lord from the heavens,” he now says, “Praise the Lord from the earth;” and as he classified all the superior beings under the head of the things belonging to heaven which is the seat of the Angels, so he deems it right now to bring all the inferior things under the head of those belonging to the earth, it being the seat of man. Hence, his reason for not naming fire, or air, or water; in the first place, because the earth constitutes the second part of the world, and all other things, whether fire, air, or water, are subject to man, who inhabits it. “Praise the Lord from the earth,” all you who live on the earth, or belong to it, and he mentions first the waters and the fishes who dive in the depths of the earth; for the dragons mean the sea monsters; and the deeps, the deep seas in which they reside; as we read in Psalm 103, “The sea dragon which thou hast formed to play therein,” that is, the sea; and in Psalm 73, “Thou didst crush the heads of the dragons in the waters.” (cf dinosaurs, post-Bellarmine)
[8] Ignis, grando, nix, glácies, spíritus procellárum: * quæ fáciunt verbum ejus:
Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds * which fulfill his word:
From the waters he passes to the air, where the fires exist; viz., lightning, thunderbolts, coruscations, as also hail, snow, ice, and the stormy winds, those furious winds that cause the storms and bring so much rain with them, all of which “fulfil his word;” that is, obey his commands, which last expression he adds with a view to let us see that all those accidents, that are looked upon by man as so many calamities, come from the hand of God, who makes use of them as so many instruments of his justice or of his mercy to punish the wicked or to deter the just from sin; and, therefore, that they do not come from chance, nor should they be called calamities but blessings, being the instruments of a good and gracious God.
[9] Montes, et omnes colles: * ligna fructífera, et omnes cedri.
Mountains and all hills, * fruitful trees and all cedars:
[10] Béstiæ, et univérsa pécora: * serpéntes, et vólucres pennátæ:
Beasts and all cattle: * serpents and feathered fowls:
From the air he now reverts to the earth, and first alludes to the more striking parts of it, the “mountains and hills,” which, of course, include the plains and the valleys, for you cannot have one without the other. He then passes to the products of the earth, naming the trees first that produce fruit, and then those that do not, such as the cedar, which however, serves for house and shipbuilding. He then touches on the animals that are to be found on the earth, briefly enumerating the principal ones, the wild, the domestic, and the beasts of burden; and finally, the serpents that crawl along the ground, and the birds that fly aloft in the air. He calls upon and challenges them all to praise God, not that they are capable of any such thing, but that man, by reflecting on their use and benefit to him, may praise God, and return him due thanks for them. But what benefit do the wild beasts, the lions, serpents, even the gnats and the wasps confer on man? A great deal, for, whether they inspire us with terror, or annoy and torment us, they are calculated to remind us of our weakness and infirmity, and to what we have come through the disobedience of our first parents, by which we lost a great part of the dominion we previously had over all animals.
[11] Reges terræ, et omnes pópuli: * príncipes, et omnes júdices terræ.
Kings of the earth and all people: * princes and all judges of the earth:
[12] Júvenes, et vírgines: senes cum Junióribus laudent nomen Dómini: * quia exaltátum est nomen ejus solíus.
Young men and maidens: * let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord: For his name alone is exalted.
He finally invites all mankind to praise God, and, in order to comprehend all manner of people, he mentions three different classes of people in respect of power, sex, and age. “Kings and people,” they who command and they who obey; and, as all those who do command are not equal in authority, he adds, “princes,” having supreme power, “and all judges of the earth,” having subordinate authority; and here is the difference of power. “Young men and maidens,” which includes the sexes, “the old with the younger,” to comprehend all ages. All, then, be they princes or subjects, men or women, old or young, are summoned to praise the Lord. “For his name alone is exalted;” for there is no other name truly sublime, and worthy of all praise, but the name of God. Created things, however great, when compared with God’s greatness, sink into insignificance; and whatever greatness or excellence they may be possessed of they have entirely from him, who alone is called, and justly is, the Most High.
[13] Conféssio ejus super cælum et terram: * et exaltávit cornu pópuli sui.
The praise of him is above heaven and earth: * and he hath exalted the horn of his people.
He assigns a reason for having said, “For his name alone is exalted,” because, says he, “The praise of him is above heaven and earth;” that is, everything in heaven and on earth declare his praise so full of everything of his glory, or, as Habacuc has it, “His glory covered the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise;” therefore “his name alone is exalted.” And “he hath exalted the horn of his people;” he, of himself, alone exalted and sublime, has exalted the power and glory of his people Israel, because he selected them as his own people, gave them divine laws, written with his own finger, and cared them with a special providence.
[14] Hymnus ómnibus sanctis ejus: * fíliis Israël, pópulo appropinquánti sibi.
A hymn to all his saints: to the children of Israel, a people approaching him.
“A hymn to all his saints; to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him, Alleluia.” This is the conclusion of the Psalm, as it were to say, The hymn, then, to be sung to God should be specially sung by all his saints; that is, by all those dedicated and consecrated to him, the children of Israel especially, inasmuch as they come nearer to God than any other people, through true knowledge and faith, true worship and adoration, true filial confidence and love. This, however, as St. Augustine properly observes, applies not to the children of Israel according to the flesh, but according to the spirit; for the former being stiff necked never made any approach to God, as St. Stephen reproached them. “You always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did so do you also. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain those who foretold of the coming of the Just One, of whom you have been the betrayers and murderers;” and the Apostle, Rom. 9, points out who are the true children of Israel when he says, “For all are not Israelites that are of Israel; neither are all they who are the seed of Abraham’s children;” that is to say, not they who are the children of the flesh are the children of God, but they that are the children of the promise are counted for “the seed.” And in the same epistle, chap. 4, he tells them that they were the children of Abraham “who follow the steps of the faith that our father Abraham had,” be they circumcised or not circumcised. Nor should we exclude all the children of Israel according to the flesh, for in such case we would exclude the prophets and the Apostles; we exclude those only who are Israelites according to the flesh alone, of whom St. Stephen speaks as above, and to whom the Precursor said, “Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shown you to flee from the wrath to come? do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father,” and to whom the Lord himself said, “If you be the children of Abraham do the works of Abraham—you are of your father the devil.” Finally, such are they, who, after having renounced the Lord, are scattered all over the world, without a king, a priesthood, and even without a God.
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