Fragmenda

Scripture

Psalms 102–103

Psalms 102

Benedic, anima. Thanksgiving to God for his mercies.

1 

For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name.

2 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.

3 

Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases.

4 

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion.

5 

Who satisfieth thy desire with good things: thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s.

6 

The Lord doth mercies, and judgment for all that suffer wrong.

7 

He hath made his ways known to Moses: his wills to the children of Israel.

8 

The Lord is compassionate and merciful: longsuffering and plenteous in mercy.

9 

He will not always be angry: nor will he threaten for ever.

10 

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 

For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he hath strengthened his mercy towards them that fear him.

12 

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us.

13 

As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:

14 

For he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust:

15 

Man’s days are as grass, as the flower of the field so shall he flourish.

16 

For the spirit shall pass in him, and he shall not be: and he shall know his place no more.

17 

But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him: And his justice unto children’s children,

18 

To such as keep his covenant, And are mindful of his commandments to do them.

19 

The lord hath prepared his throne in heaven: and his kingdom shall rule over all.

20 

Bless the Lord, all ye his angels: you that are mighty in strength, and execute his word, hearkening to the voice of his orders.

21 

Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts: you ministers of his that do his will.

22 

Bless the Lord, all his works: in every place of his dominion, O my soul, bless thou the Lord.


Psalms 103

Benedic, anima. God is to be praised for his mighty works, and wonderful providence.

1 

For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty:

2 

And art clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:

3 

Who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.

4 

Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire.

5 

Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever.

6 

The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand.

7 

At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear.

8 

The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them.

9 

Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.

10 

Thou sendest forth springs in the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass.

11 

All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.

12 

Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.

13 

Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works:

14 

Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:

15 

And that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man’s heart.

16 

The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

17 

There the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest of them is the house of the heron.

18 

The high hills are a refuge for the harts, the rock for the irchins.

19 

He hath made the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

20 

Thou hast appointed darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:

21 

The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from God.

22 

The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.

23 

Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening.

24 

How great are thy works, O Lord? thou hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches.

25 

So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great.

26 

There the ships shall go. This sea dragon which thou hast formed to play therein.

27 

All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.

28 

What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand, they shall all be filled with good.

29 

But if thou turnest away thy face, they shall be troubled: thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.

30 

Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

31 

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32 

He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

33 

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 

Let my speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.

35 

Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they be no more: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.

Catechism

An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Lesson 24, Questions 265-268

265 Q. Is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?

A. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross.

But how is the Mass a sacrifice? It is a sacrifice because at the Mass the body and blood of Our Lord are offered to His heavenly Father at the consecration, and afterwards consumed by the priest. In offering up the body and blood of Our Lord the bread and wine are consecrated separately, and kept separate on the altar at Mass to signify their separation at Our Lord's death in the sacrifice of the Cross, when His sacred blood flowed from His body. The Holy Eucharist is also a Sacrament, because it has the three things necessary to constitute a Sacrament; namely, (1) The outward sign—that is, the appearance of bread and wine. (2) The inward grace; for it is Jesus Christ Himself, the Author and Dispenser of all graces. (3) It was instituted by Our Lord.

The Holy Eucharist is therefore both a sacrifice and a Sacrament. It is a sacrifice when offered at Mass, and a Sacrament when we receive it and when it is reserved in the tabernacle.

266 Q. How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?

A. The Mass is the same sacrifice as that of the Cross because the offering and the priest are the same—Christ Our Blessed Lord; and the ends for which the sacrifice of the Mass is offered are the same as those of the sacrifice of the Cross.

On the Cross the offering was the body and blood of Our Lord; the one who offered it was Our Lord; the reason for which He offered it was that He might atone for sin; the one to whom He offered it was His heavenly Father. Now, at Mass it is the same. The object offered is Our Lord's body and blood, the one suffering is Our Lord Himself, through the priest; it is offered for sin, and it is offered to the heavenly Father. All things are the same, except that the blood of Our Lord is not shed, and Our Lord does not die again.

267 Q. What are the ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was offered?

A. The ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross was offered were: first, to honor and glorify God; second, to thank Him for all the graces bestowed on the whole world; third, to satisfy God's justice for the sins of men; fourth, to obtain all graces and blessings.

268 Q. Is there any difference between the sacrifice of the Cross and the sacrifice of the Mass?

A. Yes; the manner in which the sacrifice is offered is different. On the Cross Christ really shed His blood and was really slain; in the Mass there is no real shedding of blood nor real death, because Christ can die no more; but the sacrifice of the Mass, through the separate consecration of the bread and the wine, represents His death on the Cross.