Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 103[a]
Praise of God’s Providence
1 Of David.
Bless the Lord, O my soul;[b]
my entire being, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits.
3 He forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases.[c]
4 He redeems[d] your life from the pit
and crowns you with kindness and mercy.
5 He satisfies your years with good things
and renews your youth like an eagle’s.[e]
6 The Lord performs acts of righteousness
and administers justice for all who are oppressed.
7 [f]He made known his ways[g] to Moses,
his wondrous deeds to the people of Israel.
8 [h]The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
9 He will not always rebuke,
nor will he remain angry forever.
10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our offenses.
11 As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his kindness toward those who fear him.[i]
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.[j]
13 [k]As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were formed;
he remembers that we are only dust.[l]
15 The days of mortal man are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field.
16 The wind sweeps over him, and he is gone,
and his place never sees him again.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the kindness[m] of the Lord is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children,
18 with those who keep his covenant
and diligently observe his commandments.[n]
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.[o]
20 [p]Bless the Lord, O you his angels,[q]
you mighty in strength who do his bidding,
who obey his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, O you his hosts,
his ministers who do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
everywhere in his domain.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.[r]
Psalm 148[a]
Song of the Universe
1 [b]Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
offer praise to him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
offer praise to him, all his hosts![c]
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
offer praise to him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,[d]
and you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name[e] of the Lord,
for it was at his command that they were created.
6 He established them in place forever and ever;
he issued a law that will never pass away.[f]
7 [g]Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and ocean depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and clouds,
storm winds that carry out his word,[h]
9 all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creeping creatures and flying birds,[i]
11 kings of the earth and all nations,
princes and all rulers on the earth,
12 young men and women,
the elderly, as well as children.[j]
13 [k]Let them all praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above the earth and the heavens.[l]
14 He has raised high a horn[m] for his people,
to the glory of all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Alleluia.
Chapter 62
Jerusalem, the Lord’s Spouse
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication
and all the kings your glory.
You will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will reveal.
3 You will be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem held by your God.
4 No longer will you be called “Forsaken,”
nor will your land be known by the name “Desolate.”
Rather you will be called “My Delight Is in Her,”
and your land will be known as “Married.”
For the Lord will take delight in you,
and your land will be his spouse.
5 As a young man marries a virgin,
so will your builder marry you,
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
10 Pass through, pass through the gates,
and clear a path for my people.
Build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones
and lift up a standard over the nations.
11 The Lord has made this proclamation
to the farthest bounds of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“See, your Savior comes!
His reward is with him
and his recompense precedes him.”[a]
12 They will be called “The Holy People,”
“The Redeemed of the Lord.”
And you will be called “Sought After,”
“A City No Longer Forsaken.”
Recapitulative Visions of the History of Salvation[a]
11 The White Horse and the King of Kings.[b] Now I saw heaven opened, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was called “Faithful and True,” for with righteousness he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes were like fiery flames, and on his head were many crowns. The name inscribed on him was known to no one but himself.
13 He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and he was known by the name The Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 Coming out of his mouth was a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter, and he will tread the winepress[c] of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh[d] he had a name inscribed: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”
18 The Birth of Jesus.[a] The birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came to live together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph was a just man and did not wish to expose her to the ordeal of public disgrace; therefore, he resolved to divorce her quietly.
20 After he had decided to follow this course of action, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary into your home as your wife. For this child has been conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus,[b] for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place in order to fulfill what the Lord had announced through the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
a name that means “God is with us.”[c]
24 When Joseph rose from sleep, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary into his home as his wife, 25 but he engaged in no marital relations[d] with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.