Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsPsalms 98

Adore his foot-stool.

For so much as all Expositors, also the Hebrew Rabbins, affirm that the Psalmist here prophesieth of Christ the promised Messias ^[1], that should redeem mankind, and seeing the Ark of covenant pertaineth not to the service of Christ, but was only a figure of him, the foot-stool of the Messias here mentioned must needs be something pertaining to him: and therefore most ancient Fathers expound it of Christ's humanity. And because the Prophet speaketh of perpetual adoration, not only of the short time he conversed with men in this life, when very few adored him, the same fathers understand here the adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. Which S. Ambrose ^[2] teacheth (lib. 3. de Spiritu Sancto c. 12.) in these plain words: By the foot-stool must be understood the earth, by the earth the flesh of Christ. Which we also at this day adore in the Mysteries, and which the Apostles adored in our Lord Jesus. S. Augustine ^[3] more largely upon this Psalm: I am made doubtful (saith he) I fear to adore the earth, lest he condemn me that made heaven & earth. Again, I fear not to adore the foot stool of my Lord, because the Psalm saith to me: Adore his foot-stool: I seek what is his foot-stool, and the Scripture (Isaiæ 66.) telleth me, the earth is his foot-stool. Doubtful I turn myself unto Christ, because I seek him here, & I find how without impiety the earth may be adored, without impiety his foot-stool may be adored. For he took earth of earth, because flesh is of earth, and he took flesh of the flesh of (the B. Virgin) Mary. And because he walked here in the same flesh, and gave the very flesh to us to eat, unto salvation, & no man eateth that flesh, unless he first adore it ^[4]: it is found how such a foot-stool of our Lord may be adored: and not only we do not sin in adoring, but we should sin in not adoring. Thus far S. Augustine. Further instructing, not to conceive of Christ's flesh, as the Capharnaites did, that he would cut it in pieces from his body, & give them portions thereof. His very flesh is given and eaten, not in fleshly manner, but in sacramental. See Annotations, Ioan. 6.

• 1 Christ's humanity is his foot-stool, adored in the Eucharist.
• 2 S. Ambrose.
• 3 S. Augustin.
• 4 The receivers of the B. Sacrament do sin if they do not adore it.