Sext
The hour of noon commemorates the
crucifixion of Jesus: "At this hour the glory of the true salvation is
rendered to the faithful through the sacrifice of the blessed Lamb and the
power of the cross, "as the hymn sings: "Dicamus laudes Domino"
175. This same hymn compares the splendor of the sun from noon to night in
relation to that radiant light which floods the world when the Savior is fixed
on the wood. 176. The hymn of Sext in Lent recalls the thirst of Jesus, (Jn 19,
28). This is an opportunity for those who say the psalms to ask for (especially if they do!) the grace of
hunger and thirst for holiness (177). On
Good Friday, the second stanza of the hymn "Crux mundi, benedictio",
illustrates the text of Jn 12:32: "When I am lifted up from the earth, I
will draw all men unto me.” Another
passage from the Fourth Gospel: "The prince of this world comes.
Certainly, it has no hold on me: Jn 14:30).
We recalls an essential element of the
mystery of the Passion: Jesus has assumed everything freely in a movement of
love, filial and perfect obedience (178). But in ordinary
time, the liturgy of the hours has kept the hymn: "Rector Potens, verax Deus, "which addresses the Creator God
whose Providence governs the cosmos and whose salutary grace brings supernatural
peace to the human heart (179). The Sext hymn in
Easter time has the form of an "Invitatory" addressed to all the
redeemed so that they sing the praise of the Lord at that time, It reminds us that The judgment of
mortals has given an unjust death to the judge of the ages (180) . How do the
concluding prayers of the hour of Sext express the mystery of the sixth hour?
They are oriented in three distinct directions. The first concerns the concrete
reality of work, in the bright light of the day to ask God for spiritual
benefits: accepting the weight of the day and not challenging his will (Monday);
to ask for the blessing of God on the work initiated by us so that it leads to
perfection (Wednesday), and finally to be able to walk, with an open heart, in
the way of the commandments to the
splendid light that can only be Christ Himself (Thursday and Saturday) (181).
The second orientation, we find on Tuesday, recall an event in the history of Salvation
which had a great importance for the Church: the prayer of Peter on the terrace
of a house of Jaffa, the revelation of the saving plan extended to the
Gentiles. This is the announcement of the conversion of the Centurion Cornelius
Hence the missionary orientation of the concluding prayer (182) . On Friday, we
have the third orientation: prayer addressed to Christ, as at Terce and None;
We mention the darkness that reigned at the hour when Jesuswas crucified to
save the world and ask for the light we need to achieve life eternal (183). The
mystery of midday or of the sixth hour is clearly connected with the event of
Calvary on the cross, Good Friday and every Friday. The other days, with the
exception of Tuesday, Saint Peter, the hour of Sext invites us to sanctify this
moment of the day by turning our eyes towards the God the providential Creator who leads to salvation
all those whom he has called to existence.
175. A sext,
T.O. I hymn. (ad. lib.) Dicamus laudes Domino, str. 2.
176. id. ibid.
str. 3.' . .
177. Ad sext, T.
Quadrag. hymn. Qua Chrisms hora sitiit str. 1.
178. Fer. VI in
Pass. Domini, ad sext. hymn. Crux, mundi benedictio, str. 2.
179. Ad sext.
T.O.hymn. Rector potens, verax Deus str. 1 et 2.
180. Ad sext.
T.P. hymn. Venire, servi, supplices, str. 1 er 2.
181. Fer. II T.O. I, orat. conclus.j Fer. IV T.O. I,
orat. conclus.; Fer. V TO. I, orat. conclus.; Sabb. T.O. I, orat,
conclus.
182. Fer. III
T.O. I ad sext. orat. conclus.
183. Fer. VI
T.O. I ad sext., orat. conclus.
No comments:
Post a Comment