Walpole: Blume {Analecta LI p. 47) says that the
contents of this hymn apply less to the Advent season than the other Advent
hymns, perhaps it was not originally meant for Advent. Walsh & Hatch: It is
allocated to Advent in view of stanza 3.
1. Walpole: slderum the heavenly bodies, including
the sun and moon. The word strikes the
keynote of the hymn, forecasting the light which Christ, Himself the eternal
light, was to bring into the world.
2. WH:
interitu mortis: "In
the extinction of death," the moral death incurred by Adam's sin.
3. Walpole: ' When the
world's evening was drawing to a close,'; WH: The coming of Christ is
visualized as the end of the old world and the beginning of the new. See Hbr
9:26: "He has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of
himself"
4. WH: evocation of Ps 18:6,
"tamquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo" (as a bridegroom coming out
of his bridechamber).
5. So Phlp 2:10-11: "Ut
in nomine Iesu omne genu flectat caelestium, terrestrium et infernorum, et
omnis lin-gua confiteatur quia Dominus Iesus Christus in gloria est Dei
Patris."
O kind Creator of the stars, eternal light of the
faithful, Christ, redeemer of all men, hear the prayers of those who humbly
entreat you. Who grieve that through the ruin of death the world should perish,
did save the sick world, granting a remedy to the guilty. When the world drew
near to evening, as a bridegroom going forth from the wedding bed, you came
forth from the virgin mother’s most honorable womb. Before your strength of
power, all in heaven and earth must bend the knee and confess that they are
subject to your command. We beseech you, O Holy one, who will come to judge the
world, preserve us in the present time from the darts of the perfidious enemy.
Walpole: This hymn was generally appointed for
Matins in Advent, but according to date and locality its use varied. Thus in
the Mozarabic breviary it was sung at Vespers on the Wednesday infra hebdomadam I Adventus {Analecta
XXVII. p. 65). It is largely based on the Advent Epistle Rom. xiii. 1 1 f. and
Gospel Lk. xxi. 25 f.
1. Walpole: The voice is that
of the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, Joh. i. 23.
2. intonat 'resounds loudly'
3. sidus i.e. Christ. ' Morning Star' of Rev. xxii. 16.
4. noxium ‘guilt’
5. sursum ‘from on high’;
6. pro indulgentia ‘for pardon’
7. pro reatu ‘ according to our guilt’
Now the loud voice of the Baptist thunders, all
darkness is rebuked; sleep flees afar, Christ shines forth from heaven. Now the
sluggish mind, still wounded by impurity, awakes, already a new star shines to
take away all harm. From heaven a Lamb is sent to free us from our debt, let us
all weep and cry out for pardon. That when for a second time he shines and
horror grips the world, he will not punish us
for our guilt but in his holiness protect us. To the highest Father
glory, to the Son victory, to the flaming Spirit due praise through all ages. Amen
1. St. Thomas Aquinas borrows
this line for the beginning of his famous Eucharistic hymn.
2. Walpole: the writer takes the N.T. view that the incarnation came in the
end of the world's history; declívi ‘sloping
towards evening, as if the sun were past its zenith
3. audita... praeconia i.e. when Thy coming is proclaimed as it were by
a herald (praeco).
4. ' Oh let us not be punished
according to the heinousness of our guilt.'
5. Compotes ‘of the number of those of who have obtained’.
The Word proceeding from on high, the Light coming
from the Father, born to rescue the world at the end of time. Enlighten now our hearts burning with your
love, when the proclamation is heard, finally deceit is driven off. And when
you come as our judge to search out the deeds of the heart, rendering to each
for hidden sins, and the kingdom to the righteous for good deeds. In the end may we not be crushed for the
quality of our evil sins but in the company of the blessed we may be eternally citizens of heaven.
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