Oratio
Præsta, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus, ut humánæ
salútis mystéria, cuius primórdia beáti Ioseph fidéli custódiæ commisísti,
Ecclésia tua, ipso intercedénte, iúgiter servet implénda. Per Dóminum.
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the
mysteries of human salvation, whose first beginning you committed to the
faithful care of blessed Joseph, by his intercession, may always
preserve fully your Church..
All hymns for the Solemnity of St. Joseph are now
attributed to Cardinal Jerome Casanate, OP.
1. clarus méritis: Matt 1:19: Joseph autem vir ejus cum esset Justus; 2. The phrase is taken from the
chapter for Sext: Cf. Sap 10, 10: Prófugum
iustum dedúxit Sapiéntia and refers to the divinity of the child with exeteras: that Joseph did not so much
take the child to Egypt but followed him.
3. Cónsecrat means here ‘to
put in God’s presence’;
O Joseph, the heavenly hosts celebrate you, and
all the choirs of Christendom resound the praise, you who with merits bright
are joined in a chaste bound with the glorious Virgin. When you were amazed at
your wife pregnant with her loving child, anxiously you were seized by doubt,
an angel told you that the child was conceived by the breath of the heavenly
Spirit. You took the newborn Lord that
you might follow him on the journey to the far-off land of Egypt; you searched
for and found him, when he was lost in Jerusalem, your joy mingled with
weeping. A holy death consecrates other
chosen men and glory and palms of victory greet the deserving; but you living
had a more blessed and wondrous lot, you were here with God like those in
heaven. Highest Trinity, grant to us by the merits of Joseph to reach the stars
that at last we may sing forever to you a canticle of thanks. Amen.
1. This line formerly read hinc stygis victor, laqueo solutus: ‘triumphant
over hell’ – changed perhaps because the original was ‘mythological’ or said
too much.
Joseph, whom we, the faithful, joyfully praise for
his great triumphs, today was worthy of the joys of eternal life. O how happy,
O how blessed, was he who at his last hour had Christ and the Virgin with
peaceful countenance standing by and keeping watch. Great in justice, freed
from the snare of the body, calmly and in repose he departs this world for his
heavenly home, crowned with brilliant garlands. Therefore let us all implore
him now ruling above that he be with us, obtain pardon for our sins, and grant
us the gifts of heavenly peace. To you be praise, to you honors, O Triune God,
who rules and grants a golden crown to your faithful servant, throughout the
ages. Amen.
1.
columénque mundi: ‘column or pillar’ in
the4 sense that St. Joseph is the patron of the universal church; 2. Originally: te sator rerum statuit pudicae: ‘the Creator of the world appointed
you the pure Virgin’s husband’; 3.
Original: aspicis gaudens humilisque
natum/
numen adoras: ‘rejoicing you saw him
and humbly the infant God’. 4. Formerly praebens
rather than
insignes;
O Joseph, the honor of those in heaven and our
sure hope of life and the support of the world, kindly receive the praises we sing joyfully sing to you. The
Creator appointed you, offspring of David, as husband of the Virgin, and willed
that you be called the father of the Word, and made you a minister of
salvation. You rejoicing looked upon the Redeemer, whom the choir of prophets
sang as the one to come, laid in the stable, and with his Mother first adored.
God, the King of kings, Ruler of the world, at whose word the crowd of hell
trembles, whom heaven humbly serves, submits himself to you. Eternal praise be
to the most high Trinity, that gives to you great honors and give to us through
your merits the joys of a blessed life. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment