Walsh-Husch: “It could be argued that this hymn
more appropriately belongs to Holy Week (it was earlier appointed for Nocturns
at Easter) than to Ascension Thursday, to which the revised Breviary allots it
for First Vespers.” However, Milfull notes that the collector in H (the
‘Leofric Collectar’) assigns it “also to Compline and Matins of the Ascension”.
O Jesus, our redemption, love and desire, God,
creator of all things, man at the end of time. What mercy conquered you that
you should bear our sins, suffering a cruel death to rescue us from death. Penetrating the enclosure of hell, redeeming
your captives, victor in noble triumph, sitting at the right hand of the
Father. May that love press compel you
to overcome our evils with pardon, our
desires completely satisfied by your presence. Be our joy, you who are our
future reward, may our glory be in you ever through all ages.
In officio
dominicali et feriali: Rabanus Maurus?
Originally sung at Vespers on Pentecost through
the octave, this hymn is now sung between Ascension and Pentecost. Perhaps this
is because of the elimination of the Pentecost octave. “No other Latin hymn,
except those of the daily office, has been so frequently and widely used as
this” (Walpole).
Veni, creátor Spíritus,
mentes tuórum vísita,
imple supérna grátia,
quæ tu creásti, péctora.
Qui díceris Paráclitus,
donum Dei altíssimi,
fons vivus, ignis, cáritas
et spiritális únctio.
Tu septifórmis múnere,
dextræ Dei tu dígitus,
tu rite promíssum Patris
sermóne ditans gúttura.
Accénde lumen sénsibus,
infúnde amórem córdibus,
infírma nostri córporis,
virtúte firmans pérpeti.
Hostem repéllas lóngius
pacémque dones prótinus;
ductóre sic te prævio
vitémus omne nóxium.
Per te sciámus da Patrem
noscámus atque Fílium,
te utriúsque Spíritum
credámus omni témpore. Amen.
Come, O creator Spirit, visit the souls which are
yours; fill with heavenly grace the hearts which you have created. You who are
called the Comforter, the gift of God most high, the living source, fire and
love, and spiritual anointing. You are the sevenfold gift, the finger of the
right hand of God, you truly the promise of the Father, enriching throats with
speech. Enkindle our thoughts with light, pour love into our hearts, strengthen
the weakness of our bodies with your perpetual virtue. Drive the enemy far from
us and continually grant us your peace, so that with you leading us and going
before us we may avoid all harm. Through you may we know the Father, and know
the Son, and you, the Spirit of both, we may confess at all times. Amen.
Milfull; “This hymn was sing at Lauds on the
Ascension. The collector of H, however, assigns it to Matins”. Walpole: “The most noteworthy fact concerning [this
hymn] is that a short version is found in two of the oldest MSS….One can understand
the expansion of a hymn, but abbreviation is very uncommon. It may be that the short
form was the original and was afterwards expanded to the form in which the great
majority of the MSS give it. The Mozarabic MSS insert further stanzas.
Eternal and heavenly King most high and redeemer
of the faithful, by you death loses its grip on us and is destroyed. You scale the judgement seat at the right
hand of the Father, for power, which is not that of man, was given to you. That the threefold fabric
of the world, created things of heaven and earth and below the earth subdued
should bend the knee. The angels tremble when they see the reversal of the lot
of mortal men: flesh sins, flesh cleanses, the flesh of God now reigns. You, O Christ, our joy, abiding as our endless reward, you who rule
the fabric of the world, victorious over worldly joys. Praying, we ask you: forgive us our sins,
raise up our hearts to you by heavenly grace.
When you begin to gleam red carried on the cloud of judgement, you will
drive away of just punishment and restore the crowns which we lost. To
you, O Jesus, be glory, who scaled the
heavens, with the Father and the Holy Spirit for eternal ages. Amen.
Walpole: “Blume Analecta LI. 92 heads this hymn In Ascensione Domini. Ad Vesperas; but
he notes (p. 93) that the usage varies. The Ambrosian use assigns it to the eve
of the Ascension ; Werner to the first Nocturn. Various stanzas of it are
omitted in various MSS”. Milfull: “This hymn was sung at Matins (Nocturn) of
Ascension, except in B, the oldest Ango-Saxon hymnal extant”.
The holy day, desired by the prayers of all, now
shines, when Christ, the hope of the world, God ascended into the highest
heavens. Triumphant in the great combat, the prince of this world cast out,
presenting to the Father’s face the glory of a fleshly victory. Borne upon a
gleaming cloud he brought hope to believers, now opening paradise which our
first parents had closed. O immense joy of all that the offspring of our Virgin
after spitting, whipping, after the cross, should share the throne of the
Father. Therefore let us give thanks to the vindicator of our salvation, for
our body now lives on high in the kingdom of heaven. May we with the heavenly
hosts share an abiding joy, for he offered himself to those above, for us he is
not gone. Now, O heavenly Christ, climbing the heavens, raise our hearts to
you, sending upon us the Spirit of the Father. Amen.
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