Advent before December 16th

I & II Vespers: 9^th Century

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.

Cónditor alme síderum, (1)

ætérna lux credéntium,

Christe, redémptor ómnium,

exáudi preces súpplicum.

Qui cóndolens intéritu (2)

mortis períre sæculum,

salvásti mundum lánguidum,

donans reis remédium,

Vergénte mundi véspere, (3)

uti sponsus de thálamo, (4)

egréssus honestíssima

Vírginis matris cláusula.

Cuius forti poténtiæ

genu curvántur ómnia; (5)

cæléstia, terréstria

nutu faténtur súbdita.

Te, Sancte, fide quæsumus,

ventúre iudex sæculi,

consérva nos in témpore

hostis a telo pérfidi.

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.

Lauds: 10^th Century

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.

Vox clara ecce íntonat, (1) (2)

obscúra quæque íncrepat:

procul fugéntur sómnia;

ab æthre Christus prómicat.

Mens iam resúrgat tórpida

quæ sorde exstat sáucia;

sidus refúlget iam novum, (3)

ut tollat omne nóxium. (4)

E sursum Agnus míttitur (5)

laxáre gratis débitum;

omnes pro indulgéntia (6)

vocem demus cum lácrimis,

Secúndo ut cum fúlserit

mundúmque horror cínxerit,

non pro reátu púniat, (7)

sed nos pius tunc prótegat.

Summo Parénti glória

Natóque sit victória,

et Flámini laus débita

per sæculórum sæcula. Amen.

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

When the Office of Readings is said in the daytime: 10^th Century

Milfull; use Matins or Lauds

Verbum supérnum pródiens, (1)

a Patre lumen éxiens,

qui natus orbi súbvenis

cursu declívi témporis: (2)

Illúmina nunc péctora

tuóque amóre cóncrema;

audíta per præcónia (3)

sint pulsa tandem lúbrica.

Iudéxque cum post áderis

rimári facta péctoris,

reddens vicem pro ábditis

iustísque regnum pro bonis,

Non demum artémur malis (4)

pro qualitáte críminis,

sed cum beátis compotes (5)

simus perénnes cælites.

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.