IN PRÆSENTATIONE DOMINI Updated

Ad Officium lectionis & Ad Vesperas: Paulinus II aquileiensis?

Formerly in the Roman Breviary the hymns for this feast were taken from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Durham and Canterbury Hymnals  this hymn was sung at Vespers on Candlemas and was specifically assigned to Second Vespers (Inge B. Milfull, The Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church; Gernot R. Wieland, The Canterbury Hymnal).

Quod chorus vatum venerándus olim

Spíritu Sancto cécinit replétus,

in Dei factum genetríce constat

  esse María.

Hæc Deum cæli Dominúmque terræ

virgo concépit peperítque virgo,

atque post partum méruit manére

  invioláta.

Quem senex iustus Símeon in ulnis

in domo sumpsit Dómini, gavísus

ob quod optátum próprio vidéret

  lúmine Christum.

Tu libens votis, pétimus, precántum,

regis ætérni génetrix, favéto,

clara quæ fundis Géniti benígni

  múnera lucis. (1)

Christe, qui lumen Patris es supérni, (2)

qui Patris nobis réseras profúnda,

nos fac ætérnæ tibi ferre laudes

  lucis in aula. Amen.

1. The final two lines in this stanza in Durham and Canterbury: clara que celsti renitens Olymphi/ regna petisti: Milfull's translation: 'you who, shining in your brightness, sought the kingdom of heaven above'.  2. Earlier doxology: sit deo nostro decus et potestas.etc.

What once the worshipful choir of the prophets sang filled with the Holy Spirit, is accomplished in Mary the Mother of God. A Virgin conceived and a Virgin gave birth to the God of heaven and the Lord of earth and she was deemed worthy to remain inviolate after birth.  The righteous old man took the Child into his arms and entered the Lord’s house, joyously he saw with his own eyes the Christ he had desired to see. We ask you, O Mother of the eternal King, honor our petitions, you who pour out the shining gifts of your kind Son. O Christ, who are the light of your heavenly Father, who open to us the depths of the Father, grant that we may offer you endless praise in the courts of light. Amen.

Ad Laudes matutinas: Petrus Abelardus

Adórna, Sion, thálamum, (1)

quæ præstoláris Dóminum;

sponsum et sponsam súscipe

vigil fídei lúmine.

Beáte senex, própera,

promíssa comple gáudia

et revelándum géntibus

revéla lumen ómnibus.

Paréntes Christum déferunt,

in templo templum ófferunt;

legi parére vóluit

qui legi nihil débuit.

Offer, beáta, párvulum,

tuum et Patris únicum;

offer per quem offérimur,

prétium quo redímimur.

Procéde, virgo régia,

profer Natum cum hóstia;

monet omnes ad gáudium

qui venit salus ómnium.

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui te revélas géntibus,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

1. Antiphon for Procession: Adórna thálamum tuum, Sion, et súscipe Regem Christum: ampléctere Maríam, quæ est coeléstis porta: ipsa enim portat Regem glóriæ novi lúminis: subsístit Virgo, addúcens mánibus Fílium ante lucíferum génitum: quem accípiens Símeon in ulnas suas, prædicávit pópulis, Dóminum eum esse vitæ et mortis et Salvatórem mundi.

Adorn, O Sion, the wedding chamber, you who await the Lord: receive the groom and the bride, watch by the lamp of faith. Blessed elder, make haste, fulfill the joy promised you, reveal the light to enlighten all the gentiles.  The parents bring Christ the temple  to offer him in the temple; he,  who has no debt to the law, desires to obey the law. Offer, O blessed Lady, your Child and the Father’s Only-begotten; offer him though whom we are offered the price which redeems us. Ride on, O royal Virgin, offer your Son along with the required sacrifice; He, who comes as the salvation of all, admonishes all men to rejoice. O Jesus, to you be glory, you who revealed yourself to the Gentiles, with the Father and loving Spirit for eternal ages. Amen

St. Augustine on Liturgical Latin

St. Augustine on Liturgical Latin

To the accusation that the pagans made of Christians that they had altered the purity of the Latin language, St Augustine replied: “Nec  quaerant grammatici quam sit latinum, sed christiani quam verum. 'Salus'  enim latinum nomen est. 'Salvare' et 'salvator' non fuerunt haec latinc antequam veniret salvator; quando ad Latinos venit, et haec Latina fecit.  Serm 299,6:  “And let the grammarians not ask whether the word is Latin, nor the Christians whether it is true. Salus is a Latin word, salvare and salvator never existed before the coming of the salvator : when he came to the Latins he made this Latin.”

Renato De Zan “How to Interpret a Collect” Appreciating the Collect pp. 64-65

IN BAPTISMATE DOMINI

I Vesperas: saec. X?

A Patre Unigénite,

ad nos venis per Vírginem,

baptísmi rore cónsecrans

cunctos, fide regénerans.

De cælo celsus pródiens

éxcipis formam hóminis,

factúram morte rédimens,

gáudia vitæ lárgiens.

Hoc te, Redémptor, quæsumus:

illábere propítius,

clarúmque nostris córdibus

lumen præbe deíficum.

Mane nobíscum, Dómine,

noctem obscúram rémove,

omne delíctum áblue,

pie medélam tríbue.

O Christe, vita, véritas,

tibi sit omnis glória,

quem Patris atque Spíritus

splendor revélat cælitus. Amen.

Only-begotten from the Father, you come to us through the Virgin, consecrating all men by the dew of baptism, regenerating them by faith. You  come  forth from heaven, taking the form of man, freeing creation from death, and granting joy of life. O redeemer, we ask of you: graciously pour out this upon us and show the bright and deifying  light to our hearts. Stay with us, O Lord, remove the obscurity of night, wash away all sin, graciously grant healing. O Christ, life and truth, to you be glory, whom the celestial glory of the Father and the Spirit revealed. Amen.

Laudes: novus

Iesus refúlsit ómnium

pius redémptor géntium;

totum genus fidélium

laudis celébret cánticum.

Denis ter ævi círculis

iam parte vivens córporis,

lympham petit baptísmatis

cunctis carens contágiis.

Felix Ioánnes mérgere

illum treméscit flúmine,

potest suo qui sánguine

peccáta mundi térgere.

Vox ergo Prolem de polis

testátur excélsi Patris,

fluítque virtus Spíritus

sancti datrix charísmatis.

Nos, Christe, voce súpplici

precámur, omnes prótege,

ac mente fac nitéscere

tibíque mundos vívere.

O Christe, vita, véritas,

tibi sit omnis glória,

quem Patris atque Spíritus

splendor revélat cælitus. Amen.

Jesus shines forth, the holy Redeemer of all nations,  may all the faithful celebrate him with a canticle of praise. Having lived thirty years in the body already he sought the water of baptism, although he had no sin. Faithful John feared to immerse him in the river,  the one who by his blood takes away the sins of the world.  The voice of the Father from heaven  testifies that Jesus is his Son and the power of the Holy Spirit, the giver of graces, flows upon him.  We humbly pray you, O Christ,  to protect us all,  and make us with shining minds to be cleansed and so to live for you.   O Christ, life and truth, to you be glory, whom the celestial glory of the Father and the Spirit revealed. Amen

Ad Officium lectionis & ad II Vesperas: saec. X

Implénte munus débitum

Ioánne, rerum cónditor

Iordáne mersus hac die

aquam lavándo díluit,

Non ipse mundári volens

de ventre natus Vírginis,

peccáta sed mortálium

suo lavácro tóllere.

Dicénte Patre quod «meus

diléctus hic est Fílius»,

suménte Sancto Spíritu

formam colúmbæ cælitus,

Hoc mýstico sub nómine

micat salus Ecclésiæ;

Persóna trina cómmanet

unus Deus per ómnia.

O Christe, vita, véritas,

tibi sit omnis glória,

quem Patris atque Spíritus

splendor revélat cælitus. Amen.

John now fulfills his duty: the Creator of all things is this day plunged into the Jordan River,  by his washing he washes the water. He who was born from the womb of a Virgin does not himself seek to be cleansed but by his washing he desires to  take away the sins of mortal men.  The Father proclaims “this is my beloved Son”  and the Holy Spirit descends from heaven in the form of a dove. By this mystical word the salvation of the Church is revealed;  the three Persons remain one God through all things.  O Christ, life and truth, to you be glory, whom the celestial glory of the Father and the Spirit revealed. Amen.

IN EPIPHANIA DOMINI

Vesperas I & Laudes: Prudentius

Quicúmque Christum quæritis,

óculos in altum tóllite:

illic licébit vísere

signum perénnis glóriæ.

Hæc stella, quæ solis rotam

vincit decóre ac lúmine,

venísse terris núntiat

cum carne terréstri Deum.

En, Pérsici ex orbis sinu,

sol unde sumit iánuam,

cernunt períti intérpretes

regále vexíllum magi.

«Quis iste tantus — ínquiunt —

regnátor astris ímperans,

quem sic tremunt cæléstia,

cui lux et æthra insérviunt?

Illústre quiddam cérnimus

quod nésciat finem pati,

sublíme, celsum, intérminum,

antíquius cælo et chao.

Hic ille rex est géntium

populíque rex Iudáici,

promíssus Abrahæ patri

eiúsque in ævum sémini».

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui te revélas géntibus,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

All you who seek Christ, raise your eyes to the sky, there you will see a sign of eternal glory. This star, which in beauty and light triumphs over the rotation of the sun, proclaims to earth that God has come with earthly flesh. Look, Persians come from the part of earth where the sun makes its entrance, the Magi skilled in interpreting signs come to find the banner of the King. They ask “where is such a great Ruler of the stars who commands that the heavens tremble before him, whom the light and sky obey? The brightness we found will know no end: the most high, heavenly, infinite, older than heaven and the formless void. This is the King of the nations, the King of the Jews,  to Father Abraham and his seed forever. O Jesus, to you be glory, you who revealed yourself to the Gentiles, with the Father and loving Spirit for eternal ages. Amen.

Ad Officium lectionis: Prudentius

Magi vidéntes párvulum

eóa promunt múnera,

stratíque votis ófferunt

tus, myrrham et aurum régium.

Agnósce clara insígnia

virtútis ac regni tui,

Puer, cui trinam Pater

prædestinávit índolem:

Regem Deúmque annúntiant

thesáurus et fragrans odor

turis Sabæi, at mýrrheus

pulvis sepúlcrum prædocet.

O sola magnárum úrbium

maior Bethlem, cui cóntigit

ducem salútis cælitus

incorporátum gígnere!

Hunc et prophétis téstibus

îsdémque signatóribus

testátor et sator iubet

adíre regnum et cérnere:

Regnum quod ambit ómnia

dia et marína et térrea

a solis ortu ad éxitum

et tártara et cælum supra.

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui te revélas géntibus,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

The Magi seeing the baby present him with gifts from the East, prostrate they offer prayers incense, myrrh and gold fit for kings. Child, recognize these clear signs of your power and your kingdom, to you the Father predestined a threefold nature. The treasure of gold and  the fragrant smell of the incense of  Sheba proclaim you King and God, while the myrrh dust foretells the tomb. Bethlehem, greater than all great cities, where the Captain of heavenly salvation took flesh and was born.  Here in accord with prophetic testimony and witness the Father and Testator commands that the kingdom come and be seen.  A kingdom which encompasses all things, divinity, sea and earth from the rising of the sun to its setting both the underworld and the heaven above.  O Jesus, to you be glory, you who revealed yourself to the Gentiles, with the Father and loving Spirit for eternal ages. Amen.

Vesperas II: Sedulius

Hostis Heródes ímpie,

Christum veníre quid times?

Non éripit mortália

qui regna dat cæléstia.

Ibant magi, qua vénerant

stellam sequéntes præviam,

lumen requírunt lúmine,

Deum faténtur múnere.

Lavácra puri gúrgitis

cæléstis Agnus áttigit;

peccáta quæ non détulit

nos abluéndo sústulit.

Novum genus poténtiæ:

aquæ rubéscunt hýdriæ,

vinúmque iussa fúndere

mutávit unda oríginem.

Iesu, tibi sit glória,

qui te revélas géntibus,

cum Patre et almo Spíritu,

in sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

Why, O impious Herod, do you fear the coming of Christ? He who gives a heavenly kingdom does not usurp mortal ones. Following the lead of the star, the Magi came to worship, by light they seek light, by their gifts they profess him to be God. The heavenly Lamb touched Jordan’s cleansing waters; by his washing he washed us from sins that were not his own. A new type of power: the water in the jars becomes red and by his command wine flows out, its nature transformed. O Jesus, to you be glory, you who revealed yourself to the Gentiles, with the Father and loving Spirit for eternal ages. Amen