St. Peter Damian: HYMNVS SANCTAE MARIAE AD VESPERVM.

1. Sidus, Maria, splendidum,

Te laudat omne saeculum,

Ex qua sub mundi uespere

Sol ortus est iustitiae.

2. Da cor tenebris eripi,

Da uera luce perfrui,

Quae noctem uitae ueteris

Nouis illustret meritis.

3. Per te purgemur uitiis,

Soluamur culpae uinculis,

Mens uulsis spinis eruta

Virtutum ferat germina.

4. Gloria tibi, Domine

O Mary, shining star, every age praises you, from you arises the Sun of Justice, in the evening of the world. Grant that our hearts be rescued from darkness, grant that we enjoy true light, which shines with new merits on the night of our old life. Through you may sins be purged, the chains of guilt be loosened, May our souls be weeded from thorns, that the seed of the virtues may flourish.

Matins on the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces, May 31

The privilege of honoring Mary as mediatrix of all graces with a proper Office was granted to Belgium in 1921 at the instance of the late Cardinal Mercier. It was given a place in the Dominican liturgy in 1939, having been petitioned by the General Chapter of Rome, 1938.

“There is no fruit of grace in the history of salvation that does not have as its necessary instrument the mediation of Our Lady.” – Pope Benedict XVI, on the day of his resignation.

Christus, humani generis misertus,

Morte nos ictos merita, supernam

Rursus ad vitam genuit, suoque

Sanguine tersit.

O pium flumen, scelus omne purgans!

O inexhaustum pelagus bonorum,

Unde septeno fluit usque fonte,

Vita salusque!

Hos tamen sacros latices redemptis

Quis ministrabit? Datur hoc Maria:

Munus, ut divae moderetur undae,

Arbitra, cursum.

Cuncta, quae nobis meruit Redemptor,

Dona partitur genitrix Maria,

Cujus ad votum sua fundit ultro

Munera Natus,

Te per aeternos veneremur annos,

Trinitas, summa celebranda plausu:

Te fide mentes, resonoque linguae

Carmine laudent.

Christ, having mercy on the human race, gave birth to us anew in a heavenly life, we who were struck by a deserved death and washed in his own blood.  O loving river that cleanses every sin!  O inexhaustible sea of goodness, from which flows out a sevenfold fountain, life and salvation.!  But who will apply these sacred waters to the redeemed?   Mary is given for this: that she, the arbiter might direct the course of the divine wave. All the gifts which the Redeemer merited for us, Mary the mother distributes, at whose prayer her Son pours forth freely His gifts.  O Trinity, worthy to be venerated with the highest praise, may we adore you through the eternal years; may our souls praise you with faith and our tongue with the resounding hymn. 

Adesto, Christi, vocibus: Bede

1. Adesto, Christe, vocibus,

Inesto nostris mentibus,

Tua benignus dextera

Choros canentum protege.

2. Qui natus es de Virgine

Nostræ salutis gratia,

Da pura nobis pectora,

Da membra casta corporis.

3. Et tu, beata præ omnibus,

Virgo Maria, feminis,

Dei Genitrix inclita,

Nostris faveto laudibus.

10. Cujus rogatu mysticas

Christus sedens ad nuptias,

Aquas in alma transtulit

Vini rubentis pocula.

16. Laudem Deo quam supplices,

Christo canentes, reddimus,

Christi Genitrix, et tua

Commendet intercessio.

 17. Hymnos sacræ quos Virgini,

Matrique castæ dicimus,

Emmanuel, tu suscipe,

Tuamque plebem libera.

Gloria tibi, Domine,

Qui natus es de Virgine,

Cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu,

In sempiterna sæcula. Amen.

Hear our voices, O Christ, abide in our souls, kindly protect with your right hand, the singing choir. You born from a virgin, by the grace of our salvation, grant us pure hearts, grant chaste bodies. And you, blessed beyond all women, O Virgin Mary, the great Mother of God, receive our fervent praise. By whose prayer, Christ seated at the mystical wedding feast, transformed water into gracious drink of ruby wine. The praise of God, which we offer, singing to Christ, O Mother of Christ, we commend to your intercession. These hymns, which we offer to the chaste, holy Virgin Mother, receive, O Immanuel, and set your people free.

S. IOSEPH OPIFICIS

Ad Officium lectionis: Evaristus antverpensis 1968

Te, pater Ioseph, ópifex colénde,

Názaræ felix látitans in umbra,

vócibus lætis humilíque cuncti

  corde canámus.

Régiam stirpem tenuémque victum

mente fers æqua tacitúsque portas,

sacra dum multo mánuum labóre

  pígnora nutris.

O faber, sanctum spéculum fabrórum,

quanta das plebi documénta vitæ,

ut labor sudans ut et officína

  sanctificétur.

Qui carent escis, míseros fovéto;

témpera effrénos perimásque lites;

mýsticus Christus pátriæ sub umbræ

  tégmine crescat.

Qui Deus trinus simul unus exstas,

qui pater cunctis opiféxque rerum,

fac patrem Ioseph imitémur actu,

  morte imitémur. Amen.

O father Joseph, venerable worker, happily hidden in the shadows of Nazareth, we all sing to you with humble hearts and glad voices. With a mind at peace in poverty you kept your royal lineage secret, while with the great labor of your hands you nourished your family. O worker, holy example to all workers, by your life you give such great witness to the people that labor by sweat of the brow of a vocation made holy. Show your favor to those who lack food, the wretched, soften the unbridled and destroy strife; that the mystery of Christ may grow under the shade of a father’s roof. O God, both three and one, you who are the Father to all and craftsman of all things, grant that we may imitate Joseph in our deeds and in a holy death. Amen

Ad Laudes matutinas

Auróra solis núntia,

mundi labóres éxcitans,

fabri sonóram málleo

domum salútat Názaræ.

Salve, caput domésticum,

sub quo supérnus Artifex,

sudóre salso róridus,

exércet artem pátriam.

Altis locátus sédibus

celsæque Sponsæ próximus,

adésto nunc cliéntibus,

quos vexat indigéntia.

Absíntque vis et iúrgia,

fraus omnis a mercédibus,

victus cibíque cópiam

mensúret una párcitas.

Sit Trinitáti glória,

quæ, te precánte, iúgiter

in pace nostros ómnium

gressus viámque dírigat. Amen.

Dawn the herald of the sun arouses the workers of the world, the sound of the carpenter’s hammer greets in the house of Nazareth. Hail, O head of the family, who under the supreme Builder, drenched in salty sweat you exercise your fatherly craft. Raised to the highest abodes, next to the heavenly Bride, now assist your petitioners who are vexed with poverty. May violence and conflicts, all fraud in wages, be gone; may abstinence alone be the measure of the abundance of goods and food. To the Trinity be glory, who, by Joseph’s prayers, ever direct the steps of all in the way of peace. Amen.  

Ad Vesperas: Hieronymus Casanate

Te, Ioseph, célebrent ágmina cælitum,

te cuncti résonent christíanum chori,

qui, clarus méritis, iunctus es ínclitæ

  casto fœdere Vírgini.

Almo cum túmidam gérmine cóniugem

admírans, dúbio tángeris ánxius,

afflátu súperi Fláminis ángelus

  concéptum púerum docet.

Tu natum Dóminum stringis, ad éxteras

Ægýpti prófugum tu séqueris plagas;

amíssum Sólymis quæris et ínvenis,

  miscens gáudia flétibus.

Eléctos réliquos mors pia cónsecrat

palmámque eméritos glória súscipit;

tu vivens, súperis par, frúeris Deo,

  mira sorte beátior.

Nobis, summa Trias, parce precántibus;

da Ioseph méritis sídera scándere,

ut tandem líceat nos tibi pérpetim

  gratum prómere cánticum. Amen.

O Joseph, the heavenly hosts celebrate you, and all the choirs of Christendom resound your praise, you who with merits bright are joined in a chaste bound with the glorious Virgin. When you were surprised 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.

S. CATHARINÆ SENENSIS, VIRGINIS ET ECCLESIÆ DOCTORIS

S. CATHARINÆ SENENSIS, VIRGINIS ET ECCLESIÆ DOCTORIS

St. Catherine of Siena


Ad Officium lectionis: saec. XIV

Virgo prudéntum comitáta cœtum

óbviam sponso véniens paráta,

noctis horréndæ rémovet tenébras

  lámpade pura.

Ille fulgéntem nítidis lapíllis

ánulum miri tríbuit decóris

vírgini dicens: «Tibi trado sancti

  pignus amóris».

Mota flagrántis stímulo calóris

mentis excéssu rápitur frequénti,

fixa dum portat Catharína membris

  vúlnera Christi.

Unde ter felix quater et beáta

in sinu sponsi requiévit almi,

inter illústres ánimas reláta

  lux nova cæli.

Sit Deus cæli résidens in arce,

trinus et simplex benedíctus ille,

qui potens totum stábili gubérnat

  órdine mundum. Amen.

A virgin in the company of the wise virgins comes prepared to meet the bridegroom and removes the fearful darkness of night with an unsullied lamp. A bright glittering with shining stones, wondrous in beauty, he gives to the virgin, saying “I handover to you a pledge of my holy love.” Moved by a prick of burning heat Catherine is caught up in rapture beyond human thought, while she carries fixed in her body the wounds of Christ.  Whence three times happy and four times blessed she rested on the breast of her nourishing spouse, she is now a new light brought among the illustrious souls of heaven.  Blessed be God triune and simple residing in the height of heaven who powerfully governs the world in a certain order. Amen.

Ad Laudes matutinas & Ad Vesperas

Te, Catharína, máximis

nunc venerámur láudibus,

cunctæ lumen Ecclésiæ,

sertis ornáta plúrimis.

Magnis aucta virtútibus

et vita florens ínclita,

húmili mente ac strénua

per crucis pergis trámitem.

Stella vidéris pópulis

salúbris pacis núntia;

mores restáuras óptimos,

feróces mulces ánimos.

Sancto compúlsa Spíritu,

igníta verba lóqueris,

quæ lucem sapiéntiæ,

æstus amóris íngerunt.

Tuis confísos précibus,

virgo dilécta Dómino,

nos caritáte cóncitos

fac Sponsi regna quærere.

You, O Catherine, now we venerate with the greatest praises, light of the whole Church, adorned with many garlands. Enriched with great virtues and a flourishing and noble life, with a humble and strong soul you trod the way of the cross. You appeared as a star to the people, a herald of saving peace; you restored the best ways of life and calmed angry souls. Driven by the Holy Spirit you spoke fiery words which engendered the light of wisdom and ardor of love. O virgin beloved by the Lord, make us, who trust in your prayers, aroused by love to seek the kingdom of your spouse.

St. Gregory the Great: Homily 23 on the Gospels

For you who take the trouble to participate in the festivals of each day, it is not appropriate to say many; and the little that I say will perhaps be more useful, because it often happens that we eat as much better appetite as food is served in less quantity. I therefore resolved to give you the general meaning of the gospel read to you, without following it word by word, so as not to risk being dependent on your charity by an interminable explanation of the text.

You have just heard it, dear brothers: to the two disciples who were walking on the road and who, while not believing in him, yet spoke of him, the Lord appeared, without showing himself to them in a form that they could recognize. So the Lord realized on the outside, in the eyes of the body, what was in them within, in the eyes of the heart. Within themselves, the disciples loved and doubted all at once; on the outside, the Lord was present to them without however manifesting who He was. To those who spoke of him, he offered his presence; but to those who doubted him, he hid his familiar aspect, which would have enabled them to recognize him. He exchanged a few words with them, reproached them with their slowness in understanding, explained to them the mysteries of Holy Scripture concerning him, and yet, their hearts remaining foreign to him for lack of faith, he pretended to go further. Feindre [Fingere] can also mean [in Latin] modeling; that's why we call potters' clay modelers [Figuli]. Truth, which is simple, did not do anything with duplicity, but it simply manifested itself to the disciples in its body as it was in their minds.

It was necessary to test them to see if, not yet loving him as God, they were at least capable of loving him as a traveler. Truth journeying with them, they could not remain strangers to love: they offered him hospitality, as one does for a traveler. Why, moreover, do we say that they proposed to him, as it is written in our gospel, "They pressed him." This example shows us that we should not only offer hospitality to travelers, but to accept it.

The disciples set the table, offer food; and God, whom they did not recognize in the explanation of Holy Scripture, they recognize it in the breaking of bread.

Collect: Easter III

Semper exsúltet pópulus tuus, Deus, renováta ánimæ iuventúte, ut, qui nunc lætátur in adoptiónis se glóriam restitútum, resurrectiónis diem [spe certæ gratulatiónis exspéctet].

May your people rejoice, O God, in renewed youth of soul, that they who rejoice to have been restored to the glory of adoption, may look forward to the day of resurrection with certain hope.

This collect is partly taken from Gelasianum Vetus “prayer over the people” (in Italics above) and Veronese from a Mass for the Departed [in brackets above].

See  Lauren Pristas Collects of the Roman Missals: A Comparative Study of the Sundays in Proper Seasons Before and After the Second Vatican Council.