Not the usual suspects in favor of the Latin Mass

 

Not the usual suspects in favor of the Latin Mass

IN VISITATIONE BEATÆ MARIÆ VIRGINIS

 

IN VISITATIONE BEATÆ MARIÆ VIRGINIS

 

Ad Officium lectionis: saec. XIV

 

Veni, præcélsa Dómina;

María, tu nos vísita,

quæ iam cognátæ dómui

tantum portásti gáudii.

 

Veni, iuvámen sæculi,

sordes aufer piáculi,

ac visitándo pópulum

pœnæ tolle perículum.

 

Veni, stella, lux márium,

infúnde pacis rádium;

rege quodcúmque dévium,

da vitam innocéntium.

 

Veni, precámur, vísites

nobísque vires róbores

virtúte sacri ímpetus,

ne fluctuétur ánimus.

 

Veni, virga regálium,

reduc fluctus errántium

ad unitátem fídei,

in qua salvántur cælici.

 

Veni, tecúmque Fílium

laudémus in perpétuum,

cum Patre et Sancto Spíritu,

qui nobis dent auxílium. Amen.

 

 

Come, O heavenly Lady, O Mary, visit us, who once carried such great joy to the house of your kinswoman. Come, O help of the world, remove the evil squalor, and by visiting the people, take away the threat of punishment.  Come, O star, O light of the seas, pour out the brightness of peace, steer the wandering back to innocence of life.  Come, visit us, we pray, and strengthen us with your power, by the force of your holy virtue prevent our souls from wavering. Come, O royal scepter, lead back the wave of errors to the unity of faith, by which the saints are saved. Come, let us eternally praise you and your Son, with the Father and Holy Spirit, who are our help. Amen.

 

Ad Laudes matutinas: saec. XVI?

 

Véniens, mater ínclita,

cum Sancti dono Spíritus,

nos ut Ioánnem vísita

in huius carnis sédibus.

 

Procéde, portans párvulum,

ut mundus possit crédere

et tuæ laudis títulum

omnes sciant extóllere.

 

Salúta nunc Ecclésiam,

ut tuam vocem áudiens

exsúrgat in lætítia,

advéntum Christi séntiens.

 

María, levans óculos,

vide credéntes pópulos:

te quærunt piis méntibus,

his opem feres ómnibus.

 

O veræ spes lætítiæ,

nostræ portus misériæ,

nos iunge cæli cúriæ

ornátos stola glóriæ.

 

Tecum, Virgo, magníficat

ánima nostra Dóminum,

qui laude te nobílitat

et hóminum et cælitum. Amen.

 

Hastening, O noble mother, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, visit us in our fleshly abode as you once visited John. Go forth, carrying the little baby that the world might believe and all may know to praise your name. Greet now the Church, that hearing your voice she may rise to gladness, knowing the coming of Christ. Mary, raise your eyes, see the people who believe; they seek you with dutiful souls you who bring help to all.  O hope of true joy, the safe port for our misery, join us to the heavenly courts and adorn us with the robes of glory. With you, O Virgin, our souls magnify the Lord, we, who ennoble you with the praise of men and of the heavenly hosts. Amen.

 

Ad Vesperas: novus

 

Cóncito gressu petis alta montis,

Virgo, quam matrem Deus ipse fecit,

ut seni matri studiósi amóris

  pígnora promas.

 

Cum salutántis capit illa vocem,

ábditus gestit puer exsilíre,

te parens dicit dóminam, salútat

  teque beátam.

 

Ipsa prædícis fore te beátam

Spíritu fervens pénitus loquénte,

ac Deum cantu célebras amœno

  magna operántem.

 

Teque felícem pópuli per orbem

semper, o mater, récitant ovántes

atque te credunt Dómini favórum

  esse minístram.

Quæ, ferens Christum, nova semper affers

dona, tu nobis fer opes salútis,

qui pie tecum Tríadem supérnam

  magnificámus. Amen.

 

Quickly you search out the hill country, O Virgin, whom God has made a mother, anxious to relate to the older mother the pledge of love. When she hears the voice of your greeting, the boy hiding in her womb eagerly leaps, calls you lady and greeting you as blessed. She foretells that you will be blessed, the fiery Spirit speaking to her inwardly and you celebrate with a pleasing canticle the One who does great things.  The people throughout the world greet you and proclaim you happy, O Mother, and believe that you serve in the favor of the Lord. You, bearing Christ, ever bring new gifts, advancing the work of salvation for us, who with you lovingly magnify the heavenly Trinity. Amen.

Ss John and Paul in the Ancient Liturgy of Rome GREGORY DIPIPPO

 

New Liturgical Movement

Ss John and Paul in the Ancient Liturgy of Rome

GREGORY DIPIPPO

Today is the feast of the Martyrs Ss John and Paul, two Roman brothers killed for their Christian faith by the Emperor Julian the Apostate, who reigned from 361-63. According to the traditional account of their lives, they had been military officers under Constantine, and later served in the household of his daughter, Constantia, who at her death left them her large fortune to take care of the poor. When Julian, the son of Constantine’s half-brother, came to the throne, they refused to attend him at the court because of his apostasy from the Faith. The emperor would have used this as a pretext to seize the money left by Constantia, but granted them ten days to reconsider; the two Saints therefore gave all the money away for its intended purpose. Terentian, the captain of Julian’s bodyguard, then came to their house, bearing a statue of Jove and the Emperor’s promise that they would be greatly honored if they would worship it; otherwise, they would be immediately killed. The words of their response are sung as the second antiphon of Lauds on their feast day: “Paul and John said to Terentian, ‘If Julian is thy lord, have thou peace with him; we have no other than the Lord Jesus Christ.’ ” They were beheaded at once, and buried within their own house on the Caelian hill, directly across from the imperial residence on the Palatine.

This plaque in the floor of the basilica of Ss John and Paul marks the “place of (their) martydom ... within their own house”. This photo was taken on the Friday after Ash Wednesday, when the Lenten Station is held there, by Mr Jacob Stein, author of the blog Passio Xpi, and reproduced with his kind permission.

From a letter written in prison by Saint Thomas More to his daughter Margaret

 

From a letter written in prison by Saint Thomas More to his daughter Margaret

With good hope I shall commit myself wholly to God

Although I know well, Margaret, that because of my past wickedness I deserve to be abandoned by God, I cannot but trust in his merciful goodness. His grace has strengthened me until now and made me content to lose goods, land, and life as well, rather than to swear against my conscience. God’s grace has given the king a gracious frame of mind towards me, so that as yet he has taken from me nothing but my liberty. In doing this His Majesty has done me such great good with respect to spiritual profit that I trust that among all the great benefits he has heaped so abundantly upon me I count my imprisonment the very greatest. I cannot, therefore, mistrust the grace of God. Either he shall keep the king in that gracious frame of mind to continue to do me no harm, or else, if it be his pleasure that for my other sins I suffer in this case as I shall not deserve, then his grace shall give me the strength to bear it patiently, and perhaps even gladly.

  By the merits of his bitter passion joined to mine and far surpassing in merit for me all that I can suffer myself, his bounteous goodness shall release me from the pains of purgatory and shall increase my reward in heaven besides.

  I will not mistrust him, Meg, though I shall feel myself weakening and on the verge of being overcome with fear. I shall remember how Saint Peter at a blast of wind began to sink because of his lack of faith, and I shall do as he did: call upon Christ and pray to him for help. And then I trust he shall place his holy hand on me and in the stormy seas hold me up from drowning.

  And if he permits me to play Saint Peter further and to fall to the ground and to swear and forswear, may God our Lord in his tender mercy keep me from this, and let me lose if it so happen, and never win thereby! Still, if this should happen, afterwards I trust that in his goodness he will look on me with pity as he did upon Saint Peter, and make me stand up again and confess the truth of my conscience afresh and endure here the shame and harm of my own fault.

  And finally, Margaret, I know this well: that without my fault he will not let me be lost. I shall, therefore, with good hope commit myself wholly to him. And if he permits me to perish for my faults, then I shall serve as praise for his justice. But in good faith, Meg, I trust that his tender pity shall keep my poor soul safe and make me commend his mercy.

  And, therefore, my own good daughter, do not let your mind be troubled over anything that shall happen to me in this world. Nothing can come but what God wills. And I am very sure that whatever that be, however bad it may seem, it shall indeed be the best.

From the Ecclesiastical History of St Bede the Venerable

 

From the Ecclesiastical History of St Bede the Venerable

No greater love than this

Saint Alban, ‘born in fertile Britain’s land’, suffered during the reign of Diocletian and Herculian. Whilst still a pagan, he gave shelter to a Christian priest who was fleeing from his persecutors. When Alban saw the holy man spending all his time in prayer and vigils, he was suddenly touched by the grace of God. He was moved to follow the priest’s example, and began to emulate his faith and devotion. In the course of time he thoroughly imbibed the priest’s salutary teaching, renounced the darkness of idolatry and wholeheartedly professed the Christian faith. Soon, however, word got out that Alban was sheltering a Christian, and when the soldiers arrived to search the house, Alban dressed himself in the priest’s clothes and gave himself up in the place of his guest and teacher.

  The judge was incensed that Alban should have surrendered himself in place of his guest; and when he refused to offer sacrifice to idols, ordered him to be scourged, in the hope that he could shake his constancy by torture. But Alban bore all his severe torments with joyful patience for Christ’s sake. When the judge saw that no torture could break him or induce him to repudiate his faith in Christ, he ordered him to be beheaded.

  Saint Alban suffered on the twenty-second day of June near the city of Verulamium. When the peace of Christian times was restored, a beautiful church worthy of his martyrdom was built.

  In the same persecution Julius and Aaron suffered, citizens of the city of Legions, and many others of both sexes throughout the land.

From the Sermons of St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux. Second Homily on Luke i. 26

 From the Sermons of St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux.

Second Homily on Luke i. 26

 

It is said: And the virgin's name was Mary. Let us speak a few words upon this name, which signified, being interpreted, Star of the Sea, and suited very well the Maiden Mother, who may very meetly be likened unto a star. A star giveth forth her rays without any harm to herself, and the Virgin brought forth her Son without any hurt to her virginity. The light of a star taketh nothing away from the star itself, and the birth of her offspring took nothing away from the Virginity of Mary.

 

She is that noble star which was to come out of Jacob, Num. xxiv. 17, whose brightness still sheds luster upon all the earth, whose rays are most brilliant in heaven, and shine even unto hell, lighting up earth midway, and warming souls rather than bodies, fostering good and scaring away evil. She, I say, is a clear and shining star, twinkling with excellencies, and resplendent with example, needfully set to look down upon the surface of this great and wide sea.

 

Thou, whosoever thou art, that knowest thyself to be here not so much walking upon firm ground, as battered to and fro by the gales and storms of this life's ocean, if thou would not be overwhelmed by the tempest, keep thine eyes fixed upon this star's clear shining. If the hurricanes of temptation rise against thee, or thou art running upon the rocks of trouble, look to the star, call on Mary. If the waves of pride, or ambition, or slander, or envy toss thee, look to the star, call on Mary. If the billows of anger or avarice, or the enticements of the flesh beat against thy soul's bark, look to Mary. If the enormity of thy sins trouble thee, if the foulness of thy conscience confound thee, if the dread of judgment appall thee, if thou begin to slip into the deep of despondency, into the pit of despair, think of Mary.

 

In danger, in difficulty, or in doubt, think on Mary, call on Mary. Let her not be away from thy mouth or from thine heart, and that thou mayest not lack the succor of her prayers, turn not aside from the example of her conversation. If thou follow her, thou wilt never go astray. If thou pray to her, thou wilt never have need to despair. If thou keep her in mind, thou wilt never wander. If she hold thee, thou wilt never fall. If she lead thee, thou wilt never be weary. If she help thee, thou wilt reach home safe at the last and so thou wilt prove in thyself how meetly it is said And the virgin's name was Mary.

 

 

St. Basil the Great

St. Basil the Great

Basil, a Cappadocian nobleman, studied profane letters at Athens together with his close friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, and took his sacred studies in a monastery. Becoming marvelously proficient in both, he soon attained such excellence in learning and in his way of life that from then on he was given the name of The Great. Summoned to preach the Gospel of Christ Jesus in Pontus, he called that province back to the way of salvation. Soon he was asked by Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, to aid him in teaching; and he succeeded Eusebius as bishop. Basil was among the first to defend the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father; and by his miracles he caused Emperor Valens, who was angry with him and threatening him with exile, to give up any such intentions. Basil's abstinence and continence were marveled at; and he was constant in prayer, often spending the whole night in it. He built monasteries, ordering the monastic life so that it would best combine the advantages of the solitary life with those of the active life. He wrote many learned books; and, as Gregory of Nazianzus testified, no one hath explained the books of Holy Scripture more truly and fruitfully. He died on the 1st day of January.