Introduction

This blog contains regular postings relating to the Traditional Latin Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. It includes regular commentary on the saints days and the liturgical cycle, with brief background and extracts from the liturgy both in Latin and English. Much of the material has been extracted from the 'St Andrew's Daily Missal', Dom Gueranger's 'Liturgical Year', or similar sources.

Related website: http://www.liturgialatina.org/





Sunday 15 January 2017

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Second Sunday after Epiphany

Almighty God, faithful to His promise to Abraham and his children, sent His Son to save His people; while in His mercy He willed to redeem the heathen as well. Therefore Christ is the King whom, as its Redeemer, the whole world must hail and adore (Introit and Gradual). It was through His death on the Cross that He became our King and it is through the Eucharist, the memorial of Calvary, that by applying the merits of His Redemption to our souls, He exercises His kingship over us. In this miracle at Cana, a type of the Holy Eucharist, did our Lord formally manifest His divinity, i.e. His character as divine and therefore royal, and "His disciples believed in Him". The turning of water into wine is a type of transubstantiation, called by St. Thomas the greatest of all miracles, by which the wine of the Eucharist becomes the blood of the covenant of peace which God has made with His Church. Since also the divine King wishes to espouse our souls and since, as Bossuet says, it is through the Eucharist that this mystical marriage is consummated, the marriage feast at Cana also signifies the union of the Word with His spouse the Church. "Having been invited to the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee," says St. Auguatine, "our Lord attended, that being alone the author of the sacrament of Matrimony, He might confirm conjugal chastity." He also meant to make known to us the mystery of which these nuptials were the sign, that is the union of Christ with His Church. For even those who, by a vow, have bound themselves to almighty God in the virginal state are not without nuptials since, with the whole Church, they have a part in the nuptials in which Christ Himself is the Spouse, and in this case, our Lord is typified by the bridegroom who kept to the end the good wine, that is, the Gospel.


Omnis terra adoret Te, Deus, et psallat Tibi: psalmum dicat nomini tuo, Altissime. * Jubilate Deo, omnis terra, psalmum dicite nomini ejus: date gloriam laudi ejus.
Let all the earth adore Thee, O God, and sing to Thee: let it sing a psalm to Thy name, O most High. * Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sing ye a psalm to His name: give glory to His praise.
(Psalm 65:4,1,2 from the Introit of Mass.)

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui caelestia simul et terrene moderaris: supplications populi tui clementer exaudi; et pacem tuam nostris concede temporibus.
Almighty and everlasting God, Who dost govern all things in Heaven and earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Thy people, and grant us Thy peace all the days of our life.
(Collect)

Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to John.
At that time there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to Him: 'They have no wine.' And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to Me and to thee? My hour is not yet come.' His mother saith to the waiters: 'Whatsoever He shall say to you, do ye.' Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures a piece Jesus saith to them: Fill the water-pots with water.' And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus said to them:' Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast.' And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, he knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, and saith to him: 'Every man at first setteth forth good wine: and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou has kept the good wine until now.' This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee: and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
(St John 2:1-11)

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