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/





Thursday 27 October 2011

The Divine Praises

Act of Reparation for Blasphemy and Profanity

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.
Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. Amen.

These were originally written in Italian by Fr Luigi Felici SJ in 1797, in a shorter version. The invocations have been gradually added since then.



For the Propagation of the Faith

Missa pro Fidei Propagatione

Deus misereátur nostri, et benedícat nobis: illúminet vultum suum super nos, et misereátur nostri: ut cognoscámus in terra viam tuam, in ómnibus géntibus salutáre tuum. * Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus: confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes.
May God have mercy upon us, and bless us: may He cause the light of His countenance to shine upon us, and may He have mercy upon us: that we may know Thy way upon earth, Thy salvation in all nations. * Let the people confess to Thee, O God : let all people give praise to Thee.
(Psalm 66:2-4 from the Introit of Mass)

Deus, qui omnes hómines vis salvos fíeri et ad agnitiónem veritátis veníre: mitte, quaesumus, operários in messem tuam, et da eis cum omni fidúcia loqui verbum tuum; ut sermo tuus currat et clarificétur, et omnes gentes cognóscant te solum Deum verum, et quem misísti Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum, Dóminum nostrum.
O God, who desirest that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of Thy truth: send, we beseech Thee, labourers into Thy harvest, and grant them grace to speak Thy word with all trust: that Thy words may run and be glorified : and that all nations may know Thee the one true God, and Him whom Thou hast sent.
(Collect)

Lesson from the Book of Wisdom.
Have mercy upon us, O God of all, and behold us, and show us the light of Thy mercies : and send Thy fear upon the nations, that, have not sought after Thee : that they may know that there is no God beside Thee, and that they may show forth Thy wonders. Lift up Thy hand over the strange nations, that they may see Thy power. For as Thou hast been sanctified in us in their sight, so Thou shalt be magnified among them in our presence. That they may know Thee, as we also have known Thee, that there is no God beside Thee, O Lord. Renew Thy signs, and work new miracles. Glorify Thy hand, and Thy right arm. Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath. Take away the adversary, and crush the enemy. Hasten the time, and remember the end, that they may declare Thy wonderful works. Give testimony to them that are Thy creatures from the beginning, and raise up the prophecies which the former prophets spoke in Thy name. Reward them that patiently wait for Thee, that Thy prophets may be found faithful : and hear the prayers of Thy servants according to the blessing of Aaron over Thy people, and direct us into the way of justice, and let all know that dwell upon the earth that Thou art God, the beholder of all ages.
(Ecclus. 36:1-10,17-19)

Confiteántur tibi pópuli, Deus, confiteántur tibi pópuli omnes: terra dedit fructum suum.
V. Benedícat nos Deus, Deus noster, benedícat nos Deus: et métuant eum omnes fines terrae.
Let people confess to Thee, O God: let all people give praise to Thee: the earth hath yielded her fruit.
V. May God, our God, bless us, may God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear Him.
(Gradual. Psalm 66:6-8.)

Allelúja, allelúja. V. Jubiláte Deo, omnis terra: servíte Dómino in lætítia: introíte in
conspéctu ejus, in exsultatióne. Allelúja.
Alleluia, alleluia. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth, serve ye the Lord with gladness : come in before His presence with exceeding great joy. Alleluia.
(Psalm 99:1.)

Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthaeum.
In illo témpore: Circuíbat Jesus omnes civitátes et castélla, docens in synagógis eórum, et praedicans Evangélium regni, et curans omnem languórem et omnem infirmitátem. Videns quia erant vexáti, et jacéntes sicut oves non habéntes pastórem. Tunc dicit discípulis suis: Messis quidem multa, operárii autem pauci. Rogáte ergo Dóminum messis, ut mittat operários in messem suam.
Continuation of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. At that time : Jesus went about all the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity. And seeing the multitudes, He had compassion on them : because they were distressed and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. Then He saith to His disciples : the harvest indeed is greats but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send forth labourers into His harvest.
(St Matthew 9:35-38.)

Afférte Dómino, pátriae géntium, afférte Dómino glóriam et honórem, afférte Dómino glóriam nómini ejus: tóllite hóstias, et introíte in átria ejus: adoráte Dóminum in átrio sancto ejus.
Bring unto the Lord, O ye kindred of the Gentiles, bring unto the Lord glory and honour, bring unto the Lord glory unto His name: bring sacrifices and come into His courts, adore ye the Lord in His holy court.
(Psalm 95:7-9. Offertory)

Protéctor noster, áspice, Deus, et réspice in fáciem Christi tui, qui dedit redemptiónem
semetípsum pro ómnibus: et fac; ut ab ortu solis usque ad occásum magnificétur nomen tuum in géntibus, ac in omni loco sacrificétur et offerátur nómini tuo oblátio munda.
Behold, O God our protector, and look upon the face of Thy Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all: and grant that from the rising of the sun even unto the setting thereof Thy name may be exalted among the Gentiles, and that in every place a clean offering be sacrificed and offered to Thy name.
(Secret)

Laudáte Dóminum, omnes gentes: laudáte eum, omnes pópuli: quóniam confirmáta est super nos misericordia ejus, et véritas Dómini manet in ætérnum.
Praise the Lord all ye nations: praise Him all ye people: for His mercy is confirmed upon us; and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.
(Communion Psalm 116:1-2.)

Redemptiónis nostrae múnere vegetáti: quaesumus, Dómine; ut, hoc perpétuae salútis auxílio, fides semper vera profíciat.
Refreshed by this gift of our redemption, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that by means of this help to our eternal salvation the true faith may ever advance.
(Postcommunion)

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Book Review: "In the Name of the Father."


"In the Name of the Father: Homilies for Sundays and Feast days in the Extraordinary Form Calendar," edited by Julien Chilcott-Monk. Canterbury Press Norwich. £19.99 list price.


In the Name of the Father: Homilies for Sundays and Feast days in the Extraordinary Form Calendar

This is an excellent book for those who attend the old rite of mass on Sundays and feast days. It contains short homilies on the Gospels of the Sundays and major feast days throughout the year. That this should have been published now is a very welcome development, and indicates a wish by those who attend the old mass to nourish their spiritual life on it, and to engage in Lectio Divina based on the readings in it. Books of this type were of course common in the past. For the Novus Ordo, they still are, although the style isn't necessarily the same as that presented here.


The idea from this book was from one of the Oratorian fathers of Oxford - Fr. Dominic Jacob - to whom the book is dedicated. Most of the contributors, other than the editor, are priests of the Oxford Oratory, or other priests with either an Oratorian or an Oxford connection. Most of them will be well known to regular attenders of the old rite in southern England. One or two Oratorians are omitted, which is a pity - their erudition would have added to the book.

The first sermon I read, for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost, by Fr Anton Webb, was a masterly exposition of the Gospel of the day. The miracles of healing that Our Lord worked in Capernaum, related in the Gospel of St John and in the Synoptics, are compared. They are not the same miracle: in the one, the centurion, a gentile, shows great faith to the extent of not needing our Lord to come in person; in the other, by contrast, a ruler, a Jewish official from Herod's court, shows very limited faith, and needs to check on the time that the miracle took place to be reassured. Different qualities of faith, but even the limited faith of the ruler had its value. "We all have small beginnings and advance at different rates ... the greater example of the centurion urges us to press on and never to think that we have enough faith."

The sermon for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, by Fr Nicholas Schofield, has a different flavour. It is certainly not lacking in learning, with a reference to St Augustine, and such examples from history as we would expect from the author. However, the sermon overall recalls us to the basic realities of the spiritual life - death, judgement, hell and heaven - in a thoroughly traditional, yet not pessimistic, manner. The liturgical year is passing away; so is this world. Let us always live mindful of its end, and our own. "These considerations should not make us morbid or lead us to despair. Rather, they challenge us to examine our lives, to make the most of God's grace and continual mercy, and strive for holiness."

The Sermon for All Saints Day, by Fr Dominic Jacob, is one that I have heard in church, so I greet it as an old friend. We envisage a great gulf between the saints in heaven, and ourselves in the here and now. We marvel at the words and works of the great saints - more admiration than emulation, often. But we are called to join them, that countless host that no man can number, who are commemorated on this day, so that eventually this will be our feast day too. Also, remember, that the saints weren't born as such - many of them started out with their full share of human failings. "We see in them what we are called to be, and are encouraged because they too experienced failure, trial and sin, yet by God's grace were strengthened to overcome the weakness of human nature."

There is a diversity of style in these sermons: some show biblical scholarship, some knowledge of the Fathers, some great insight into the spiritual life, some knowledge of the saints, and others simple piety and devotion. What they have in common is a straightforward focus upon the faith, and spiritual life, rather than merely academic points, or merely commonplace anecdotes. It is all practical - what must we do, and what must we know, to be saved - and a lot of learning is worn lightly. In the preface, Monsignor Antony Conlon - himself a skilled preacher - explains that genuine preaching isn't about artistry or stirring up the emotions, so much as the preacher putting his gifts at the service of the Church, in a spirit of docility and humility. He suggests that the Novus Ordo can encourage a style of preaching which is excessively autobiographical, with more emphasis on entertainment than on obedience, sacrifice and self-control. "Some forms of preaching thought to be pastorally effective remain only on the level of the ethical and humanitarian, and ignore the doctrinal and catechetical." These faults are absent from this volume, and it is better for it.

One further defect of many sermons, that isn't mentioned, is that they are often too long. I have heard too many a preacher, who would have given an excellent short sermon in ten minutes, lengthen it to twenty minutes or longer, and thereby ruin his good work. Few mass-goers have the patience to listen to long sermons with attention, and few preachers have the time or the talent to deliver engaging long sermons. The time for lectures is not during mass. Although the sermons in the book vary in length, they are all short, and in this also would be good models for others to follow.

Having praised the book highly, now to its main defect. It is regrettable that content which is of such high quality, and from a reputable publisher, should have been presented rather shoddily. It has, in fact, an air of being rushed, with the usual processes of copyediting and proof-reading being neglected. Those things that can be corrected by a spell-check are correct, but Latin words, punctuation, and some of the facts, are incorrect.

Some blemishes I noticed fairly quickly were:
1. The Transfiguration is referred to, both in the contents and in its proper place, as being on 4th August (rather than 6th);
2. Sometimes the S - standing for saint - has a full stop and sometimes not; at one point, John Henry Newman is referred to by the initials JHM;
3. In the preface, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum is referred to as Romanum Pontificum;
3. Multiple typos in the Latin texts, for example:
In Anniversario Dedicatione Ecclesiae - should be Dedicationis, since it's the church that is dedicated, not the anniversary;
In Exultatione S. Crucis - should be Exaltatione;
Under 2nd February, the Nunc Dimittis is quoted inaccurately - plebes is given instead of plebis, and a similar error is made on 6th Sunday after Pentecost;
On Pentecost, terrarium is given instead of terrarum;
Famillae is given instead of Familiae for the Holy Family.
(This list isn't exhaustive.)

Now anybody can make an odd typo. It seems a pity, though, that there are so many typos in the Latin. If Latin sentences are given, they should at least be checked, and the impression given here is that nobody has cared enough to do this. This detracts from the quality of the book.

Overall, definitely worth having. Royalties from sale of the book will go to the Oxford Oratory "Renewal and Reaffirmation" appeal. The renovation of the Oratory Church is partially complete, but much more money is needed to finish the task, and this is a cause well worth supporting. From the Oratory Lodge, it costs the list price of £19.99; it's cheaper on Amazon, but less goes to the Appeal!