Sunday, June 18, 2006

Lauda, Sion

Sorry, no homily today, as I celebrated Mass with the Lord and the saints in eternity only today.

It is restful to be able to celebrate Mass "privately," but I must say, I prefer to have Mass cum populo.

I offered Mass today for the people of my parish, living and deceased.

In lieu of a homily, here's the sequence for this feast, composed by St. Thomas Aquinas. As it is optional, I imagine few have heard it in a celebration of the current rite of the Mass.

Lauda, Sion, Salvatorem,
Lauda ducem et pastorem
In hymnis et canticis.
Quantum poses, tantum aude:
Quia major omni laude
Nec laudare sufficis.

Laudis thema specialis,
Panis vivus et vitalis
Hodie proponitur;
Quem in sacrae mensa coenae
Turbae fratrum duodenae
Datum non ambigitur.

Sit laus plena, sit sonora,
Sit iucunda, sit decora
Mentis iubilatio.
Dies enim solemnis agitur,
In qua mensae prima recolitur
Huius institutio.

In hac mensa novi Regis
Novum Pascha novae legis
Phase vetus terminat.
Vetustatem novitas,
Umbram fugat veritas,
Noctem lux eliminat.

Quod in coena Christus gessit,
Faciendum hoc expressit
In sui memoriam
Docti sacris institutis,
Panem, vinum in salutis
Consecramus hostiam.

Dogma datur Christianis,
Quod in carnem transit panis
Et vinum in sanguinem.
Quod non capis, quod non vides,
Animosa firmat fides
Praeter rerum ordinem.

Sub diversis speciebus,
Signis tantum, et non rebus,
Latent res eximiae:
Caro cibus, sanguis potus;
Manet tamen Christus totus
Sub utraque specie.

A sumente non concisus,
Non confractus, non divisus
Integer accipitur.
Sumit unus, sumunt mille;
Quantum isti, tantum ille:
Nec sumptus consumitur.

Sumunt boni, sumunt mali:
Sorte tamen inaequali,
Vitae vel interitus.
Mors est malis, vita bonis:
Vide, paris sumptionis
Quam sit dispar exitus.

Fracto demum Sacramento,
Ne vacilles, sed memento,
Tantam esse sub fragmento,
Quantum toto tegitur.
Nulla rei fit scissura,
Signi tantum fit fractura,
Qua nec status nec statura
Signati minuitur.

Ecce panis Angelorum,
Factus cibus viatorum,
Vere panis filiorum,
Non mittendus canibus.
In figuris praesignatur,
Cum Isaac immolatur;
Agnus Paschae deputatur,
Datur manna patribus.

Bone Pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserere,
Tu nos pasce, nos tuere,
Tu nos bona fac videre,
In terra viventium.
Tu, qui cuncta scis et vales,
Qui nos pascis hic mortales,
Tuos ibi commensales,
Cohaeredes et sodales,
Fac sanctorum civium.
Amen. Alleluia.


(To hear a MIDI of the tune, and to see an English translation, go to Traditional Catholic Hymns.)

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for your witness, Father. I've been reading your blog for awhile and I really enjoy what you've written. I just have a quick question. How does a priest celebrate Mass privately? Does he give the responses to himself, or does he ommit the parts that require a response? I've always heard of priests offering a private Mass, but I never really understood the "mechanics" of it. Thanks and God bless (and happy feast day).

Fr Martin Fox said...

Brad:

Thanks for your comments, glad to have you visit!

The norm for celebrating Mass is with people, or at least, with a server, who would give all the responses. So for a priest to offer Mass even without a server is unusual, but not unheard of; Canon Law says "for a just cause"; and the only times I do it are on vacation, or on my day off.

In the event even a server is absent, one omits the dialogues, as you guessed. The sacramentary is a little sketchy on just how one does it, so I'm not sure I do it exactly as I'm supposed to.

Some of those with a great interest in liturgy are insistent that a priest should "never" offer Mass in this fashion; but the alternative is either to go press someone to be the server, which is very impractical on vacation, or to concelebrate, which is sometimes an option, but not so much, especially travelling.

Oh, I can always present myself at a parish Mass; however, part of the relaxation of a vacation is not shaving every day, wearing a golf shirt and shorts, and not being "on." (I'm sorry if anyone is shocked that I came to the beach, and am not wearing my blacks everywhere, everyday.)

Also, I have to tell you: a couple of times, I have presented myself at a parish, only to have the priest say, "great, you can take this Mass!" and take off! In fairness, that usually doesn't happen.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the response. I was always wondering how that worked.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Fox,

Miss your homily - it's something I look forward to each Sunday - though of course being able to receive Him is always the highlight.

But, of course, you deserve the break -so enjoy the conference, DC - my favorite US city, and the break from the day to day work of being a pastor.

God Bless

Cantor said...

We sang the short form of the sequence and gave the full form in a bulletin handout. Maybe at some point “optional” will mean “omit it if you have a good idea”, rather than to sing it only when there is a good reason.

Anonymous said...

Our lector did the readings and psalm. I did the sequence (long version - it's beautiful), the Alleluia with the choir, and the Gospel of course. It's a sort of homily all by itself - and very direct about unworthy receipt of the sacrament.