Corpus Christi
Supplement: Commentary on the propers of the Mass from Sermonry
Introit
Introitus
Ps. 80:17.
He fed them with the best of wheat, alleluia; and filled them with honey from the rock, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 80:2
Sing joyfully to God our strength; acclaim the God of Jacob.
Glory Be to the Father…
He fed them with the best of wheat, alleluia; and filled them with honey from the rock, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Ps 80:17.
Cibávit eos ex ádipe fruménti, allelúja: et de petra, melle saturávit eos, allelúja, allelúja, allelúja.
Ps 80:2
Exsultáte Deo, adjutóri nostro: jubiláte Deo Jacob.
Glória Patri…
Cibávit eos ex ádipe fruménti, allelúja: et de petra, melle saturávit eos, allelúja, allelúja, allelúja.
Collect
Oratio
O God, You Who in this wondrous sacrament have left us a memorial of Your passion, grant us, we beseech You, so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood that we may ever experience within us the effect of Your redemption.
Who livest…
Deus, qui nobis sub Sacraménto mirábili passiónis tuæ memóriam reliquísti: tríbue, quǽsumus, ita nos Córporis et Sánguinis tui sacra mystéria venerári; ut redemptiónis tuæ fructum in nobis júgiter sentiámus:
Qui vivis…
Epistle
Lectio
Lesson from the first letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians
1 Cor. 23-29.
Brethren: I myself have received from the Lord - what I also delivered to you, - that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks broke, and said, Take and eat. This is My Body which shall be given up for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In like manner also the cup, after He had supped, saying, This is the new covenant in My Blood; do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you shall eat this Bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until He comes. Therefore whoever eats this Bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the Body and the Blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of the cup; for he who eats and drinks unworthily, without distinguishing the Body, eats and drinks judgment to himself.
Léctio Epistolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Corinthios
1 Cor 11:23-29
Fratres: Ego enim accépi a Dómino quod et trádidi vobis, quóniam Dóminus Jesus, in qua nocte tradebátur, accépit panem, et grátias agens fregit, et dixit: Accípite, et manducáte: hoc est corpus meum, quod pro vobis tradétur: hoc fácite in meam commemoratiónem. Simíliter et cálicem, postquam cenávit, dicens: Hic calix novum Testaméntum est in meo sánguine. Hoc fácite, quotiescúmque bibétis, in meam commemoratiónem. Quotiescúmque enim manducábitis panem hunc et cálicem bibétis, mortem Dómini annuntiábitis, donec véniat. Itaque quicúmque manducáverit panem hunc vel bíberit cálicem Dómini indígne, reus erit córporis et sánguinis Dómini. Probet autem seípsum homo: et sic de pane illo edat et de calice bibat. Qui enim mandúcat et bibit indígne, judícium sibi mandúcat et bibit: non dijúdicans corpus Dómini.
Gradual
Graduale
Ps. 144:15-16.
The eyes of all look hopefully to You, O Lord; and You give them their food in due season.
℣. You open Your hand; and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Alleluia, alleluia.
John 6:56-57
℣. My Flesh is food indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him.
Ps 144:15-16
Oculi ómnium in te sperant, Dómine: et tu das illis escam in témpore opportúno,
℣. Aperis tu manum tuam: et imples omne animal benedictióne. Allelúja, allelúja,
Joannes 6:56-57
Caro mea vere est cibus, et sanguis meus vere est potus: qui mandúcat meam carnem et bibit meum sánguinem, in me manet et ego in eo. Alleluia.
Sequence
Sequentia
O Sion, thy Redeemer praising,
Songs of joy to Him upraising,
Laud thy Pastor and thy Guide:
Swell thy notes most high and daring;
For His praise is past declaring,
And thy loftiest powers beside.
‘Tis a theme with praise that gloweth,
For the bread that life bestoweth
Goes this day before us out;
Which, His holy supper taking,
To the brethren twelve His breaking
None hath ever called in doubt.
Full, then, be our praise and sounding,
Modest and with joy abounding
Be our mind’s triumphant state;
For the festal’s prosecution,
When the first blest institution
Of this feast we celebrate.
In the new King’s new libation,
In the new law’s new oblation,
Ends the ancient Paschal rite;
Ancient forms new substance chaseth,
Typic shadows truth displaceth,
Day dispels the gloom of night.
When He did at supper seated,
Christ enjoined to be repeated,
When His love we celebrate:
Thus obeying His dictation,
Blood and wine of our salvation,
We the victim consecrate.
‘Tis for Christian faith asserted,
Bread is into flesh converted,
Into blood the holy wine:
Sight and intellect transcending,
Nature’s laws to marvel bending,
‘Tis confirmed by faith divine.
Under either kind remaining,
Form, not substance, still retaining,
Wondrous things our spirit sees:
Flesh and blood thy palate staining,
Yet still Christ entire remaining,
Under either species.
All untorn for eating given,
Undivided and unriven,
Whole He’s taken and unrent;
Be there one, or crowds surrounding,
He is equally abounding,
Nor, though eaten, ever spent.
Both to good and bad ‘tis broken,
But on each a different token
or of life, or death attends:
Life to good, to bad damnation;
Lo, of one same manducation
How dissimilar the ends.
When the priest the victim breaketh,
See thy faith in no wise shaketh,
Know that every fragment taketh
All that ‘neath the whole there lies:
This in Him no fracture maketh,
‘Tis the figure only breaketh,
Form, or state, no change there taketh
Place in what it signifies.
Bread, that angels eat in heaven,
Now becomes the pilgrim’s leaven,
Bread in truth to children given,
That must ne’er to dogs be thrown.
He, in ancient types disguised,
Was the Isaac sacrificed,
For the feast a lamb devised,
Manna to the Fathers shown.
Bread, whose shepherd-care doth tend us,
Jesu Christ, Thy mercy send us,
Do Thou feed us, Thou defend us,
Lead us where true joys attend us,
In the land where life is given:
Thou all ken and might possessing,
Mercies aye to us largessing,
Make us share Thy cup of blessing,
Heritage and love’s caressing
With the denizens of heaven.
Amen. Alleluia.
Thomæ de Aquino. (infra octavam ad libitum Celebrantis omitti potest, juxta Rubricas.)
Lauda, Sion, Salvatórem,
lauda ducem et pastórem
in hymnis et cánticis.
Quantum potes, tantum aude:
quia major omni laude,
nec laudáre súfficis.
Laudis thema speciális,
panis vivus et vitális
hódie propónitur.
Quem in sacræ mensa cenæ
turbæ fratrum duodénæ
datum non ambígitur.
Sit laus plena, sit sonóra,
sit jucúnda, sit decóra
mentis jubilátio.
Dies enim sollémnis agitur,
in qua mensæ prima recólitur
hujus institútio.
In hac mensa novi Regis,
novum Pascha novæ legis
Phase vetus términat.
Vetustátem nóvitas,
umbram fugat véritas,
noctem lux elíminat.
Quod in cœna Christus gessit,
faciéndum hoc expréssit
in sui memóriam.
Docti sacris institútis,
panem, vinum in salútis
consecrámus hóstiam.
Dogma datur Christiánis,
quod in carnem transit panis
et vinum in sánguinem.
Quod non capis, quod non vides,
animosa fírmat fides,
præter rerum órdinem.
Sub divérsis speciébus,
signis tantum, et non rebus,
latent res exímiæ.
Caro cibus, sanguis potus:
manet tamen Christus totus
sub utráque spécie.
A suménte non concísus,
non confráctus, non divísus:
ínteger accípitur.
Sumit unus, sumunt mille:
quantum isti, tantum ille:
nec sumptus consúmitur.
Sumunt boni, sumunt mali
sorte tamen inæquáli,
vitæ vel intéritus.
Mors est malis, vita bonis:
vide, paris sumptiónis
quam sit dispar éxitus.
Fracto demum sacraménto,
ne vacílles, sed meménto,
tantum esse sub fragménto,
quantum toto tégitur.
Nulla rei fit scissúra:
signi tantum fit fractúra:
qua nec status nec statúra
signáti minúitur.
Ecce panis Angelórum,
factus cibus viatórum:
vere panis filiórum,
non mitténdus cánibus.
In figúris præsignátur,
cum Isaac immolátur:
agnus paschæ deputátur:
datur manna pátribus.
Bone pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserére:
tu nos pasce, nos tuére:
tu nos bona fac vidére
in terra vivéntium.
Tu, qui cuncta scis et vales:
qui nos pascis hic mortáles:
tuos ibi commensáles,
coherédes et sodáles
fac sanctórum cívium.
Amen. Allelúja.
Gospel
Evangelium
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to John
John 6:56-59.
At that time, Jesus said to the crowds of the Jews: My Flesh is food indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed. He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood, abides in Me and I in him. As the living Father has sent Me, and as I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. This is the Bread that has come down from heaven; not as your fathers ate the manna, and died. He who eats this Bread shall live forever.
Sequéntia sancti Evangéli secúndum Joánnem.
Joann 6:56-59
In illo témpore: Dixit Jesus turbis Judæórum: Caro mea vere est cibus et sanguis meus vere est potus. Qui mandúcat meam carnem et bibit meum sánguinem, in me manet et ego in illo. Sicut misit me vivens Pater, et ego vivo propter Patrem: et qui mandúcat me, et ipse vivet propter me. Hic est panis, qui de cœlo descéndit. Non sicut manducavérunt patres vestri manna, et mórtui sunt. Qui mandúcat hunc panem, vivet in ætérnum.
Offertory
Offertorium
Lev 21:6
The priests of the Lord offer incense and loaves to God, and therefore they shall be sacred to their God and shall not profane His name. Alleluia.
Levit 21:6
Sacerdótes Dómini incénsum et panes ófferunt Deo: et ideo sancti erunt Deo suo, et non pólluent nomen ejus, allelúja.
Secret
Secreta
Graciously give Your Church, we beseech You, O Lord, the gifts of unity and peace which are betokened by the gifts we offer.
Through our Lord…
Ecclésiæ tuæ, quǽsumus, Dómine, unitátis et pacis propítius dona concéde: quæ sub oblátis munéribus mýstice designántur.
Per Dominum…
Preface
Prefatio
Common
It is truly meet and just, and profitable unto salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, through Christ, our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominions adore it, the Powers are in awe. Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify. And do Thou command that it be permitted us to join with them in confessing Thee, while we say with lowly praise:
Communis
Vere dignum et justum est, æquum et salutáre, nos tibi semper et ubíque grátias ágere: Dómine sancte, Pater omnípotens, ætérne Deus: per Christum, Dóminum nostrum. Per quem majestátem tuam laudant Angeli, adórant Dominatiónes, tremunt Potestátes. Cæli cælorúmque Virtútes ac beáta Séraphim sócia exsultatióne concélebrant. Cum quibus et nostras voces ut admítti jubeas, deprecámur, súpplici confessione dicéntes:
Communion
Communio
1 Cor. 11:26-27.
As often as you shall eat this Bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until He comes. Therefore whoever eats this Bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. Alleluia.
1 Cor 11:26-27
Quotiescúmque manducábitis panem hunc et cálicem bibétis, mortem Dómini annuntiábitis, donec véniat: itaque quicúmque manducáverit panem vel bíberit calicem Dómini indígne, reus erit córporis et sánguinis Dómini, allelúja.
Postcommunion
Postcommunio
Grant, we beseech You, O Lord, that we may be filled with that everlasting enjoyment of Your Godhead, as foreshadowed here on earth by the partaking of Your precious Body and Blood.
Who livest…
Fac nos, quǽsumus, Dómine, divinitátis tuæ sempitérna fruitióne repléri: quam pretiósi Corporis et Sanguinis tui temporalis percéptio præfigúrat:
Qui vivis…