Corpus Christi
I am reminded of something I wrote in another forum this time last year. Not a thing has changed, except that the renovations are done, and I’ve finished the book.
When Pope Urban IV established the Feast of Corpus Christi, he asked St. Thomas Aquinas to compose hymns for it. This is one of the five hymns Aquinas composed in honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
|
LAUDA Sion Salvatorem, |
ZION, to Thy Savior sing, |
| Laudis thema specialis, panis vivus et vitalis hodie proponitur. Quem in sacrae mensa cenae, turbae fratrum duodenae datum non ambigitur. |
Lo! before our eyes and living is the Sacred Bread life-giving, theme of canticle and hymn. We profess this Bread from heaven to the Twelve by Christ was given, for our faith rest firm in Him. |
| Sit laus plena, sit sonora, sit iucunda, sit decora mentis iubilatio. Dies enim solemnis agitur, in qua mensae prima recolitur huius institutio. |
Let us form a joyful chorus, may our lauds ascend sonorous, bursting from each loving breast. For we solemnly record how the Table of the Lord with the Lamb’s own gift was blest. |
| In hac mensa novi Regis, novum Pascha novae legis, phase vetus terminat. Vetustatem novitas, umbram fugat veritas, noctem lux eliminat. |
On this altar of the King this new Paschal Offering brings an end to ancient rite. Shadows flee that truth may stay, oldness to the new gives way, and the night’s darkness to the light. |
| Quod in coena Christus gessit, faciendum hoc expressit in sui memoriam. Docti sacris institutis, panem, vinum in salutis consecramus hostiam. |
What at Supper Christ completed He ordained to be repeated, in His memory Divine. Wherefore now, with adoration, we, the Host of our salvation, consecrate from bread and wine. |
| Dogma datur christianis, quod in carnem transit panis, et vinum in sanguinem. Quod non capis, quod non vides, animosa firmat fides, praeter rerum ordinem. |
Words a nature’s course derange, that in Flesh the bread may change and the wine in Christ’s own Blood. Does it pass thy comprehending? Faith, the law of light transcending, leaps to things not understood. |
| Sub diversis speciebus, signis tantum, et non rebus, latent res eximiae. Caro cibus, sanguis potus: manet tamen Christus totus sub utraque specie. |
Here beneath these signs are hidden priceless things, to sense forbidden; signs, not things, are all we see. Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine, yet is Christ in either sign, all entire confessed to be. |
| A sumente non concisus, non confractus, non divisus: integer accipitur. Sumit unus, sumunt mille: quantum isti, tantum ille: nec sumptus consumitur. |
And whoe’er of Him partakes, severs not, nor rends, nor breaks: all entire, their Lord receive. Whether one or thousand eat, all receive the selfsame meat, nor do less for others leave. |
| Sumunt boni, sumunt mali: sorte tamen inaequali, vitae vel interitus. Mors est malis, vita bonis: vide paris sumptionis quam sit dispar exitus. |
Both the wicked and the good eat of this celestial Food: but with ends how opposite! With this most substantial Bread, unto life or death they’re fed, in a difference infinite. |
| Fracto demum sacramento, ne vacilles, sed memento tantum esse sub fragmento, quantum toto tegitur. Nulla rei fit scissura: signi tantum fit fractura, qua nec status, nec statura signati minuitur. |
Nor a single doubt retain, when they break the Host in twain, but that in each part remain what was in the whole before; For the outward sign alone may some change have undergone, while the Signified stays one, and the same forevermore. |
| Ecce Panis Angelorum, factus cibus viatorum: vere panis filiorum, non mittendus canibus. In figuris praesignatur, cum Isaac immolatur, agnus Paschae deputatur, datur manna patribus. |
Hail! Bead of the Angels, broken, for us pilgrims food, and token of the promise by Christ spoken, children’s meat, to dogs denied! Shown in Isaac’s dedication, in the Manna’s preparation, in the Paschal immolation, in old types pre-signified. |
| Bone pastor, panis vere, Iesu, nostri miserere: Tu nos pasce, nos tuere, Tu nos bona fac videre in terra viventium. Tui qui cuncta scis et vales, qui nos pascis hic mortales: tuos ibi commensales, coheredes et sodales fac sanctorum civium. Amen. Alleluia. |
Jesus, Shepherd mild and meek, shield the poor, support the weak; help all who Thy pardon sue, placing all their trust in You: fill them with Your healing grace! Source of all we have or know, feed and lead us here below. grant that with Your Saints above, sitting at the feast of love we may see You face to face. Amen. Alleluia. |
I should like to note that this was not sung in my parish at this morning’s mass. Not even the “shorter” version, which omits basically everything except the last two verses. This despite the fact that the lines Ecce Panis Angelorum, factus cibus viatorum are carved into the marble of the high altar.
This is symptomatic of something that really disturbs me about my parish. A few more examples, and perhaps you will see what I mean.
(1)
For the Easter Vigil, there are ten readings. Now, I understand that doing all ten is a bit much, especially with thirty or so baptisms to consider. However, there are shortened versions of many of the readings, and only four of them are required. We did exactly the minimum, and the shortest versions of everything except the initial reading from Genesis (which in the event the lector somehow skipped an entire page).
(2)
Our church is undergoing a fairly extensive renovation.
During mass today, it was announced that during the renovation, daily mass will take place in the parish center chapel. This space is small, but wonderful; it was chapel when the building was a convent, and it retains an aura of, well, holiness. It’s very simple, almost austere, but it lends itself well to contemplation. But I digress.
The point is, we have a chapel and we’ll be having our daily masses there for the next few months.
In the very next sentence, the lector announced that, due to the construction, adoration of the blessed sacrament (which we have every Monday evening), will be cancelled until further notice.
To which I say… why? Surely we could move this to the chapel as well? It’s perfectly servicable. It has a tabernacle.
I admit I’m a little peeved. It seems like every time there’s a corner can be cut, we cut it. Every time there’s a choice of doing or not doing, we choose to not do.
Why, oh why do we do this? The message seems to be that this is a heavy obligation and we’ve just got to get through it as quickly as possible.
I read a book by Scott Hahn about the mass called The Lamb’s Supper. The subtitle, and one of the major themes in the book, is “the Mass as Heaven on Earth”. It presents a picture of the liturgy as our most intimate time with God, a reflection of the eternity which we’ve been promised.
Who would want to rush through that?
Right now, I’m reading The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Pope Benedict XVI. It’s a glorious little book; he’s a brilliant and engaging writer, and his love for both the liturgy and for teaching shine through every paragraph. Every page seems to have a gem on it. He says,
[U]niversality is an essential feature of Christian worship. It is the worship of an open heaven. It is never just an event in the life of a community that finds itself in a particular place. No, to celebrate the Eucharist means to enter into the openness of a glorification of God that embraces both heaven and earth…
Who would want to rush through that?
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