A Meditation of Psalm 19 and Psalm 137

Hat Tip to man with black hat

By the rivers of Babylon Where we sat down There we wept When he remembered Zion	By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:1
Then the wicked Carried us away in captivity Required from us a song Now how shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land	For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? Psalm 137:3-4
Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart be acceptable in thy sight here tonight	Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Edited to add:

Liturgically Psalm 19:14 (which is 19:15 in the NAB) is used:

- Monday 1st Week of Lent Responsorial Psalm

- Saturday 1st Week in Ordinary Time Year I Responsorial Psalm

- 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C Responsorial Psalm

- Monday 7th Week in Ordinary Time Year II Responsorial Psalm

Liturgically, Psalm 137:1 is used:

- 4th Sunday of Lent Year B Responsorial Psalm

- Friday 12th Week in Ordinary Time Year II Responsorial Psalm

- Wednesday 26th Week in Ordinary Time Year I Responsorial Psalm

- Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (September 29th) Communion Antiphon

- Mass for Various Needs and Occasions: In Thanksgiving Communion Antiphon (1st Option)

and 137:3-4 is used:

- 4th Sunday of Lent Year B Responsorial Psalm

- Friday 12th Week in Ordinary Time Year II Responsorial Psalm

- Wednesday 26th Week in Ordinary Time Year I Responsorial Psalm

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Veni Sancte Spiritus is the Sequence to be sung or read at every Mass on Pentecost Sunday in the Roman Rite. In the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite the Sequences of Corpus Christi and the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows are optional (and therefore rarely heard). But, those of Easter and Pentecost are always mandatory.

The Sequence, which is optional except on Easter Sunday and on Pentecost Day, is sung before the Alleluia.
General Instruction of the Roman Missal 64

Veni Sancte Spiritus is typically attributed to either Pope Innocent III or to Archbishop Stephen Langton, the man who divided the Bible into chapters.

Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from Thy celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!

Come Father of the poor!
Come source of all our store!
Come within our bosoms shine!

Thou, of comforters the best;
Thou, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat,
Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine
Shine within these hearts of Thine.
And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, man has naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour Thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;

Give them virtue’s sure reward;
Give them Thy salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.
Amen. Alleluia.

My Spirit Rejoices

This looks very interesting. I plan on being there tomorrow.

My Spirit Rejoices

A Spring bouquet of musical offerings by

Saint Saens, Biebl, Rachmaninoff, Zielenski, Phillips,

Bach, Mozart, Guerrero and Kelly

Sunday, May 31st at 3:00p.m.

St. Francis of Assisi Choir

Admission and parking are free. Donations received for charity.

St. Francis of Assisi, 386 Buttles Ave. in Victorian Village

Regina Coeli

The Regina Coeli replaces the Angelus in the Easter Season

Biebl’s Ave Maria

 

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae et concepit de Spiritu sancto.	The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus, Jesus.	Hail Mary, Full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Jesus.
Maria dixit: Ecce ancilla Domini. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.	Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus, Jesus.	Hail Mary, Full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Jesus.
Et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.	And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus, Jesus.	Hail Mary, Full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Amen. Amen.	Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, Holy Mary, pray for us now and in the hour of our death. Amen. Amen. Amen.

 

Free mp3s from the FSSP

The American District of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) has provided some free mp3 files online of Gregorian Chant taken from their CD In Cena Domine.

Considering that the Church has repeatedly said that Gregorian Chant was to have “pride of place” over all other types of music in the Mass it is not too much to ask that something like this be heard at least on occasion in the average parish. Even the American bishops have singled out 3 particular chants that all Catholics should know “at a minimum”.

Listen for free. And if you really like it you can support the FSSP by buying a CD.

Help Our Future Priests

Mark

Mark Miles, a Scotsman and convert to the faith, will be visiting the International Seminary of St. Peter, a seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, in September with an eye towards applying in 2009. He has some books up for sale in order to help pay his way once he is accepted.

Take a look and buy a book.

Neven

Neven Pesa, a Melkite Catholic who will be entering the Byzantine Catholic Order of Basilian Salvatorian Fathers in Massachussets in September 2008 is selling a CD of his own music in order to help pay off his college debts before he enters the seminary. You can listen to samples here.

Buy a CD.

Dies Irae, Dies Illa

Sr. Mary Francis Peters passed away this past Saturday. On Tuesday a Solemn High Requiem Mass was offered for her at Holy Family by Fr. Kevin Lutz, the pastor of Holy Family. Fr. Adam Travis, parochial vicar of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Alexandria, Louisiana served as deacon. And Msgr. John Cody, pastor of St. Christopher in Grandview served as subdeacon.

To me, the most memorable part of the Requiem Mass is always the chanting of the sequence, the Dies Irae.

I would describe the Dies Irae as hauntingly beautiful. And with its references to the judgment and its pleas for mercy I find the text of the Dies Irae to be quite different from what you encounter at the typical funeral Mass nowadays. It seems that a lot of priests, with good intentions I am sure, almost try to canonize the deceased rather than exhorting us to pray for their soul. The Dies Irae reminds me to pray for the deceased and to think about my own mortality.

Here is one of the dozens of English translations that have been made over the years:

1
Day of wrath! O day of mourning!
See fulfilled the prophets’ warning,
Heaven and earth in ashes burning!

2
Oh what fear man’s bosom rendeth,
when from heaven the Judge descendeth,
on whose sentence all dependeth.

3
Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth;
through earth’s sepulchers it ringeth;
all before the throne it bringeth.

4
Death is struck, and nature quaking,
all creation is awaking,
to its Judge an answer making.

5
Lo! the book, exactly worded,
wherein all hath been recorded:
thence shall judgment be awarded.

6
When the Judge his seat attaineth,
and each hidden deed arraigneth,
nothing unavenged remaineth.

7
What shall I, frail man, be pleading?
Who for me be interceding,
when the just are mercy needing?

8
King of Majesty tremendous,
who dost free salvation send us,
Fount of pity, then befriend us!

9
Think, good Jesus, my salvation
caused thy wondrous Incarnation;
leave me not to reprobation!

10
Faint and weary, thou hast sought me,
on the cross of suffering bought me.
shall such grace be vainly brought me?

11
Righteous Judge! for sin’s pollution
grant thy gift of absolution,
ere the day of retribution.

12
Guilty, now I pour my moaning,
all my shame with anguish owning;
spare, O God, thy suppliant groaning!

13
Thou the sinful woman savedst;
thou the dying thief forgavest;
and to me a hope vouchsafest.

14
Worthless are my prayers and sighing,
yet, good Lord, in grace complying,
rescue me from fires undying!

15
With thy favored sheep O place me;
nor among the goats abase me;
but to thy right hand upraise me.

16
While the wicked are confounded,
doomed to flames of woe unbounded
call me with thy saints surrounded.

17
Low I kneel, with heart submission,
see, like ashes, my contrition;
help me in my last condition.

18
Ah! that day of tears and mourning!
From the dust of earth returning
man for judgment must prepare him;
Spare, O God, in mercy spare him!

19
Lord, all pitying, Jesus blest,
grant them thine eternal rest. Amen.

I would ask anyone reading this to please say a prayer for the soul of Sr. Mary Francis. And please give some thought to the state of your own soul as well.

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

More from the Farther Along Octet. These guys are well on the way to becoming my favorite musicians.

Adoramus Te, Christe

We adore Thee, O Christ, And we bless Thee, Who by Thy holy cross have redeemed the world, Who have suffered for us! Lord, Lord, have mercy upon us!

Adoramus Te, Christe, et benedicimus Tibi, quia per sanctam crucem Tuam redemisti mundum, Qui passus es pro nobis, Domine, Domine, miserere nobis!

The text (or a variant) is commonly used during the Stations of the Cross. It is derived from an Antiphon sung during communion on Good Friday in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The tune was composed by the great Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

The singers, the Farther Along Octet, are students at a Mennonite College. If Mennonite college students can do this then certainly we should be seeing a little more of this in Catholic parishes. This is our musical heritage.