Propter quod et Deus exaltávit illum, et dedit illi nomen quod est super omne nomen. Today is Holy Saturday, and we wait silently, for it is the time spoken of in the Credo: descendit ad inferos. Am going out for my 1st walk and will then say Prime and Terce before the Easter Vigil from Paris begins-- or, at least, I hope it begins, unlike yesterday's disappointment. The 4th responsorium from Matins earlier:
R. Recéssit pastor noster, fons aquæ vivæ, ad cujus tránsitum sol obscurátus est:
* Nam et ille captus est, qui captívum tenébat primum hóminem: hódie portas mortis et seras páriter Salvátor noster disrúpit.
V. Destrúxit quidem claustra inférni, et subvértit poténtias diáboli.
R. Nam et ille captus est, qui captívum tenébat primum hóminem: hódie portas mortis et seras páriter Salvátor noster disrúpit.
A few lines from Mons Ronald Knox's translation of the Exsultet:
... The night is come, wherein the bonds of death are loosed, and Christ harrowing Hell rose again in triumph. For wherefore should man be born into this world, save that being born he might be redeemed? How wonderful then, O God, is thy loving-kindness unto us thy children! Behold, what manner of love he hath bestowed upon us: who, to redeem a servant, delivered up his only Son! O wonderful providence of Adam's transgression, that by such a death sin might be done away! O blessed iniquity, for whose redemption such a price was paid by such a Saviour!
From Father Hunwicke. I would have copied the entire excerpt but the choice of 'naughty' is... unappealing; presumably the tone and connotations seemed different in those far off years, before 1917 when he was still an Anglican. None the less, I may have to purchase a copy of the Ordinariate Missal, which features Mons Knox's translations.
I wonder if my imagination is playing tricks, or if it is simply that my memory is faulty, but I could have sworn that Saint-Eugène they use all twelve of the traditional lessons at the Vigil; perhaps they did, one year. The libellum for the Vigil is here.
The stream is beginning with the entrance into the church-- so the new fire was lit, from flint, and the five grains of incense were blessed before we began to view; we've arrived in medias res, as it were. It seems to me that they've acquired a new staff to support the triple reed i.e. to hold the three candles. The deacon of the Mass (I think is Father de Labarre) is singing the Exsultet.
Hæc nox est, in qua primum patres nostros fílios Israel edúctos de Ægypto, mare Rubrum sicco vestígio transíre fecísti. Hæc ígitur nox est, quæ peccatórum ténebras, colúmnæ illuminatióne purgávit. Hæc nox est, quæ hódie per univérsum mundum in Christo credéntes, a vítiis sæculi, et calígine peccatórum segregátos, reddit grátiæ, sóciat sanctitáti. Hæc nox est, in qua destrúctis vínculis mortis, Christus ab ínferis victor ascéndit...
O certe necessárium Adæ peccátum, quod Christi morte delétum est ! O felix culpa, quæ talem ac tantum méruit habére Redemptórem !
O vere beáta nox, quæ sola méruit scire tempus et horam, in qua Christus ab ínferis resurréxit ! Hæc nox est, de qua scriptum est : Et nox sicut dies illuminábitur : Et nox illuminátio mea in delíciis meis...
O vere beáta nox, quæ exspoliávit Ægyptios, ditávit Hebræos ! Nox, in qua terrénis cæléstia, humánis divína jungúntur.
Orámus ergo te, Dómine ; ut Céreus iste in honórem tui nóminis consecrátus, ad noctis hujus calíginem destruéndam, indefíciens persevéret. Et in odórem suavitátis accéptus, supérnis lumináribus misceátur.
Flammas ejus lúcifer matutínus invéniat. Ille, inquam, lúcifer, qui nescit occásum. Ille, qui regréssus ab ínferis, humáno géneri serénus illúxit.
Such a beautiful artefact of our Christian civilisation, sadly replaced in so many places by the pedestrian vernacular versions (although the English one isn't as terrible now as was the original ICEL one-- in use up to... 2011, I think-- in use at the Vigil when I was received in 1976).
I believe M de Villiers sang all four lessons himself-- after all the wrong notes and squeaking yesterday, ahem, I might understand why (although yesterday's imperfections didn't have anything to do in fact with his lesson-chanting today, I'm sure).
The font blessed, now the baptisms are done; two this year. There was a 'bumper crop' (so to say, ahem) last year. One doesn't know of course how many baptisms are to be done in the Pauline Rite Vigil that follows this. The Litanies are being sung. The ministers' prostration done, the altar is being prepared for the Mass. Charles Gounod's Messe brève Aux Chapelles is sung, without the Agnus Dei (which isn't included in the Paschal Vigil, nor is there a proper antiphona ad offertorium).
The nine-fold Alleluia is sung, with its verse Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordiam eius, and then the Tract Laudate Dominum omnes gentes.
An abbreviated form of Vespers is included in the Vigil-- Psalm 116 with its antiphon Alleluia, and the Magnificat (yet more incense!) with its antiphon Vespere autem sabbati. This is a survival of the ancient days when the Vigil extended throughout the night (we can't even manage twelve lessons, so lukewarm is our Christian spirit...) and, well, the brief Vespers doesn't seem so striking, given that context. (Now I will consult Dom Prosper and Blessed Ildefonso to see if I have remembered the history correctly-- take my prosing on cum grano salis.)
The Marian antiphon is become the Regina caeli, replacing Septuagesima and Lent's Ave Regina caelorum.
The Easter blessing of eggs is done again this year.
V/. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini.
R/. Qui fecit cœlum et terram.
V/. Dóminus vobíscum.
R/. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus. Subvéniat, quǽsumus, Dómine, tuæ benedictiónis grátia huic ovórum creatúræ : ut cibus salúbris fiat fidélibus tuis, in tuárum gratiárum actióne suméntibus, ob resurrectiónem Dómini nostri Jesu Christi : Qui tecum vivit et regnat in sǽcula sæculórum.
R/. Amen
And the chant at the recession is O Filii et Filiae, harmonised by M. de Villiers.
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