Praise to the Holiest in the height and in the depths be praise...

I live in a city where people prose on tiresomely about Wholeness and holistic this and holistical that but it is occasionally a good thing to be reminded that 'wholeness' is the goal of the authentic Catholic life, the final end of our spiritual adventure: the body-and-soul in perfect harmony in itself, so far as this is possible post lapsum, and in the union of fides, spes, et caritas with the divine Majesty and other people. Eleanor Parker, in her Sunday post at Patreon Elf-shot and witch-shot examined a poem that begins Hlude wæran hy, la, hlude ða hy ofer þone hlæw ridan, 'Loud were they, yes, loud, when they rode over the barrow-mound' ('loud' is not a good thing):

... To be hal is to be healthy and whole, to be healed from anything that might impair the wholeness of the body and soul. That state of wholeness is etymologically connected to the words 'holy' (OE halig) and 'hallow', as both a verb (halgian) and noun (halga). To hallow a place or a person is to sanctify and protect their wholeness, to purify and consecrate and set apart for holy purposes. A hallow, a 'saint', is a person recognised as sanctified and holy, possessing this kind of spiritual wholeness. The feast of All Hallows is the feast of All Holy Ones. In their etymological origins, these concepts of physical and spiritual health and wholeness are integrally linked....

Today is the feast of All Saints, when we venerate all those of the elect who have completed their journeys to the heavenly mansions. As the Introit is sung at Saint-Eugène, the priests stop first to offer incense at the reliquary of Saint Eugene; it is rather odd how one can forget that this happens each year but, Gaudeamus omnes in Domino!





Introitus. Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre Sanctórum ómnium: de quorum sollemnitáte gaudent Angeli et colláudant Fílium Dei. Ps. 32, 1. Exsultáte, justi, in Dómino: rectos decet collaudátio. V. Glória Patri.





Kyrie Cunctipotens Genitor Deus eleison! Christe Cunctipotens Genitor Deus eleison! Kyrie Cunctipotens Genitor Deus eleison!

The Cunctipotens is, I believe, from the Peri Stephanon 7, Insignem meriti virum, of Aurelius Prudentius (348-c 405).

Gloria.

Collecta. Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui nos ómnium Sanctórum tuórum mérita sub una tribuísti celebritáte venerári: quǽsumus; ut desiderátam nobis tuæ propitiatiónis abundántiam, multiplicátis intercessóribus, largiáris. Per Dóminum.

Léctio libri Apocalýpsis beáti Joánnis Apóstoli. 
Apoc. 7, 2-12.
In diébus illis: Ecce, ego Joánnes vidi álterum Angelum ascendéntem ab ortu solis, habéntem signum Dei vivi: et clamávit voce magna quátuor Angelis, quibus datum est nocére terræ et mari, dicens: Nolíte nocére terræ et mari neque arbóribus, quoadúsque signémus servos Dei nostri in fróntibus eórum. Et audívi númerum signatórum, centum quadragínta quátuor mília signáti, ex omni tribu filiórum Israël, Ex tribu Juda duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Ruben duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Gad duódecim mília signati. Ex tribu Aser duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Néphthali duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Manásse duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Símeon duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Levi duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Issachar duódecim mília signati. Ex tribu Zábulon duódecim mília signáti. Ex tribu Joseph duódecim mília signati. Ex tribu Bénjamin duódecim mília signáti. Post hæc vidi turbam magnam, quam dinumeráre nemo póterat, ex ómnibus géntibus et tríbubus et pópulis et linguis: stantes ante thronum et in conspéctu Agni, amícti stolis albis, et palmæ in mánibus eórum: et clamábant voce magna, dicéntes: Salus Deo nostro, qui sedet super thronum, et Agno. Et omnes Angeli stabant in circúitu throni et seniorum et quatuor animalium: et ceciderunt in conspéctu throni in fácies suas et adoravérunt Deum, dicéntes: Amen. Benedíctio et cláritas et sapiéntia et gratiárum actio, honor et virtus et fortitúdo Deo nostro in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Graduale. Ps. 33, 10 et 11. Timéte Dóminum, omnes Sancti ejus:
quóniam nihil deest timéntibus eum. V. Inquiréntes autem Dóminum, non defícient omni bono.



Allelúja, allelúja. V. Matth. 11,28. Veníte ad me, omnes, qui laborátis et oneráti estis: et ego refíciam vos. Allelúja.



Sequentia. The sequence Sponsa Christi quae per orbem, from the proprium Parisiense, was written in 1660 by Jean-Baptiste de Contes, a canon of Notre-Dame. I'd have rather had the venerable Adam of Saint-Victor's Supernae matris gaudia but, eh. 

Sponsa Christi, quæ per orbem,
Mílitas Ecclésia,
Prome cantus, et sacrátos
Dic triúmphos cœlitum.

Hæc dies cunctis dicáta,
Mixta cœli gáudiis,
Læta currat, et solémni
Pérsonet melódia.

Laureatum ducit agmen
Juncta Mater Fílio,
Sola, quæ partu pudórem
Virgo numquam pérdidit.

Mox sequúntur Angelórum
Administri spíritus,
Siderúmque Conditóri
Mille laudes cóncinunt.

His Joánnes, vate major,
Præco Christi prævius,
Patriárchæ cum Prophétis,
Accinunt dulci melo.

Principies sacri senátus
Orbis almi júdices,
Sédibus celsis sublímes,
Facta pendunt ómnium.

Prodigi vitæ, cruóre,
Purpuráti Mártyres,
Auspicáti morte vitam,
Pace gaudent pérpeti.

Turba sacra Confiténtum,
Cum Levítis Præsules,
Sæculi luxu rejécto,
Perfruúntur glória.

Pompa nuptiális, Agno
Consecrátæ Virgines,
Líliis, rosisque Sponsum
Æmulántur prósequi.

Omnibus sors hæc beáta,
Glóriam Deo dare,
Et poténtem confitéri,
Terque sanctum dícere.

Coelites o vos beáti,
Quos Deus felícitat,
Súpplicum votis adéste,
Et favéte sínguli.

Hausta fonte liberáli
Dona terris fúndite :
Pace nostris in diébus
Obtinéte pérfrui.

Ut Deo cum sanctitáte
Serviámus súbditi,
Glóriæ posthac futúri,
Quam tenéris, cómpotes. 

Amen. Alleluia.

+ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum. 
Matth. 5, 1-12.
In illo témpore: Videns Jesus turbas, ascéndit in montem, et cum sedísset, accessérunt ad eum discípuli ejus, et apériens os suum, docébat eos, dicens: Beáti páuperes spíritu: quóniam ipsorum est regnum cœlórum. Beáti mites: quóniam ipsi possidébunt terram. Beáti, qui lugent: quóniam ipsi consolabúntur. Beáti, qui esúriunt et sítiunt justítiam: quóniam ipsi saturabúntur. Beáti misericórdes: quóniam ipsi misericórdiam consequéntur. Beáti mundo corde: quóniam ipsi Deum vidébunt. Beáti pacífici: quóniam fílii Dei vocabúntur. Beáti, qui persecutiónem patiúntur propter justítiam: quóniam ipsorum est regnum cælórum. Beáti estis, cum maledíxerint vobis, et persecúti vos fúerint, et dixérint omne malum advérsum vos, mentiéntes, propter me: gaudéte et exsultáte, quóniam merces vestra copiósa est in cœlis.

Credo.

Offertorium. Sap. 3, 1. 2 et 3. Justórum ánimæ in manu Dei sunt,
et non tanget illos torméntum malítiæ: visi sunt óculis insipiéntium mori: illi autem sunt in pace, allelúja.



And during the incensing of the altar.




Secreta. Múnera tibi, Dómine, nostræ devotiónis offérimus: quæ et pro cunctórum tibi grata sint honóre Justórum, et nobis salutária, te miseránte, reddántur. Per Dóminum.

Communio. Matth. 5, 8-10. 
Beáti mundo corde, quóniam ipsi Deum vidébunt; beáti pacífici, quóniam filii Dei vocabúntur: beáti, qui persecutiónem patiúntur propter justítiam, quóniam ipsórum est regnum cœlórum.



The Vespers hymn of Abbot Hélisachar is sung at Communion also; from the first decades of the 9th century. (This was also sung at Matins earlier; presumably at both Hours throughout the Octave.)  The organ setting alternates between the work of Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers (1632-1714), the 1st and 3rd strophes, and the improvisation of Dr Ratovondrahety, the 5th and 7th strophes. I missed most of this because the wireless resets? costing me the Internet connexion (requiring a restart of the machinae)... I don't know when precisely but it happens each week I believe. I could ask the landlady but, eh.  

Christe Redémptor ómnium,
Consérva tuos fámulos,
Beátæ semper Vírginis
Plácatus sanctis précibus.

Beáta quoque ágmina
Cœléstium Spirítuum,
Prætérita, præséntia,
Futúra mala péllite.

Vates ætérni Júdicis,
Apostolíque Dómini,
Supplíciter expóscimus
Salvári vestris précibus.

Mártyres Dei ínclyti,
Confessorésque lúcidi,
Vestris oratiónibus
Nos ferte in cœléstibus.

Chori sanctárum Vírginum,
Monachorúmque ómnium,
Simul cum Sacntis ómnibus
Consórtes Christi fácite.

Gentem auférte pérfidam
Credéntium de fínibus,
Ut Christo laudes débitas
Persolvámus alácriter.

Glória Patri ingénito,
Ejúsque Unigénito,
Una cum Sancto Spíritu,
In sempitérna sæcula. Amen.

Postcommunio. Da, quǽsumus, Dómine, fidélibus pópulis ómnium
Sanctórum semper veneratióne lætári: et eórum perpétua supplicatióne muníri. Per Dóminum.

The final chant at the sortie des clercs is of Dr de Villiers's composition for a text of Jean-Baptiste Marduel (1763-1848). Lovely! 




Gaudeámus omnes in Dómino, diem festum celebrántes sub honóre Sanctórum ómnium: de quorum sollemnitáte gaudent Angeli et colláudant Fílium Dei. 
Amen.



LDVM


Domus,Festo Omnium Sanctorum,Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile

Comments