Unus mílitum láncea latus ejus apéruit, et contínuo exívit sanguis et aqua...

There was a woman that had a son dying, in whose throat was a bone of a fish athwart, which strangled him, and she brought him before his feet, praying him that he would make her son whole. And Saint Blase put his hand upon him and made his prayer to God that this child, and all they that demanded benefits of health in his name, that they should be helped and obtain it, and anon he was whole and made well. 

From the Life of Saint Blase in the Legenda Aurea 

 

Lesson 3

Blasius, Sebaste in Armenia cum virtútum laude floréret, ejusdem civitátis epíscopus elígitur. Qui, quo témpore Diocletianus insatiábilem crudelitátem in Christiános exercebat, se in spelúncam ábdidit montis Argæi; ubi tamdiu látuit, dum ab Agricolái præsidis milítibus venántibus deprehénsus et ad præsidem ductus, ejus jussu conjéctus est in vincula. Quo in loco multos ægrotos sanávit, qui ad Blasium, ejus fama sanctitátis adducti, deferebántur. In illis puer fuit, qui, desperáta a medicis salúte, transversa spina fáucibus inhærente, ánimam agebat. Productus autem ad præsidem Blasius semel et íterum, cum nec blanditiis nec minis adduci posset, ut diis sacrificaret, primum virgis cæsus, deínde in equuleo férreis pectínibus dilaniátus est; postremo, dempto cápite, illustre fidei testimónium Christo Dómino dedit, tertio Nonas Februarii.

Te Deum

 

Today is the feast of Saint Blase Bishop and Martyr, of simplex rite, which means that all the Psalms at Matins are sung in one nocturn with three only lessons, the third of which on feasts is always (or almost always?) a hagiographical one. 

Saint Blase is famous for his intercession on behalf of those afflicted with ailments of the throat; the crossed candles are an embellishment that happened in different forms in different places-- in the Germanic lands, I believe, a device is used, like the tricereo at the Easter Vigil with the middle candle absent. I've only ever had the blessing with two candles crossed. I typically waste a few moments imagining the to-do if someone's chemically-treated hair goes up in flames, and which of the faithful is likely to be lit up. I do not myself consider that it is necessary for women to veil at Mass but were I one I would certainly do so today-- with a scarf, not lace. 

Unfortunately I think I cannot go out to Mass downtown this morning, tsk; the less said about that the better. The Apostle's Epistle to the Thessalonians was begun at Matins earlier. The Mass of the Saint is Sacerdotes Dei but at Barroux the monks are singing the Mass Cogitationes Cordis eius of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord (on the 1st Friday of the month) and I suppose that the celebrant at Saint-Eugène will also say that Mass. 

At Jouques, the nuns have the feast of Saint Ansgar, 'apostolic legate in all the North', who converted many pagans in Saxony, Denmark and Sweden-- but he was a monk of the great Royal Abbey at Corbie founded by Queen Saint Bathilde, so it is only fitting that he has a place in the Benedictine calendar. Although today is his feast in the Martyrologium Romanum and I believe I recall that the Pauline Rite  celebrates him with an 'optional memorial'; Sacerdotes Dei, for him (the same Introit as for Saint Blase but otherwise the Mass is different), is in the Graduale proper, not in the Benedictine supplement. 

Introitus. Ps. 32, 11 et 19. Cogitatiónes Cordis ejus in generatióne et generatiónem: ut éruat a morte ánimas eórum et alat eos in fame. Ps. ibid., 1. Exsultáte, justi, in Dómino: rectos decet collaudátio. ℣. Glória Patri.

Oratio. Deus, qui nobis in Corde Fílii tui, nostris vulneráto peccátis, infinítos dilectiónis thesáuros misericórditer largíri dignáris: concéde, quǽsumus; ut, illi devótum pietátis nostræ præstántes obséquium, dignæ quoque satisfactiónis exhibeámus offícium. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum.

Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Ephésios.
Ephes. 3, 8 19. 

Fratres: Mihi, ómnium sanctórum mínimo, data est grátia hæc, in géntibus evangelizáre investigábiles divítias Christi, et illumináre omnes, quæ sit dispensátio sacraménti abscónditi a sǽculis in Deo, qui ómnia creávit: ut innotéscat principátibus et potestátibus in cœléstibus per Ecclésiam multifórmis sapiéntia Dei, secúndum præfinitiónem sæculórum, quam fecit in Christo Jesu, Dómino nostro, in quo habémus fidúciam et accéssum in confidéntia per fidem ejus. Hujus rei grátia flecto génua mea ad Patrem Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, ex quo omnis patérnitas in cœlis ei in terra nominátur, ut det vobis, secúndum divítias glóriæ suæ, virtúte corroborári per Spíritum ejus in interiórem hóminem, Christum habitáre per fidem in córdibus vestris: in caritáte radicáti et fundáti, ut póssitis comprehéndere cum ómnibus sanctis, quæ sit latitúdo, et longitúdo, et sublímitas, et profúndum: scire étiam supereminéntem sciéntiæ caritátem Christi, ut impleámini in omnem plenitúdinem Dei.

Graduale. Ps. 24, 8-9. Dulcis et rectus Dóminus: propter hoc legem dabit delinquéntibus in via. ℣. Díriget mansúetos in judício, docébit mites vias suas.

Allelúja, allelúja. ℣. Matth. 11, 29. Tóllite jugum meum super vos, et díscite a me, quia mitis sum et húmilis Corde, et inveniétis réquiem animábus vestris. Allelúja.

Was indisposed for a few minutes and only made it here as M le Curé began the Gospel lesson.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Joánnem.
Joann 19 ,11-37.
In illo témpore: Judǽi (quóniam Parascéve erat), ut non remanérent in cruce córpora sábbato (erat enim magnus dies ille sábbati), rogavérunt Pilátum, ut frangeréntur eórum crura, et tolleréntur. Venérunt ergo mílites: et primi quidem fregérunt crura et alteríus, qui crucifíxus est cum eo. Ad Jesum autem cum veníssent, ut vidérunt eum jam mórtuum, non fregérunt ejus crura, sed unus mílitum láncea latus ejus apéruit, et contínuo exívit sanguis et aqua. Et qui vidit, testimónium perhíbuit: et verum est testimónium ejus. Et ille scit quia vera dicit, ut et vos credátis. Facta sunt enim hæc ut Scriptúra implerétur: Os non comminuétis ex eo. Et íterum alia Scriptúra dicit: Vidébunt in quem transfixérunt. 

Dr Ratovondrahety is at the organ this morning; every 1st Friday and 1st Saturday, perhaps.  

Offertorium. Ps. 68, 21. Impropérium exspectávi Cor meum et misériam: et sustínui, qui simul mecum contristarétur, et non fuit: consolántem me quæsívi, et non invéni.

Secreta. Réspice, quǽsumus, Dómine, ad ineffábil em Cordis dilécti Fílii tui caritátem: ut quod offérimus sit tibi munus accéptum et nostrórum expiátio delictórum. Per eúndem Dóminum.

Communio. Joann. 19, 34. Unus mílitum láncea latus ejus apéruit, et contínuo exívit sanguis et aqua.

Postcommunio. Prǽbeant nobis, Dómine Jesu, divínum tua sancta fervórem: quo dulcíssimi Cordis tui suavitáte percépta; discámus terréna despícere, et amáre cœléstia: Qui vivis et regnas.

LDVM