At illa dixit: Etiam, Dómine: nam et catélli edunt de micis, quæ cadunt de mensa dominórum suórum...

Today is the Thursday of the first week of Lent; the Mass is Confessio et pulchritudo-- the Introit was borrowed from the Mass of Saint Lawrence by Gregorius II, according to Blessed Ildefonso infra. 

Am reading this morning-- it is Friday-- Dr DiPippo's post yesterday at New Liturgical Movement. He discusses the same history of instituting and borrowing et cetera that Blessed Ildefonso did infra, but from a more historically well-informed position. 

Before the early 8th century, the church of Rome kept the Thursdays of Lent (with the obvious exception of Holy Thursday) and the Saturdays after Ash Wednesday and Passion Sunday as “aliturgical” days. (The term aliturgical refers, of course, only to the Eucharistic liturgy, not to the Divine Office.) This is attested in the oldest liturgical books of the Roman Rite, and in the collection of papal biographies called the Liber Pontificalis, which tells us that Pope St Gregory II (715-31) instituted the Masses of these days. This is why even in the Missal of St Pius V, the Thursdays of Lent borrow their chant parts (the introits, graduals, offertories and communions) from other Masses; the respect for the tradition codified by St Gregory the Great was such that it was deemed better not to add new pieces to the established repertoire. (The two formerly aliturgical Saturdays simply repeat the Gregorian propers from the previous day, indicating that their Masses were added by a different Pope.)

When the Mass was instituted for today, the station was appointed, for no readily obvious reason, at a church on the Esquiline Hill dedicated to St Lawrence, traditionally said to be the very place where his martyrdom happened. To distinguish it from his many other Roman churches, it now bears the nickname in Panisperna, but was long known as in Formoso; the origin and meaning of these terms is disputed. The Introit of the Mass is therefore repeated from his feast day. Confessio et pulchritúdo in conspectu ejus: sánctitas et magnificentia in sanctificatióne ejus et cetera....

The Epistle, Ezechiel 18, 1-9, was clearly chosen as a prequel to that of the following day, verses 20-28 of the same chapter. This refers directly to St Lawrence, whom Pope Sixtus II set in charge of the Church’s charitable activities. “If a man be just, and do judgment and justice, … (and) hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment: hath walked in my commandments, and kept my judgments, to do truth: he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.” The words “if a man be just, and do … justice” refer to a verse of Psalm 111, “He hath distributed, he hath given to the poor: his justice remaineth for ever and ever,” which is cited by St Paul in the Epistle of St Lawrence’s feast, 2 Cor. 9, 6-10. This also looks back to the previous week’s reading from the prophet Isaiah (chap. 58, 1-9): “deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into thy house: when thou shalt see one naked, cover him.” And so forth.

I have to go out later on for the annual 'awesome wellness event' at the doctor's office, formerly known as an 'annual physical'; since I cancelled in November (a terrible offense, I was given to understand) I'm 'overdue'. Dr N.-- I can think of her Christian name but not her surname-- will certainly order a blood draw; who knows about anything else. I have no doubt but that my blood pressure is... not normal; all things considered (chiefly the fact that nothing much has changed here since last year and I try to be at least minimally careful about sugar and other carbohydrates), I expect I'm still 'pre-diabetic'. One of these days I'm going to be told I need a real colonoscopy (they have been having me use the mail-a-smudge-of-poop-to-the-lab method for the last couple of years), sigh. 

The car that will deliver me to the doctors' office is scheduled to arrive any time between 1000 and half past so will miss the streaming from Saint-Eugène altogether this morning, alas.

Didn't get back here until half past twelve (and I returned in the middle of a catastrophe affecting the other tenant here, tsk; I won't prose on about his business except to note that if you can't afford to take good care of a pet, don't keep one.) As it turns out, today's appointment was one designed to 're-establish' my relationship with a doctor (i.e. it was the first interview with the new physician) and the annual physical et cetera is scheduled at the beginning of June. My blood pressure is also (more or less) what it was two years ago, D.g., which I took as confirmation that, in spite of appearances, I'm doing something right. And I agreed to have a conversation with the 'community health' specialist next week to review the potential options for a new housing situation; left to myself, I'd probably end up staying here until I fall through the floor and the rats begin building tenements on the roof to complement their habitations below, so this is meant to be a bit of a spur for me to act instead of not acting.  

 

Lectio 1
Léctio sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum
Matt 15:21-28
In illo témpore: Egréssus Jesus secéssit in partes Tyri et Sidónis. Et réliqua.

Homilía sancti Hierónymi Presbýteri
Liber 2 Comm. in cap. 15. Matthæi
Scribis et pharisǽis calumniatóribus derelíctis, transgréditur in partes Tyri et Sidónis, ut Týrios Sidoniósque curáret. Múlier autem Chananǽa egréditur de fínibus prístinis, ut clamans fíliæ ímpetret sanitátem. Obsérva quod in quintodécimo loco fília Chananǽæ sanétur. Miserére mei, Dómine, Fili David. Inde novit vocáre Fílium David, quia egréssa jam fúerat de fínibus suis, et errórem Tyriórum ac Sidoniórum loci et fídei commutatióne dimíserat.

R. Tribulárer, si nescírem misericórdias tuas, Dómine; tu dixísti: Nolo mortem peccatóris, sed ut magis convertátur et vivat:
* Qui Chananǽam et publicánum vocásti ad pœniténtiam.
V. Secúndum multitúdinem dolórum meórum in corde meo, consolatiónes tuæ lætificavérunt ánimam meam.
R. Qui Chananǽam et publicánum vocásti ad pœniténtiam.

Lectio 2
Fília mea male a dæmónio vexátur. Ego fíliam Chananǽæ puto ánimas esse credéntium, quæ male a dæmónio vexabántur, ignorántes Creatórem, et adorántes lápidem. Qui non respóndit ei verbum: non de supérbia pharisáica, nec de scribárum supercílio: sed ne ipse senténtiæ suæ viderétur esse contrárius, per quam jússerat: In viam géntium ne abiéritis, et in civitátes Samaritanórum ne intravéritis. Nolébat enim occasiónem calumniatóribus dare: perfectámque salútem géntium passiónis et resurrectiónis témpori reservábat.

R. In ómnibus exhibeámus nosmetípsos sicut Dei minístros in multa patiéntia:
* Ut non vituperétur ministérium nostrum.
V. Ecce nunc tempus acceptábile, ecce nunc dies salútis: commendémus nosmetípsos in multa patiéntia.
R. Ut non vituperétur ministérium nostrum.

Lectio 3
Et accedéntes discípuli ejus, rogábant eum, dicéntes: Dimítte eam, quia clamat post nos. Discípuli illo adhuc témpore mystéria Dómini nesciéntes, vel misericórdia commóti, rogábant pro Chananǽa mulíere, quam alter Evangelísta Syrophœníssam appéllat: vel importunitáte ejus carére cupiéntes, quia non ut cleméntem, sed ut durum médicum crébrius inclamáret. Ipse aútem respóndens ait: Non sum missus, nisi ad oves quæ periérunt domus Israël. Non quo et ad gentes non missus sit, sed quo primum missus sit ad Israël: ut illis non recipiéntibus Evangélium, justa fíeret ad gentes transmigrátio.

R. In jejúnio et flétu orábunt sacerdótes, dicéntes:
* Parce, Dómine, parce pópulo tuo; et ne des hereditátem tuam in perditiónem.
V. Inter vestíbulum et altáre plorábunt sacerdótes, dicéntes.
R. Parce, Dómine, parce pópulo tuo; et ne des hereditátem tuam in perditiónem.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.
R. Parce, Dómine, parce pópulo tuo; et ne des hereditátem tuam in perditiónem.

 

St Agatha is the patron saint of the famous deaconry of the Suburra. The titular church [the site of today's collecta], once adorned with mosaics by Ricimer (472), was given over later to the Arians by the Goths. It was restored to Catholic worship by Gregory the Great, who dedicated it to the celebrated Sicilian martyr Agatha, to whom the Romans had such great devotion. In the 8th century a monastery was attached to it, which was afterwards converted into a collegiate community.

Today’s station at St Lawrence in Panisperna on the Viminal was instituted by Gregory II, who took the Introit from the festive Mass of St Lawrence. With a graceful allusion to the splendour of his sepulchral basilica, called the Speciosa, the Introit celebrates the sanctity of the great archdeacon, to whose prayers the early Fathers especially attributed the final triumph at Rome of the cross over
paganism. For this reason we find St Lawrence represented in ancient mosaics as carrying the sign of redemption, as though he held the office of cross- or standard-bearer of the Roman Church. Tradition has it that the martyr endured his fiery torment near today’s stational church, known as in Formoso. The adjoining monastery was, in the Middle Ages, one of the twenty privileged abbeys of the Eternal City. (Liber Sacramentorum)

Statio ad S. Laurentium in Panisperna

Introitus. Ps. 95, 6. Conféssio et pulchritúdo in conspéctu ejus: sánctitas et magnificéntia in sanctificatióne eius. Ps. ibid., 1. Cantáte Dómino cánticum novum: cantáte Dómino, omnis terra. ℣. Glória Patri.

Oratio. Devotiónem pópuli tui, quǽsumus, Dómine, benígnus inténde: ut, qui per abstinéntiam macerántur in córpore, per fructum boni óperis reficiántur in mente. Per Dóminum.

Léctio Ezechiélis Prophétæ.
Ezech. 18, 1-9.
In diébus illis: Factus est sermo Dómini ad me, dicens: Quid est, quod inter vos parábolam vértitis in provérbium istud in terra Israël, dicéntes: Patres comedérunt uvam acérbam, et dentes filiórum obstupéscunt? Vivo ego, dicit Dóminus Deus, si erit ultra vobis parábola hæc in provérbium in Israël. Ecce, omnes ánimæ meæ sunt: ut ánima patris, ita et ánima fílii mea est: ánima, quæ peccáverit, ipsa moriétur. Et vir si fúerit justus, et fécerit judícium et justítiam, in móntibus non coméderit, et óculos suos non leváverit ad idóla domus Israël: et uxórem próximi sui non violáverit, et ad mulíerem menstruátam non accésserit: et hóminem non contristáverit: pignus debitóri reddíderit, per vim nihil rapúerit: panem suum esuriénti déderit, et nudum operúerit vestiménto: ad usúram non commodáverit, et ámplius non accéperit: ab iniquitáte avértent manum suam, et judícium verum fécerit inter virum et virum: in præcéptis meis ambuláverit, et judícia mea custodíerit, ut fáciat veritátem: hic justus est, vita vivet, ait Dóminus omnípotens.

Graduale. Ps. 16, 8 et 2. Custódi me, Dómine, ut pupíllam óculi: sub umbra alárum tuárum prótege me. ℣. De vultu tuo judícium meum pródeat: óculi tui vídeant æquitátem.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum.

Matth. 15, 21-28.
In illo témpore: Egréssus Jesus secéssit in partes Tyri et Sidónis. Et ecce, múlier Chananǽa a fínibus illis egréssa clamávit, dicens ei: Miserére mei, Dómine, fili David: fília mea male a dæmónio vexátur. Qui non respóndit ei verbum. Et accedéntes discípuli ejus rogábant eum, dicéntes: Dimítte eam; quia clamat post nos. Ipse autem respóndens, ait: Non sum missus nisi ad oves, quæ periérunt domus Israël. At illa venit, et adorávit eum, dicens: Dómine, ádjuva me. Qui respóndens, ait: Non est bonum sumere panem filiórum, et míttere cánibus. At illa dixit: Etiam, Dómine: nam et catélli edunt de micis, quæ cadunt de mensa dominórum suórum. Tunc respóndens Jesus, ait illi: O múlier, magna est fides tua: fiat tibi, sicut vis. Et sanáta est fília ejus ex illa hora.

Offertorium. Ps. 33, 8-9. Immíttet Angelus Dómini in circúitu timéntium eum, et erípiet eos: gustáte, et vidéte, quóniam suávis est Dóminus.

Secreta. Sacrifícia, Dómine, quǽsumus, propénsius ista nos salvent, quæ medicinálibus sunt institúta jejúniis. Per Dóminum.

Communio. Joann. 6, 52. Panis, quem ego dédero, caro mea est pro sǽculi vita.

Postcommunio. Tuórum nos, Dómine, largitáte donórum, et temporálibus attólle præsídiis, et rénova sempitérnis. Per Dóminum.

Oratio super populum. Humiliáte cápita vestra Deo. Da, quǽsumus, Dómine, pópulis christiánis: et, quæ profiténtur, agnóscere, et cœléste munus dilígere, quod frequéntant. Per Dóminum.

LDVM