Et intrántes domum, invenérunt Púerum cum María Matre ejus, ei procidéntes adoravérunt eum. Et, apértis thesáuris suis, obtulérunt ei múnera, aurum, thus et myrrham...

Today is the great feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord, the Mass of which is Ecce advenit dominator Dominus. At Barroux the feast is celebrated today, its traditional date of course ('the Twelve Days of Christmas'); at Saint-Eugène, the solemn feast is celebrated tomorrow, Sunday. This is done in conformity with the French Bishops' judgment (which happens here in the US, too, our Bishops being as feeble as the French in this respect-- it was bad enough that the faithful had to hear Mass on both Christmas Eve, that is, the 4th Sunday of Advent, and Christmas Day; they've written the law in such a way so that the obligation didn't attach to the Mass of the Octave of Christmas on the 1st but they couldn't weasel out of the Christmas Eve and Christmas challenge). Am not sure which Mass was celebrated at Saint-E. today at 0030-- perhaps the Adeamus cum fiducia of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart, it being the First Saturday of January.

I shall probably end up confusing myself but am intending to add my 'notes' about the Epiphany Mass at Saint-Eugène to this page, not to make a second Epiphany page for the 7th. The Schola's page for the feast is here and the livret of Holy Mass is here. 

At Barroux, the antiphon at Terce is Venit lumen tuum Ierúsalem, et glória Dómini super te orta est, et ambulábunt gentes in lúmine tuo, allelúia.

Introitus. Malach. 3, 1; 1 Par. 29, 12. Ecce, advénit dominátor Dóminus: et regnum in manu ejus et potéstas et impérium. Ps. 71, 1. Deus, judícium tuum Regi da: et justítiam tuam Fílio Regis. ℣. Glória Patri.

I can't identify all the different ordinaries in the Kyriale (this is one of the reasons why I am happily anticipating the completion of Barroux's incorporation into the world of Neumz: such information is displayed on each page...) but this one is specially lovely. And the incipit of the Gloria was challenging, I imagine.

Kyrie, Gloria.

Oratio. Deus, qui hodiérna die Unigénitum tuum géntibus stella duce revelásti: concéde propítius; ut, qui jam te ex fide cognóvimus, usque ad contemplándam spéciem tuæ celsitúdinis perducámur. Per eúndem Dóminum nostrum.

Léctio Isaíæ Prophétæ.
Is. 60, 1-6.
Surge, illumináre, Jerúsalem: quia venit lumen tuum, et glória Dómini super te orta est. Quia ecce, ténebræ opérient terram et caligo pópulos: super te autem oriétur Dóminus, et glória ejus in te vidébitur. Et ambulábunt gentes in lúmine tuo, et reges in splendóre ortus tui. Leva in circúitu óculos tuos, et vide: omnes isti congregáti sunt, venérunt tibi: fílii tui de longe vénient, et fíliæ tuæ de látere surgent. Tunc vidébis et áfflues, mirábitur et dilatábitur cor tuum, quando convérsa fúerit ad te multitúdo maris, fortitúdo géntium vénerit tibi. Inundátio camelórum opériet te dromedárii Mádian et Epha: omnes de Saba vénient, aurum et thus deferéntes, et laudem Dómino annuntiántes.

Graduale. Ibid., 6 et 1. Omnes de Saba vénient, aurum et thus deferéntes, et laudem Dómino annuntiántes. ℣. Surge et illumináre, Jerúsalem: quia glória Dómini super te orta est.

Allelúja, allelúja. ℣. Matth. 2, 2. Vídimus stellam ejus in Oriénte, et vénimus cum munéribus adoráre Dóminum. Allelúja.

At Saint-Eugène, the Sequentia of the feast, included in the Missale Parisiense in 1685; we are assured that the melody is of the 12th century.

AD Jesum accúrite
Corda vestra súbdite
Regi novo Géntium.

Stella foris prædicat,
Intus fides índicat
Redemptórem ómnium.

HVC afferte múnera
Voluntáte libéra,
Sed múnera córdium.

Hæc erit gratíssima
Salvatóri víctima
Mentis sacrifícium.

OFFERT aurum cáritas,
Et myrrham austéritas,
Et thus desidérium.

Auro Rex agnóscitur,
Homo myrrha, cólitur
Thure Deus Géntium.

JVDÆA, gaudéntibus
Non ínvide Géntibus
Retectum mystérium.

Post custódes óvium,
Se Magi fidélium
Jungunt in consórtium.

QVI Judæos ádvocat
Christus, Gentes cónvocat
In unum tugúrium.

Bethléem fit hódie
Totíus Ecclésiæ
Nascentis exórdium.

REGNET Christus córdibus,
Et victis rebéllibus
Próferat imperium. 

Amen. 

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Matthǽum.
Matth. 2, 1-12.
Cum natus esset Jesus in Béthlehem Juda in diébus Heródis regis, ecce, Magi ab Oriénte venerunt Jerosólymam, dicéntes: Ubi est, qui natus est rex Judæórum? Vidimus enim stellam ejus in Oriénte, et vénimus adoráre eum. Audiens autem Heródes rex, turbatus est, et omnis Jerosólyma cum illo. Et cóngregans omnes principes  sacerdotum et scribas pópuli, sciscitabátur ab eis, ubi Christus nasceretur. At illi dixérunt ei: In Béthlehem Judae: sic enim scriptum est per Prophétam: Et tu, Béthlehem terra Juda, nequaquam mínima es in princípibus Juda; ex te enim éxiet dux, qui regat pópulum meum Israel. Tunc Heródes, clam vocátis Magis, diligénter dídicit ab eis tempus stellæ, quæ appáruit eis: et mittens illos in Béthlehem, dixit: Ite, et interrogáte diligénter de púero: et cum in venéritis, renuntiáte mihi, ut et ego véniens adórem eum. Qui cum audíssent regem, abiérunt. Et ecce, stella, quam víderant in Oriénte, antecedébat eos, usque dum véniens staret supra, ubi erat Puer. Vidéntes autem stellam, gavísi sunt gáudio magno valde. Et intrántes domum, invenérunt Púerum cum María Matre ejus, [hic genuflectitur] ei procidéntes adoravérunt eum. Et, apértis thesáuris suis, obtulérunt ei múnera, aurum, thus et myrrham. Et responso accépto in somnis, ne redírent ad Heródem, per aliam viam reversi sunt in regiónem suam.

At Saint-Eugène, following the chanting of the Holy Gospel, the deacon then sings the Noveritis, the announcement of the date of Easter and the other moveable feasts that depend upon its date, to the tone in which is sung the benediction of the Paschal Candle: the tradition of the Noveritis is very ancient indeed.

Novéritis, fratres caríssimi, quod annuénte Dei misericórdia, sicut de Nativitáte Dómini nostri Jesu Christi gavísi sumus, ita et de Resurrectióne ejúsdem Salvatóris nostri gáudium vobis annuntiámus.

Die vigésima octáva Januárii erit Domínica in Septuagésima.

Décima quarta Februárii dies Cínerum, et inítium jejúnii sacratíssimæ Quadragésimæ.

Trigésima prima Mártii sanctum Pascha Dómini nostri Jesu Christi cum gáudio celebríbitis.

Nona Máii erit Ascénsio Dómini nostri Jesu Christi.

Décima nona ejúsdem Festum Pentecóstes. 

Trigésima ejúsdem Festum sacratissimi Córporis Christi.

Prima Decémbris Domínica prima Advéntus Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, cui est honor et glória, in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Credo.

At Saint-Eugène, during the incensing of the altar the motet Ecce venimus for the feast by Guillaume Gabriel Nivers (1632-1714) was sung. He was, inter alii, organist at Saint Sulpice and at Saint-Cyr.

Offertorium. Ps. 71, 10-11. Reges Tharsis, et ínsulæ múnera ófferent: reges Arabum et Saba dona addúcent: et adorábunt eum omnes reges terræ, omnes gentes sérvient ei.

Secreta. Ecclésiæ tuæ, quæsumus, Dómine, dona propítius intuere: quibus non jam aurum, thus et myrrha profertur; sed quod eisdem munéribus declarátur, immolátur et súmitur, Jesus Christus, fílius tuus, Dóminus noster: Qui tecum vivit.

Præfatio et Communicántes propria quæ dicuntur per totam Octavam.

Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei.

Communio. Matth. 2, 2. Vídimus stellam ejus in Oriénte, et vénimus cum munéribus adoráre Dóminum.

Postcommunio. Præsta, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus: ut, quæ sollémni celebrámus officio, purificátæ mentis intellegéntia consequámur. Per Dóminum.

The clergy depart the sanctuary after Mass using a 'different route' back to the sacristy than the usual one; this aliam viam represents the 'return by a different road' taken by the Magi at the warning of the angel. "The Fathers of the Church saw in this an image of the conversion of hearts after the Lord is encountered."

A splendid Mass, and indeed a splendid day, apart from the disorder that requires the blessed Epiphany of the Lord to be celebrated on the wrong day.

Someone wondered if I listen to anything other than the cantus planus and Victoria, ha; 'yes of course' being the answer, of course. YouTube not finding the Bella Hardy song I wanted, or the one by The Buckthorns, I will have recourse to the 'Liked from Radio' playlist, ha, and Crystal Fighters is what shows up first. It is amusing in that none of the lyrics are me but it does, the song, evince that desire which is deep in every heart, for the Love that moves all the stars.

'Eccentrics' are never dirty, scarred, clothed in rags, obviously starving in 'Art'. Somehow this demonstrates the emptiness of the materialist Left worldview.

LDVM