desember 2011

Under Una Voces generalfrorsamking i Roma i noevember i år ble det holdt flere foredrag, som nå offentliggjøres på NML-bloggen. Det andre av disse foredragene jeg vil nevne er Don Giuseppe Vallauris gjennomgang av prestens stille ønner i messen. Han tar ikke her opp Canon som tradisjonelt sies stille, men de mange stille bønner som presten sier gjennom hele messen. Han sier om disse bl.a.:

… The priest at Mass acts “in persona Christi capitis”, he embodies, he represents Christ and therefore, all his actions, even the most insignificant ones, like climbing the steps, have a meaning, a sacred meaning. These prayers are not as ancient as the Roman Canon, and it can easily be surmised that in the course of time the priest and or the Church felt the need to fill in the gaps, so to speak, and be reminded of his unique role, at every moment of the Mass. …

… The first characteristic of these prayers is humility. It is a recurring idea throughout the Mass, from the prayers at the foot of the altar to the last, inaudible prayer, Placeat tibi, Sancta Trinitas. …

… I said above, that the priest at Mass, but not only at Mass of course, acts in “persona Christi” and precisely for this reason he feels unworthy. It is as if he constantly needed to remind himself of his unworthiness for such a sublime role. A similar attitude is expressed by the kissing of the altar, which he does several times. Not only at the beginning, before the Introit, and twice during the Canon, but also every time he turns towards the people, he kisses the altar beforehand. Each time, he wants to be united with Christ, represented by the altar, he needs to be empowered by Christ himself, so that he can really re-present Him.

The first silent prayer, after the prayers at the foot of the altar, which, in the solemn Mass at least, are said by the sacred ministers alone, is Aufer a nobis. This is one of the most beautiful moments. The priest approaches the altar, the place of sacrifice and, realizing he is unworthy of such a task, prays that he may be purified. Humility leads to the request for purification. The altar already is the Holy of Holies, having been consecrated, set aside for the offering of the sacrifice. Who could approach it without fear? He prays Aufer a nobis, using the plural, because he prays in the name of the sacred ministers. As Dom Gueranger says: “The closer we are to God, the more we feel that even the slightest blemish on the soul is an obstacle to be removed. Already he has prayed: Deus, tu conversus, vivificabis nos. But since he is getting near to God, he asks again that his sins may be removed. …

… The silent prayers of the priest at Mass, open for him a true sense of awe and amazement as he performs his holy duty. “This amazement should always fill the Church assembled for the celebration of the Eucharist. But in a special way it should fill the minister of the Eucharist.” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 5).

Alle disse stille bønnene finner man her – på latin og norsk.

I dag leste jeg til Matutin i 4., 5. og 6. lesning:

Reading 4:
From the Sermons of St Austin, Bishop of Hippo. 10th on the Saints.
Dearly beloved brethren, to-day we keep the birthday of those children, who, as we are informed by the Gospel, were massacred by the savage King Herod. Therefore let earth rejoice with exceeding joy, for she is the mother of these heavenly soldiers, and of this numerous host. The love of the vile Herod could never have crowned these blessed ones as hath his hatred. For the Church testifieth by this holy solemnity, that whereas iniquity did specially abound against these little saints, so much the more were heavenly blessings poured out upon them.

Reading 5:
Blessed art thou, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, which hast suffered the cruelty of King Herod in the slaughter of thy children; who art found worthy to offer at once to God a whole white-robed army of guileless martyrs! Surely, it is well to keep their birth-day, even that blessed birthday which gave them from earth to heaven, more blessed than the day that brought them out of their mother’s womb. Scarcely had they entered on the life that now is, when they obtained that glorious life which is to come.

Reading 6:
We praise the death of other martyrs because it was the crowning act of an undaunted and persistent testimony; but these were crowned at once. He That maketh an end to this present life, gave to them at its very gates that eternal blessedness which we hope for at its close. They whom the wickedness of Herod tore from their mothers’ breasts are rightfully called the flowers of martyrdom; hardly had these buds of the Church shown their heads above the soil, in the winter of unbelief, when the frost of persecution nipped them.

Slik leste jeg til Matutin i dag om den hellige Stefan, protomartyr:

Reading 4
From the Sermons of St Fulgentius, Bishop of Ruspa, on St Stephen.
Yesterday we were celebrating the birth in time of our Eternal King; to-day we celebrate the victory, through suffering, of one of His soldiers. Yesterday our King was pleased to come forth from His royal palace of the Virgin’s womb, clothed in a robe of flesh, to visit the world; to-day His soldier, laying aside the tabernacle of the body, entereth in triumph into the heavenly palaces. The One, preserving unchanged that glory of the Godhead which He had before the world was, girded Himself with the form of a servant, and entered the arena of this world to fight sin; the other taketh off the garments of this corruptible body, and entereth into the heavenly mansions, where he will reign for ever. The One cometh down, veiled in flesh; the other goeth up, clothed in a robe of glory, red with blood.

Reading 5
The One cometh down amid the jubilation of angels; the other goeth up amid the stoning of the Jews. Yesterday the holy angels were singing, Glory to God in the highest; to-day there is joy among them, for they receive Stephen into their company. Yesterday the Lord came forth from the Virgin’s womb; to-day His soldier is delivered from the prison of the body. Y’esterday Christ was for our sakes wrapped in swaddling bands; to – day He girdeth Stephen with a robe of immortality. Yesterday the new-born Christ lay in a narrow manger; to-day Stephen entereth victorious into the boundless heavens. The Lord came down alone that He might raise many up; our King humbled Himself that He might set His soldiers in high places.

Reading 6
Why brethren, it behoveth us to consider with what arms Stephen was able, amid all the cruelty of the Jews, to remain more than conqueror, and worthily to attain to so blessed a triumph. Stephen, in that struggle which brought him to the crown whereof his name is a prophecy, had for armour the love of God and man, and by it he remained victorious on all hands. The love of God strengthened him against the cruelty of the Jews; and the love of his neighbour made him pray even for his murderers. Through love he rebuked the wandering, that they might be corrected; through love he prayed for them that stoned him, that they might not be punished. By the might of his love he overcame Saul his cruel persecutor; and earned for a comrade in heaven, the very man who had done him to death upon earth.

Julens Kalenda startet martyrologiet i Prim-bønnen julaftens morgen, før de vanlige martyrene ble nevnt (martyrologiet er alltid for neste dag):

December 25th anno Domini 2011
In the year 5199th from the creation of the world, when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the year 2959th from the flood. In the year 2015th from the birth of Abraham. In the year 1510th from the going forth of the people of Israel out of Egypt under Moses. In the year 1032th from the anointing of David as King In the 65th week according to the prophecy of Daniel. In the 194th Olympiad. In the 752th from the foundation of the city of Rome. In the 42nd year of the reign of the Emperor Octavian Augustus. In the 6th age of the world, While the whole earth was at peace, Jesus Christ, Himself Eternal God and Son of the Eternal Father, being pleased to hallow the world by His most gracious coming, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and when nine months were passed after His conception, (all kneel down) was born of the Virgin Mary at Bethlehem of Juda made Man, Our Lord Jesus Christ was born according to the flesh.

Fra Matutin julaftens morgen:

Reading 1
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 1:18-21
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Ghost. (And so on.)

Homily by St Jerome, Priest at Bethlehem,
Book of Commentaries, on Matth. i.
Why was the Lord conceived of an espoused virgin rather than of a free? First, for the sake of the genealogy of Mary, which we have obtained by that of Joseph. Secondly, because she was thus saved from being stoned by the Jews as an adulteress. Thirdly, that Himself and His mother might have a guardian on their journey into Egypt. To these, Ignatius, the martyr of Antioch, has added a fourth reason namely, that the birth might take place unknown to the devil, who would naturally suppose that Mary had conceived by Joseph.

Reading 2
Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. She was found, that is, by Joseph, but by no one else. He had already almost an husband’s privilege to know all that concerned her. Before they came together. This doth not imply that they ever did come together the Scripture merely showeth the absolute fact that up to this time they had not done so.

Reading 3
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. If any man be joined to a fornicatress they become one body; and according to the law they that are privy to a crime are thereby guilty. How then can it be that Joseph is described as a just man, at the very time he was compounding the criminality of his espoused? It must have been that he knew her to be pure, and yet understood not the mystery of her pregnancy, but, while he wondered at that which had happened, was willing to hold his peace.

De siste dagene før jul (f.o.m. 17/12) har egne messer, her er bønner og antifoner i dagens messe – 23/12:

Inngangsvers
Et barn skal fødes for oss, og han skal kalles mektig Gud; i ham skal alle jordens slekter velsignes. Kfr. Jes 9,6, Sal 72 (71),17

Kirkebønn
Allmektige, evige Gud, festen for din Sønns fødsel er nær. Derfor ber vi deg: La oss, dine uverdige tjenere, finne miskunn hos ditt Ord, som ble kjød i Jomfru Maria og reiste sin bolig iblant oss, han som lever og råder …

Bønn over offergavene
Herre, la dette offer som rommer fylden av vår tilbedelse, bringe oss forsoning med deg, så vi med rent hjerte kan feire vår Frelsers fødsel, han som lever og råder fra evighet til evighet.

Adventsprefasjon II

Kommunionsvers
Se, jeg står for døren og banker på, og til den som hører min røst og åpner døren, vil jeg tre inn og holde nattverd jeg med ham og han med meg. Åp 3,20

Slutningsbønn
Herre, vi er blitt mettet med din guddommelige gave. Gi oss din fred og forsoning, så vi blir rede til å løpe din elskede Sønn i møte med brennende lamper når han kommer, Kristus, vår Herre.

Fordi du har sett meg, Thomas, tror du; salige er de som ikke har sett, men (likevel) tror.

Slik (over) var antifonen til Benedictus i dag, og under ser man Matutins fjerde lesning:

The Apostle Thomas, called Didymus, or the Twin, was a Galilean. After the descent of the Holy Ghost, he went into many provinces to preach Christ’s Gospel. He gave knowledge of the rules of Christian faith and life to the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, and Bactrians. He went last to the East Indies. Here he provoked the anger of one of the idolatrous kings, because the holiness of his life and teaching, and the number of his miracles, drew many after him, and brought them to the love of Christ Jesus. He was therefore condemned, and slain with lances. He crowned the dignity of the Apostleship with the glory of martyrdom, on the Coromandel coast, not far from Madras.