What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

In the play Henry V when the battle of Agincourt is ended in victory for England, the King says, “Do we all holy rites; Let there be sung ‘Non nobis’ and ‘Te Deum’”. At the end of the battle of each year, Holy Church also asks us to sing the Te Deum. It is even listed on the calendar printed by the Holy See for use in the offices of the Curia.

Curial Calendar

Here is today’s page, 31 December. Note the interesting information it provides. It tells you what time in Rome the “aurora” begins, sunrise, and sunset. It gives the time of the new moon and also the ringing of the “Ave Maria”. At the bottom it tells you about the feasts celebrated, making distinctions (depending on the day) between the feast celebrated in the Vatican City and that of Italy. It also adds helpful stuff such as the fact that in the roman church called the Gesu’ the Te Deum is to be sung. Finally, because it is a Vatican calendar, it shows that today was a vacation day for those who work for the Holy See…. immediately beneath the Latin words for “Thanks be to God”. Coincidence? I think not.

Today the Holy Father in his address for the solemn Te Deum said:

Sostenuta dallo Spirito Santo, essa “prosegue il suo pellegrinaggio fra le persecuzioni del mondo e le consolazioni di Dio” (Sant’Agostino, De Civitate Dei, XVIII, 51,2), traendo forza dall’aiuto del Signore. ... Sustained by the Holy Spirit, [the Church] “continues her pilgrimage between the persecutions of the world and the consolations of God (St. Augustine – ciu. 18, 51,2)