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

...but let me throw this out there for your consideration.

After thinking about the declaration concerning the public ministry of the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, Rev. Fr. Marciel Maciel Degollado, I had an idea this weekend out in the fresh air of the Tuscan countryside.  (I added that last part to rub it in a bit.)

Consider the major players in the game.  This case has continued into the pontificate of Pope Benedict.  The Prefect of the CDF is now an American cardinal.  The way that Rev. Fr. Marciel Maciel Degollado was treated was really pretty gentle, all in all.  At the same time, while EVERY PRIEST IN THE WORLD could be invited to do penance, few are publicly invited to do so.  Thus, little doubt is left in our minds about what this is all about.

Still, perhaps this is also a signal from the CDF to the USA about the draconian measures that have sometimes been applied to priests who are merely accused of certain things.  The CDF’s statment certainly communicates something serious, but it leaves the man a measure of his dignity.

Maybe you have a different take?

I got back from a little day trip up to Tuscany last night and the air here in Rome, as it happens on Sundays, was esepcially clear. Here is the Basilica and … well… fireworks are not necessary. You can use this photo if you want, but please provide attribution. Wanna bigger version for wall paper? I hear from a few folks they are using my photos that way. So, here ya go.

COLLECT:
Concede, misericors Deus,
ut, quod paschalibus exsequimur institutis,
fructiferum nobis omni tempore sentiamus.

This prayer was not in any previous edition of the Missale Romanum, but it is to be found, exactly as is, in the ancient Gelasian Sacramentary.   This does not seem to be based on a Scriptural or Patristic reference.   Who ever composed this prayer was a master of the content and the language.

Remember that exsequor can mean a range of things from “follow, pursue” to “carry out, execute, accomplish”.  Blaise/Dumas also reminded us a while back that exsequor can be applied to carrying out a ministry, fulfilling the commandments or celebrating the sacred mysteries.  Fructifer is an adjective means “fruitful, fruit bearing”.  I haven’t found any uses of it as a substantive, which helps us piece the thing together.   Blaise/Dumas indicates that institutum has different shades of meaning in the plural and singular.  In the plural it is “institution” and “ce qui a été institué (par la Providence)”. 

This ancient and dense little prayer could be taken is several directions.  There is a great deal squeezed into it.   I am quite interested to see what some of you might come up with.  

LITERALLY…..:
O merciful God, grant
that we sense at all times as bearing fruit
that which we are celebrating by means of the paschal mysteries which were instituted.

Maybe you can come up with something for that paschalibus… institutis which gets at the reality of the Easter event, that is, the suffering, death and resurrection of the Lord.  Blaise/Dumas suggests a singular rendering of the plural instituta.   Give it a try.