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

It’s the 4th of March, the 2nd Sunday of Lent and the Roman Station today is at Santa Maria in Domnica.    Welcome back to another Podcast from Fr. Z.  See below.

You might be interested in a couple of the texts from the Podcast.

There is a great song everyone should be able to sing along with.

Roma nun fà la stupida stasera
damme ‘na mano a faje di de si

Sceji tutte le stelle
più brillarelle che poi
e un friccico de luna tutta pe’ noi

Faje sentì ch’è quasi primavera
manna li mejo grilli pe’ fa cri cri

Prestame er ponentino
più malandrino che ciai

Roma nun fa la stupida stasera
ROMA nun fa la stupida stasera

Damme ‘na mano a faje di de si

Sceji tutte le stelle
più brillarelle che poi
e un friccico de luna tutta pe’ noi

Faje sentì ch’è quasi primavera
manna li mejo grilli pe’ fa cri cri

Prestame er ponentino
più malandrino che ciai

Roma reggeme er moccolo stasera.

Then we have a Latin reading of the second of today’s selections of the Officium lectionum.  It is from a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope and is magnificent.  Here are the English and Latin texts.

The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but he makes it shine with such splendour that his face becomes like the sun in glory, and his garments as white as snow.
The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of his disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of his voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.
With no less forethought he was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as his gift. the members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.
The Lord had himself spoken of this when he foretold the splendour of his coming: Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared to the future glory that is to be revealed in us. In another place he says: You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfil exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified. What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony, and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through his presence, and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.
No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in him and in our love for him, we win the victory that he has won, we receive what he has promised.
When it comes to obeying the commandments or enduring adversity, the words uttered by the Father should always echo in our ears: This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

And even more importantly,

Aperit Dominus coram electis testibus gloriam suam, et communem illam cum ceteris corporis formam tanto splendore clarificat, ut et facies eius solis fulgori similis, et vestitus candori nivium esset aequalis.

In qua transfiguratione illud quidem principaliter agebatur, ut de cordibus discipulorum crucis scandalum tolleretur; nec conturbaret eorum fidem voluntariae humilitas passionis, quibus revelata esset absconditae excellentia dignitatis.

Sed non minore providentia spes sanctae Ecclesiae fundabatur, ut totum corpus Christi agnosceret quali esset commutatione donandum, et eius sibi honoris consortium membra promitterent, qui in capite praefulsisset.

De quo idem Dominus dixerat, cum de adventus sui maiestate loqueretur: Tunc iusti fulgebunt sicut sol in regno Patris sui; protestante hoc ipsum beato Paulo apostolo et dicente: Existimo enim quod non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram glotriam, quae revelabitur in nobis; et iterum: Mortui enim estis, et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo. Cum enim Christus apparuerit vita vestra, tunc et vos apparebitis cum ipso in gloria.

Confirmandis vero apostolis et ad omnem scientiam provehendis, alia quoque in illo miraculo accessit instructio. Moyses enim et Elias, lex scilicet et prophetae, apparuerunt cum Domino loquentes, ut verissime in illa quinque virorum praesentia compleretur quod dictum est: In duobus vel tribus testibus stat omne verbum. Quid hoc stabilius, quid firmius verbo, in cuius praedicatione veteris et novi testamenti concinit tuba et, cum evangelica doctrina, antiquarum protestationum instrumenta concurrunt?

Astipulantur enim sibi invicem utriusque foederis paginae; et, quem sub velamine mysteriorum praecedentia signa promiserant, manifestum atque perspicuum praesentis gloriae splendor ostendit; quia, sicut ait beatus Ioannes, lex per Moysen data est, gratia autem et veritas per Iesum Christum facta est; in quo et propheticarum promissio impleta est figurarum, et legalium ratio praeceptorum, dum et veram docet prophetiam per sui praesentiam, et possibilia facit mandata per gratiam.

Confirmetur ergo secundum praedicationem sacratissimi Evangelii omnium fides, et nemo de Christi cruce, per quam mundus redemptus est, erubescat.

Nec ideo quisquam aut pati pro iustitia timeat, aut de promissorum retributione diffidat, quia per laborem ad requiem, et per mortem transitur ad vitam; cum omnem humilitatis nostrae infirmitatem ille susceperit, in quo si in confessione et in dilectione ipsius permaneamus, et quod vicit vincimus, et quod promisit accipimus.

Quia sive ad facienda mandata, sive ad toleranda adversa, praemissa Patris vox debet semper auribus nostris insonare, dicentis: Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacui: ipsum audite.

 

And this should be helpful:

Surely you have noticed that there is sometimes a scramble in the blogosphere for people to post entries about pretty much the saaame topics.  I do it too, I know, but I usually try to do sometimes a bit different. 

Today, 2nd Sunday of Lent, other bloggers (for example) have posted on the Roman Station church, Santa Maria in Domnica, on the Caelian Hill (one of the seven Rome is famous for).  Those other excellent efforts notwithstanding, here are a couple photos of the finest mosaics in Rome in the apse of the basilica.  These were done at the time of Pope Pascal (+824).

The Apse:



A Detail:



You can see the humble little Paschal himself kneeling by Mary’s feet, his tilted square halo telling us that he was alive when the mosaics were executed.  The mosaic reveals that a transition was going on in making of mosaics.  Even though there are still lot’s of Greek elements here (Paschal harbored lots of Greek refugees in Rome who did some of the work – even without a Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerate Workers), in depicting Mary there was a shift away from the Byzantine to more of a Roman style.  Here the Mother of God is shown not so much as a Byzantine empress but as more of a Roman matron.  The little Paschal is really very sweet.  He is kneeling and holding on to her foot as a sign of his loyalty to her.  (Just a little fuzzy, sorry).

Paschal was quite the restorer of things and did a lot of work on the Caelian.  He also rebuilt Santa Caecilia in the Trastevere district and S. Prassede on the Esquiline.  It is at Santa Prassede that in the little St. Zeno Chapel you see the now infamous mosaic depiction of Paschal’s mom, Teodora.  In the mosaic she sports the title "episcopa" because she was the Bishop of Rome’s mother and for no other reason than that. 

It was a commonplace in the ancient world to extend titles borne by one person to members of their immediate family.  This would be like calling the former President, "Senator Clinton".  (Figure that out.  But you get my drift.) 

The real story is that Paschal, who built that chapel in St. Praxidis, really loved his mom and so he honored her with a portrait for her perpetual memory and gave her his own title so people would know which Teodora they were looking at. 

That is the whole skinny on the Theodora mosaic.  One suspects that she was well-known to the Roman people and was probably a prominent citizen even before her son became Pope.  And I will bet that some of Mom’$ dough went into making that chapel, too.

D’ya think Teodora ever told Pope Paschal what to do?  I have that idea.

With that question in mind, let’s drift a bit and see what happens, ‘cause I’m in a sleep-deprived feisty mood on this gloriously bright Roman morning, and the large amount of coffee I drank is kicking in.

The always interesting Me Monk Me Meander links to a page which in turn tears into one of the dopiest sites on the internet (romancatholicwomenpriests.org) promoting the dippy canard that there were women "priests" in the ancient Church of Rome.  Yah, like THAT happened.

The question of whether or not the papal mom Theodora ever made strong suggestions to her pontifical son made me think of something a friend sent to me the other day: St John Chrysostom (+407), On the Priesthood 3,9.  

This is really snazzy.  While this is just the sort of thing to incite the Wymynchrch types to come at you with their nails, they are not the one’s I am presently interested in needling.  I offer this amusing like piece to my feminzied clerical brethren who let women push them around and usurp their proper ministerial and liturgical roles.

The divine law indeed has excluded women from the ministry, but they endeavor to thrust themselves into it; and since they can effect nothing of themselves, they do all through the agency of others; and they have become invested with so much power that they can appoint or eject priests at their will: things in fact are turned upside down, and the proverbial saying may be seen realized—“The ruled lead the rulers:” and would that it were men who do this instead of women, who have not received a commission to teach. Why do I say teach? For the blessed Paul did not suffer them even to speak in the Church. But I have heard some one say that they have obtained such a large privilege of free speech, as even to rebuke the prelates of the churches, and censure them more severely than masters do their own domestics.

Folks, you know the types.  Plus ça change, huh?

I find Chrysostom quite entertaining sometimes.  You can’t be indifferent to him. 

Now … some overly critical smarty-pants is out there, right now, reading this and poking his finger at the screen, "But Father! But Father!", says he, "Golden John is not talking about the Roman Church!  What are you thinking??" 

I respond "So what?", I am having fun.  Besides, if by the 5th c. this is what we hear in pulpit of Constantinople, how much less likely is it that the Romans had female clergy in the 9th century?

John Chrysostom is fun enough to get more attention.  One day I will tell you about how the Bishop of Constantinople, famous for railing against drunkeness, suggests punching people in the face if they think wine is evil.

HEBDOMADA SECUNDA IN QUADRAGESIMA - 2nd WEEK OF LENT

12) Dominica II in Quadragesima – 2nd Sunday of Lent
a) Collect (article from 2001)
b) Super oblata (article from 2002)
c) Post Communion (article from 2003)
d) Collect (article from 2005)
e) Super oblata (article 2006)

What Does the Prayer Really Say?  2nd Sunday of Lent – Roman Station: St. Mary in Domnica

ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN The Wanderer in 2007

...

This Sunday’s “Prayer after Communion” was in the ancient Gelasian Sacramentary for Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Lent.  It was not in any pre-Conciliar edition of the Missale Romanum.

POST COMMUNION (2002 Missale Romanum):
Percipientes, Domine, gloriosa mysteria,
gratias tibi referre satagimus,
quod, in terra positos,
iam caelestium praestas esse participes.

To see what the prayer really says, we dash to the the Dictionary by Lewis & Short.  Search for satagimus under satis.  This is satis constructed with ago as sat ago, written often as one word satago, “to have enough to do, have one’s hands full; to be in trouble” and also “to bustle about, make a to-do, be full of business.”  In business language it is, “to satisfy, content, pay a creditor.” We have seen that gratia is not only “grace” but is also “thanks” when we construct it with a verb such as ago (again) and referro.  Here we have referro together with (sat)ago in a very elegant and courtly construction. 

Don’t automatically perceive percipio to mean “perceive”, though that is one of its meanings.  Words have contexts.  Percipio is also “to take wholly, to seize entirely” and then by extension “to perceive, feel” and “to learn, know, conceive, comprehend, understand.”  I think “grasp” is good, but not in the sense of “seize” (as some of the less perceptive do when they “grasp” Holy Communion in the hand).  In our prayer percipio appears as a present active participle.  By “present” we understand “contemporary” with the time of the main verb.  The terms sacramentum and mysterium are often interchangeable in liturgical prayers.  Our old friend gloria is not just “glory” but also a characteristic of God.  He will share gloria with us in the world to come and it will forever transform us.  The Eucharist is a foretaste of this gift.   Praesto means a range of things, from “to become surety for, to answer or vouch for, to warrant, be responsible for, to take upon one’s self”, and “to show, exhibit, to prove, evince, manifest”, and “to give, offer, furnish, present, expose”. 

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
We are busy offering thanks to You, O Lord,
as we are grasping the glorious sacraments,
for You are granting us placed here on earth
to be participants of heavenly things.

ICEL (1973 translation of the 1970MR):
Lord,
we give thanks for these holy mysteries
which bring to us here on earth
a share in the life to come.

Holy Church offers us glorious things in our sacred rites.  The lame-duck ICEL versions are not among them.  Our prayers, what our prayers really say, contain inestimable treasures if only we can get them open.  For most of us who don’t “grasp” in the content within the Latin itself, this means rendering the prayers in English.  These prayers, the whole sacred action of the Mass and its chief content, the Eucharist, are meant to transform us. 

During Lent we are looking at the Oratio super populum, an ancient custom now happily restored in the third edition of the Missale Romanum.  It is uttered by the priest after the Post Communion.  NB: in the lame-duck ICEL “Sacramentary” on Sundays of Lent you find a “Solemn blessing or prayer over the people”.   These are not in the Latin editions of the Missale.

ORATIO SUPER POPULUM (2002MR):
Benedic, Domine, fideles tuos benedictione perpetua,
et fac eos Unigeniti tui Evangelio sic adhaerere,
ut ad illam gloriam, cuius in se speciem Apostolis ostendit,
et suspirare iugiter et feliciter valeant pervenire.

MY LITERAL RENDERING:
Bless Your faithful, O Lord, with an everlasting benediction
and make them so to cling to the Gospel of Your Only-Begotten
that they may be able to long for always and happily to attain
unto that glory whose beauty He showed to the Apostles in Himself.

The verb suspiro means “to draw a deep breath, heave a sigh, to sigh” and thus “sighing after, longing for”.

How we long for good translations. 

I received this. I am passing it along without much comment since I am dead tired, it is nearly 2 am, the idiots across the street are having a really loud party, and I… have HAD IT WITH THIS DAY!   o{]:¬(

Biretta tip to JG who sent it along (emphases mine):  o{]:¬)

Dear friends,

Some members of the "Committee for Liturgical Peace of Rheims [a French diocese]were in Rome this week. They showed their fidelity to the Church once again and prayed in the Basilica of St. Peter so that peace will finally prevail in the diocese of Reims. This trip to the seat of Christendom was not all for pleasure since we had to meet on March 1st with Msgr. Camillo Perl, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. In effect, Msgr. Perl, the direct co-worker with Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos and close to Pope Benedict XVI, had proposed the meeting with us.

We submitted your petitions to the commission Ecclesia Dei as promised. [The diocese of Rheims still lacks an episcopally approved Tridentine Mass]. They were well received! Dear friends, this meeting of longer than one hour was of a great depth and an immense comfort. We outline here some points to you which were touched on:

1. Rome is very well informed of the situation in the diocese of Rheims and strongly regrets the refusal repeated of Msgr. Jordan to grant the Mass in the "old form of the Roman rite". Monseigneur Perl declared us, in the form of a joke: when a bishop wants to refuse the request of his faithful, he will always find arguments."

2. Msgr. Perl repeated to us several times that he understood our dissatisfaction, but that he is happy to note our constant fidelity to the Church.

3. At no moment did Msgr. Perl show the least reservation against our action, our forms, its duration and publicity that some of us make to the lay faithful of several parishes of Reims.

4. Lastly, Msgr. Perl promised to us soon liturgical peace in the diocese of Rheims! Let’s re-examine this last point to announce a great item of news to you!

THE MOTU PROPRIO LIBERALIZING THE MASS KNOWN AS THAT OF ST. PIUS V, SO MUCH AWAITED, WILL BE PUBLISHED BEFORE EASTER SUNDAY.

Our Holy Father is holding fast to this [decision]. Another bit of excellent news, [concerning which] we had been mistaken!IN EFFECT, THE MOTU PROPRIO WILL HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW. Pope Benedict XVI considers it regrettable that [the Motu Proprio] of July 1988 did nothing but invite the bishops to accomodate the faithful attached to the Tridentine Rite. The Motu Proprio will not be satisfied by this simple invitation. It will be obligatory!What will we find in this text?

1. Any priest wishing to say the Tridentine Mass will be able to do so privately.

2. Any group of faithful attached to the Rite of Saint Pie V will be able to go to see the pastor of his parish or a priest of his town to request this Rite of him. The priest will be able to accept [the request to celebrate] without referring to his bishop about it.

3. If the priest and other diocesan priests, do not want to celebrate in "the old rite", they will be able to accomodate any priest from a [traditional] community [of religious, e.g., FSSP] wishing to do so.

4. If a group of faithful requests the Rite of rite known as of saint Pie V, but cannot find any priest, nor a place, nor a [member of a religious] community, being able to respond to their wishes; this group will be able to write to the Commission Ecclesia Dei which will work to find a solution, a priest, or a community [member]. [The article ends by commenting that if their local bishop is ignoring them, at least the Holy Father is doing something about it].

Thanks to http://eccequitollit.blogspot.com/2007/03/more-on-motu-proprio.html for this translation. The original (in french) is at http://qien.free.fr/2007/200703/20070303_paixliturgique.htm

 

The total lunar eclipse of the Feast of St. Cundegunda is still going on, but it is almost at an end.  Straight to my window to you…



This is it at its total stage, as far as I can tell and the astronomical table calculated. 

There is always a little light spill, even at total.

Alas it was just too high for me to get even with my widest lens and catch the City with it.