Tre Ore (The Three Hours Devotion) The Three Hours’ Agony on Good Friday from Noon until 3 o’clock to commemorate the three hours of Christ’s Hanging on the Cross. It includes sermons on the Seven Last Words from the Cross and usually occurs between Noon and 3PM, the latter being the time when Jesus Died on the Cross and the time the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion begins. In 1815, Pope Pius VII decreed a Plenary Indulgence to those who practice this devotion on Good Friday.
It is a fine tradition to keep silent from Noon to 3:00 PM today.
The Office of Tenebrae The public singing of part of the Divine Office, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in Holy Week, anticipating Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. This custom goes back centuries and acquired the name because of the mourning ritual surrounding the ceremony which includes a triangular candlabra bearing fifteen candles. These are extinguishedt one by one until, after the last candle is extinguished, a prayer is said in darkness, one candle is lit and the assembly dispersed in silence.
St Attala of Taormina
St Benedict of Palermo OFM (1526-1589) Lay Friar of the Order of Friars Minor of the Observance, Confessor, spiritual counsellor, Apostle of the poor and needy, graced with the gift of healing the sick. St Benedict’s gifts for prayer, his love for the Blessed Virgin and the Infant Jesus and the wisdom displayed in his guidance of souls, earned him, a reputation for holiness, throughout Sicily. Following the example of St Francis, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year. He also slept only a few hours each night. His body is incorrupt. Kind and Holy Benedict: https://anastpaul.com/2023/04/03/saint-of-the-day-3-april-st-benedict-of-palermo-ofm-1526-1589-lay-friar/
St Burgundofara / more commonly known as Fara (c595-c 643) Virgin, Nun, Abbess, Founder of the famous Evoriacum Monastery, near Paris which after her death was renamed in her honour, Faremoutiers Abbey (Fara’s Monastery). She is celebrated on 7 December in France. Her Pious and Zealous Life: https://anastpaul.com/2022/12/07/saint-of-the-day-7-december-st-burgundofara-c-595-c-643-virgin/
St Chrestus St Comman St Evagrius of Tomi
Blessed Gandulphus OFM (c1200-1260) Priest, Friar of the First Order of St Francis. He was a renowned Preacher mainly in Sicily, Hermit, Miracle-worker . He was one of those who entered the Order while the Seraphic Father was still alive and the life he led was one of great self-abnegation. He was Beatified on 10 March 1881 by Pope Leo XIII. Biography: https://anastpaul.com/2022/04/03/saint-of-the-day-3-april-blessed-gandulphus-of-binasco-ofm-c-1200-1260/
Blessed John of Penna OFM (c1193-1271) Priest, Friar of the First Order of St Francis and became a Franciscan during St Francis’ lifetime. Founder of the Order in France, Mystic and gifted with the charism of prophecy. He was Beatified on 20 December 1806 by Pope Pius VII. His Ardent Life: https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/03/saint-of-the-day-3-april-blessed-john-of-penna-ofm-c-1193-1271/
Martyrs of Greece – 4 Saints: A group of young Christian men who protested to City authorities that gifts to temples of pagan gods should be used to feed the poor during a regional famine. When the officials refused, the group went to local temples, broke up the idols and fixtures and gave the gold and silver bits to the poor to use to buy food. The group was imprisoned and executed. The only other thing we know about these Martyrs are the names – Bythonius, Elpideforus, Dius and Galycus. They Died in the 3rd Century at an unknown location in Greece.
Martyrs of Tomi (Romania) – 9 Saints who were Martyred together. We know nothing else about them but the names – Arestus, Benignus, Chrestus, Evagrius, Papo, Patricius, Rufus, Sinnidia and Zosimus. They Died at Tomi, Scythia (modern Constanta, Romania).
Our Morning Offering – 24 February – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle and Martyr
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the 10th Century in a Hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Our Morning Offering – 28 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Holy Innocents, Martyrs
Salvete Flores Martyrum! Hail, Ye Little Martyr Flowers! By Prudentius (c348 – c413) (Aurelius Prudentius Clemens) The Renowned Poet
All Hail! ye infant Martyr flowers, Cut off in life’s first dawning hours. As rosebuds snap’t in temptest strife, When Herod sought Thy Saviours life.
Thou, tender flock of lambs, we sing, First victims slain for Christ Thy King. Beside the very altar, gay With palms and crowns, ye seem to play.
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete.
Salvete Flores Martyrum is the Office Hymn for Lauds on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 Dec). Its stanzas are drawn from Prudentius’ Epiphany Hymn, Cathemerinon and were
Our Morning Offering – 25 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day!
Nativity Song By Blessed Jacopone da Todi OFM (1230-1306) (Today is the Feast Day of Blessed Jacopone)
The beautiful Mother is bending Low where her Baby lies Helpless and frail, for her tending But she knows the glorious eyes.
The Mother smiles and rejoices, While the Baby laughs in the hay, She listens to heavenly voices: “This Child shall be King some day.”
O dear little Child in the manger, Let me make merry with Thee, O King, in my hour of danger, Wilt Thou be strong for me?
Our Morning Offering – 24 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Magnis Prophetæ Vocibus With Mighty Voice the Prophets Cry Unknown Author
With mighty voice the prophets cry that Christ the Lord is drawing nigh; rejoicing, they foresee the grace by which He saves us and redeems.
And so our morning sun shines forth, our hearts ablaze with radiant joy; we hear the faithful voice resound, precursor of God’s glorious gift.
At that first Advent, Christ our God came forth not to condemn the world, but came to cleanse our gaping wound, to seek and save what had been lost.
Christ’s Second Coming warns us all that He is standing at the gates, to give to saints their glorious crowns and open wide the heav’nly realm.
Eternal light is now foretold, the saving star is shining forth, its radiant splendour summons us and calls us to the heav’nly court.
Christ Jesus, Thou alone we seek to see Thee face-to-face as God; may this unending vision be an everlasting hymn of praise. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 22 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Dear Saviour, haste! Come, come to earth. Dispel the night and show Thy Face And bid us hail the Dawn of grace. O come, Divine Messias, The world in silence waits the day When hope shall sing its triumph, And sadness flee away. Amen
This is the Refrain from a beautiful Advent Hymn by Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin, a French Cluniac Monk, Poet, Composer and Playwright.
Our Morning Offering – 11 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave
O Gloriosa Femina O Glorious Maid, Exalted Far By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Father o the Church
O Glorious Maid, exalted far Beyond the light of burning star, From Him who made thee, thou hast won Grace to be Mother of His Son.
That which was lost in hapless Eve Thy holy Scion did retrieve: The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race Through thee have seen the heavenly place.
Thou wast the gate of Heaven’s high Lord, The door through which the Light hath poured. Christians rejoice, for through a Maid To all mankind is life conveyed!
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete. Amen.
This Hymn was used for Lauds in the Sarum Breviary for the Feasts of the Immaculate Conception, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation, the Assumption and the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The above is the original text of this Hymn as it appears in The English Hymnal (1906), where it is listed as a Morning Office Hymn for Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Chant Tone: “O Gloriosa Domina” Gregorian Chant, Mode II, traditional.
Our Morning Offering – 9 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – Within the Octave
Tota Pulchra Es, Maria You Are All Beautiful, Mary Unknown Author – 4th Century
You are all beautiful, Mary, and the original stain is not in you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you give honour to our people. You are an advocate of sinners. O Mary, O Mary, Virgin most intelligent, Mother most merciful. Pray for us, Plead for us, To the Lord Jesus Christ.
Tota pulchra es, Maria. Et macula originalis non est in Te. Tu gloria Ierusalem. Tu laetitia Israel. Tu honorificentia populi nostri. Tu advocata peccatorum. O Maria, O Maria, Virgo prudentissima. Mater clementissima. Ora pro nobis. Intercede pro nobis. Ad Dominum Iesum Christum.
This prayer used by the Church since the 4th Century for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Purity of the Blessed Virgin. It takes some text from the book of Judith and other text from Song of Songs, specifically 4:7. Many composers have set this prayer to music over the centuries.
Our Morning Offering – 30 November – The First Sunday of Advent
O Come, O come, Emmanuel
O Come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel!
O come, Thou Wisdom, from on high And order all things far and nigh, To us the path of knowledge show And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, o come, Thou Lord of might, Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height In ancient times did give the law, In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse’s stem, From ev’ry foe deliver them That trust Thy mighty power to save And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come And open wide our heav’nly home, Make safe the way that leads on high, That we no more have cause to sigh. Refrain
O come, Thou Dayspring from on high And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death’s dark shadow put to flight. Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind. Bid every strife and quarrel cease And fill the world with heaven’s peace. Refrain
The favourite O Come, O Come Emmanuel Carol was originally written in Latin text in the 12th Century. The author of the words and composer of the music of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, is unknown. It is, however, believed that the melody was of French origin and added to the text a hundred years later. The Latin was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851.
One Minute Reflection – 29 November – “The Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory” – The Vigil of the Feast of St Andrew Apostle – Ecclesiasticus Sirach 44:25-27; 45:2-4; 45:6-9 – John 1:35-51 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/
“He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day.” – John 1:39
REFLECTION – “John was there and two of his disciples with him.” John was such “a friend of the Bridegroom” that he did not seek his own glory, he simply bore witness to the truth (Jn 3:29,26). Did he dream of keeping back his disciples and preventing them from following the Lord? Not in the least! He, himself, showed them the One they were to follow … He declared: “Why cling to me? I am not the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God … Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.”
At these words the two disciples who were with John, followed Jesus. “Jesus turned and saw that they were following Him and said to them: ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to Him: ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?” As yet they were not following Him definitively, as we know, they joined themselves to Him, when He called them to leave their boat … when He said to them: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). That was the moment they joined Him definitively, no longer to leave Him. But for now they wanted to see where Jesus was living and put into practice the words of Scripture: “If you see an intelligent man, seek him out at daybreak; let your feet wear away his doorstep! Learn from him the precepts of the Lord” (cf. Sir 6:36). So Jesus showed them where He was living, they went and stayed with Him. What a happy day they spent! What a blessed night! Who can say what it was they heard from the Lord’s mouth? Let us, too, build a dwelling in our hearts, construct a house where Christ can come to teach and converse with us.” … St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church (Sermons on Saint John’s Gospel No 7).
PRAYER – We humbly pray Thy majesty, O Lord, that, as blessed Andrew was a preacher and ruler in Thy Church, so he may always intercede for us with Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).
Our Morning Offering – 29 November – Feast of St Andrew ,Apostle and Martyr
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Our Morning Offering – 28 October – The Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Exsultet Orbis! Let the World Rejoice! Unknown Author
Now let the earth with joy resound, And Heaven the chant re-echo round; Nor Heaven nor earth too high can raise The great Apostles’ glorious praise.
O ye who, throned in glory dread, Shall judge the living and the dead, Lights of the world forever more! To you the suppliant prayer we pour.
Ye close the Sacred Gates on high. At your command apart they fly. O loose for us the guilty chain We strive to break and strive in vain.
Sickness and health your voice obey, At your command they go or stay. From sin’s disease our souls restore; In good confirm us more and more.
So when the world is at its end. And Christ to Judgment shall descend, May we be called, those joys to see Prepared from all eternity.
Praise to the Father, with the Son, And Holy Spirit, Three in One; As ever was in ages past And so shall be while ages last. Amen
(Roman Breviary for the Common of Apostles) An Office Hymn that was traditionally prescribed for Vespers and Lauds on the Feasts of Apostles and Evangelists outside Easter time. The Hymn is found as early as the tenth century in a hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
Our Morning Offering – 27 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” – The Vigil of Saints Simon and Jude
Prayer to Sts Simon and Jude From the Liturgical Year, 1903
Great evils surround us! is there any hope left to the world? The confidence of thy devout clients proclaims thee, O Jude, the Patron of desperate cases and for thee, O Simon, this is surely the time to prove thyself Zelotes, full of zeal. Deign, thou both, to hear the Church’s prayers and aid her, with all thy Apostolic might, to re-animate faith, to rekindle charity and to save the world! Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 October – “The Month of The Most Holy Rosary and The Holy Angels” – Pentecost XVIII
Now that the Daylight Fills the Sky, We Lift our Hearts to God on High By St Ambrose (340-397) Great Latin Father and Doctor of the Church Trans J M Neale (1818-1866)
Now that the daylight fills the sky, We lift our hearts to God on high That He, in all we do or say, Would keep us free from harm today,
Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife, From angry words, would shield our life, From evil sights, would turn our eyes And close our ears to vanities.
So we, when this new day is gone And night in turn is drawing on, With conscience by the world unstained, Shall praise His Name for vict’ry gained.
“All praise to You, Creator Lord! All praise to You, eternal Word! All praise to You, O Spirit wise!” We sing as daylight fills the skies. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 21 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
O Matthew, Martyr ever blest, Apostle, great Evangelist! By Dom Anselmo Lentini,OSB (1901-1989) Tune: DEO GRACIAS
O Levi, blest with great renown, the glory which surrounds thee now is praise of God’s most faithful Love and Mercy, leading us to hope.
For as thou sat with anxious care and counted money at thy post, Christ called: O Matthew, follow me. What riches he prepared for thee!
Thy heart is seized with burning love, thou greets the Master as thy guest; by making known His gracious Words, thou rise a prince in heaven’s realm.
Thou gather all the Words of Life and Deeds of David’s glorious Son; and leave the world, rich heav’nly food of writings framed in words of gold.
Proclaiming Christ through all the earth, thou seal thy witness with thy blood, and so thou honour Him and give, the highest pledge of zealous love.
O Matthew, Martyr ever blest, Apostle, great Evangelist! may we with thee through ev’ry age sing glory to the Name of Christ. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 17 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Feast of The Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi:
Crucis Christi mons Alvernae By St Francis of Assisi OFM (c1181-1226)
Let Alverna’s holy mountain That high mystery proclaim, Of the sigus of life eternal Which on blessed Francis came; While he sobbed and while he sighed, Grieving for the Crucified.
There, within a lowly cavern, Far from all the world withdrawn, As the Saint his watch was keeping, With incessant scourgings torn, Ever musing more and more On the wounds which Jesus bore;
As he prayed in cold and hunger; As he poured his glowing tears; In his fervent spirit mounting Far above terrestrial spheres, Every earthly thing forgot In his Saviour’s bitter lot.
Lo to him, in form seraphic, Borne upon a Cross on high, Six irradiant wings expanding Came the King of glory nigh, Gazing on him with a face Of benignity and grace.
He saw that tender glance returning, Saw th’ Incarnate Light of Light; Saw his gracious meek Redeemer, Robed in glory Infinite; Drank the words which from Him fell,– Words divine, unspeakable!
Straightway all the sacred summit Kindles like a flaming pyre; Holy Francis sinks enraptured Fainting with ecstatic fire And upon his flesh appear Christ’s immortal Stigmata!
Honour to the high Redeemer, Who for us in torments died, In Whose Image blessed Francis Suffered and was sanctified, Counting everything but loss For the glory of the Cross.
This Hymn is given in a Franciscan Breviary, printed at Venice in 1495, as the Hymn at first Vespers on the Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis 17 Sept (Paris, 1597).
The Five Sundays in Honour of The Sacred Stigmata (Feast 17 September)
All the faithful who, upon the five Sundays which immediately precede the Feast of the Sacred Stigmata of St Francis of Assisi, OR upon any other five consecutive Sundays during the year, shall exercise themselves, either in pious meditation, or in vocal prayer, or in any other work of Christian piety, in honour of the said Sacred Stigmata, a Plenary Indulgence is granted once a year, on each of the 5 Sundays, on the usual conditions.(Leo XIII, 21 Nov 1885).
Our Morning Offering – 16 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of Saint Corneliu, Pope & Martyr and Saint Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr
Deus, Tuorum Militum O God, of Those Who Fought Thy Fight Unknown Author (6th Century)
O God, of those who fought Thy fight, Portion and prize and Crown of Light, Break every bond of sin and shame As now we praise Thy Martyr’s name.
He recked not of the world’s allure But sin and pomp of sin forswore: Knew all their gall and passed them by, And reached the throne prepared on high.
Bravely the course of pain he ran, And bore his torments as a man: For love of Thee, his blood outpoured, And thus obtained the great reward.
With humble voice and suppliant word We pray Thee, therefore, Holy Lord, While we Thy Martyr’s Feast Day keep, Forgive Thy loved and erring sheep.
All honour, laud and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born, to Thee, All glory, as is ever meet, To Father and to Paraclete. Amen
An Ambrosian Hymn traditionally assigned for Matins and Vespers for the common feast of a Martyr in the Roman Breviary. It dates probably from the sSxth Century and is attributed to the unknown author of Rex Gloriose Martyrum and jesu, Redemptor Omnium. The Hymn exists in a longer versJon of eight strophes and a shorter one of four or five, which is probably earlier. The Vatican Antiphonary provided two different melodies for use in the Paschal Season and during the Octave of the Nativity, during which the Feast of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr occurs. The Hymn is a prayer asking God to forgive the sins of His servants on the day of the Martyr’s triumph over the pleasures of the world and the torture of persecution.
Our Morning Offering – 15 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady
O Quot Undis Lacrimarum What A Sea Of Tears And Sorrow Breviary Hymn for the Feast of the Seven Sorrow Attrib. Bishop Callisto Palumbella OSM (1687-1749) Trans. Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)
What a sea of tears and sorrow Did the soul of Mary toss To and fro upon its billows, While she wept her bitter loss; In her arms her Jesus holding, Torn so newly from the Cross.
Oh, that mournful Virgin-Mother! See her tears how fast they flow Down upon His mangled body, Wounded side, and thorny brow; While His hands and feet she kisses— Picture of immortal woe.
Oft and oft, His arms and bosom Fondly straining to her own; Oft her pallid lips imprinting On each wound of her dear Son; Till at last, in swoons of anguish, Sense and consciousness are gone.
Gentle Mother, we beseech thee By thy tears and troubles sore; By the death of thy dear Offspring, By the bloody wounds He bore; Touch our hearts with that true sorrow Which afflicted thee of yore.
To the Father everlasting, And the Son Who reigns on high, With the Co-eternal Spirit, Trinity in Unity, Be salvation, honour, blessing Now and through eternity. Amen
Attrib. to the Servite Bishop Callisto Maria Vincenzo Antonio Palumbella OSM (1687-1749), who also composed the Office for the Feast inserted in the Breviary in 1720. He was the Bishop of Terracina, Priverno e Sezze, Italy. This Translation by Fr Edward Caswell COrat (1814–1878)
Our Morning Offering – 30 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – St Rose of Lima OP (1586-1617) Virgin
Virginis Proles Anonymous Latin, 8th Century Trans. Fr Edward Caswall C.Orat. (1814-1878)
O Thou Thy Mother’s Maker, hail! Hail, Virgin-born! to Thee; Hear us, who on this day record Thy Virgin’s memory.
Oh, through her prayers our sins forgive, All good and gracious King ! So purified in heart may we Thy praise eternal sing.
All glory to the Father be; Praise to His only Son; With Thee, who dost from both proceed. While endless ages run.
This Hymn is used for Matins in the Common of Virgins in the Extraordinary form of the Roman Breviary. Verses 1, 4 and 5 above, are used for a Virgin who is not a Martyr.
Our Morning Offering – 29 August – The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
O Blessed Saint of Snow-White Purity! By Paul the Deacon (c720-796) Transl. Fr Edward Caswall C.Orat. (1814-1878) Breviary Hymn for Lauds
O blessed Saint, of snow-white purity! Dweller in wastes forlorn! O mightiest of the Martyr host on high! Greatest of Prophets born!
Of all the diadems which on the brows Of Saints in glory shine, Not one with brighter, purer halo glows, In Heav’n’s high Court, than thine!
Oh! upon us thy tender, pitying gaze Cast down from thy dread throne; Straighten our crooked, smooth our rugged ways, And break our hearts of stone.
So may the world’s Redeemer find us meet To offer Him a place, Where He may set His ever-blessed feet, Coming with gifts of grace.
Praise in the Heav’ns to Thee, O First and Last, The Trine eternal God! Spare, Jesu, spare Thy people,whom Thou hast Redeem ‘d with Thine Own Precious Blood.
Our Morning Offering – 16 August – “The Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” – Feast of St Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Hymn to St Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary From the Liturgical Year, 1907
O Joachim, Father of the Sovereign Maiden, who in all purity gave birth to God, present to the Lord, our petitions and our chaste desires.
Thou knowest, by what angry waves we are here tossed, whom the cruel sea of this world wearies so, Thou knowest how many battles Satan and the flesh, prepare for us.
Now that thou art united , to the holy companies in Heaven, or rather art placed at their head, thou canst do all if thou wilt; for rightly, neither Jesus, thy Grandson, nor Mary, thy daughter, can deny thee aught.
Obtain by thy prayer that our Blessed God may give us pardon and peace that united with thee, we may sweetly sing canticles to Him. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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