Our Morning Offering – 21 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The 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.
Our Morning Offering – 19 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”
Creator Alme Siderum Creator of the Starry Frame 7th Century Advent Hymn
Creator of the starry frame; Eternal Light of all who live; Jesu, Redeemer of mankind, An ear to Thy poor suppliants give.
When man was sunk in sin and death, Lost in the depth of Satan’s snare, Love brought Thee down to cure our ills, By taking of those ills a share.
Thou for the sake of guilty men, Causing Thine own pure blood to flow, Didst issue from Thy Virgin-shrine, And to the Cross a Victim go.
So great the glory of Thy might, If we but chance Thy Name to sound, At once all Heaven and Hell unite In bending low with awe profound.
Great Judge of all, in that last day, When friends shall fail and foes combine, Be present then with us, we pray, To guard us with Thy arm divine.
To God the Father and the Son, All praise and power and glory be, With Thee, O holy Comforter, Henceforth through all eternity.
Also known as Advent Hymn, this translation of the Latin hymn Creator Alme Siderum (Pope Urban VIII’s 1632 revision of the 7th Century Hymn Conditor alme siderum) was first published in Fr Edward Caswall’s Lyra Catholica,
Our Morning Offering – 18 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – The Feast of Our Lady of Expectation
Awaiting Baby Jesus Traditional Catholic Advent Prayer
My heart is beating, filled with joy, awaiting Mary’s Baby Boy. For with this Child, we embrace the birth of God’s most precious grace. Baby Jesus, soon to come! For us comes the Promised One. Baby Jesus, God’s own Son, Thou will be the Chosen One to lead Thy flock unto salvation. Our eternal life awaits. The birth of Jesus brings us nearer Heaven’s Holy Gates. Sing with joy and count the days, for soon to come, the Lord we’ll praise. Rejoice that Jesus will soon arrive, the Messiah and our faith alive. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 12 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.
Quote/s of the Day – 7 December – St Ambrose (340-397) Confessor, Bishop, Father and Doctor of the Church
Nunc, Sancte, nobis Spiritus Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One By St Ambrose (340-397) Trans John Henry Newman (1801-1890) Trans 1836
Come, Holy Ghost, Who ever One Art with the Father and the Son. Come, Holy Ghost, our souls possess With Thy full flood of holiness.
In will and deed, by heart and tongue, With all our powers, Thy praise be sung. And love, light up our mortal frame, Till others catch the living flame.
Almighty Father, hear our cry Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, Who with the Holy Ghost and Thee Doth live and reign eternally.
“So Peter wept and wept bitterly; he wept so fiercly he washed away his offence with his tears. And you, too, if you would win pardon, wipe out your guilt with tears. At that very moment, in that same hour, Christ will look at you. If some kind of fall happens to you, then He, the ever-present Witness of your intimate life, looks at you to call you back and cause you to confess your lapse. Then do as Peter did, who thrice said: “Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee” (Jn 21:15). He denied three times and three times he also confessed. But he denied by night; he confessed in broad daylight!”
“… Behold, now is the acceptable time. behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6). And so, you must be more earnest in prayer and in alms-giving, in fasting and in watching. He who until now has given alms, in these days, let him give more – for as water quencheth a flaming fire, so does almsgiving wipe out sin (Eccles 3:3). He that, until now, fasted and prayed, let him fast and pray still more – for there are certain sins which are not cast out, except by prayer and fasting (Mc 27:20).”
“Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of our crimes and the remedy of our salvation.”
Our Morning Offering – 1 December – “The Month of the Divine Infancy and the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” – 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 to 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.
Our Morning Offering – 30 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 – 24 November – The Last Sunday after Pentecost
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name By Fr Ignaz Franz Poland (1719-1790) (Attri) Archbishop of Schlawa, Germany
Holy God, we praise Thy Name. Lord of all, we bow before Thee. All on earth Thy sceptre claim; all in heav’n above adore Thee. Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.
Hark, the loud celestial hymn, Angel choirs above are raising. Cherubim and seraphim, in unceasing chorus praising, fill the heav’ns with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy Lord.
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Ghost, three we name Thee While in essence only One, Undivided God, we claim Thee and adoring, bend the knee, while we own the Mystery.
Spare Thy people Lord, we pray, By a thousand snares surrounded. Keep us without sin today, Never let us be confounded. Lo, I put my trust in Thee, Never Lord, abandon me.
Fr Ignaz Franz Poland (1719-1790) Archbishop of Schlawa, Germany, Hymnist, Musician He also functioned as the Assessor for Theological Affairs at the Apostolic Vicariate. He wrote hymn lyrics and compiled religious music. Trans. by Fr Clarence A Walworth (1820-1900) Convert, writer. He was one of the Founders of the Order of the Paulists in the U.S.A.
Quote/s of the Day – 20 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
“May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace, amen.”
Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory By St Ignatius of Antioch (c35-c108) Apostolic Father of the Church
Receive in tranquility and peace, O Lord, the souls of Thy servants, who have departed this present life to come to Thee. Grant them rest and place them in the habitations of Light, the abodes of blessed spirits. Give them the life that will not age, good things that will not pass away, delights that have no end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“ … Yet only grant me repentance here below That I may make reparation for my sins, … That these tears may extinguish the blazing furnace With its burning flames. …
And, instead of acting like the merciless, Set merciful compassion within me, That, by showing mercy to the poor, I may obtain Your mercy.”
St Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173) Armenian Bishop
“How pleasing to Him it will be, if you sometimes forget yourself and speak to Him of His own glory; of the miseries of others, especially those who mourn in sorrow; of the souls in purgatory, His spouses, who long to behold Him in Heaven and, of poor sinners, who live deprived of His grace.”
St Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787) Most Zealous Doctor
Our Morning Offering – 20 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory”
The De Profundis Psalm 129
A prayer of a sinner, trusting in the mercies of God. The Sixth Penitential Psalm.
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it. For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness and because of Thy law, I have waited for Thee, O Lord. My soul hath waited on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch, even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
(Eternal rest or “Requiem aeternam”) Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Our Morning Offering – 7 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – On Thursday we devote our hearts and souls to the most holy Eucharist. The Eucharist is the greatest Gift of God to mankind, as it is nothing less than Jesus Himself. Therefore today too, we pray for our Priests AND as today is the Feast Day of All the Saints of the Order of Preachers or the Dominicans, we pray a prayer by one of their greatest sons.
Lauda Sion Salvatorem Sion, Lift Up thy Voice and Sing (Excerpt) By St Thomas Aquinas OP (1225-1274) Doctor Angelicus / Doctor Communis
Sion, lift thy voice and sing, Praise thy Saviour and thy King, Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true, Dare thy most to praise Him well, For He doth all praise excel, None can ever reach His due.
Special theme of praise is Thine, That true living Bread divine, That life-giving flesh adored, Which the brethren twelve received, As most faithfully believed, At the Supper of the Lord.
Let the chant be loud and high, Sweet and tranquil be the joy Felt to-day in every breast; On this festival divine Which recounts the origin Of the glorious Eucharist.
St Thomas Aquinas wrote the Liturgy for Corpus Christi when Pope Urban IV added the Solemnity to the universal Church’s Liturgical calendar in 1264. He provided a great sequence, one of the great poems chanted or recited before the proclamation of the Gospel. Lauda Sion is one of only four medieval sequences which were preserved in the Roman Missal published in 1570 following the Council of Trent (1545–1563)—the others being Victimae Paschali Laudes (Easter), Veni Sancte Spiritus (Pentecost) and Dies irae (requiem masses). (A fifth, Stabat Mater, would later be added in 1727.) Before Trent, many feasts had their own sequences. The existing versions were unified in the Roman Missal promulgated in 1570. The Lauda Sion is still sung today as solemn Eucharistic hymn, though its use is optional in the post-Vatican II Ordinary form. As with St Thomas’s other three Eucharistic Hymns, the last few stanzas of the Lauda Sion are often used alone, in this case, to form the “Ecce Panis Angelorum”.
Our Morning Offering – 31 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Goodbye October
The Holy Rosary By Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903)
Accept, mighty Maid, we beseech thee, This prayer with its fragrance of flowers; With one soul we seek thus to reach thee And hail thee, God’s Mother and ours.
Thy heart is made glad by our praying; Thy bounty is generous and wise; Thy hands are enriched for conveying What God’s tender Mercy supplies.
We kneel at thy Shrines in the Churches; Oh, gently look down from above, And welcome the heart that then searches For worthy expressions of love.
Let others present precious caskets Of gems, or heap Altars with gold; Slight prayer-beads shall serve us for baskets To bring thee the garland they hold.
With violets lowly we fashion This wreath and with these combined Red roses–our faith in the Passion With Chastity’s lilies entwined.
Our minds, as the Mysteries vary, Are active, our hands play their part And always thy name, Holy Mary! Oft-uttered, rejoices the heart.
Be with us, we trust thee to guide us Through life and when labouring breath At the last, seeks thine aid, be beside us To help at the hour of our death. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 28 October – 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 of the Angels” – The Feast of Christ the King
Te Saeculorum Principem Thee, Lord of Every Age, We Sing Breviary Hymn for Christ the King (1925)_ By Fr Vittorio Genovesi SJ (1887-1967) Trans: Alan G McDougall ( 1895-1965)
Thee, Lord of every age, we sing Thee, Christ, we hail the nations’ King, Confess Thy right Thy realm to find Within the hearts of all mankind.
The hate-swayed mob cries, pride-enticed, They will not have Thy kingdom, Chris; But we exultant round Thy Throne Thy reign o’er all creation own!
O Christ, our Prince, Who bringest peace, Let every rebel impulse cease And gather into Thy One Fold The wanderers whom Thy Love doth hold.
For this Thine arms wide-stretched in plea Hung bleeding on the atoning Tree; For this the spear’s revealing dart Laid bare Thy Love-enflamèd Heart.
For this Thou didst Thy glory hide, Outpouring from Thy piercèd side The riches of Thy Love Divine Beneath the veils of bread and wine.
May realms and they that rule them vie With solemn rites to raise Thee high; May laws and arts Thy servants be, All life be sanctified in Thee.
Their kingly gear and royal state Kings to their King shall consecrate; Subjects their all before Thee lay In service of Thy gentle sway.
Jesu, to Thee, beneath Whose sway All earth shall bow, all praise we pay; With Father and with Spirit be All glory Thine eternally!
℣. His empire shall be multiplied. ℟. And there shall be no end of peace.
(Post Vaticasn II, Stanzas 2 and 6 have been removed!)
Our Morning Offering – 24 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – The Feast of Saint Raphael the Archangel
O Raphael, Divinely Sent Guide St Raphael Archangel, 24 October From the Ambrosian Breviary
O Raphael, divinely sent guide, graciously receive the hymn we suppliants address to thee with joyful voice.
Make straight for us the way of salvation and forward our steps, lest at any time, we wander astray and turn from the path to heaven.
Look down upon us from on high; reflect into our souls the splendour shining from above, from the holy Father of lights.
Give perfect health to the sick, dispel the darkness of the blin and while driving away diseases of the body, give spiritual strength to our souls.
Thou who standest before the Sovereign Judge, plead for the pardon of our crimes and, as a trusty advocate, appease the avenging wrath of the Most High.
Renewer of the great battle, crush our proud enemy; against the rebel spirits give us strength and increase our grace.
To God the Father be glory, and to His Only Son, together with the Paraclete Spirit, now and forevermore. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 20 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of Mater Admirabilis / Mother Most Admirable
O Purest of Creatures, Sweet Mother, Sweet Maid By Fr Frederick W Faber C.Orat. (1814-1863)
O Purest of creatures, sweet Mother, sweet maid, The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid! Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! and we Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world, And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled; And the tempest-tossed Church,— all her eyes are on thee; They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
He gazed on thy soul, it was spotless and fair, For the empire of sin—it had never been there; None ever had owned thee, dear Mother but He. And He blest thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Earth gave Him one lodging; t’was deep in thy breast, And God found a home where the sinner finds rest; His home and His hiding-place, both were in thee, He was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!
Our Morning Offering – 18 October – The Feast of St Luke, the Evangelist
Holy and Learned, Great Saint Luke Prayer/Hymn in Honour of St Luke “Plausibus Luca canimus” Trans the Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK
Holy and learned, great Saint Luke, we praise you, Closely you followed in the steps of Jesus, As supreme witness to His life and teaching Shedding your life-blood.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, You left in writing, for all time to study Stories unrivalled for their depth and beauty, Christ’s love revealing.
Yours are the records which we read with pleasure Of the beginning of the Church so fervent, Under the impulse of the true and living Spirit of Jesus.
Paul’s earnest helper, sharer in his travels, Zealous as he was, with a heart as loving, Make our souls also steadfast and devoted To the Lord Jesus.
Tender physician, use your gift of healing, Comfort our weakness with a faith unswerving, So that rejoicing, we may praise forever God the Almighty. Amen
Our Morning Offering – 16 October – “The Month of the Most Holy Rosary and of the Angels” – Feast of the Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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 – 25 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast Day of Blessed Herman of Reichenau (1013–1054) Benedictine Monk, Confessor, Scholar, Scientist, Writer, Hymnist, Poet, Musical Composer, Teacher.
Alma Redemptoris Mater Loving Mother of the Redeemer By Blessed Herman Contractus of Reichenau OSB (1013–1054)
Loving Mother of the Redeemer! Hear thou thy people’s cry, Star of the deep and portal of the sky! Mother of Him Who thee from nothing made, Sinking we strive and call to thee for aid; Oh, by that joy which Gabriel brought to thee, Thou Virgin first and last, let we thy mercy see.
Alma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli Porta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti, Súrgere qui curat pópulo: tu quæ genuísti, Natúra miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore Sumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.
Marian Antiphon Traditionally said from Advent to the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. Blessed Herman is the Author of the Salve Regina, the Veni Sancte Spiritus and the Alma Redemptoris Mater amongst others.
Our Morning Offering – 24 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom
Supplication to Our Lady of Ransom To Obtain the Favour of her Patronage until Death. Unknown Author
Sweet Mother! turn those gentle eyes Of pity down upon me; Oh! hear thy suppliant’s tearful cries, My humble prayer, do not despise, Star of the pathless sea!
In dark temptation’s dreary hour, To thee, bright Queen, we flee; Oh! then exert a mother’s power, When storms are rough and tempests lower; Star of the raging sea!
Through all my joys and cares, sweet Maid, May I still look on thee, Who bore the Price our ransom paid, And ne’er the suppliant’s cry hath stayed; Star of the azure sea!
And when my last expiring sigh, My soul from earth shall free, Do thou, bright Queen of Saints, stand by And bear it up to God on high, Star of the boundless sea!
Say the Hail Mary three times followed by the Hail Holy Queen
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 – 20 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – The Vigil of St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
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 10th Century in a Hymnal of Moissac Abbey.
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 – 14 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” and the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sing, My Tongue, The Saviour’s Glory By St Venantius Fortunatus (c530 – c609) Bishop, Father o the Church Trans. Fr Edward Caswell CO (1814-1878)
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory; Tell His triumph far and wide; Tell aloud the famous story Of his Body Crucified; How upon the Cross a Victim, Vanquishing in death, He died.
Thus did Christ to perfect manhood In our mortal flesh attain: Then of his free choice He goeth To a death of bitter pain; And as a lamb, upon the altar Of the Cross, for us is slain.
Lo, with gall his thirst He quenches! See the thorns upon his brow! Nails his tender flesh are rending! See, his side is open’d now! Whence, to cleanse the whole creation, Streams of blood and water flow.
Faithful Cross, O Tree all beauteous! Tree all peerless and divine! Not a grove on earth can shew us Such a flower and leaf as thine. Sweet the nails and sweet the wood, Laden with so sweet a load!
Lofty Tree, bend down thy branches, To embrace thy Sacred load; Oh, relax the native tension Of that all too rigid wood; Gently, gently bear the members Of thy dying King and God.
Tree, which solely wast found worthy The world’s great Victim to sustain; Harbour from the raging tempest! Ark, that sav’d the world again! Tree, with sacred Blood anointed Of the Lamb for sinners slain.
Blessing, honour everlasting, To the immortal Deity; To the Father, Son, and Spirit, Equal praises ever be: Glory through the earth and Heaven To Trinity in Unity.
This Hymn is used for Passiontide and on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 Sept) in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Breviary. This is the original text of this hymn as it appears in the Lyra Catholica (1849). Part I is used for Matins and Part II is used for Lauds. Tune (Church Hymns): “St Lawrence”
Our Morning Offering – 5 September – “The Month of The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and The Holy Cross” – Our Lord instituted the most holy Eucharist on a Thursday, so it is fitting that we remember this greatest of Sacraments on this day.
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament By The League of the Sacred Heart 1929 (Ireland)
O Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, overflowing with gentleness, tenderness and charity, I bury in the abyss of Thy Mercy, all my iniquities and all my negligence. I offer Thee my labours and my sufferings, my sorrows and my miseries, I recommend to Thee my life and my death. Solace my doubts Sweet Jesus, calm my fears and grant, that day-by-day, I may become more united to Thy Sacred Heart, learning Thy love and Thy holiness. Amen
AnaStpaul 
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