Frumentum Christi sum...

Saint Jerome reports that Saint Ignatius shouted out in the amphitheatre as the lions began their work:

Fruméntum Christi sum; déntibus bestiárum molar, ut panis mundus invéniar.

I am the corn of Christ, let the beasts be the mill so I may be made a fine loaf-- lovely. It is Saint Ignatius of Antioch's feast today (CE, Wiki-- Introibo hasn't put up February yet still hasn't put up this month but it after all-- as after five hours I at last realised-- it is the same Mass this year as in preceding years, ahem) and not Saint Ignatius of Loyola's (there was evidently some confusion in certain quarters, pft). Holy Mass will be streamed from Saint-Eugène at 1000. Time for Prime, it being almost 0600. Today is devoted, so far as music goes, to a last listen to the Christmas music, tomorrow being the end of the season; although I'm pretty sure there is a recital at Wigmore Hall at which doubtless Cédric Tiberghien is not performing a selection of carols ancient and modern. 

I enjoy Google Alerts-- sometimes it takes a half second to figure out that the media article flagged doesn't concern the proper subject; it is the sort of challenge my poor head is up to at 0430 or 0500. "James MacMillan was ice fishing on St. Luke’s Bay Saturday when the ice started to crack mid-day." No idea about St Luke's Bay but Windsor was mentioned in the first several words and so I guessed that this was to do with a James MacMillan in Canada, as indeed it was, not with the British composer.

Time for Terce approaches. A decision I took this morning is to check the 'never bother me with this again' box on the emails I open up in the 'secure' email program. I tick the email, it opens to a second little screen with a long, long hyperlink asking me to confirm that this is indeed the link I want to open, and then finally the email opens after I answer 'yes'. The second little screen also contains a little box asking me if I want never to be asked about this again.  Realistically, I'm never going to investigate each email to see if someone nefarious has inserted some foreign matter into the email link: it's consequently rather silly that I've been dealing with this additional step for, lo, these many months. But thank you, 'secure' email people. The recording of these Bartók Romanian folk dances I'm listening to on Spotify is 10 or 11 years old and Mlle Grimaud looks to be about 17.

There is a novena underway, sponsored by the Sophia Institute folks, of 'Eucharistic penance'-- which concepts etc I'm not going to try explaining here (EucharisticPenance). But the prayer suggested, from the book In Sinu Jesu (by 'a Benedictine monk'), includes a phrase that one can use for the Pope also in other circumstances since it sometimes seems that Franciscus is more interested in making political nonsense than pursuing holy ends. 

O my beloved Jesus, unite me to Thyself,

my body to Thy Body, my blood to Thy Blood,

my soul to Thy Soul, my heart to Thy Heart,

all that I am to all that Thou art:

so as to make Me with Thyself, O Jesus,

one priest and one victim

offered to the glory of Thy Father,

out of love for Thy spouse, the Church—

for the sanctification of Thy priests,

the conversion of sinners,

the holy and traditional intentions of the Pope,

and in sorrowful reparation

for my innumerable sins

against Thee in Thy priesthood

and in the Sacrament of Thy love.

Amen.

Much better to phrase such things in positive terms than in negative ones: 'the intentions of the Pope that aren't heretical or nonsense'. Time for Mass.

The Communion of the Mass for Saint Ignatius is from himself, his own word that I quoted first thing. How often does this happen, that the saint or blessed himself or herself 'provides' the texts for the Mass proper? 

Ante Vesperas. The wonderful hymn for Vespers of the feast of the Purification in the Traditional Rite is the Ave maris stella which many dozens of composers have set in honor of the Deipara.

And just one more.

The antiphon at the Magnificat (and we'll see this text again at Mass in the morning) is Senex Puerum portabat. William Byrd.

And Victoria.

LDVM