That included a stop at the library to return a book and then a second one at the supermarket. Not the brightest of mornings-- grey clouds and indigo-- but it certainly feels like Spring, and perhaps there will be more sunlight as the day progresses.
Am listening to Jean de Bournonville's Ave regina coelorum which seems not to be on YouTube; his Audi benigne conditor, the Vespers hymn in Lent, is, however, sung by the Schola Sainte-Cécile at Saint-Eugène.
It is the Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent (Introibo) of course, and in the 1962 Calendar ('the Extraordinary Form') the feast of Saint Frances of Rome (CE, Introibo, Wiki). I am saying the Office of the Forty Martyrs because today is their feast in the Tridentine Missal and am using that calendar this week (with the exception of today and then Saint Gregory's feast on Friday) so that I can stick with the Lenten feriae instead of the daily line-up of Saints, only commemorating them. It is in fact much more straightforward than I'm probably making it sound-- and there's no conflict with the Mass which in the 1960 Rite is of the Lenten feria with a commemoration of Saint Frances. Of course yesterday I forgot Saint John of God at Lauds. Tsk. Time for Terce and then I will complete this.
The church where the assembly meets today [the collecta] owes its origin to the zeal of the Byzantines, who built at least five churches in Rome to the honour of the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. One of these, the Canelicum, with the adjacent monastery, where the people collected for the stational procession to the Basilica of Pudens, stood in the regio of the Montes. The domus Pudentiana or the titulus sancti Pudentis [the stational church] was one of the oldest of the urban titular churches, and, so far, nothing has appeared to disprove the truth of the ancient ecclesiastical tradition which asserts that it was sanctified by the sojourn of Peter in the house of the senator Pudens. The memories of Pope St Pius I (158-67), of his brother Hermas, the mystic author of the Pastor, those of Priscilla, Pudentiana, Praxedes, Justin the Philosopher, Hippolytus the Doctor-- all these are connected with the Viminal and with the history of the house of the Pudenti in such a way as to make it appear that in the second century this was really the papal residence. The sacred Liturgy has re-echoed this local tradition, and the Gospel for today containing the passage in which Peter interrogates our Lord concerning the forgiveness of sins, has been chosen on purpose, in order to recall the memory of the Apostle in the very place where he was the guest of the Pudenti.The Introit, from Psalm XVI, beautifully expresses the hope that the Lord will guard under the shadow of his wings all those that trust in him. This verse of the psalm should be borne in mind when examining the apsidal mosaic of the Basilica of St Pudentiana, in which we see the Saviour stretching out his hand to protect the apostolic church and ancient residence of the Popes of the 2nd century. He holds an open book in which we may read the words: Dominus conservator Ecclesiae Pudentianae, to express a special tutelage over this basilica, which in olden times was a visible token and monument of the apostolate and primacy of St Peter.The Collect again implores that the fruits of the fast expressed in the Lenten Preface may be granted: corporali jejunio vitia comprimis, mentem elevas, virtutem largiris et praemia.... The Lesson from 4 Kings (IV 1-7) relates the miracle wrought by Eliseus in favour of a poor widow, when, by multiplying the vessels of oil, he saved her sons from being carried off by her creditor into slavery. This may have reference to St Peter, whose presence in the house of Pudens was the cause of all manner of prosperity and abundance. The Gradual comes from Psalm XVIII: 'From my secret sins cleanse me, O Lord, and from those of others cleanse thy servant. If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot; and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin'. This alludes to the idolatrous Gentiles, with whom the Psalmist wishes to have nothing to do, lest they should contaminate him, for the company of the corrupt is too often a source of danger to the righteous. The Gospel, from Matthew XVIII 15-22, brings out clearly three very strong bonds which preserve to the Church her mystical unity in the love of God and in charity towards one’s neighbour. These are: the sacrament of penance in the remission of sins, the mutual forgiveness of injuries which we have done one to another, and the union of all the members of the mystical body of Christ in one spirit. A Catholic never acts singly and alone. In virtue of the Communion of Saints, he lives, suffers, prays, and works in the Church and with the Church-- that is to say, with Christ.The Offertory is the same as on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, but today it becomes a hymn of triumph in honour of the domus Pudentiana, whose conservator is the Redeemer himself. The Secret begs for the fruits of our redemption so that, by restraining our vicious passions, nothing may hinder the working of the eucharistic grace.The Communion is from Psalm XIV: 'Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill? He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice'. How pure, indeed, must we be before we can attain to heaven, where no stain of sin or guilt, however small, can enter. The Post-Communion is a continuation of the thought expressed in the preceding verse: 'Having been cleansed by these sacred mysteries, we beseech thee, O Lord, that we may obtain both pardon and grace'.The form of the last Benediction [the Oratio super populum] over the people is full of beauty: 'Defend us, O Lord, by thy protection; and preserve us ever from all iniquity'. All other evils, indeed, are only apparent, or at least reparable and of short duration; sin alone separates the soul from God and should be terribly feared. Once more we will repeat the words of Pope Siricius in the mosaic of the Basilica of St Pudentiana (the dedication to the saint of that name came later): Dominus conservator Ecclesiae Pudentianae. Charity and hospitality never impoverished anyone, and when the needy are given shelter for the love of God it draws down upon that roof the blessings of divine Providence.
The capitulum at None in Lent (Isaias LVIII 7) is a good reminder of this, also:
Frange esuriénti panem tuum, et egénos vagósque induc in domum tuam: cum víderis nudum, óperi eum, et carnem tuam ne despéxeris.
Share thy bread with the hungry, give the poor and the vagrant a welcome to thy house; meet thou the naked, clothe him; from thy own flesh and blood turn not away.
Canon Guelfucci having completed Holy Mass, I'm going to make some tea.
It is a long, long video but I (even I!) watched to the end. Dr Elam Rotem (of Rappresentatione di Giuseppe e i suoi fratelli fame) explains the differences between Italian falsobordone, French fauxbourdon, and English faburden in a way that even made sense to me, although I can see that in practice it all may tend to be confused together. Someone in the Traditional Mass group on Facebook pointed this out in the comments to someone else's post about the Miserere of Allegri.
Vayaker Yosef et-echavvehem lo hiriruhu.
And Joseph knew his brethren,
but they knew not him.
Using the musical language and context of the revolutionary musical dramas by Cavalieri, Caccini, and Monteverdi, the piece tells the story of Joseph and his brethren-- one of the most touching stories of the Old Testament. The piece was composed especially for ensemble Profeti della Quinta, and is set for five voices, instruments, and basso-continuo....The piece stresses the implications of taking early music a step further: not only to bring music from the past to the present day, but by acquiring lost skills of music making and attempting to understand the spirit of the time, to create new works of art ["new 'early music'"].As written in the preface to Emilio de Cavalieri's Rappresentatione di Anima e di Corpo (1600, at Rome), the aim of music is to move the feelings of the listeners: "mercy and happiness, crying and laughter". The Rappresentatione di Giuseppe e i suoi Fratelli follows this ideal, and aims to move the affects of the listeners, even the doubtful ones.
It is also the feast of Saint Catherine (15th century), of Saint Pacianus (4th century), and of Blessed Anton (20th century).
V. Et álibi aliórum plurimórum sanctórum Mártyrum et Confessórum, atque sanctárum Vírginum. R. Deo grátias.
LDVM
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