Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sarum Rite Sunday after the Ascension

To-day I attended Solemn High Mass according to the Use of Sarum... I wish!

(Instead, to-night I'll perforce attend the usual Novus Ordo Mass for Ascension-on-Sunday.)

Whatever of my liturgical fantasies, I did have cause to consult an online translation of the Sarum Missal of 1526, and for interest's sake looked up the Mass Proper for Sunday after the Ascension.  As I surmised, the texts provided are almost identical to the Traditional Roman (and likewise to the Dominican) – but for the Offertory, Secret and Postcommunion, of which the last two are quite noteworthy for their expressing the doctrine of the Session of Christ our King and Head and Priest and Intercessor at the Father's Right:

Offertory (Ps 146:1 (PBV) = 145:2 (Vulg.))
Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord; yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God, alleluya.
Secret
Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we may acceptably offer this sacrifice, to become the body and blood of him, whom sitting at the right hand of thy power we assuredly believe to be interceding for us, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son.  Who with thee...
Postcommunion
Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that through this most holy communion we may confidently believe that to be accomplished in the body of the whole Church, which has already been accomplished in her head.  Through [the same]...

Though I have only this English version of the Sarum to hand, I am intrigued to see that the Sarum postcommunion seems to be almost the same as the Modern Roman prayer after communion for the Sunday after the Ascension (when that Mass gets used at all):

Exaudi nos, Deus, salutaris noster, ut per haec sacrosancta mysteria in totius Ecclesiae confidamus corpore faciendum, quod eius praecessit in capite.  Per...
(Graciously hear us, God our Saviour, that by these most holy-and-sacred mysteries we may have confidence [that] may be accomplished in the body of the whole Church, which has preceded in her Head.  Through...)

By reason of the Lord's Resurrection and Ascension, all things now tend upwards...

God grant it!

1 comment:

Rubricarius said...

And the 'Memory' (or commemoration as we would call it) of the Octave is the same in the Traditional Roman rite and Sarum.