Merry Christmas 2021

Christ is born! Glorify him!

Christmas! the wondrous Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, both God and man, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Eternal Word incarnate for our salvation, who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever, who is and ever shall be the Victor over sin, Satan, death and hell.

"the Light shineth in darkness" — St John i, 5

This is now the third Christmas of the pandemic, for the virus was already about its fell work in Wuhan back in December 2019... may God see fit to deliver us before next Christmas.

A blessed, safe and happy Christmas to all.

Shortest Composite Proper

The variable chants, lessons and orations that comprise the Proper of the Mass vary widely in length; out of curiosity, I have assembled the shortest of each of them, taken from the Roman Missal of 1962 (in the case of the chants, this involved counting the notes of each) into a shortest composite proper, illustrative of the minimum required – which in the case of the chants and lessons, amounts to about a verse of Scripture each (two, for the Introit and Tract), and as for the prayers, a similar word-length applies:

NB Procession before Rogation Mass [used as an Introit in the Ordinary Form]

[44 notes, excl. psalm verse & Gloria Patri; 18 words; 21+23=44 syllables; 114 characters (no spaces): all statistics excl. Gloria Patri]

Ps. 43, 26

Exsurge, Domine, adjuva nos, et libera nos propter nomen tuum.

Ps. ibid., 2 Deus, auribus nostris audivimus, patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis.

V. Gloria Patri.

Shortest Introit: SS Marius, Martha, Audifax & Abachum, Martyrs (19 Jan.) 

[57 notes excl. Ps. verse & Gloria Patri; one verse, plus Ps. verse, etc.; 26+32=58 syllables, 11+14=25 words, 136 characters (no spaces): all statistics excl. Gloria Patri]

Introitus Ps. 67, 4

Justi epulentur, et exsultent in conspectu Dei, et delectentur in lætitia. 

Ps. ibid., 2 Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus: et fugiant qui oderunt eum, a facie ejus.

V. Gloria Patri.

NB Shortest Collect in the Breviary: “Absolution” [in form, a Collect] of First Nocturn of Matins

[10 words, 25 syllables, 62 characters (no spaces); excl. Qui...]

Exáudi, Dómine Jesu Christe, preces servórum tuórum, et miserére nobis: Qui...

Shortest Collect in the Missal: 17th Sunday after Pentecost 

[15 words, 37 syllables (same as shortest Epistle), 82 characters (no spaces); excl. Per...]

Oratio.

Da, quæsumus, Domine, populo tuo diabolica vitare contagia: et te solum Deum pura mente sectari. Per... 

Shortest Epistle: Daily Requiem Mass 

[one verse; 30 words, 70 syllables, 166 characters (no spaces)]

Lectio libri Apocalypsis beati Joannis Apostoli. 

Apoc. 14, 13 

In diebus illis: Audivi vocem de cælo, dicentem mihi: Scribe: Beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur. Amodo jam dicit Spiritus, ut requiescant a laboribus suis: opera enim illorum sequuntur illos.

Shortest Gradual: Common of a Virgin & Martyr, 1st Mass 

[62 + 93 = 155 notes; one verse; 13 words, 37 syllables, 81 characters (no spaces)]

Graduale Ps. 44, 8

Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem. 

V. Propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo lætitiæ.

Shortest Tract: Lenten Ember Saturday; Easter Vigil; Pentecost Vigil; Whit Saturday; September Ember Saturday 

[112 + 138 = 250 notes; 22 words; 54 syllables; 130 characters (no spaces)]

Tractus Ps. 116, 1-2

Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes: et collaudate eum, omnes populi. 

V. Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia ejus: et veritas Domini manet in æternum.

Shortest Alleluia: Queenship B.V.M. (31st May), 2nd Alleluia

[35 + 58 = 93 notes (excl. any repeat of the All.); 6 words, 10 syllables, 25 characters (no spaces), excl. All.]

Alleluja.

V. Nunc cum eo regnas in æternum. 

Alleluja.

2nd-Shortest Alleluia: Whit Saturday, 2nd Alleluia

[30+66 = 96 notes (excl. any repeat of the All.); one verse; 4 words, also 10 syllables, also 25 characters (no spaces), excl. All.]

Alleluja. 

V. Job 26, 13 Spiritus ejus ornavit cælos. 

Shortest Gospel: Circumcision (1st January); Holy Name of Jesus

[one verse; 25 words, 57 syllables, 143 characters (no spaces)]

Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam.

Luc. 2, 21

In illo tempore: Postquam consummati sunt dies octo, ut circumcideretur Puer: vocatum est nomen ejus Jesus, quod vocatum est ab Angelo priusquam in utero conciperetur.

Shortest Offertory: St Stanislaus Kostka (13th November, PAL)

[88 notes; one verse; 10 words, 24 syllables, 54 characters (no spaces)]

Offertorium Ps. 42, 4

Introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum, qui lætificat juventutem meam.

Shortest Secret: First Sunday after Epiphany; Sexagesima Sunday; Monday after the 4th Sunday in Lent 

[9 words, 24 syllables, 57 characters (no spaces); excl. Per...]

Secreta.

Oblatum tibi, Domine, sacrificium vivificet nos semper et muniat. Per...

Shortest Communion: 7th Sunday after Pentecost

[one verse; 43 notes; 7 words, 17 syllables, 38 characters (no spaces)]

Communio Ps. 30, 3

Inclina aurem tuam, accelera, ut eripias me.

Shortest Postcommunion: St John before the Latin Gate (6th May, PAL)

[9 words, 24 syllables, 61 characters (no spaces); excl. Per...]

Postcommunio. 

Refecti, Domine, pane cælesti: ad vitam, quæsumus, nutriamur æternam. Per...

Shortest Oratio super populum: Lenten Ember Friday

[11 words, 26 syllables, 64 characters (no spaces); excl. Per...]

Oratio.

Exaudi nos, misericors Deus: et mentibus nostris gratiæ tuæ lumen ostende. Per...

Consecration to Our Lady Queen of the Angels - Fifth Anniversary

Particularly at this time, it is wise to redouble one’s prayers and consecrate oneself to Our Lady, as the Queen of Angels Latin Mass Community of the Archdiocese of Hobart first did five years ago; for convenience, here are some suitable forms to employ:

Aña. Ave, Regina cælorum, 

Ave, Domina Angelorum:

Salve, radix, salve, porta,

Ex qua mundo lux est orta:

Gaude, Virgo gloriosa,

Super omnes speciosa,

Vale, o valde decora,

Et pro nobis Christum exora.

V. Ave María, Regína Angelórum.

R. Ora pro nobis servis tuis.

Orémus.

Oratio. Supplicatiónem servórum tuórum, Deus miserátor, exáudi: ut qui in Communitáte Regínæ Angelórum congregámur, ejus intercessiónibus, a te de instántibus perículis eruámur. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R. Amen.

 

(Ant. Hail, O Queen of Heaven enthroned,

Hail, by angels mistress owned,

Root of Jesse, Gate of Morn

Whence the world's true light was born:

Glorious Virgin, joy to thee,

Loveliest whom in heaven they see;

Fairest thou, where all are fair,

Plead with Christ our souls to spare.

(V. Hail Mary, Queen of the Angels.

(R. Pray for us thy servants.

(Let us pray.

(Collect. Graciously hear the supplication of thy servants, O merciful God, that we, who are gathered in the Community of the Queen of the Angels, may, at her intercession, by thee be delivered from threatening dangers. Through Christ our Lord. R. Amen.)

 

Consecration to Our Lady, Queen of Angels.

Holy Virgin, Sovereign of the heavenly hierarchies, who by the august title of Mother of God have been raised to the dignity of Queen of Angels, we unite ourselves today to those blessed spirits to render to you our duty and our profound homage; we come to consecrate ourselves forever to your service. We already belong, it is true, to your beloved Congregation; however, permit us to declare loudly, O Mary, that we are and will always be your children. Immaculate Virgin, who have never been invoked in vain, show that you are truly our mother; we beseech you, show to us, especially during these rejoicings, that we are passing through the midst of a corrupt world that will strive to deceive us; show the enemies of our salvation that you are more powerful to save us than they are to destroy us; govern us by the good offices of our celestial Guardians. We must fight the infernal legions, an evil and seductive world, and especially our passions and evil inclinations; who will defend us against such formidable enemies if you do not come to our rescue? You are terrible as an army in battle array: it is for you to support us in these battles. O Mary, bright star of the sea, guide us in the midst of this stormy sea, so full of pitfalls that many of the virtuous have been wrecked! You are beautiful as the lily among thorns: preserve us in an inviolable purity in the midst of universal corruption. We entrust to you the precious deposit of our innocence, which will be safer in your hands, O Virgin of virgins, whose purity exceeds that of the same Angels. O Mother most amiable, enlarge your heart, open to us a refuge against the fury and dangerous seductions of the infernal dragon whose head you crushed. You are all powerful with the Almighty: gain for us, we beseech you, all relief that we need to overcome the devil, the world and ourselves. Finally, obtain for us the grace to lead an angelic life, that we may deserve to be assisted and strengthened at the hour of death, by you and by our holy angels, and be rewarded in heaven. Amen.

When Not to Say "Amen"

Especially at Low Mass, sometimes the overeager faithful reply Amen when they ought not.

The priest begins the prayers at the foot of the altar by making the sign of the Cross, saying In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen. No one, neither the server(s) nor the rest of the congregation, replies here - the priest himself says the Amen.

When the priest recites the Introit, he reads the Gloria Patri, ending with an Amen; however, as he immediately repeats the Introit antiphon, it is far less likely that an overzealous attendee would attempt to say Amen at that point.

It should be carefully noted, though, that when the priest recites the Gloria in excelsis, and, likewise, the Credo, in both cases he himself concludes each with an Amen, which is his to say, and is not the province of the faithful present at Mass, however heartily they concur – despite this, some mistakenly try to reply Amen, not realising that here there is no reply to give.

When the priest administers Communion to the faithful, he says to each Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam æternam. Amen. Again, the individual communicant ought say nothing – as they are at that moment kneeling with their tongue extended, ready to receive the Host, by trying to saying Amen, they will only obstruct the administration of Communion.

It is always wise to be aware of the rubrics.