Ambrosian Agnus Dei

The Ambrosian Rite doesn't use the Agnus Dei at Mass, except at Masses for the Dead, when it appears, in slightly different form, as the Transitorium (Communion chant):

St Michael, Come to Our Aid

I must recall to pray St Michael more often, that that blessed Archangel intervene for the people of God, as once the prophet Daniel saw him do, and may thrust down to Hell Satan and all evil spirits.

Here are some collects from his Vespers according to the Ambrosian Rite; I haven't quite finished translating the last one:

Oratio I

Da nobis, omnipotens Deus, beati Michaelis Archangeli honore ad summa proficere: ut cujus in terris gloriam prædicamus, ejus quoque precibus adjuvemur in cœlis. Per…

Give to us, almighty God, to profit to the utmost by honouring blessed Michael the Archangel: that as we tell of his glory on earth, we may be helped by his prayers in heaven. Through…

Oratio II = Roman

Oratio III

Adesto plebi tuæ, misericors Deus: et ut gratiæ tuæ potiora beneficia percipiat, beati Michaelis Archangeli fac supplicem deprecationibus sublevari. Per…

Be present to thy people, merciful God: and that they may perceive greater benefits by thy grace, make them, prostrate in prayer, to be lifted up by the prayers of blessed Michael the Archangel. Through…

Oratio IV (cf. Roman Postcommunion)*

Beati Archangeli tui Michaelis interventione suffulti, supplices te, Domine, deprecamur: ut, quos honore prosequimur, contingamus et mente. Per…

Supported by the intervention of thy blessed Archangel Michael, bowing low, Lord, we pray thee: that, those we accompany with honour, we may lay hold of with our mind. Through...

* There seems something strange here: the Roman recension reads intercessione not interventione, a merely verbal difference, but also reads not quos honore but quod ore – and the meaning seems quite cryptic in both cases.  Help!

And furthermore: glancing at Dominican Vespers of St Michael, what did I see but that the Magnificat antiphon was all but identical to the Ambrosian Collect IV above (excluding the Per Dominum &c. of course), excluding only the words Beati and tui and supplices, and adding an alleluja.  Hmm, all very interesting...

Ambrosian Preface of Our Lady's Nativity

The church of Milan appoints a proper Preface for every Mass; here is the traditional Preface, less its eschatocol featuring the angelic host singing Sanctus, for the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady (the octave of which, it would seem, I am keeping):

Vere quia dignum tibi gratias agere, æterne Deus.  Recensemus enim præclarissimæ Nativitatis diem, quo gloriosissima Dei Genetrix, intemerata Virgo Maria, stella corusca et admirabilis, mundo effulsit.  Quæ nobis perennis vitæ januam quam Eva in paradiso clauserat, reseravit: nosque de tenebris ad lucis antiquæ gaudia revocavit.  Per eumdem...

(For it is truly meet to give thee thanks, eternal God; since we are celebrating the day of a most illustrious birth, when the most glorious Mother of God, the spotless Virgin Mary, the brigh and wonderful star, shone upon the world.  It is she who hath opened unto us again the gate of everlasting life, which Eve had closed in paradise: and hath brought us back from darkness to the joys of the ancient light.  Through the same Jesus Christ...)

Laus Angelorum Magna

The Ambrosian Rite Divine Office, prior to its reform under St Charles Borromeo, contained a version of the Gloria in excelsis included in its morning Office of Matins and Lauds; for better or worse, it was removed in 1582; but here it is, as found in an 11th C. manuscript:

Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, hymnum dicimus tibi. Benedicimus te. Glorificamus te: adoramus te. Gratias tibi agimus propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens, Jesu Christe, sancte Spiritus. Domine Deus, Filius Patris: Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis: miserere nobis, subveni nobis, dirige nos, conserva nos, munda nos, pacifica nos. Libera nos ab inimicis, a tentationibus, ab haereticis, ab arrianis, a schismaticis, a barbaris: quia tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, in gloria Dei Patris cum sancto Spiritu in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

(Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise Thee, a hymn we say to Thee. We bless Thee. We glorify Thee: we adore Thee. Thanks to Thee we give for Thy great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty, Jesu Christ, [and] Holy Ghost. Lord God, Son of the Father: Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Who sittest at the right of the Father, have mercy on us: have mercy on us, come to help us, direct us, preserve us, cleanse us, pacify us. Deliver us from enemies, from temptations, from heretics, from Arians, from schismatics, from barbarians: for Thou only art holy, Thou only art the Lord, Thou only art the Most High, Jesu Christ, in the glory of God the Father with the Holy Spirit unto the ages of the ages. Amen.)

Notice how this version of the Gloria in excelsis omits two phrases (Domine Fili Unigenite and the first Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis), while reordering certain phrases, and adding others... leaving aside the obviously added petitions ("have mercy on us, come to help us... deliver us... from barbarians"), it is closer in form to the original Greek form of this great doxology, which in the East in general is only used in the Divine Office, not in the Divine Liturgy. In particular, this Ambrosian Gloria mentions the Holy Ghost twice: once in the middle, with the Other Two Divine Persons, as the Byzantine recension does; and at the very end, with an added doxological conclusion, as if it took a cue from the Roman form of the Gloria.

The modern Ambrosian Rite Office now contains a revised version of this, slightly reordering words, omitting certain phrases (the rather un-politically correct "from heretics, from Arians, from schismatics, from barbarians" - a pity, since these are the four groups Christians do need to be delivered from!) and adding further versicles from the psalms (analogous to the last part of the Te Deum); this may be recited, pro opportunitate, on days when the Te Deum is not used, in its place (the Te Deum itself being a late interloper, only introduced at Milan in 1440):

Gloria in excelsis Deo, * et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, hymnum dicimus tibi, * benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te.
Gratias tibi agimus propter magnam gloriam tuam, * Domine Deus, rex caelestis.
Deus Pater omnipotens, * Iesu Christe et sancte Spiritus.
Domine Deus, * Filius Patris
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, * suscipe deprecationem nostram;
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, * miserere nobis.
Miserere nobis, subveni nobis, dirige nos: * conserva nos, munda nos, pacifica nos.
Libera nos ab inimicis, * a tentationibus.
Quia tu solus sanctus, * tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus,
Jesu Christe, * in gloria Dei Patris cum sancto Spiritu.

Per singulos dies benedicimus te, * et laudamus nomen tuum in æternum, et in sæculum sæculi. [Ps 144:2]
Dignare, Domine, die isto, * sine peccato nos custodire. [ex Te Deum]
Benedictus es, Domine, * doce me iustitias tuas. [Ps 118:12]
Vide humilitatem meam et laborem meum * et dimitte omnia peccata mea. [Ps 24:18]
Eructabunt labia mea hymnum, * hymnum Deo nostro. [Ps 118:171a; cf. 39:4]
Vivet anima mea et laudabit te, * et iudicia tua adiuvabunt me. [Ps 118:175]
Erravi sicut ovis, quae perierat: * require servum tuum, quia mandata tua non sum oblitus. [Ps 118:176]

Cito anticipent nos misericordia tua, Domine,+ quia pauperes facti sumus nimis, * adiuva nos, Deus salutaris noster. [Ps 78:8b-9a]
Benedictus es, Domine, Deus patrum nostrorum, * et laudabilis et gloriosus in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. [Dan 3:52a]

(Glory in the highest to God, * and on earth peace to men of good will.
We praise Thee, a hymn we say to Thee, * we bless Thee, we adore Thee, we glorify Thee.
Thanks to Thee we give for Thy great glory, * Lord God, heavenly King.
God the Father almighty, * Jesu Christ, and Holy Ghost.
Lord God, * Son of the Father,
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, * receive our prayer;
Who sittest at the right of the Father, * have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, come to help us, direct us: * preserve us, cleanse us, pacify us.
Deliver us from enemies, * from temptations.
For Thou only art holy, * Thou only art the Lord, Thou only art the Most High,
Jesu Christ, * in the glory of God the Father with the Holy Spirit.

(Every day we will bless Thee: and we will praise Thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.
Vouchsafe, Lord, this day, * to keep us without sin.
Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me Thy justifications.
See my abjection and my labour, * and forgive me all my sins.
My lips shall utter a hymn, * a hymn to our God.
My soul shall live and shall praise Thee, * and Thy judgments shall help me.
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: * seek Thy servant, because I have not forgotten Thy commandments.
Let Thy mercies speedily prevent us, Lord, + for we are become exceeding poor, * help us, O God, our saviour.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord the God of our fathers, * and worthy to be praised, and glorified unto the ages of the ages. Amen.)

Officium Parvum Beatæ Mariæ Virginis

The Little Office is a blessing and a relief - why not try it as a fit devotion and rule of prayer suited to a traditionalist Catholic? I know that Fr Tattersall recommended it to my friend Justin for one.

I have previously posted on:

• the Little Office of Our Lady (which, as that day, I've again used instead of the full Breviary this Saturday);
• and more on the Little Office; and yet more on it;
• The Little Office of Our Lady after the Use of Sarum;
• I've put the whole of the Dominican Little Office of Our Lady online as well;
• and also made some suggestions regarding the Little Office and the Office of the Dead;
• furthermore it must be noted, lest would-be pray-ers go astray, that the Baronius Press edition of Our Lady's Office is full of misprints and mistakes, to a really vexing degree.

Some other useful resources:

• the Little Office, in parallel Latin and English, according to the Use of Rome in 1599: hence the hymns are in their original state prior to Urban VIII's misguided 'correction' of them, the antiphons are not doubled - given in full before as well as after each psalm or canticle - and the items removed in the reforms of Pius X (that is, Psalms 66, 149 and 150 at Lauds) and Pius XII (the prefatory Ave of each Hour, the Kyrie before the Collect, the memorial of the saints at Lauds and Vespers, the Pater and versicle to be said at the end of the Hours one has said, and the Pater, Ave and Credo after the Marian anthem at Compline) are still there;
• the Little Office according to the Ambrosian Rite as of 1957;
• the Little Office as put on someone's blog, apparently in the pre-1950's form (with all the above-named items removed under Pius XII still included).

St Damasus

After Mass of St Damasus, Mike and I went over to Northbridge and had some dim sum - yum.

On our way into town, he read Lauds while I drove; and, getting to Mass early rather than late, I had time for a quick private Rosary (Luminous Mysteries, I'm not incorrigible) and Prime, Terce and Sext, then some private prayers during Mass and None afterward.  Matins... will hopefully get said later to-day.

Of all the parts of the much-used Mass Si diligis me of Sainted Popes, the Epistle (I Peter v, 1-4 & 10-11) is I think the most interesting, repaying much careful consideration:

Most dearly beloved:

The elders that are among you, I beseech, who am myself also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ: as also a partaker of that glory which is to be revealed in time to come: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking care of it, not by constraint, but willingly, according to God: not for filthy lucre's sake, but voluntarily: neither as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart.  And when the prince of pastors shall appear, you shall receive a never fading crown of glory. 

But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you.  To him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen.

I was especially struck (hence the above prefatory details) by verses 12-14a of Psalm 73 at Sext:

Deus autem Rex noster ante sæcula: operatus est salutem in medio terræ.

Tu confirmasti in virtute tua mare: contribulasti capita draconum in aquis.

Tu confregisti capita draconis...

But God is our King before the ages: He hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.

Thou hast strengthened the sea in Thy power: Thou hast crushed the heads of the dragons in the waters.

Thou hast broken the head of the dragon...

While literally these allude to the saving acts of God during the Exodus from Egypt, spiritually they may most justly be interpreted as referring to Christ our God, Who is indeed our King before all ages, but in this the last age has wrought our salvation in the midst of the earth upon His Cross outside Jerusalem, and has therefore crushed the head of the Dragon, drowning that ancient enemy of our race - and all his imps and minions - in the saving laver of Baptism, in the waters mystically empowered by secret sacramental grace.

The first verse above - Ps 73:12 - is the most striking, and is noteworthy for being quoted in the following Ambrosian Rite collect, used at Vespers as I recall, though eminently suitable for Compline:

Deus, qui operatus es salutem in medio terræ (Ps 73:12b); a quo tenebræ non obscurabuntur, et nox sicut dies illuminabitur (Ps 138:12a), illumina, quæsumus, tenebras nostras: ut, tranquillam et quietam noctem deducentes, matutinis horis in tuis laudibus consurgamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. R/. Amen.

O God, who hast wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, from whom darkness is not hid, and night is as light as day, enlighten, we beseech thee, our darkness: that, having passed a tranquill and quiet night, we may arise in the morning hours to thy praises. Through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.

Epiphany Blessings

As Epiphanytide draws to a close, I thought I might post the blessings at Epiphany Matins – which are in rhyme, as usual – from the Ambrosian Breviary of old, asking a blessing from Christ at his Manifestation to the Gentiles:

Nos defendat a pœnis inferni 

cui tulerunt munera Magi.  R/.  Amen.

Per apparitionem stellæ 

perducat nos Dominus ad gaudia vitæ.  R/.  Amen.

Christus lux lucis 

det nobis gaudia pacis.  R/.  Amen.

Qui in Jordane est baptizatus, 

nostros deleat ipse reatus.  R/.  Amen.

Filius Dei vivi 

faciat nos per omnia placere sibi.  R/.  Amen.

Christus Rex regum 

nos faciat vivere secum.  R/.  Amen.

Christi Jesu Stella vera 

illuminet sensus et corda nostra.  R/.  Amen.

Jesus Deus noster 

benedicat nos et nunc et semper.  R/.  Amen.

(May He defend us from the pains of hell, 

to Whom the Magi brought gifts.  R/.  Amen.

By the apparition of a star 

may the Lord bring us to the joys of life.  R/.  Amen.

May Christ the Light of Light 

give us the joy of peace.  R/.  Amen.

May He Who was baptized in the Jordan 

Himself efface our guilt.  R/.  Amen.

May the Son of the living God 

make us to please Him in all things.  R/.  Amen.

May Christ the King of kings 

make us to live with Him.  R/.  Amen.

May the true Star of Christ Jesus 

enlighten our minds and hearts.  R/.  Amen.

May Jesus our God 

bless us both now and ever.  R/.  Amen.)