Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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.)

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