Novena to St Francis

My old friends the Dominicans liked to refer to St Francis as "Holy Uncle Frank". Clearly, something of the same resonated with a certain Jesuit earlier this year... And as I'm in a Franciscan parish these days, and one whose parish priest is getting on a bit (dear Fr Allan is eighty), I ask readers to join in a Novena to St Francis, with the intention that, when (hopefully none too soon!) our parish priest retires, we be given a new one (not a foregone conclusion, given the local shortage of clergy). An indefatigable parishioner suggested this to me yester-day: the Novena begins today, and concludes on the 3rd of October, the day of the death of St Francis.

What text? I suggest the traditional form of the Transitus: Psalm 141, Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi, which was prayed by St Francis as he lay dying – indeed he gave up the ghost as he recited the last verse, "Bring my soul out of this prison, and then I shall praise thy name" (and how wonderful a memory it is to think that I looked at that very spot when in the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels at Assisi a year or so ago) – with the antiphon O sanctissima anima; five Pater's, Ave's and Gloria's ("cross prayers" said with arms outstretched); the antiphon Salve, sancte Pater (which we sang last night at Compline and Benediction), with versicle and collect; and a final "Lord, hear my prayer" and "Let us bless the Lord", praying that He bless us by granting our request:

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TRANSITUS S.P.N. FRANCISCI.

Aña. O sanctíssima ánima, in cujus tránsitu cæli cives occúrrunt, Angelórum chorus exsúltat, et gloriósa Trínitas invítat, dicens: Mane nobíscum in ætérnum.

Ps. 141.

Voce mea ad Dóminum clamávi: * voce mea ad Dóminum deprecátus sum.

Effúndo in conspéctu ejus oratiónem meam, * et tribulatiónem meam ante ipsum pronúntio.

In deficiéndo ex me spíritum meum, * et tu cognovísti sémitas meas.

In via hac, qua ambulábam, * abscondérunt láqueum mihi.

Considerábam ad déxteram, et vidébam: * et non erat qui cognósceret me.

Périit fuga a me, * et non est qui requírat ánimam meam.

Clamávi ad te, Dómine, † dixi: Tu es spes mea, * pórtio mea in terra vivéntium.

Inténde ad deprecatiónem meam: * quia humiliátus sum nimis.

Líbera me a persequéntibus me: * quia confortáti sunt super me.

Educ de custódia ánimam meam † ad confiténdum nómini tuo: * me exspéctant justi, donec retríbuas mihi.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen.

Aña. O sanctíssima ánima, in cujus tránsitu cæli cives occúrrunt, Angelórum chorus exsúltat, et gloriósa Trínitas invítat, dicens: Mane nobíscum in ætérnum.

Pater noster... (v) Ave María... (v) Glória Patri... (v)

Aña. Salve, sancte Pater, pátriæ lux, forma Minórum: Virtútis spéculum, recti via, régula morum; Carnis ab exsílio duc nos ad regna polórum.

V/. Francíscus pauper et húmilis cælum dives ingréditur.

R/. Hymnis cæléstibus honorátur.

Orémus.

Oratio.

Deus, qui (hodiérna die) ánimæ beáti Patris nostri Francísci ætérnæ beatitúdinis præmia contulísti: † concéde propítius; ut qui ejus migratiónis memóriam piis afféctibus celebrámus, * ad ejúsdem beatitúdinis præmia felíciter perveníre mereámur. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum. R/. Amen.

V/. Dóminus vobíscum.

R/. Et cum spíritu tuo.

V/. Benedicámus Dómino.

R/. Deo grátias.

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The first antiphon and the versicle are, of course, derived from the Office of St Martin of Tours, which itself drew from the Life of St Martin compiled by Sulpicius Severus:

«...O sanctissima anima...» (Aña ad Magn., 11 Nov.)
«... in cujus transitu...» (R/. vii, Brev. Rom. = R/. ix, Brev. Mon., 11 Nov.)
«...exsultant Angeli ...invitat: Mane nobiscum in æternum.» (Aña ad Bened., 11 Nov.)

«...Martinus, hic pauper et modicus, cælum dives ingreditur, hymnis cælestibus honoratur» (Aña. 5. ad Laudes et Vesperis, 11 Nov.)