medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
The rubrics you cite are not especially unusual. They are remnants of what
was at one time the full usual formula for the oratio ad collectam. Note
that 'Flectamus genua' (genua = plural) is different from the rubric 'Hic
genuflectitur.' So the practice was to kneel, not genuflect, using both
knees, and to pause in that posture for some moments of silent prayer, the
time being set by the Subdeacon (or Celebrant in the absence of a
Subdeacon). The formula was:
Celebrant's Greeting: Dominus vobiscum.
Congregation's (=collectio populi, whence collecta) response: Et cum spiritu
tuo.
Celebrant's invite: Oremus (Once this was a longer formula, continuing with
'dilectissimi, etc,' in which the primary intention for prayer that day was
announced.)
Deacon's instruction: Flectamus genua
Subdeacon's instruction after some moments of silent prayer: Levate.
Note that the Oremus was an invite to all to pray silently for the intention
of the day. The collects in the MR were a brief concluding formula by the
Celebrant intended to be a kind of summing up of the silent prayer of the
people. Over time, this kneeling for silent prayer eroded in most Mass
formularies, leaving only the greeting, the invite and the collect itself. I
think the Solemn Prayers on Good Friday are the only place in the Roman Rite
where the full formula endures. In earlier versions of the MR, there were
other days, such as this one and some ember days, where this longer formula
was still used, though without the longer invite formula. The usual
suspects, (i.a., Jungmann, Fortescue, Ellebracht) have more on this.
Stan Metheny
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill East" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 8:03 AM
Subject: [M-R] Offertorium - 38
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Offertorium - 38
The Wednesday of Holy Week shows some deviations from the normal form
of Mass, as we shall see.
The Introit Antiphon is Philippians 2, verses 10, 8 and 11 - a portion
of the reading for Palm Sunday, in fact:
In nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur, caelestium, terrestrium et
infernorum: quia Dominus factus est obediens usque ad mortem, mortem
autem crucis: ideo Dominus Jesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris.
The psalm is 101 verse 2:
Domine, exaudi orationem meam: et clamor meus ad te veniat.
After the Kyrie eleison a rubric instructs that 'Oremus. Flectamus
genua. Levate.' should be said. It is not usual to genuflect before the
collect. I do not know whether the rubric here is acknowledging the
'omne genu flectatur' of the Introit, or is simply part of the general
increase in genuflexions during Holy Week; the instruction turns up in
several places where it would not normally be expected.
The reading which follows the collect is Isaiah 62:11 and 63:1-7 'Who
is this who comes from Edom, in crimson garments from Bosrah?'
This is followed by the Gradual, Ps. 68, verses 18 and 2-3:
Ne avertas faciem tuam a puero tuo, quoniam tribulor: velociter exaudi
me.
Salvum me fac, Deus, quoniam intraverunt aquae usque a animam meam:
infixus sum in limo profundi, et non est substantia.
Here (and this is not usual) is said Dominus vobiscum, this time
without Flectamus genua, and another collect is said, followed by
another Old Testament reading, again from Isaiah, this time 53:1-12, a
'Suffering Servant' passage: 'Surely he has borne our sorrows, and
carried our griefs.'
A Tract follows, the Tract having been omitted the previous day. This
is Psalm 101, verses 2-5 and 14:
Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te veniat.
Ne avertas faciem tuam a me: in quacumque die tribulor, inclina ad me
aurem tuam.
In quacumque die invocavero te, velociter exaudi me.
Quia defecerunt sicut fumus dies mei: et ossa mea sicut in frixorio
confrixa sunt.
Percussus sum sicut foenum, et aruit cor meum: quia oblitus sum
manducare panem meum.
Tu exsurgens, Domine, misereberis Sion: quia venit tempus miserendi
eius.
The Gospel is the Passion according to Luke, chapters 22:1-17 and
23:1-53. This begins with the mention of Satan entering into the heart
of Judas Iscariot, who goes to the authorities and agrees to betray
Jesus. It is perhaps this passage that has imparted the name 'Spy
Wednesday' used of this day in Ireland, and perhaps in some other
places.
Both the Offertorium and the Communio are also taken from Psalm 101,
the former from verses 2-3:
Domine, exaudi orationem meam, et clamor meus ad te perveniat: ne
avertas faciem tuam a me.
The latter from verses 10, 13 and 14:
Potum meum cum fletu temperabam: quia elevans allisisti me: et ego
sicut foenum arui: tu autem, Domine, in aeternum permanes: tu exsurgens
misereberis Sion, quia venit tempus miserendi eius.
The 'meditative' aspect of the Mass is then largely supplied by psalm
101. I therefore thought it might be of interest to see what some of
the Fathers said about this psalm. Augustine relates it to Christ,
which is hardly surprising:
'Behold, one poor man prayeth, and prayeth not in silence. We may
therefore hear him, and see who he is: whether it be not perhance He,
of whom the Apostle saith, "Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He
became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich."'
The reference to the 'poor man' derives from verse 1 of the psalm, that
is, the title of the psalm, the first verse proper of the psalm,
'Domine, exaudi orationem meam' being numbered 2. The title is, 'Oratio
pauperis, cum anxius fuerit, et in conspectu Domini effuderit precem
suam.'
Augustine, as aforesaid, identifies this 'poor man' with Christ: '
"Turn not Thy face away from me." When did God turn away His face from
His Son? When did the Father turn away His Face from Christ?'
This identification was obviously in the mind of our Antiphonist, or he
would not have used so much of the psalm in a Mass devoted to the
sufferings of Christ. But not all the Fathers agreed with it. For
example, the Venerable Bede writes:
'Although some have thought the present Psalm applicable to the Lord
our Saviour, it seems more suitable to suppose that the person of an
afflicted and groaning poor man, as the title itself contains it, is
introduced.'
Tomorrow we shall look at the Mass for Maundy Thursday.
___________________________________________________________
How much free photo storage do you get? Store your holiday
snaps for FREE with Yahoo! Photos http://uk.photos.yahoo.com
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html
|
