Collect of the Week - 40
Dominica in Passione Domini
Quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, familiam tuam propitius respice, ut te largiente
regatur in corpore, et te servante custodiatur in mente. Per Dominum.
BCP
We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by
thy great goodness they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body
and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The translation fits where it touches. Once again 'propitius' -
'favourable, well-disposed, gracious, kind') is rendered by the catch-all
'mercifully'; the intimate 'familia' (household) is rendered by the more
general 'people'.
The second half is more a paraphrase than a translation. More literally,
'with you providing bountifully it may be ruled in body, and with you
protecting it may be guarded in mind.' 'largior' is 'to give bountifully,
lavish, bestow'. We are in a season of fasting; the point is, that God's
lavish giving more than compensates for the reduction in our bodily food.
Our bodies are ruled, disciplined, by fasting, but to make up for this God
gives his gifts the more lavishly. 'By thy great goodness' misses this point.
'Servo' is 'save, deliver, keep unharmed, preserve, protect' and 'custodio'
is 'watch, protect, keep guard.' 'mens', literally 'mind' is often used of
the soul. So God provides for the body's needs, and keeps watch over the
soul. There is a contrast in the way he cares for the two aspects of his
people, which is lost by lumping them together, as in 'both in body and soul.'
Note the name of the day. Nowadays 'Passion Sunday' in the Roman tradition
is the same as Palm Sunday; the term was formerly used of the fifth Sunday
in Lent. Whatever the name, it introduces a more severe phase of the Lenten
fast. Crosses and images are commonly veiled from this day until Good
Friday, when the cross is unveiled for veneration.
Oriens.
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