medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Preface (2)
Ward and Johnson analyse the Preface into five parts:
1. The introductory dialogue ("Sursum Corda")
2. The protocol. A common enough word, but it is used here in the
specialised sense of "introductory formula."
3. The embolism, or text "thrown in". This is the variable part which
refers to the particular feast or celebration.
4. The eschatocol. This word is in the dictionary, though in my
experience seldom taken out of it; it means "concluding formula."
5. The acclamation ("Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus."
Of these, the embolism receives by far the most extensive treatment by
Ward and Johnson. They deal with the other parts in an excursus, and we
may get these out of the way first.
1. The introductory dialogue is as follows (I give literal
translations, not necessarily the existing or proposed liturgical
translations):
A. Priest: Dominus vobiscum. (The Lord be with you)
B. People: Et cum spiritu tuo. (And with your spirit)
C. Priest: Sursum corda. (Lift up your hearts)
D. People: Habemus ad Dominum (We have to the Lord)
E. Priest: Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. (Let us give thanks to
the Lord our God)
F. People: Dignum et istum est. (It is worthy and just)
A. The phrase "Dominus vobiscum" is a greeting found several times in
the Bible. Ward and Johnson quote Ruth 2:4 and 2 Chronicles 15:1-2, and
(with slight variations) 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Judges 6:12, Luke 1:28
and Matthew 28:20 - this last being in fact the promise of Jesus to be
with his disciples always: "Ecce ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus."
B. The reply "cum spiritu tuo" is found at 2 Timothy 4:22 and (in the
plural) Galatians 6:18 and Philippians 4:23 (= Philemon 25). Although
Paul uses it generally to the people of Galatia and Philippi, this
reply came to be used in Christian practice only to members of the
clergy. Thus, when liturgical texts normally sung by a priest or deacon
(e.g. the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil or the Gospel reading at any
Mass), are performed by any other person, this versicle and response
are omitted. In the present translation of the Mass, "Cum spiritu tuo"
is rendered rather blandly "And also with you." It has been leaked to
the newspapers that it is proposed to render it "And with your spirit"
in the new translation. It will have to be seen whether the proposal
will survive the process of consultation. For the most part, it is
translated faithfully into other languages; e.g French "Et avec votre
esprit."
C. The exact phrase "Sursum corda" is not found in the Bible, but Ward
and Johnson quote Colossians 3:1, "Quae sursm sunt, quaerite . . . quae
sursum sunt sapite," Lamentations 3:41, "Levemus corda nostra cum
manibus ad Dominum in caelos," and John 11:41, "Iesus autem elevatis
sursum oculis, dixit: Pater, gratias ago tibi, quoniam audisti me."
D. This phrase is liturgically rendered: "We lift them up to the Lord."
E. Ward and Johnson cite Revelation 11:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:2 and 2
Thessalonias 1:2. This last also gives us a source for the response:
"Gratias agere debemus semper Deo pro vobis, fratres, ita ut dignum
est."
The introductory dialogue is of great antiquity. It occurs in the
Eucharistic Prayer of Hippolytus (c. 225 A.D.) - cf. Bettenson,
Documents of the Christian Church, World's Classics 1943 and often
reprinted, p. 106. This text does not contain the Sanctus, so the
Sursum Corda is evidently older than the Sanctus; in fact, it is one of
the oldest of our eucharistic texts, and is found in the liturgies of
both east and west.
Bill
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