medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Offertorium – 13
There is a Mass for the Vigil of the Epiphany, but it need not detain
us as its chants are the same as those for the Sunday in the Octave of
Christmas.
The antiphons for the feast of the Epiphany relate mainly to the visit
of the Magi. This might seem obvious, but in fact this is not the
original purpose of the feast. It originates in the East as a feast of
the Baptism of the Lord. In the West, however, attention moved to the
visit of the Magi. The Office still makes mention of the Baptism, and
also of the miracle at Cana in Galilee, as we see from the Antiphon to
the Magnificat at II Vespers:
Tribus miraculis ornatum diem sanctum colimus: hodie stella Magos duxit
ad praesepium: hodie vinum ex aqua factum est ad nuptias: hodie in
Jordane a Joanne Christus baptizari voluit, ut salvaret nos, alleluia.
No mention of these other two miracles in the chants for the Mass,
however. The Introit begins with Malachi, 3:1
Ecce advenit dominator Dominus: et regnum in manu eius, et potestas, et
imperium.
The Psalm-verse (71:1) continues in a similar vein:
Deus, judicium tuum regi da: et justiciam tuam Filio regis.
Neither antiphon nor psalm is particularly about the visit of the Magi,
but rather about God coming as king and judge. However, if we continue
in the same psalm down to verses 10-11, which form the Offertorium, the
relevance becomes obvious:
Reges Tharsis, et insulae munera offerent: reges Arabum et Saba dona
adducent: et adorabunt eum omnes reges terrae, omnes gentes servient
ei.
The Gradual is from Isaiah 60, verses 6 and 1:
Omnes de Saba venient, aurum et thus deferentes, et laudem Domino
annuntiantes.
Surge, et illuminare Jerusalem: quia gloria domini super te orta est.
The Alleluia explicitly quotes the Magi (Matthew 2:2):
Vidimus stellam eius in Oriente, et venimus cum muneribus adorare
Dominum.
And this is reprised, word for word, as the Communio.
Bill.
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