Chant School

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In today's episode, we learn a hymn to the Guardian Angels in honor of the Feast of The Archangels.

1. Angel-Guardians of men, spirits and powers we sing, Whom our Father hath sent, aids to our weakly frame, Heavenly friends and guides, help from on high to bring, Lest we fail through the foeman’s wile.

2. He, the spoiler of souls, Angel-traitor of old, Cast in merited wrath out of his honored place, Burns with envy and hate, seeking their souls to gain Whom God’s mercy invites to heaven.

3. Therefore come to our help, watchful ward of our lives: Turn aside from the land God to thy care confides Sickness and woe of soul, yea, and what else of ill Peace of heart to its folk denies.

4. Now to the Holy Three praise evermore resound: Under whose hand divine resteth the triple world Governed in wondrous wise: glory be theirs and might While the ages unending run.

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In today's episode, we learn the great antiphon from the washing of the feet on Holy Thursday: Ubi Caritas.

Where charity and love are, there God is.

The love of Christ has gathered us into one.

Let us exult, and in Him be joyful.

Let us fear and let us love the living God.

And from a sincere heart let us love each other (and Him).

Where charity and love are, there God is.

Therefore, whensoever we are gathered as one:

Lest we in mind be divided, let us beware.

Let cease malicious quarrels, let strife give way.

And in the midst of us be Christ our God.

Where charity and love are, there God is.

Together also with the blessed may we see,

Gloriously, Thy countenance, O Christ our God:

A joy which is immense, and also approved:

Through infinite ages of ages. Amen.

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In honor of the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, we learn today a hymn or Lauds from this feast. Although this feast dates back to the 12th century in terms of popular devotion -- and even some more formal Church recognition -- it didn't make it onto the General Roman Calendar until 1814. This hymn dates from roughly that era.

O God of infinite mercy, grant that we may meditate well on the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin and on the Wounds of Jesus her Son.

May the numerous tears of the Mother of God be conducive to our salvation; with which tears Thou, O God, art able to wash away the sins of the whole world.

May the bitter contemplation of the Five Wounds of Jesus, and may the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin be a source of eternal joys to all.

Jesus, to Thee, who didst suffer for Thy servants, be glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, through everlasting ages.

Happy feast of the Nativity of Our Blessed Mother! Today we learn a hymn from Vespers on the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate. As the first verse says, literally: "The supreme teacher of faith [the Pope] solemnly affirms that Mary is free from all stain." This happened in 1854, and the hymn refers to St. Bernadette, who lived after this proclamation, so this hymn isn't older than the mid-to-late 19th century. We hope you enjoy it!

1. Lo! Mary is exempt from stain of sin, Proclaims the Pontiff high; And earth applauding celebrates with joy Her triumph, far and high.

2. Unto a lowly timid maid she shows Her form in beauty fair, And the Immaculate Conception truth Her sacred lips declare.

3. O honored cave, by Mary’s smile adorned! O hallowed rock, whence spring The living waters of a gushing stream, The gifts of life to bring.

4. And thither from the farmost bounds of earth The pilgrims wend their way, And suppliant around the Virgin’s shrine Her powerful help they pray.

5. The sufferers’ cry the Mother fondly hears, And grants the longed-for grace; And health restored, the pilgrim throng returns Unto its native place.

6. O Virgin! have compassion on our needs, Refresh us laboring on; Obtain for us the joys of heavenly life, When sorrow all is gone.

7. All praise and honor to the Father be, And to His only Son, And to the Spirit, power of both, for aye, In Godhead ever One.

1. Omnis expertem maculæ Mariam Edocet summus fidei magister; Virginis gaudens celebrat fidelis Terra triumphum.

2. Ipsa se præbens humili puellæ Virgo spectandam, recreat paventem, Seque conceptam sine labe sancto Prædicat ore.

3. O specus felix, decorate divæ Matris aspectu! veneranda rupes, Unde vitales scatuere pleno Gurgite lymphæ.

4. Huc catervatim pia turba nostris, Huc ab externis peregrina terris Affluit supplex, et opem potentis Virginis orat.

5. Excipit Mater lacrimas precantum, Donat optatam miseris salutem; Compos hinc voti patrias ad oras Turba revertit.

6. Supplicum, Virgo, miserata casus, Semper o nostros refove labores, Impetrans mœstis bona sempiternæ Gaudia vitæ.

7. Sit decus Patri, genitæque Proli, Et tibi compar utriusque virtus Spiritus semper, Deus unus, omni Temporis ævo.

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An epic hymn to the Maker of the World, this is from the Sarum Rite, which developed in Salisbury Cathedral in the 11th century. This hymn is also the origin of Mass XI, Missa Orbis Factor, which we learned way back in episode 28.

1. Maker of the world, King eternal, have mercy upon us.

2. O immense source of pity, have mercy upon us.

3. Drive off all our evils, have mercy upon us.

4. Christ who art the light of the world and giver of life, have mercy upon us.

5. Consider the wounds produced by the devil's art, have mercy upon us.

6. Keeping and confirming thy believers, have mercy upon us.

7. Thou and thy Father, an equal light, have mercy upon us.

8. We know that God is one and three, have mercy upon us.

9. Thou, merciful unto us, art present with the Holy Spirit that we might live in thee, have mercy upon us.

1. Orbis factor rex aeterne, eleison

2. Pietatis fons immense, eleison

3. Noxas omnes nostras pelle, eleison

4. Christe qui lux es mundi dator vitae, eleison

5. Arte laesos daemonis intuere, eleison

6. Conservans te credentes confirmansque, eleison

7. Patrem tuum teque flamen utrorumque, eleison

8. Deum scimus unum atque trinum esse, eleison

9. Clemens nobis adsis paraclite ut vivamus in te, eleison.

Link to music (courtesy of CCWatershed)

St. Thomas Aquinas was a theologian, a philosopher, and one of the greatest intellects of all time. He is known as the Angelic Doctor of the Church. But did you know he is also regarded as one of the greatest Catholic poets of all time? And he only wrote 5 poems – 38 stanzas of poetry.

In 1264, Pope Urban IV established the Solemnity of The Body of Christ, and asked St. Thomas Aquinas to write the texts for the Mass and the Divine Office for this new feast. Although St. Thomas was known for his scholarly – not poetical – work, he produced five of the best, known, best loved hymns in history:

1. Adoro Te Devote

2. Sacris Solemniis (Known for the final two verses: “Panis angelicus…”)

3. Verbum Supernum Prodiens (Known for the final two verses: “O salutaris hostia…”)

4. Pange Lingua (Known for the final two verses: “Tantum ergo…”)

5. Lauda Sion (Known for its final verses: “Ecce panis angelorum…”)

We're finally to the end of our series on St. Thomas' great hymns! In this episode we learn the great sequence for the Feast of Corpus Christi.

ZION, PRAISE YOUR SAVIOR. Praise your Savior. Praise your leader and shepherd in hymns and canticles. Praise him as much as you can, for he is beyond all praising and you will never be able to praise him as he merits. But today a theme worthy of particular praise is put before us—the living and life-giving bread that, without any doubt, was given to the Twelve at table during the holy supper. Therefore let our praise be full and resounding and our soul's rejoicing full of delight and beauty, for this is the festival day to commemorate the first institution of this table.

At this table of the new King, the new law's new Pasch puts an end to the old Pasch. The new displaces the old, the reality the shadow and light the darkness. Christ wanted what he did at the supper to be repeated in his memory. And so we, in accordance with his holy directions, consecrate bread and wine to be salvation's Victim.

Christ's followers know by faith that bread is changed into his flesh and wine into his blood. Man cannot understand this, cannot perceive it; but a lively faith affirms that the change, which is outside the natural course of things, takes place. Under the different species, which are now signs only and not their own reality, there lie hid wonderful realities. His body is our food, his blood our drink. And yet Christ remains entire under each species. The communicant receives the complete Christ—uncut, unbroken and undivided. Whether one receive or a thousand, the one receives as much as the thousand. Nor is Christ diminished by being received. The good and the wicked alike receive him, but with the unlike destiny of life or death. To the wicked it is death, but life to the good. See how different is the result, though each receives the same. Last of all, if the sacrament is broken, have no doubt. Remember there is as much in a fragment as in an unbroken host. There is no division of the reality, but only a breaking of the sign; nor does the breaking diminish the condition or size of the One hidden under the sign.

Behold, the bread of angels is become the pilgrim's food; truly it is bread for the sons, and is not to be cast to dogs. It was prefigured in type when Isaac was brought as an offering, when a lamb was appointed for the Pasch and when manna was given to the Jews of old.

Jesus, good shepherd and true bread, have mercy on us; feed us and guard us. Grant that we find happiness in the land of the living. You know all things, can do all things, and feed us here on earth. Make us your guests in heaven, co-heirs with you and companions of heaven's citizens. Amen. Alleluia.

Sheet music (courtesy of CCWatershed)

Today we learn Mass IX, Cum Jubilo, which is for Marian Feasts. You're challenge is to learn this Gregorian Mass, and introduce it to your parish!

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In this episode, we learn the Sub Tuum Praesidium, the oldest existing hymn to Mary as "Theotokos" or "God-Bearer." Although the church didn't definitively teach that Mary was the Mother of God until the council of Ephesus in 431, this hymn predates that council by at least 150 years!

We fly to thy protection,

O Holy Mother of God;

Do not despise our petitions

in our necessities,

but deliver us always

from all dangers,

O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

Sub tuum praesidium

confugimus,

Sancta Dei Genitrix.

Nostras deprecationes ne despicias

in necessitatibus nostris,

sed a periculis cunctis

libera nos semper,

Virgo gloriosa et benedicta

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In today's episode, we learn In Paradisum, the antiphon traditionally sung at the end of a requiem Mass as the body of the deceased is taken out of the church to be buried.

May the Angels lead you into paradise; and on your arrival, may the Martyrs receive you and introduce into the holy city of Jerusalem. May you be welcomed by the choirs of Angels; and together with Lazarus, who was formerly poor, may you have eternal rest.

In paradisum deducant te angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.