Posted by During the season of Septuagesima, the Christian, on waking in the morning, will unite himself with the Church, who, at the first dawn of the day, begins her Psalms of Lauds with these words of the Royal Prophet:
| Miserere mei Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. | Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. |
He should, after this, profoundly adore that great God, before whom the sinner should tremble, but yet fears not to offend him, as though he deserved neither reverence nor love. It is with this deep sentiment of holy fear, that he must perform the first acts of religion, both interior and exterior, wherewith he begins each day of this present Season. The time for Morning Prayer being come, he may use the following method, which is formed upon the very prayers of the Church:-
MORNING PRAYERS
First, praise and adoration of the most holy Trinity:-
| V. Benedicamus Patrem, et Filium, cum Sancto Spiritu. R. Laudemus et superexaltemus eum in saecula. V. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. | V. Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. R. Let us praise him and extol him above all for ever. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Then, praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ:-
| V. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi. R. Quia per Crucem tuam redemisti mundum. | V. We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee. R. Because by thy cross thou hast redeemed the world. |
Thirdly, invocation of the Holy Ghost:-
| Veni, sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. | Come, O holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and enkindle within them the fire of thy love. |
After these fundamental acts of religion, you will recite the Lord’s Prayer, begging your heavenly Father to be mindful of his infinite mercy and goodness, – to forgive you your trespasses, – to come to your assistance in the temptations and dangers which so thickly beset the path of this life, – and finally, to deliver you from evil, by removing from you every remnant of sin, which is the great evil, the evil that offends God, and entails the sovereign evil of man himself.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
| Pater noster, qui es in coelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum: adveniat regnum tuum: fiat voluntas tua, sicut in coelo, et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie: et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris: et ne nos inducas in tentationem: sed libera nos a malo. Amen. | Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us: and lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen. |
Then address our Blessed Lady, using the words of the Angelical Salutation. Pray to her with confidence and love, for she is the Refuge of Sinners.
THE ANGELICAL SALUTATION
| Ave Maria, gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. | Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. |
After this, recite the Creed, that is, the Symbol of Faith. It contains the dogmas we are to believe; and during this season, you should dwell with loving attention on that Article, which is so full of hope, – the Forgiveness of sins. Let us do our utmost to merit, by our sincere conversion and amendment of our lives, that our Saviour, after the coming penitential Forty Days are over, may say to each of us those words, which are so sweet to a penitent sinner: Go, thy sins are forgiven!
THE APOSTLES’ CREED.
| Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem coeli et terrae. Et in Jesum Christurn Filium ejus unicum Dominum nostrum: qui conceptus est de Spiritu sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine, passus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus: descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis: ascendit ad coelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotontis: inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum sanctum, sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam, sanctorum communionem, remissionem peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, vitam aeternam. Amen. | I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. |
Having thus made the Profession of your Faith, endeavour to excite yourself to sorrow for the sins you have committed. For this purpose, recite one of the Penitential Psalms; the first on Sunday, the second on Monday, and so on with the rest. These admirable Psalms, whereby David expressed his grief after he had fallen into sin, are most appropriate for the Season of Septuagesima. The Seven Psalms, are to be said with the Litanies, kneeling.
MONDAY PSALM
| Psalmus [31]: Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates: et quorum tecta sunt peccata. Beatus vir cui non inputavit Dominus peccatum: nec est in spiritu eius dolus. Quoniam tacui, inveteraverunt ossa mea: dum clamarem tota die. Quoniam die, ac nocte gravata est super me manus tua: conversus sum in aerumna mea, dum configitur spina. Delictum meum cognitum tibi feci: et iniustitiam meam non abscondi. Dixi, confitebor adversum me iniustitiam meam Domino: et tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei. Pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus: in tempore oportuno. Verumtamen in diluvio aquarum multarum: ad eum non approximabunt. Tu es refugium meum a tribulatione, quae circumdedit me: exultatio mea, erue me a circumdantibus me. Intellectum tibi dabo, et instruam te in via hac, qua gradieris: firmabo super te oculos meos. Nolite fieri sicut equus et mulus: quibus non est intellectus. In camo et freno maxillas eorum constringe: qui non approximant ad te. Multa flagella peccatoris: sperantem autem in Domino misericordia circumdabit. Laetamini in Domino, et exultate iusti: et gloriamini omnes recti corde. | Psalm [31]: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven: and whose sins be covered. Blessed is the man to whom our Lord hath not imputed sin: neither is there guile in his spirit. Because I held my peace, my bones are waxen old: whilst I cried all the day. Because day, and night thy hand is made heavy upon me: I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened. I have made my sin known to thee: and my injustice I have not hid. I said, I will confess against me my injustice to our Lord: and thou hast forgiven the impiety of my sin. For this shall every holy one pray to thee: in time convenient. But yet in the overflow of many waters: they shall not approach to him. Thou art my refuge from tribulation, which hath compassed me: my joy, deliver me from them that compass me. I will give thee understanding, and will instruct thee in the way, that thou shalt go: I will fasten mine eyes upon thee. Do not become as horse and mule: who have no understanding. In bit and bridle bind fast their jaws that approach not to thee. Many are the scourges of a sinner: but mercy shall compass him that hopeth in our Lord. Be joyful in our Lord, and rejoice ye just: and glory all ye right of heart. |
| Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper: et in saecula saeculorum. Amen | Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Even as it was in the beginning, and now, and ever: and world without end. Amen |
Then make a humble confession of your sins, reciting the general formula made use of by the Church.
THE CONFESSION OF SINS
| Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatae Mariae semper Virgini, beato Michaeli Archangelo, beato Joanni Baptistae, sanctis apostolis Petro et Paulo, et omnibus sanctis, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, et opere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Michaelem Archangelum, beatum Joannem Baptistam, sanctos apostolos Petrum et Paulum, et omnes sanctos, orare pro me ad Dominum Deum nostrum. Misereatur nostri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis nostris, perducat nos ad vitam aeternam. Amen. Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum tribuat nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus. Amen. | I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me. May almighty God have mercy on us, and, our sins being forgiven, bring us to life everlasting. Amen. May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of our sins. Amen. |
This is the proper place for making your Meditation, as no doubt you practise this holy exercise. During Septuagesima, the subject of our Meditation ought mainly to be on the evils brought on man by Original sin; on the necessity of an untiring resistance against our corrupt nature, whose tendencies and inclinations would lead us to destruction; on the grievousness of Actual sin, how it robs us of countless blessings, and exposes us to punishments both here and hereafter; on the ineffable goodness of God, who comes himself to offer reconciliation to the sinner, and who, after the salutary mournfulness and the works of penance of the weeks of Septuagesima and Lent, will give all the joy, peace, and blessing of a new life in our Risen Jesus.
The next part of your morning prayer must be to ask of God, by the following prayers, grace to avoid every kind of sin during the day you are just beginning. Say, then, with the Church, whose prayers must always be preferred to all others:
| V. Domine, exaudi orationem meam. R. Et clamor meus ad te veniat. Oremus Domine, Deus omnipotens, qui ad principium hujus diei nos pervenire fecisti, tua nos hodie salva virtute, ut in hac die ad nullum declinemus peccatum, sed semper ad tuam justitiam faciendam nostra procedant eloquia, dirigantur cogitationes et opera. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. | V. O Lord, hear my prayer. R. And let my cry come unto thee. Let us Pray Almighty Lord and God, who hast brought us to the beginning of this day, let thy powerful grace so conduct us through it, that we may not fall into any sin, but that all our thoughts, words, and actions may be regulated according to the rules of thy heavenly justice, and tend to the observance of thy holy law. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
Then beg the divine assistance for the actions of the day, that you may do them well; and say thrice:
| V. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. R. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. V. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. R. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. V. Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. R. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.Oremus Dirigere et sanctificare, regere et gubernare dignare, Domine Deus, Rex coeli et terrae, hodie corda et corpora nostra, sensus, sermones et actus nostros in lege tua, et in operibus mandatorum tuorum, ut hic et in aeternum, te auxilianto, salvi et liberi esse mereamur, Salvator mundi. Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. R. Amen. | V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. Lord, make haste to help me. V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. O Lord, make haste to help me. V. Incline unto my aid, O God. R. O Lord, make haste to help me.Let us pray Lord God, and King of heaven and earth, vouchsafe this day to rule and sanctify, to direct and govern our souls and bodies, our senses, words, and actions in conformity to thy law, and strict obedience to thy commands; that by the help of thy grace, O Saviour of the world, we may be fenced and freed from all evils. Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. R. Amen. |
This text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)