 |
| Benediction with the Relic of the True Cross, Rome. |
Sing
the last, the dread affray;
O’er
the Cross, the victor’s trophy,
Sound
the high triumphal lay:
Tell
how Christ, the world’s Redeemer,
As
a victim won the day.
God,
His Maker, sorely grieving
That
the first-made Adam fell,
When
he ate the fruit of sorrow,
Whose
reward was death and hell,
Noted
then this Wood, the ruin
Of
the ancient wood to quell.
For
the work of our salvation
Needs
would have his order so,
And
the multiform deceiver’s
Art
by art would overthrow,
And
from thence would bring the med’cine
Whence
the insult of the foe.
 |
| St. Peter's. |
Wherefore,
when the sacred fullness
Of
the appointed time was come,
This
world’s Maker left His Father,
Sent
the heav’nly mansion from,
And
proceeded, God Incarnate,
Of
the Virgin’s holy womb.
Weeps
the Infant in the manger
That
in Bethlehem’s stable stands;
And
His limbs the Virgin Mother
Doth
compose is swaddling bands,
Meetly
thus in linen folding
Of
her God the feet and hands.
To
the Trinity be glory
Everlasting,
as is meet;
Equal
to the Father, equal
To
the Son, and Paraclete:
Trinal
Unity, whose praises
All
created things repeat.
Pange,
lingua, gloriosi
(Sing My Tongue the Glorious Battle)
Hymn
of Vigils
 |
| Vatican Obelisk, containing relics of the True Cross. |
Thirty
years among us dwelling,
His
appointed time fulfilled,
Born
for this, he meets his passion,
For
that this he freely willed:
On
the Cross the Lamb is lifted,
Where
his life-blood shall be spilled.
He
endured the nails, the spitting,
Vinegar
and spear and reed;
From
that holy body pierced
Blood
and water forth proceed;
Earth
and stars and sky and ocean
By
that flood from stain are freed.
Faithful
Cross! above all other,
One
and only noble tree!
None
in foliage, none in blossom,
None
in fruit thy peers may be;
Sweetest
wood and sweetest Iron!
Sweetest
weight is hung on thee.
Bend
thy boughs, O tree of glory!
Thy
too rigid sinews bend;
 |
| Apse mosaic, San Clemente, Rome. |
For
awhile the ancient rigor
That
thy birth bestowed, suspend;
And
the King of heavenly beauty
On
thy bosom gently tend!
Thou
alone wast counted worthy
This
world’s ransom to uphold;
For
a shipwrecked race preparing
Harbor,
like the ark of old;
With
the sacred blood anointed
From
the smitten Lamb that rolled.
To
the Trinity be glory
Everlasting,
as is meet:
Equal
to the Father, equal
To
the Son and Paraclete:
Trinal
Unity, whose praises
All
created things repeat.
Amen.
 |
| Santa Croce in Gerusalemme |
Lustris
sex qui jam peractis
(Thirty Years Among Us Dwelling)
Hymn
of Lauds
The
royal banners forward go,
The
cross shines forth in mystic glow;
Where
he in flesh, our flesh who made, *
Our
sentence bore, our ransom paid.
Where
deep for us the spear was dyed,
Life’s
torrent rushing from his side,
To
wash us in that precious flood,
Where
mingled water flowed, and blood.
Fulfilled
is all that David told
In
true prophetic song of old,
Amidst
the nations, God, saith he,
Hath
reigned and triumphed from the tree.
O
tree of beauty, tree of light!
O
tree with royal purple dight!
Elect
on whose triumphal breast
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| Lateran Obelisk, Rome. |
Those
holy limbs should find their rest.
Blest
tree, whose chosen branches bore
The
wealth that did the world restore,
The
price of humankind to pay,
And
spoil the spoiler of his prey.
O
cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still
may thy power with us avail
To
give new virtue to the saint,
And
pardon to the penitent.
To
thee, eternal Three in One,
Let
homage meet by all be done:
Whom
by the cross thou dost restore,
Preserve
and govern evermore. Amen.
Vexilla
regis prodeunt
(The Royal Banners Forward Go)
Hymn
of Vespers
Let
each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of
others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the
likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted
him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians
2:4-11
Epistle
for Holy Cross Day
V.
Christ, for our sake, became obedient unto death.
R.
Even the death of the cross.
V.
We adore thee, O Christ, and we bless thee.
R.
Because by thy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.
V.
This Sign of the Cross shall be in heaven.
R.
When the Lord shall come to judgment.
V.
Save us, O Christ our Saviour, by the virtue of the Cross.
R.
Thou who savedst Peter in the sea, have mercy upon us.
O
GOD, who in the finding of the Cross of our salvation didst renew the wonders
of thy passion: vouchsafe to grant that through the ransom once paid upon that
Tree of life, we may attain unto life eternal. Who livest and reignest ...
world without end. Amen.
