Holy Thursday

Tonight's mass was wonderful.

At the conclusion of the mass, following tradition, as the altar was being stripped, we sung Pange Lingua Gloriosi, albeit ours was a hybrid version.

The hymn was written by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274) for the Feast of Corpus Christi--now called the Solemnity of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ. (Source: Wikipedia)

Here's a cheesy MIDI sequence of the hymn.


Pange lingua gloriósi
Córporis mystérium,
Sanguinisque pretiósi,
quem in múndi prétium,
fructus ventris generósi
Rex effúdit Géndium.

Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intácta Virgine,
et in mundo conversátus,
sparso verbi sémine,
sui moras incolátus,
miro clausit órdine.

Praise our Savior's glorious body, which his blessed mother bore;
Praise the blood which, shed for sinners, did a broken world restore;
Praise the sacrament most holy, Gift of God we now adore.

To the chosen, for our healing, God's own Son the Father sends;
From Eternal Love proceeding, sower, seed and word descends;
Wondrous life, the Word incarnate, with the greatest wonder ends.

On that paschal evening see him with his chosen friends recline,
To the first law still obedient in its feast of love divine;
Love divine, the new law giving; gives himself as bread and wine.

In a word the Word almighty makes of bread true flesh indeed;
Wine becomes his very life-blood; Faith the living Word must heed!
This alone will safely guide us where the senses cannot lead.

Come, adore this wondrous presence; Bow to Christ, the source of Grace!
Here is kept the ancient promise of God's earthly dwelling place.
Sight is blind before such a glory, faith alone may see God's face.

Glory be to God the Father, praises sing to God the Son,
Honor to the Holy Spirit, bound in love; the Triune One!
Blest be God by all creation, joyously while ages run!

Thus did Christ to perfect humanity, in our mortal flesh he came.
Then he gave himself freely to a death of bitter pain.
As a lamb upon the altar, bore the cross that new life we might gain.

Tantum ergo Sacraméntum,
Venerémur cérnui:
et antíquum documéntum
novo cedat rítui:
praestet fides suppleméntum
sénsuum deféctui.

Genitóri, Genitóque
laus et jubilátio,
salus, honor, vitus quoque
sit et benedíctio:
procedénti ab utróque
compar sit laudátio.

Amen.


As I walked back to my car, an elderly lady exclaimed to me that tonight's singing was so beautiful.

for His greater glory

I smiled all the way back to my car :-)