S. Ignatii Confessoris

S. Ignatii Confessoris

From today's Introit:

Omne genu fléctitur. J-J Tissot

In nómine Iesu omne genu fléctitur, cœléstium, terréstrium et infernórum: et omnis lingua confiteátur, quia Dóminus Iesus Christus in glória est Dei Patris.
Ps 5:12-13
Gloriabúntur in te omnes, qui díligunt nomen tuum: quóniam tu benedíces iusto.
V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bend of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Ps 5:12-13
All who love Your name shall glory in You, for You bless the just man.
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.




Lectio
Léctio Epístolæ beáti Pauli Apóstoli ad Timótheum
2 Tim 2:8-10; 3:10-12
.... Et omnes, qui pie volunt vívere in Christo Iesu, persecutiónem patiéntur.
R. Deo grátias.

Lesson
Lesson from the second letter of St. Paul the Apostle to Timothy
2 Tim. 2:8-10; 3:10-12
...... And all who want to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
R Thanks be to God.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (concluded)

Here is the final verse Saint Thérèse wrote in her last poem: Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (May 1897)

25.

Bientôt je l'entendrai cette douce harmonie

Bientôt dans le beau Ciel, je vais aller te voir

Toi qui vins me sourire au matin de ma vie

Viens me sourire encor... Mère... voici le soir !...

Je ne crains plus l'éclat de ta gloire suprême

Avec toi j'ai souffert et je veux maintenant

Chanter sur tes genoux, Marie, pourquoi je t'aime

Et redire à jamais que je suis ton enfant !......

Sweet harmony of grace, pray soon I shall be drawn

To thee in Paradise, where thou shalt be my guide;

Thou who didst smile when I emerged at my life’s dawn,

O Mother, smile once more in my life’s eventide!

Thy glory’s brightness now no longer gives me fear,

I’ve suffered too with thee and now have one request:

Upon thy lap to sing why thou to me art dear,

Forever to repeat: “I am thy infant blest!”

La petite Thérèse

After a picture by Céline. 1897. 

This image faithfully represents the facial expression and inclination of the head of Ste Thérèse of the Child Jesus immediately after her death. The words in the picture are by St John of the Cross: "Au soir de cette vie vous serez jugés sur l'amour." "In life's eventide, you will be judged on love."

Sainte Thérèse, priez pour nous.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Here are verse 23 and 24 of the 25 verses Ste Thérèse wrote in her last poem: Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (May 1897)

23

Marie, tu m'apparais au sommet du Calvaire

Debout près de la Croix, comme un prêtre à l'autel

Offrant pour apaiser la justice du Père

Ton bien-aimé Jésus, le doux Emmanuel...

Un prophète l'a dit, ô Mère désolée,

«Il n'est pas de douleur semblable à ta douleur!»

O Reine des Martyrs, en restant exilée

Tu prodigues pour nous tout le sang de ton coeur !

O Mary I see thee on Calvary appear

And standing near the Cross, thy role is like a priest

Who offers, to appease the Father’s justice here,

Thy Son, Emmanuel, upon the Cross deceased.

A prophet said to thee, O Mother broken-hearted,

“No one hath e’er endured a pain like unto thine;”

O Queen of Martyrs, still in exile not departed,

Each drop of thy heart’s blood for us thou dost consign.

24

La maison de Saint Jean devient ton seul asile

Le fils de Zébédée doit remplacer Jésus.....

C'est le dernier détail que donne l'Evangile

De la Reine des Cieux il ne me parle plus.

Mais son profond silence, ô ma Mère chérie

Ne révèle-t-il pas que Le Verbe Eternel

Veut Lui-même chanter les secrets de ta vie

Pour charmer tes enfants, tous les Elus du Ciel ?

Saint John took thee to live with him just like a mother,

Thy Jesus is replaced by John bar-Zebedee;

This Gospel reference is final, there’s no other,

O Heaven’s Queen the texts no more do speak of thee.

Beloved mother dear, this silence so profound

Perhaps reveals a wish by Christ the Word Eternal

Himself to praise in song His mother’s life renowned

And charm the little saints in Paradise supernal.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

S. Mariæ Magdalenæ Poenitentis

Sancta Maria Magdalena, ora pro nobis. J-J Tissot

CUIUS pedes lacrimis:
peccatrix irrigavit:
dolensque ex intimis:
veniam impetravit. Ave Maria.





Whose feet the sinning woman laved
     With tears in deep contrition;
Whom He in gracious pity saved
     From her forlorn condition. Ave Maria.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Continuing with the last poem that St Thérèse wrote: Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (May 1897)

21.

O Vierge Immaculée, des mères la plus tendre

En écoutant Jésus, tu ne t'attristes pas

Mais tu te réjouis qu'Il nous fasse comprendre

Que notre âme devient sa famille ici-bas

Oui tu te réjouis qu'Il nous donne sa vie,

Les trésors infinis de sa divinité !...

Comment ne pas t'aimer, ô ma Mère chérie

En voyant tant d'amour et tant d'humilité ?

O Spotless Virgin Mother, with tenderest of hearts,

On hearing Jesus’ words, no sorrow troubles thee,

Rejoicing how thy Son this way a truth imparts:

Our little souls belong in Christ’s own family;

Rejoicing how He gives His life for us down here

And treasures without end from His divinity!

How can we not love thee, beloved Mother dear,

Beholding so much love and such humility?

22.

Tu nous aimes, Marie, comme Jésus nous aime

Et tu consens pour nous à t'éloigner de Lui.

Aimer c'est tout donner et se donner soi-même

Tu voulus le prouver en restant notre appui.

Le Sauveur connaissait ton immense tendresse

Il savait les secrets de ton coeur maternel,

Refuge des pécheurs, c'est à toi qu'Il nous laisse

Quand Il quitte la Croix pour nous attendre au Ciel.

Thy love, O Mary dear, is just like Jesus’ love,

And thou permittest us to part thee from the Lord;

To love means giving all, oneself all else above,

In proof whereof the help to us thou dost afford.

The Saviour understood thy love is unconfined,

The secret He knew well of thy maternal heart:

In thee poor sinners have a refuge He assigned

In hope of Heaven when the Cross He did depart.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Continuing with Ste Thérèse's last poem:

20.

Un jour que les pécheurs écoutent la doctrine

De Celui qui voudrait au Ciel les recevoir

Je te trouve avec eux, Marie, sur la colline

Quelqu'un dit à Jésus que tu voudrais le voir,

Alors, ton Divin Fils devant la foule entière

De son amour pour nous montre l'immensité

Il dit : «Quel est mon frère et ma soeur et ma Mère,»

«Si ce n'est celui-là qui fait ma volonté?»

One day some sinners came and listened to the teaching

Of Him Whose wish was they might all in Heaven be;

O Mary, thou wert there, and while thy Son was preaching,

Someone didst tell the Lord His Mother would Him see.

Thy Son Divine to show His love for us forsooth

Addressed the multitude before Him on the hill:

“My ‘brethren,’ ‘mother’, who deserves this name in truth

If not that person who doth carry out My will?"

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Continuing with Ste Thérèse's last poem:

18.

En attendant le Ciel, ô ma Mère chérie,

Je veux vivre avec toi, te suivre chaque jour

Mère, en te contemplant, je me plonge ravie

Découvrant dans ton coeur des abîmes d'amour.

Ton regard maternel bannit toutes mes craintes

Il m'apprend à pleurer, il m'apprend à jouir.

Au lieu de mépriser les joies pures et saintes

Tu veux les partager, tu daignes les bénir.

In hope for life in Heaven, beloved Mother dear,

I choose to live with thee, to follow thee each day;

And while I think on thee, I seem to plunge down sheer

Abysses in thy heart, bedecked in love’s array.

Thy tender mother’s gaze is for my fears a cure,

It teaches me in joy, as also in affliction;

Instead of pouring scorn on blessed joys and pure,

To share them is thy wish, with thine own benediction.


19.

Des époux de Cana voyant l'inquiétude
Qu'ils ne peuvent cacher, car ils manquent de vin
Au Sauveur tu le dis dans ta sollicitude
Espérant le secours de son pouvoir divin.
Jésus semble d'abord repousser ta prière
«Qu'importe», répond-Il, «femme, à vous et à moi?»
Mais au fond de son coeur, Il te nomme sa Mère
Et son premier miracle, Il l'opère pour toi...


 At Cana thou didst note the wedding couple’s plight,
They could no more conceal their wine was running out;
The Saviour thou didst ask if He could put things right,
Invoking pow'r Divine to heal the nuptial drought.
At first it seemed thy Son this prayer He might ignore,
"Oh woman what,"quoth He, "is this to thee or me?"
But in His heart He saw the mother who Him bore,
This miracle, His first, He gladly worked for thee.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Continuing with Ste Thérèse's last poem:

17.

Je sais qu'à Nazareth, Mère pleine de grâces

Tu vis très pauvrement, ne voulant rien de plus

Point de ravissements, de miracles, d'extases

N'embellissent ta vie, ô Reine des Elus !....

Le nombre des petits est bien grand sur la terre

Ils peuvent sans trembler vers toi lever les yeux

C'est par la voie commune, incomparable Mère

Qu'il te plaît de marcher pour les guider aux Cieux.

O Mary full of grace, at Nazareth I see

Thy life is poor yet thou withal dost keep serene;

No raptures, miracles nor ecstasies for thee

But unembellished life, for thee the Chosen’s Queen.

The little ones on earth, how numerous they are,

Quite unafraid they raise to thee their trusting eyes;

‘Tis by the common way, O Mother great by far,

Thou guidest them on earth to Heaven as their prize.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

Continuing with Ste Thérèse's last poem:

15.

L'Evangile m'apprend que croissant en sagesse

A Joseph, à Marie, Jésus reste soumis

Et mon coeur me révèle avec quelle tendresse

Il obéit toujours à ses parents chéris.

Maintenant je comprends le mystère du temple,

Les paroles cachées de mon Aimable Roi.

Mère, ton doux Enfant veut que tu sois l'exemple

De l'âme qui Le cherche en la nuit de la foi.

The Gospel tells us how the Child in wisdom grows,

Within parental rule through all His hidden days;

My heart is touched to see what tenderness He shows

To both His parents dear, whom meekly He obeys.

I think I understand the Temple mystery,

Our loving Sovereign’s words a secret signify:

O Mother dear thy Child example gives through thee

To souls who here below do seek the Lord on high.

16.

Puisque le Roi des Cieux a voulu que sa Mère
Soit plongée dans la nuit, dans l'angoisse du coeur ;
Marie, c'est donc un bien de souffrir sur la terre ?
Oui souffrir en aimant, c'est le plus pur bonheur !...
Tout ce qu'Il m'a donné Jésus peut le reprendre
Dis-lui de ne jamais se gêner avec moi.....
Il peut bien se cacher, je consens à l'attendre
Jusqu'au jour sans couchant où s'éteindra ma foi.....

Because the King of Heav’n His Mother did allow
To plunge in sorrow deep as in the darkest night,
O Mary is it blessed to suffer here and now?
Yes, suffering in love is purest of delights!
Each gift Our Lord has given, he can reclaim from me,
So tell Him don’t hold back, remove whate’er the grace;
And if He hides Himself, I’ll wait all patiently
The day when time’s no more, to see Him face to face...

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie (continued)

I have translated two more verses of Ste Thérèse's last poem.

13.

Sur la terre d'Egypte, il me semble, ô Marie

Que dans la pauvreté ton coeur reste joyeux,

Car Jésus n'est-Il pas la plus belle Patrie,

Que t'importe l'exil, tu possèdes les Cieux ?...

Mais à Jérusalem, une amère tristesse

Comme un vaste océan vient inonder ton cœur

Jésus, pendant trois jours, se cache à ta tendresse

Alors c'est bien l'exil dans toute sa rigueur !…

In Egypt’s land, O Mary, I seem to understand,

Midst poverty though dwelling, with joy thy heart was leaven’d;

For Jesus is not He the dearest native land?

Who cares for exile when on earth thou hast thy Heaven?

But in Jerusalem, a sorrow sharp and keen

O’erwhelms thy tender heart with bitter inundation;

For Jesus thou hast lost, for three days He’s unseen,

Thou art in truth exiled by this intense privation.

Jesus is missing. J-J Tissot.

14.

Enfin tu l'aperçois et la joie te transporte,

Tu dis au bel Enfant qui charme les docteurs :

«O mon Fils, pourquoi donc agis-tu de la sorte?»

«Voilà ton père et moi qui te cherchions en pleurs.»

Et l'Enfant Dieu répond (oh quel profond mystère !)

A la Mère chérie qui tend vers lui ses bras :

«Pourquoi me cherchiez-vous?... Aux oeuvres de mon Père»

«Il faut que je m'emploie; ne le savez-vous pas?»

Thou findest Him at last and joy replaces woe,

Thou askest Him Who charmed the Doctors’ eyes and ears

“Why didst Thou act this way, my Son we fain would know?

Thy father and myself have searched for thee in tears."

The Child Divine replies (O mystery profound!)

Unto His Mother dear who offers loving hands:

“Wherefore did ye seek me? For know that I am bound

To do my Father’s work, do ye not understand?”

Jesus found. J-J Tissot

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

In Commemoratione Beatæ Mariæ Virgine de Monte Carmelo

Today we commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Here are two of the eight verses of a hymn believed to have been composed by St Simon Stock after he received the Scapular from Mary on July 16, 1251.

Flos Carmeli. [PB 1980s]

Flos Carmeli,
vitis florigera,
splendor caeli,
virgo puerpera
singularis.

Flower of Carmel,
Vine blossom laden;
Splendour of heaven,
Childbearing maiden.
None equals thee.

Mater mitis
sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
da privilegia.
Stella maris.

O Mother benign
Who no man didst know,
On all Carmel's children
Thy favours bestow.
Star of the Sea.

Update

I renewed the Brown Scapular this afternoon in the Church of the Holy Cross, Carshalton.

Laudetur Jesus Christus et Maria Immaculata. Amen. 

Oh Mary I would sing of reasons I love thee

Quite recently, a thought came to me that I should look again at the writings of Ste Thérèse of Lisieux.  I first read her "Story of a Soul" in the 1980s and I later read it in a French edition of her complete works (see here for a chapter by chapter summary on our sister website).

I happened to chance upon the following poem which Thérèse wrote in May 1897. It was the last poem she wrote before her death some months later on 30 September 1897: Pourquoi je t'aime, ô Marie.

In this poem, Thérèse sets forth the reasons she loves Mary, our Blessed Mother. She writes in alexandrines and each of the twenty five verses makes use of alternate rhyming: a b a b c d c d. I determined to write my own translation, aiming to follow closely the literal sense but also using alexandrines and with the same rhyming scheme.

Although my translation is not yet complete, I offer the first twelve verses as a gift to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel on this her feast day:

1.

Oh ! je voudrais chanter, Marie, pourquoi je t'aime

Pourquoi ton nom si doux fait tressaillir mon cœur

Et pourquoi la pensée de ta grandeur suprême

Ne saurait à mon âme inspirer de frayeur.

Si je te contemplais dans ta sublime gloire

Et surpassant l'éclat de tous les bienheureux

Que je suis ton enfant je ne pourrais le croire

O Marie, devant toi, je baisserais les yeux !…

Oh Mary I would sing of reasons I love thee,

Of how thy sweetest name doth thrill my very heart;

Supremely great art thou, my thought reveals to me,

Yet calm remains my soul, no fears doth thou impart.

Exalted and sublime thy glory I perceive,

Eclipsing all the saints with thy refulgent light;

To be a child of thine, I scarcely can conceive -

Oh Mary I incline my gaze within thy sight.

2.

Il faut pour qu'un enfant puisse chérir sa mère

Qu'elle pleure avec lui, partage ses douleurs

O ma Mère chérie, sur la rive étrangère

Pour m'attirer à toi, que tu versas de pleurs !....

En méditant ta vie dans le saint Evangile

J'ose te regarder et m'approcher de toi

Me croire ton enfant ne m'est pas difficile

Car je te vois mortelle et souffrant comme moi....

The child who wants to love his mother more and more

Responds when she doth share his worries and his fears;

Beloved Mother dear, upon the foreign shore,

Thou drawest me to thee with thy maternal tears.

Whilst musing on thy life, revealed in Holy Writ,

I dare to contemplate and aye draw close to thee;

To think that I’m thy child is no hard requisite,

A mortal thou art too, who suffereth like me.

3.

Lorsqu'un ange du Ciel t'offre d'être la Mère

Du Dieu qui doit régner toute l'éternité

Je te vois préférer, ô Marie, quel mystère !

L'ineffable trésor de la virginité.

Je comprends que ton âme, ô Vierge Immaculée

Soit plus chère au Seigneur que le divin séjour

Je comprends que ton âme, Humble et Douce Vallée

Peut contenir Jésus, l'Océan de l'Amour !...

From Heav’n an angel came who asked would thou be Mother

Of God Himself Whose reign doth o’er us all perdure;

Thy preference expressed a myst’ry like no other:

To guard thy maiden vow, a life forever pure.

I see thy soul is graced with chastity’s own veil,

Delightful to our Lord — more than a passing visit;

I see thy humble soul as like a little dale

That holds the mighty tides of Jesus’ love exquisite.

4.

Oh ! je t'aime, Marie, te disant la servante

Du Dieu que tu ravis par ton humilité

Cette vertu cachée te rend toute-puissante

Elle attire en ton coeur la Sainte Trinité

Alors l'Esprit d'Amour te couvrant de son ombre

Le Fils égal au Père en toi s'est incarné....

De ses frères pécheurs bien grand sera le nombre

Puisqu'on doit l'appeler : Jésus, ton premier-né !...

Oh Mary, I love thee — thou “handmaid of the Lord,”

Whose humble virtue filled thy Lord with such delight;

This very same to thee all power doth afford

And draws the Triune God to thee from Heaven’s height.

The Holy Spirit’s Love didst overshadow thee,

The Father’s equal Son within thee was begun;

His brethren, sinners all, how numerous they be,

Since he perforce is called thy very first-born son!

5.

O Mère bien-aimée, malgré ma petitesse

Comme toi je possède en moi Le Tout-Puissant

Mais je ne tremble pas en voyant ma faiblesse :

Le trésor de la mère appartient à l'enfant

Et je suis ton enfant, ô ma Mère chérie

Tes vertus, ton amour, ne sont-ils pas à moi ?

Aussi lorsqu'en mon coeur descend la blanche Hostie

Jésus, ton Doux Agneau, croit reposer en toi !...

Oh Mother dearly loved, I know I’m only small

But God Almighty lives in me just like in thee;

I know I’m also weak but have no fear at all,

For Mother loves to share her treasures all with me.

Oh Mother, I’m thy child and thou art my delight,

Thy virtues and thy love, don’t they belong to me?

When greeting in my heart the little Host so white,

Then Jesus, Gentle Lamb, believes He rests in thee! 

6.

Tu me le fais sentir, ce n'est pas impossible

De marcher sur tes pas, ô Reine des élus,

L'étroit chemin du Ciel, tu l'as rendu visible

En pratiquant toujours les plus humbles vertus.

Auprès de toi, Marie, j'aime à rester petite,

Des grandeurs d'ici-bas je vois la vanité,

Chez Sainte Elisabeth, recevant ta visite,

J'apprends à pratiquer l'ardente charité.

Thou makest me to feel I almost could believe

I’m walking in thy steps, O Queen of souls elect;

The strait and narrow way through thee I now perceive,

Thy humble virtues grant my practice to perfect.

Oh Mary when with thee ‘tis small I choose to be,

The great are often vain, I see with clarity;

To help Elizabeth thou journeyed selflessly,

Grant I may practise too such ardent charity.

7.

Là j'écoute ravie, Douce Reine des anges

Le cantique sacré qui jaillit de ton coeur.

Tu m'apprends à chanter les divines louanges

A me glorifier en Jésus mon Sauveur.

Tes paroles d'amour sont de mystiques roses

Qui doivent embaumer les siècles à venir.

En toi le Tout-Puissant a fait de grandes choses

Je veux les méditer, afin de l'en bénir.

The sacred canticle which from thy heart doth spring,

Oh angels’ Gentle Queen, I hear with such delight;

The praises all divine thou teachest me to sing

And glorify myself in Jesus’ saving might.

Thy fragrant words of love, with mystic roses’ scent,

The ages yet to come adorn in sweet prediction;

Within thee great things worked thy Lord Omnipotent,

Grant I may think on them and pray God’s benediction.

8.

Quand le bon Saint Joseph ignore le miracle

Que tu voudrais cacher dans ton humilité

Tu le laisses pleurer tout près du Tabernacle

Qui voile du Sauveur la divine beauté!.....

Oh ! que j'aime, Marie, ton éloquent silence,

Pour moi c'est un concert doux et mélodieux

Qui me dit la grandeur et la toute-puissance

D'une âme qui n'attend son secours que des Cieux.....

St Joseph knowing not the miracle God sent

(Which thou wouldst fain conceal in meek and humble duty),

Thou leavest Him to weep close by the Sacred Tent

That hid from human gaze the Saviour’s Godly beauty.

Oh Mary, how I love thy silent eloquence,

To me a symphony melodiously intoned

That shows almighty power and high magnificence

Within a little soul that trusts in Heaven alone.

9.

Plus tard à Bethléem, ô Joseph et Marie !

Je vous vois repoussés de tous les habitants

Nul ne veut recevoir en son hôtellerie

De pauvres étrangers, la place est pour les grands.....

La place est pour les grands et c'est dans une étable

Que la Reine des Cieux doit enfanter un Dieu.

O ma Mère chérie, que je te trouve aimable

Que je te trouve grande en un si pauvre lieu !....

With Joseph, Mary came to David’s Royal city

Where entry was refused by all the residents;

There was no room for them and none showed any pity

To strangers who were poor; the rich had precedence.

The rich had precedence — so in a stable lowly

The Queen of Heaven bore her tender babe Divine;

Oh Mary Mother dear, so lovable and holy,

How truly great thou art in such a poor confine.

10.

Quand je vois l'Eternel enveloppé de langes

Quand du Verbe Divin j'entends le faible cri

O ma Mère chérie, je n'envie plus les anges

Car leur Puissant Seigneur est mon Frère chéri !...

Que je t'aime, Marie, toi qui sur nos rivages

As fait épanouir cette Divine Fleur !........

Que je t'aime écoutant les bergers et les mages

Et gardant avec soin toute chose en ton coeur !...

When swaddled Babe I see as Lord Omnipotent,

The Word made flesh I hear a-mewling piteously,

Then angels’ joy no more I envy or resent,

Their Lord of Hosts is just a brother dear to me.

Oh Mary I love thee who in this vale of tears

Didst make to blossom forth a little Flower Divine;

The shepherds and wise men brought joy unto thine ears,

In mother’s heart all things with care thou didst consign.

11.

Je t'aime te mêlant avec les autres femmes

Qui vers le temple saint ont dirigé leurs pas

Je t'aime présentant le Sauveur de nos âmes

Au bienheureux Vieillard qui le presse en ses bras,

D'abord en souriant j'écoute son cantique

Mais bientôt ses accents me font verser des pleurs.

Plongeant dans l'avenir un regard prophétique

Siméon te présente un glaive de douleurs.

With women in a group thou didst with one intent

Toward the Temple gate proceed with steady pace;

The Saviour of our souls therein thou didst present

To God through Simeon, who did the child embrace;

At first with smiles I hear his words of thanks and praise

But then my tears do flow, his words grow dark and fierce,

Thy grief he doth foretell in fell prophetic phrase:

A sword of sorrows will thy tender soul transpierce.

12.

O Reine des martyrs, jusqu'au soir de ta vie

Ce glaive douloureux transpercera ton coeur

Déjà tu dois quitter le sol de ta patrie

Pour éviter d'un roi la jalouse fureur.

Jésus sommeille en paix sous les plis de ton voile

Joseph vient te prier de partir à l'instant

Et ton obéissance aussitôt se dévoile

Tu pars sans nul retard et sans raisonnement.

Of Martyrs thou art Queen who ‘til thy end is near,

This sword of sorrows will thy heart impenetrate;

Already thou must flee thy native land in fear,

Avoiding Herod’s rage of jealousy and hate.

Now Jesus is asleep, within thy veil concealed,

When Joseph doth explain the time has come to flee;

Thy meek obedience is graciously revealed,

Thou makest no delay, to leave compliantly.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Mulíerem fortem quis invéniet?

S. Elisabeth Reg. Portugaliæ Viduæ: the Lesson from today's Mass:

Lectio
Léctio libri Sapiéntiæ
Prov 31:10-31

Mulíerem fortem quis invéniet? Procul et de últimis fínibus prétium eius. Confídit in ea cor viri sui, et spóliis non indigébit. Reddet ei bonum, et non malum, ómnibus diébus vitæ suæ. Quæsívit lanam et linum, et operáta est consílio mánuum suárum. Facta est quasi navis institóris, de longe portans panem suum. Et de nocte surréxit, dedítque prædam domésticis suis, et cibária ancíllis suis. Considerávit agrum, et emit eum: de fructu mánuum suárum plantávit víneam. Accínxit fortitúdine lumbos suos, et roborávit bráchium suum. Gustávit, et vidit, quia bona est negotiátio eius: non exstinguétur in nocte lucérna eius. Manum suam misit ad fórtia, et dígiti eius apprehénderent fusum. Manum suam apéruit ínopi, et palmas suas exténdit ad páuperem. Non timébit dómui suæ a frigóribus nivis: omnes enim doméstici eius vestíti sunt duplícibus. Stragulátam vestem fecit sibi: byssus et púrpura induméntum eius. Nóbilis in portis vir eius, quando séderit cum senatóribus terræ. Síndonem fecit et véndidit, et cíngulum tradidit Chananǽo. Fortitúdo et decor induméntum eius, et ridébit in die novíssimo. Os suum apéruit sapiéntiæ, et lex cleméntiæ in lingua eius. Considerávit sémitas domus suæ, et panem otiósa non comédit. Surrexérunt fílii eius, et beatíssimam prædicavérunt: vir eius, et laudávit eam. Multæ fíliæ congregavérunt divítias, tu supergréssa es univérsas. Fallax grátia, et vana est pulchritúdo: mulier timens Dóminum, ipsa laudábitur. Date ei de fructu mánuum suárum, et laudent eam in portis ópera eius.
R. Deo grátias.

Lesson
Lesson from the book of Proverbs
Prov 31:10-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls. Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life. She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands. Like merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar. She rises while it is still night, and distributes food to her household. She picks out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. she is girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms. She enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle. She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She fears not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed. She makes her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing. Her husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land. She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness. Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
R. Thanks be to God.

Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam. Sanctissima Maria, ora pro EC.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Coérceat linguam suam a malo

From today's Mass:

Lectio
Léctio Epístolæ beáti Petri Apóstoli
1 Pet 3:8-15
Caríssimi: Omnes unánimes in oratióne estóte, compatiéntes, fraternitátis amatóres, misericórdes, modésti, húmiles: non reddéntes malum pro malo, nec maledíctum pro maledícto, sed e contrário benedicéntes: quia in hoc vocáti estis, ut benedictiónem hereditáte possideátis. Qui enim vult vitam dilígere et dies vidére bonos, coérceat linguam suam a malo, et lábia eius ne loquántur dolum. Declínet a malo, et fáciat bonum: inquírat pacem, et sequátur eam. Quia óculi Dómini super iustos, et aures eius in preces eórum: vultus autem Dómini super faciéntes mala. Et quis est, qui vobis nóceat, si boni æmulatóres fuéritis? Sed et si quid patímini propter iustítiam, beáti. Timórem autem eórum ne timuéritis: et non conturbémini. Dóminum autem Christum sanctificáte in córdibus vestris.
R. Deo grátias.

Lesson
Lesson from the first letter of St. Peter the Apostle
1 Pet 3:8-15.
Beloved: Be all like-minded in prayer, compassionate, lovers of the brethren, merciful, reserved, humble; not rendering evil for evil, or abuse for abuse, but contrariwise, blessing; for unto this were you called that you might inherit a blessing. For, He who would love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good, let him seek after peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and His ears unto their prayers; but the face of the lord is against those who do evil. And who is there to harm you, if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you suffer anything for justice’ sake, blessed are you. So have no fear of their fear and do not be troubled. But hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts.
R. Thanks be to God.

Ps 26:4
Unam pétii a Dómino, hanc requíram: ut inhábitem in domo Dómini ómnibus diébus vitæ meæ.


Ps. 26:4.
One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

In Visitatione B. Mariæ Virginis : The Feast of The Visitation

Quo impraegnata citius
cognatam visitasti:
Ioannemque celeriter
in ventre sanctificasti. Ave Maria.

Thou great with Him, forthwith didst haste
     To give thy cousin greeting;
He the unborn John inspired and blest
     At that most hallowed meeting. Hail Mary.


[39] Exsurgens autem Maria in diebus illis, abiit in montana cum festinatione, in civitatem Juda :
And Mary rising up in those days, went into the hill country with haste into a city of Juda.

[40] et intravit in domum Zachariae, et salutavit Elisabeth.
And she entered into the house of Zachary, and saluted Elizabeth.

[41] Et factum est, ut audivit salutationem Mariae Elisabeth, exsultavit infans in utero ejus : et repleta est Spiritu Sancto Elisabeth :
And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

[42] et exclamavit voce magna, et dixit : Benedicta tu inter mulieres, et benedictus fructus ventris tui.
And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

[43] Et unde hoc mihi, ut veniat mater Domini mei ad me?
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

[44] Ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuae in auribus meis, exsultavit in gaudio infans in utero meo
For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy..

[45] Et beata, quae credidisti, quoniam perficientur ea, quae dicta sunt tibi a Domino.
And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

The Magnificat

Magnificat anima mea... J-J Tissot

[46] Et ait Maria : Magnificat anima mea Dominum :
And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.

[47] et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

[48] Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae : ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

[49] quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est : et sanctum nomen ejus,
Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.

[50] et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him.

[51] Fecit potentiam in brachio suo : dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.

[52] Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.

[53] Esurientes implevit bonis : et divites dimisit inanes.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

[54] Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae :
He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy:

[55] sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus in saecula.
As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

[56] And Mary abode with her about three months; and she returned to her own house.
Mansit autem Maria cum illa quasi mensibus tribus : et reversa est in domum suam. [Luke i.]

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum tutus semper sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam

Salvete Christi vulnera : Hail, holy Wounds of Jesus, hail

This hymn is from Lauds on the Feast of the Most Precious Blood and it dates from the 17th century. The author is unknown of the Latin text is unknown. The verse translation in English is by H. N. Oxenham. I have added notes on Latin vocabulary after a literal translation.

Henry Nutcombe Oxenham, , M.A., was born at Harrow in 1829, educated at Harrow, and Balliol College, Oxford (B.A. 1850, M.A. 1854). He was in 1856 curate of St. Bartholomew, Cripplegate, London. After joining the Church of Rome in 1857 he was for some time master at St. Edmund's College near Ware, and then at the Oratory School, Birmingham. He died in 1888.

Salvete Christi vulnera,

Immensi amoris pignora,

Quibus perennes rivuli

Manant rubentis Sanguinis.

“Hail, ye Wounds of Christ, pledges of boundless love, whence unfailing streams of crimson Blood flow forth.”

pignora: nom plur of pīgnus, oris, n.: a pledge, stake, token, assurance.
perennis , e: adj. (per and annus), throughout the year; lasting, continual, perpetual, endless.
rīvŭlus, i, m. dim. rivus, a small brook, a rill, rivulet.
manant: 3rd pers plur pres ind act from mānō, āvī, ātus, 1, a. and n.: to ooze forth; distill, trickle, drop; flow.
rubentis: gen masc sing from:  rŭbens, entis, Part. and P. a. of rubeo, rubeō, rubuī, 2, n.: to be red, blush; glow, redden.

Nitore stellas vincitis,

Rosas odore et balsama,

Pretio lapillos indicos,

Mellis favos dulcedine.

“In splendor ye surpass the stars; in fragrance, roses and balsam; in value, Indian gems; in sweetness, honey.”

nitore: abl sing from nĭtor, ōris, m. niteo, brightness, splendor, lustre, sheen. 
vincō, vīcī, victus, 3, a. and n.: a., to conquer
odor , ōris, m.: scent, smell, odor, fragrance,
balsămum, i, n., = βάλσαμον. I A fragrant gum of the balsam-tree, balsam.
pretium , iī, n.: price; value, worth.
lapillos: acc plr from lăpillus, i, m. dim. lapis, a little stone, a precious stone, gem, jewel; 
Indĭcus, a, um, adj. India, of India, Indian.
mellis: gen sing from mel , mellis, n., honey.
favos: acc plur from făvus, i, m., a honey-comb.

Per vos patet gratissimum

Nostris asylum mentibus,

Non huc furor minantium

Unquam penetrat hostium.

“Through you stands open for our hearts a most inviting place of refuge, whereto the rage of threatening enemies can never penetrate.”

patet: 3rd pers pres ind act from pateō, uī, 2, n.: to be or stand open.
gratissimum: neut sing superl from grātus, a, um: (adj.), acceptable, pleasing, agreeable, welcome.
asȳlum, ī, n.: 1. A place of refuge; an asylum; a temple, sanctuary.
mēns, mentis, f.: the mind, disposition, feeling, character, heart, soul 
hūc: (adv.), to this place; hither, here.
furor , ōris, m.: rage, madness, fury.
minantium: gen masc plur from minans, pres part from minor , ātus sum, 1, dep. n. and a.: to jut out, project; ascend, tower; threaten, menace.
hostis , is, c.: a stranger; foreigner; an enemy, foe.

Quot Jesus in Pretorio

Flagella nudus excipit!

Quot scissa pellis undique

Stillat cruoris guttulas!

“What countless stripes did the naked Jesus receive in the judgment hall! How many drops of Blood did His lacerated skin let fall on every side!”

quot : (interrog. and rel. adj. indecl.), how many? so or as many as
flagella: neut plur from flăgellum, i, n. dim. flagrum, a whip, scourge; more severe than scutica.
excipiō, cēpī, ceptus, 3, a.: to take out or up; to receive, receive in turn
scissa: nom fem sing from scissus, perf past part of  scindō, scidī, scissus, 3, a.: to cut, tear, rend.
pellis , is, f.: (a) skin.
undique : (adv.), from or on every side or all sides; all around, everywhere.
stillat: 3rd pers sing indic act from stillo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a . to drop, drip, trickle
cruoris: gen sing masc from cruor , ōris, m.: shed blood; gore.
guttŭla, ae, f. dim. gutta, a little drop

Frontem venustam, proh dolor!

Corona pungit spinea,

Clavi retusa cuspide

Pedes manusque perforant.

“O grief! a thorny crown pierces His lovely brow; nails with blunt points pierce His feet and hands.”

frōns, frontis, f.: the forehead, brow.
vĕnustus, a, um, adj. 1. Venus, lovely, comely, charming, pleasing, winning, agreeable, graceful, beautiful, elegant.
prō (prōh): (interj. denoting wonder, surprise, lamentation, distress, agony). O! ah! alas!
pungō pupugī, punctus, ere,  To pierce into, penetrate
spīnĕus, a, um, adj. id., of or made of thorns, thorny
clāvus, ī, m.: a nail, a peg;
rĕtūsus, a, um, Part. and P. a. of retundo, to blunt, dull, deaden, weaken.
cuspis, ĭdis, f., a point, the pointed end

Postquam sed ille tradidit

Amans volensque spiritum,

Pectus feritur lancea,

Geminusque liquor exilit.

“But after He had lovingly and of His own free will given up the ghost, a lance transfixed His breast, and a twofold stream sprang forth.”

tradidit: from trādō, didī, ditus, 3, a.: to give over; give up, submit
pectus , oris, n.: the breast
feritur: 3rd pers sing pres indi act, from feriō, 4, a.: to smite or strike; cut; pierce.
geminus: a reference to "blood", the twin of water here?
lĭquor, ōris m. : Transf., a fluid, liquid, water.
exilit: 3rd pers sing ind act (intrans), from exsiliō, uī, sultus, 4, n.: to spring or leap forth; dart forth.

Ut plena sit redemptio

Sub torculari stringitur,

Suique Jesus immemor,

Sibi nil reservat Sanguinis.

“That the Redemption might be complete, Jesus is pressed beneath the wine-press, and, all unmindful of Himself, He reserves for Himself none of His Blood.”
torcŭlar, āris, n. torqueo. A press used in making wine or oil.
stringitur: 3rd pers sing pres ind passive from stringo, inxi, ictum, 3, v. a. root strig; Gr. στραγγ-, to squeeze; στράγξ, a drop; cf. O. H. Germ. streng; Engl. strong, to draw tight, to bind or tie tight; to draw, bind, or press together
suique: from gen sing of refl pronoun and que: and of Himself.
immemor , oris: (adj.), not remembering, without memory, oblivious.
sibi: dat sing of refl pronoun , for Himself.
nil: acc sing from nihil (nīl) (nīl), n. indecl.: nothing.

Venite, quotquot criminum

Funesta labes inficit:

In hoc salutis balneo

Qui se lavat, mundabitur.

“Come, all ye whom the deadly stain of sin hath infected; whoever washes himself in this saving bath shall be made clean.”

lābēs, is, f.: a falling, sinking down; decline, beginning of evil or ruin, downward step; corruption, stain, blemish
fūnestus, a, um: adj. (fūnus), fatal, destructive
criminum: gen plur of crīmen, inis, n.: an accusation, arraignment, charge, crime, fault, sin.
īnficiō, fēcī, fectus, 3, a.: to impart some foreign quality to an object; to taint, infect; poison; stain.
balnĕum, i. n A bath, a place for bathing
mundabitur: 3rd pers sing fut ind passive from mundo, āre, v. a. 1. mundus, to make clean, to clean, cleanse.

Summi ad Parentis dexteram

Sedenti habenda est gratia,

Qui nos redemit Sanguine,

Sanctoque firmat Spiritu.

“At right hand of the high Father is to be had the grace of sitting, (for) He Who redeemed us by (His) Blood, and confirms with the Holy Spirit.”
summi: gen masc sing from summus: superl from superus, that is above, upper, higher
parēns, entis, c.: a parent; father
redemit : 3rd pers sing perf ind act from redimō, ēmī, ēmptus, 3, a.: to buy back; ransom, redeem

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hail, holy Wounds of Jesus, hail,
Sweet pledges of the saving Rood,
Whence flow the streams that never fail,
The purple streams of His dear Blood.

Brighter than brightest stars ye show,
Than sweetest rose your scent more rare,
No Indian gem may match your glow,
No honey’s taste with yours compare.

Portals ye are to that dear home
Wherein our wearied souls may hide,
Whereto no angry foe can come,
The Heart of Jesus crucified.

What countless stripes our Jesus bore,
All naked left in Pilate's hall!
From His torn flesh ow red a shower
Did round His sacred person fall!

His beauteous brow, oh, shame and grief,
By the sharp thorny crown is riven;
Through hands and feet, without relief,
The cruel nails are rudely driven.

But when for our poor sakes He died,
A willing Priest by love subdued,
The soldier's lance transfixed His side,
Forth flowed the Water and the Blood.

In full atonement of our guilt,
Careless of self, the Saviour trod
Even till His Heart's best Blood was spilt;
The wine-press of the wrath of God.

Come, bathe you in the healing flood,
All ye who mourn, by sin opprest;
Your only hope is Jesus' Blood,
His Sacred Heart your only rest.

All praise to Him, the Eternal Son,
At God's right hand enthroned above,
Whose Blood our full redemption won,
Whose Spirit seals the gift of love.

The Most precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ

On today's Feast of the Most precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ:

There came out blood and water... J-J Tissot

[30] Cum ergo accepisset Jesus acetum, dixit : Consummatum est. Et inclinato capite tradidit spiritum.
[31] Judaei ergo ( quoniam parasceve erat) ut non remanerent in cruce corpora sabbato ( erat enim magnus dies ille sabbati), rogaverunt Pilatum ut frangerentur eorum crura, et tollerentur.
[32] Venerunt ergo milites : et primi quidem fregerunt crura, et alterius, qui crucifixus est cum eo. [33] Ad Jesum autem cum venissent, ut viderunt eum jam mortuum, non fregerunt ejus crura,
[34] sed unus militum lancea latus ejus aperuit, et continuo exivit sanguis et aqua.
[35] Et qui vidit, testimonium perhibuit : et verum est testimonium ejus. Et ille scit quia vera dicit : ut et vos credatis.
[30] Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing his head, he gave up the ghost.
[31] Then the Jews, (because it was the parasceve,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 
[32] The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him. 
[33] But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 
[34] But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.
[35] And he that saw it, hath given testimony, and his testimony is true. And he knoweth that he saith true; that you also may believe. [John xix]

Ad sacram, Dómine, mensam admíssi, háusimus aquas in gáudio de fóntibus Salvatóris: sanguis eius fiat nobis, quǽsumus, fons aquæ in vitam ætérnam saliéntis:
Admitted to the sacred banquet, O Lord, we have drawn water in joy from the Saviour’s fountain; may His Blood, we beseech You, become for us a fountain of water springing up unto life everlasting.[post-Communion of today's Mass]

Totus tuus ego sum 
Et omnia mea tua sunt.

Tecum semper tutus sum.

Ad Jesum per Mariam