Orationes

ORDO CLASSICUS

Concede, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui ex merito nostrae actionis affligimur, tuae gratiae consolatione respiremus.

"Grant, we ask you, almighty God, that we who are afflicted because of what our actions merit, may find relief by the consolation of your grace."

ORDO RECENTIOR

Deus, qui per Verbum tuum humani generis reconciliationem mirabiliter operaris, praesta, quaesumus, ut populus christianus prompta devotione et alacri fide ad ventura sollemnia valeat festinare.

"O God, who work the reconciliation of the human race in a wonderful way through your Word, grant, we ask, that the Christian people may be able to hasten toward the coming solemnities with prompt devotion and eager faith."

*Operaris or operatus es? Is the reconciliation not accomplished?
*Note the terms humanum genus and populus christianus. Is it implied that everyone is saved, but only Christians engage in worship?
*Promptus means public, open, manifest, ready. The precise meaning of the adjective here is obscure.
*'Eager faith' presumably means a faith which makes us eager to celebrate the paschal mystery.

COMPARATIO

*The two orations seem totally unconnected.

ORDO CLASSICUS

Quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, vota humilium respice: atque ad defensionem nostram dexteram tuae maiestatis extende.

'We ask you, almighty God, look on the prayers of the humble; and stretch out the right hand of your majesty to defend us.'

*A modern paraphrase: Lord, we are very small, so please defend us!

ORDO RECENTIOR

Deus omnium misericordiarum et totius bonitatis auctor, qui peccatorum remedia in iuiuniis, orationibus et eleemosynis demonstrasti, hanc humilitatis nostrae confessionem propitius intuere, ut, qui inclinamur conscientia nostra, tua semper misericordia sublevemur.

"O God, Author of all mercies and of every goodness, who have shown that the remedy of sins is found in fastings, prayers, and alms, look kindly on this confession of our humility, that we who are bowed down by our conscience, may always be raised up by your mercy."

*'Bowed down by our conscience' - that is, by consciousness of our sins.
*The prayer seems over-loaded.

COMPARATIO

*The new prayer seems to take up only the idea of humility from the old; God is to have regard not for the 'prayers of the humble' but for 'this confession of our humility'.
*The second half of the new prayer seems to be a re-working of the second half of next Sunday's collect.

ORDO CLASSICUS

Deus, qui conspicis omni nos virtute destitui: interius exteriusque custodi; ut ab omnibus adversitatibus muniamur in corpore, et a pravis cogitationibus mundemur in mente.

"O God, who see that we are destitute of all strength, guard us within and without; that we may be protected in body from all adversities, and purified in mind from evil thoughts."

Remarks:
*Balance: exterius - adversitates - muniamur - in corpore; interius - pravae cogitationes - mundemur - in mente.
*The plea for both outer and inner help comes after the confession that we lack ALL strength - both external and internal.

ORDO RECENTIOR

Deus qui nobis dilectum Filium tuum audire praecepisti, verbo tuo interius nos pascere digneris, ut spiritali purificato intuitu, gloriae tuae laetemur aspectu.

"O God, who commanded us to listen to your beloved Son, deign to feed us inwardly with your word, that, our spiritual vision being purified, we may rejoice in the sight of your glory."

Remarks:
*The prayer refers to the gospel of the Sunday, the Transfiguration.
*We ask that we may hear the words of Christ in such a way that they become the food of our souls; in this way our spiritual vision is to be purified, so that we may rejoice (one day, in heaven) in the beatific vision.

COMPARATIO

The chief difference between these two prayers is that whereas the classic oration gives equal importance to both the body and the soul, the newer oration is purely 'spiritual'.

ORDO CLASSICUS

Deus, qui Ecclesiam tuam annua quadragesimali observatione purificas: praesta familiae tuae; ut, quod a te obtinere abstinendo nititur, hoc bonis operibus exsequatur.

"God, who purify your Church by the yearly observance of Lent: grant to your household; that what it strives to obtain from you by abstaining, it may attain by good works."

Remarks:
*The favour which this prayer asks for is not defined: only the means by which the favour is to be obtained: abstinence and good works.
*Abstinence is presumed; we ask for help in adding to our abstinence works of charity. The third element of Lenten observance, prayer, is already present!
*Exsequor: the verb means to pursue with success; hence to attain.


ORDO RECENTIOR

Concede nobis, omnipotens Deus, ut per annua quadragesimalis exercitia sacramenti, et ad intellegendum Christi proficiamus arcanum, et effectus eius digna conversatione sectemur.

"Grant us, almighty God, that through the annual exercises of the Lenten sacrament, we may both make progress in understanding the mystery of Christ, and pursue its effects with a worthy way of life."

Remarks:
*Two interesting phrases: the quadragesimale sacramentum, and the Christi arcanum; both may be translated 'mystery'.
*'Pursuing the effects of the mystery of Christ' is a strange concept. Does one pursue effects?


COMPARATIO

The newer prayer seems to be a drastic reworking of the older. The newer prayer makes no reference to purification, nor to abstinence: there is a more general reference to 'exercises'. The favour asked by the older prayer is not specified; the newer prayer asks for two things, understanding of the mystery of Christ, and pursuit of its effects. As a means to obtaining the favour requested, the older prayer speaks of 'good works', the newer one of 'a worthy way of life'.

Preces nostras, quaesumus, Domine, clementer exaudi: atque a peccatorum vinculis absolutos, ab omni nos adversitate custodi.

"Mercifully hear our prayers, we ask you, O Lord: and, released from the bonds of sins, protect us from all adversity."

Remarks:
*This prayer presumes that we have been released from our sins; it requests protection from all (other) forms of adversity.

Da nobis, quaesumus, Domine, ut et mundi cursus pacifico nobis tuo ordine dirigatur, et Ecclesia tua tranquilla devotione laetetur.

"Grant us, we ask, O Lord, that both the course of the world may be directed for us in your peaceful order, and that your Church may rejoice in tranquil devotion."

Remarks:
*The prayer asks for peace in the world, and for a corresponding peaceful, devout joy in the Church.
*The cursus mundi refers to the unfolding of history.
*Is nobis a bit intrusive? Who else could benefit? However, the juxtaposition with tuo ordine makes the point: we benefit from your order.

Deus qui conspicis quia ex nulla nostra actione confidimus: concede propitius; ut contra adversa omnia, Doctoris gentium protectione muniamur.

"O God, who see that we can have confidence in nothing arising from our own doing, be pleased to grant that, by the protection of the Teacher of the gentiles, we may be defended against all adversities."

Remarks:
*The Mass of Sexagesima was celebrated by the Pope at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls - hence the invocation of the 'Doctor of the Gentiles' in this oration.
*There is a balance between the things we do, and in which we have no confidence, and the protection of St Paul, through which we pray for strength.

Preces populi tui, quaesumus, Domine, clementer exaudi: ut, qui iuste pro peccatis nostris affligimur, pro tui nominis gloria misericorditer liberemur.

"Hear the prayers of your people, we ask you, O Lord, in your clemency: that we who are justly cast down because of our sins, may mercifully be set free because of the glory of your name."

Remarks:
*We ask the Lord to be gentle enough to hear us, and to be merciful enough to forgive us.
*There is a contrast between iuste and misericorditer: God punishes us in his justice, but frees us in his mercy.
*In being merciful to us, God in fact adds to his own glory; in fact that is why we ask his mercy; not for our glory, but for his.

Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut semper rationabilia meditantes, quae tibi sunt placita, et dictis exsequamur, et factis.

"Grant, we ask, almighty God: that keeping our minds always on reasonable things, we may carry out by both words and deeds what is pleasing to you."

Remarks:
*Good thoughts lead to good words and deeds. The primacy of thought.
*Thoughts are good if they are in accord with reason.

Deus, qui te in rectis et sinceris manere pectoribus asseris, da nobis tua gratia tales exsistere, in quibus habitare digneris.

"O God, who declare that you dwell in upright and sincere breasts, grant us by your grace to be the kind of people in whom you may deign to live."

Remarks:
*Where exactly does God declare that?

Familiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, continua pietate custodi; ut quae in sola spe gratiae caelestis innititur, tua semper protectione muniatur.

"Guard your household, we ask, O Lord, with continual goodness; that they who rely on the hope of heavenly grace alone may always be defended by your protection."

Remarks:
*Note that there is a piety proper to God. We are expected to be pious in his regard, but he is pious in our regard. Deux prior dilexit nos.
*There is great balance between the opening imperative and the closing clause of result: continua-semper; pietate-protectione; custodi-muniatur.
*We are said to depend not on grace, but on the hope of grace. Our position is weak indeed. That is why we are in such need of God's constant care and protection.