Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Ash Wednesday 111
Offertory: "Let no iniquity have dominion over me;" and in the secret
for today we beg God to "cleanse us from our sins, and sanctify the
bodies and minds of Thy servants for the celebration of this sacrifice."
We choir members shall accordingly try to banish all that is inharmonious
from our souls, that our song may ring out clearly and joyfully, as
did the blind man's in today's Gospel.
COMMUNION (Ps. 77: 29, 30)
1. Manducaverunt, et saturati 1. They did eat, and were filled
sunt nimis, 2. et desiderium eorum exceedingly, 2. and the Lord gave
attulit eis Dominus: 3. non sunt them their desire: 3. they were not
fraudati a desiderio suo. defrauded of that which they craved.
According to content, the first phrase is superior to the second;
the melody, however, makes tke second more prominent. Its final cadence
very closely resembles the close of the first division in the responsories
of Matins which are assigned to the second mode. Its first half
has g as its recitative, its second half, /. The beginning of the third
phrase makes emphatic use of the dominant, followed by the motive
which closes the first phrase; the opening notes of the first are employed
in the second half.
The same melody, but shortened somewhat to accommodate a
shorter text, is found on the feast of St. John Capistran (March 28).
Only that divine Food which was offered to us in this Holy Communion
can adequately fill the yearning of our heart, in as far as that is
possible here below. At this holy Banquet we acquire that feeling of full
satisfaction, of perfect composure, which helps us turn a deaf ear to the
deceitful promises of the world. The conviction becomes ever more
clear: God alone suffices. May our longing increase with every reception
of Holy Communion, together with a corresponding deepening and
intensifying of the joy in our hearts! With the strength afforded by this
Food we shall then advance confidently into the promised land of Easter
peace and Easter happiness.
ASH WEDNESDAY
A. BLESSING OF THE ASHES
ANTIPHON Exaudi (Ps. 68: 17)
1. Exaudi nos Domine, quoniam 1. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy
benigna est misericordia tua: 2. se- is kind: 2. look upon us, 0 Lord,
cundum multitudinem miserati- according to the multitude of thy