Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Second Sunday in Lent 129
thought may be added: the commandments lead us higher, away from
the mean things of this earth, up to the Tabor of union with God. Thus
the commandments establish the peace of the heart—indeed, even the
temporal welfare of nations. We shall, then, meditate on Thy commandments
and stretch forth our hands to fulfill them with all fidelity.
The piece begins like the pealing of bells. In some places the church
bells have the tones of these first four or six notes. The motive over in
mandatis runs through the whole. It occurs over et levdbo, manus meas,
and ad manddta. The three-note groups in the second half of the first
phrase tend to enhance the elevated feeling of the piece.
The second phrase is divided in the same manner as the first. Here
also the second half sets in on the dominant. Before it, however, the
melody makes a pronounced modulation to the second under the tonic,
a figure appearing quite frequently in the second mode. The second
dilexi has no addition in the text, like the first. But it seems that the
extended melody says more here than the simple valde. It sings of the
rest and the happiness of the soul which willingly bears the sweet yoke
of the Lord. The second group repeats the motive over (me)-as. Now
follow two groups corresponding to one another. Everything must be
light and tender and fragrant.
The Gospel closed with the words: "This is my beloved Son.. .hear
ye Him." The Offertory is the song of those fortunates who hear the word
of God and do it. Still closer is the connection between the Gospel and
the Offertory of the preceding Wednesday. There the Gospel reads thus:
"Whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in heaven, he is My
brother, and sister, and mother."
COMMUNION (Ps. 5: 2, 4)
1. Intellige clamor em meum: in- 1. Understand my cry: hearken
tende voci orationis meae, Rex meus to the voice of my prayer, O my
et Deus meus: 2. quoniam ad te King and my God: 2. for to thee
orabo, Domine. will I pray, O Lord.
After the Mass I must again descend from the Tabor of union with
God to the affairs of workaday life, from the brilliant heights, where it
was so good to be, to the darkness of this world with its dangers, its
scandals, its temptations, and its sufferings. Stay Thou with me, 0
Lord, for the night cometh. With its broad podatus, its lingering on the
dominant, and the stressing of b, this song prays almost with violent
outbursts. How different is this beginning, compared to the simple
Reminiscere of today's Introit! Intende, parallel to Intellige, is simpler;
for this reason voci orationis receives so much more prominence.