Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

208 Rogation Days
INTROIT (Ps. 17: 7)
1. Exaudivit de templo sancto suo 1. He heard my voice from his
vocem meam, alleluia: 2. et clamor holy temple, alleluia: 2. and my cry
meus in conspectu ejus, introivit in before him came into his ears, alle-
•aures ejus, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. luia, alleluia. Ps. / will love theet
Diligam te, Domine, virtus mea: * O Lord, my strength: * the Lord is
Dominus firmamentum meum, et my firmament, and my refuge, and
refugium meum, et liberator meus. my deliverer.
As on the feast of the Epiphany and of the Purification, so also today
we have at the beginning of the Introit the use of the significant
past tense: Exaudivit. In the Litany which preceded we often placed the
petition: Te rogdmus, audi nos. We have been heard, and now subjoin
the Introit as a song of thanksgiving. Its first phrase is so sincere and
simple that it brings to mind one who has only recently been relieved
of some great sorrow or pressing anxiety, and finds need to orientate
himself to his new and improved conditions. Only in the second phrase
does the melodic line become more comprehensive and sing of triumphant
joy. Poor though I be, my cry has nevertheless reached His ears and heart,
alleluia. The melody over vocem is repeated over aures. The alleluia at
the end of the first and the second sentences rhyme; meam concludes in
a similar manner. The parallelism of the text is intensified by the melody
of the second phrase.
The two final allelMa also conclude the Introit of the second Sunday
after Easter. Otherwise the Introits of the fourth mode have a different
ending in Paschal time.
The first verse of the psalm from which the Antiphon has been taken
usually constitutes the psalm-verse of the Introit. Today's choice could
not have been more happy. God has approached us with such an insurmountable
love that we can but meet Him with the heartfelt words:
*'I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength." Thou hast become "my firmament,
and my refuge, and my deliverer."
ALLELUIA VERSE (Ps. 117: 1)
1. Confitemini Domino, quoniam 1. Give praise to the Lord, for he
bonus: 2. quoniam in saeculum is good; 2. for his mercy endureth
misericordia ejus. forever.
The text of the Alleluia is the same as that of Holy Saturday, as is
also the melody over the first two parts and, with the exception of the
final vocalize, over the last two words. Even the Tract-form cadence,
which on Holy Saturday concludes both half phrases, is here found over