Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Sunday within the Octave of Corpus Christi 241
We who still tarry upon earth surely have every reason to thank
God for having become our Protector, for having led us into the open,
into the perfect liberty of the children of God, and for having become
our Redeemer from a motive of pure love. Our thanks ought to be especially
sincere when we think of the Eucharistic Saviour and of the
protection which His grace affords us against all the enemies of our soul,
against whatever oppresses it, weakens it or obscures its vision. How
entirely is He who was made flesh become our protector in the Holy
Eucharist! What love will He not show us in this Sacrament until the
very end! When we consider this, then surely the words Diligam te must
well up from our inmost hearts. I shall attempt to repay Thy infinite
love with my own poor love. Thou art my strength against all the violence
of my unchecked nature, Thou art my refuge and my rescue, to
whom I may have recourse in my every need.
In the first phrase joy continually tends toward development, until
the motive over eduxit me attains its full measure with the words in
latitudinem. It is the song of one who suddenly finds himself free and in
broad daylight after a long imprisonment in a narrow, dark, and dank
dungeon. It ought not cause surprise that this same melody occurs in
the Introit Stdtuit. Here also it transfigures that loftiest of all themes:
the dignity of the priesthood. The ascent at protector meus bears some
relation to the Dominus prope of the Introit Gaudete (Third Sunday in
Advent): it is also somewhat reminiscent of the beginning of the Introit
on the feast of St. Stephen.
The construction is apparent at first sight. Of the two phrases which
compose the piece, the first has its half cadence and its full cadence on
the dominant (a), the second at times on the tonic of the mode (d). The
first phrase exhibits an arsis laid on a grand plan, while the second is a
clear thesis. Whereas / is banned from the first half of the first phrase,
the note b\? occurs four times; the second half is influenced by high c,
and b occurs thrice. At eduxit the two podatus are to be interpreted
broadly. The first phrase has a descending fourth (d-a) over eduxit; the
second phrase two descending fourths (g-d). The motive over me fecit
is heard again over voluit with a quiet closing formula which releases the
tension of the fourths.
GRADUAL (Ps. 119: 1, 2)
1. Ad Dominum, cum tribularer, 1. In my trouble I cried to the
clamavi, 2. et exaudivit me. jf 1. Lord, 2. and he heard me. Ill 1. O
Domine, libera animam meam a Lord, deliver my soul from wicked
labiis iniquis, 2. et a lingua dolosa. lips, 2. and a deceitful tongue.