Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

286 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
In the most ancient manuscripts this Alleluia has yet a second
verse, whose melody was used with the Alleluia on the feast of St.
Alexius (July 17), but without the extraordinarily ornate closing melisma.
In its second half the jubilus of the verse resembles that of the
fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost.
For the OFFERTORY see the first Sunday of Advent.
The publican did not even dare to lift his eyes to heaven. But he
had elevated his heart to God (dnimam meant levdvi), and God deigned
to look upon the sinner. On account of his sins, the publican felt himself
forever estranged from God, but in His loving-kindness God was
near to him. His prayer was inspired with great confidence, and he was
not confounded. He went to his house justified, his heart filled with divince
grace and peace. Whoever prays as this publican did will not be
put to shame.
"In the holy Sacrifice the parable of the Gospel renews itself. You
entered the church as a humble publican; in the Kyrie and the Gradual
you struck your breast: that was your pilgrimage to Sion (Alleluiaverse);
now gracious words of pardon fall from the mouth of the Lord"
(K.L.).
COMMUNION (Ps.50:21)
1. Acceptabis sacrificium justi- 1. Thou wilt accept the sacrifice
tiae, 2. oblationes et holocausta, of justice, 2. oblations and holosuper
altare tuum, Domine. causts, upon thine altar, O Lord.
Soon the priest will pronounce these words in the Placeat: "May
the homage of my bounden duty be pleasing to Thee, O Holy Trinity;
and grant that the sacrifice which I, though unworthy, have offered in
the sight of Thy majesty, may be acceptable (acceptdbile) to Thee."
Such must be the prayer of the sacrificing priest. But the sacrifice which
Christ has just offered finds gracious acceptance in heaven, as the
Church well knows. Hence the determined and joyful beginning of the
melody. It is the sacrifice of justice, the fitting sacrifice, which Jesus
Christ "the Just" has offered; the sacrifice which has again reconciled
the offended justice of God. It is in truth a burnt offering in which the
love of Christ to the Father consumed itself; a holocaust, since Christ
Himself was unable to give more. To this sublime sacrifice, which was
now offered on the altar (how pensive the melody becomes here!), are
added our sacrificial gifts foblatidnes): all the renunciations, all the sufferings
courageously borne, the persevering performance of our duty we
have placed on the paten and in the chalice. Taken up into Christ's