Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist 447
is crowned by Thee, O Lord, remains crowned for all eternity. And compared
to Thy glory, all the gems of this world are but as dust. Thou
hast crowned Thy saint with immortal glory.
"He asked life of Thee." When Thou didst stand before the revenue
collector's desk and didst say to him: "Follow Me!" but one longing
burned in his heart: Away with the life I have led until now; I shall follow
Jesus! And Thou hast given him life, life with Thee; for many years
he was privileged to be the witness of Thy teaching and of Thy miracles,
and later, when he wrote his Gospel, all that he had seen and heard was
re-enacted in his soul. And Thy word: "He that shall lose his life for My
sake, shall find it" (Matt. 16: 25), gave him the incentive to shed his
blood for Thee and thus to attain life eternal, alleluia!
The melody was explained on Easter Monday.
COMMUNION (Ps. 20: 6)
1. Magna est gloria ejus in sa- 1. His glory is great in thy sallutari
tuo: 2. gloriam et magnum vation: 2. glory and great beauty
decorem impones super eum, Domine. shalt thou lay upon him, 0 Lord.
The song opens with a festal ring, expressing in its jubilation almost
amazement over the glory prepared by God for His saint. In his
mind's eye the singer sees all the churches of the Catholic world in which
St. Matthew is venerated today. He beholds the solemnity with which
the Gospel written by the saint is read at the divine services. He beholds
in spirit all the sublime things that have been wrought in souls through
meditation upon this Gospel. Transcending this world, he gazes upon
the glory of heaven, and this forces him to cry out: Magna est gloria ejusl
But the Lord effected all this. This fact is stressed by the florid melody
over tuo. The low e over tuo finds its antithesis in the high c over gloria.
In the second phrase the jubilant ring is somewhat subdued; reverent
admiration now dominates. The renown of the saint is one which
never ceases, a glory which never wanes. "Thou, 0 Lord, layest it upon
Him." What a tender preparation the accent over impones receives!
The honors of this world are but too often a burden. The glory of heaven
is refreshment and sweetness and bliss in God.
The gentle close over Domine seems to breathe the tender petition:
Lord, in Holy Communion Thou hast again become my salvation—be
Thou my eternal salvation, lead also me into Thy glory!