Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

The Dedication of a Church 489
sung with more modesty or with greater simplicity. The twofold bistropha
must be sung lightly and must not be held longer than four
beats. Universa can be sung with a slight crescendo. The final groups
remind us of Deus.
The Gospel recounted with what readiness Zachaeus made sacrifice:
"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have
wronged any man of anything, I restore him fourfold," and how pleased
the Saviour was with these words!
The second phrase is characterized by the ''great joy" which here
seeks full expression; it should be sung with a great crescendo. The heart
of King David leaps with joy when he sees his people—yea, God's people
•—enthusiastic to bring sacrifices. Populum tuum bears some resemblance
to the beginning of today's Gradual.
After the second phrase a large pause is to be made, for here a new
thought, a prayer is introduced: "Keep this will!" This phrase begins
with a soft, humble tone, expressing the wholehearted longing for God's
helping grace, while the following custodi is given some prominence. On
the closing syllable of voluntdtem the joy of the first two phrases is once
more felt. Here two motives are interwoven: dc gfg and gf dcf, and in
both of them we find an echo of fg dcff over obtuli. Domine Deus possesses
the simplicity and modesty of the first phrase.
It would be difficult to conceive of a more beautiful Offertory song.
Permeated with its spirit, the Secret continues: "Grant that all we...
by full and perfect devotion, be acceptable to Thee both in body and
soul; that we who now lay our votive gifts before Thee, may by Thy
help be found worthy to win Thine everlasting rewards."
As a pledge for this we hear these words from the lips of the Lord:
"This day I must abide in thy house." It is in Holy Communion that
He deigns to come into "our house" to sit at meat with us; and then we
experience that salvation has entered into our house, into our heart.
COMMUNION (Matt. 21: 13)
1. Domus mea, domus orationis 1. My house shall be called the
vocabitur, dicit Dominus: 2. in ea house of prayer, saith the Lord: 2.
omnis qui petit, accipit: et qui every one that asks therein, receives:
quaerit, invenit; et pulsanti, aperie- and he who seeks, finds: and to him
tur. who knocks, it shall be opened.
This house is a house of prayer. The first two members of this
Communion would, as it were, engrave these words in large letters over
the entrance of the church; hence the many large intervals. The accented
second domus sets in with a fourth; the fifth c-f, and the fourths