Down in adoration falling, This great Sacrament we hail, Over ancient forms of worship Newer rites of grace prevail; Faith will tell us Christ is present, When our human senses fail.
Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o'er ancient forms departing, newer rites of grace prevail; faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble sense fail.
Thanks for the link, Maria. This hymn is a theological treatise in verse. Here is a fairly literal translation of the last two stanzas which are those sung at Benediction (do the novus ordinarians know what that is?) though the melody is usually different.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui: (1) praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui. (2)
Genitori, Genitoque laus et jubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio: Procedenti ab utroque (3) compar sit laudatio.
Let us venerate, bowing down, so great a Sacrament and let the ancient testament (1) yield to the new rite. Let faith stand forth as a reinforcement to the deficiency of the senses. (2)
To the Begetter and the Begotten praise and jubilation Let there be salvation, honor, and virtue too as well as blessing. To Him who proceeds from both (3) let there be a like praise.
(1) i.e. the Old Testament has been superseded by the New Testament of Jesus Christ.
(2) Roman Catholicism is eminently a rational religion in that it accepts the conclusions of natural law and augments them by recourse to revelation where natural law is deficient.
(3) an explicit affirmation of the Double Procession which is grounded in Scripture and Patristics and about which the Orthodox love to logic-chop even today after having acknowledged the Truth of the Dogma on several occasions in the past.
If there is any doubt that Faith and Reason are congruent sources of the knowledge of Truth, especially in this modern Age of Scientism and Materialism, then it suffices to mention one name, Mgr. Georges Lemaître. A genius to whom even Einstein bent the knee. Le Bon Dieu guides and enlightens His own.
Jack, there are priests who love the devotion, understand it's value. I wish there were more. But that's why it is so important for lay Catholics like us to sit in the pews to witness about and encourage the devotion. When they are hostile, keep their feet to the fire.
Things are better than they were ten years ago. The Woodstockers are slowly but surely taking up the beds at Regina Cleri. Maybe we'll live to see the day when the ruins are repaired. Obamacare is going to accelerate that trajectory, IMO.
A faithful Jesuit who naturally gets no press whatsoever--Fr. James Kubicki SJ. He is the current Director of the Apostleship of Prayer. Read this. It will bring tears to your eyes, just knowing that there is still a priest somewhere in these "not so Christian United States" ( as Fr. Hardon referred to the US of A) still teaching children their Catechism.
6 comments:
Down in adoration falling,
This great Sacrament we hail,
Over ancient forms of worship
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith will tell us Christ is present,
When our human senses fail.
http://youtu.be/r3H5f7oePQE
Back at you, mon frere. Happy Corpus Christi!
Horrible translation above.
Should read:
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.
Thanks for the link, Maria. This hymn is a theological treatise in verse. Here is a fairly literal translation of the last two stanzas which are those sung at Benediction (do the novus ordinarians know what that is?) though the melody is usually different.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui: (1)
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui. (2)
Genitori, Genitoque
laus et jubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque (3)
compar sit laudatio.
Let us venerate, bowing down,
so great a Sacrament
and let the ancient testament (1)
yield to the new rite.
Let faith stand forth as a reinforcement
to the deficiency of the senses. (2)
To the Begetter and the Begotten
praise and jubilation
Let there be salvation, honor, and virtue too
as well as blessing.
To Him who proceeds from both (3)
let there be a like praise.
(1) i.e. the Old Testament has been superseded by the New Testament of Jesus Christ.
(2) Roman Catholicism is eminently a rational religion in that it accepts the conclusions of natural law and augments them by recourse to revelation where natural law is deficient.
(3) an explicit affirmation of the Double Procession which is grounded in Scripture and Patristics and about which the Orthodox love to logic-chop even today after having acknowledged the Truth of the Dogma on several occasions in the past.
If there is any doubt that Faith and Reason are congruent sources of the knowledge of Truth, especially in this modern Age of Scientism and Materialism, then it suffices to mention one name, Mgr. Georges Lemaître. A genius to whom even Einstein bent the knee. Le Bon Dieu guides and enlightens His own.
Le Bon Dieu guides and enlightens His own.
Indeed.
Signed w/ a gratful heart,
The Amen Corner ;)
This was delicious. Thank you both.
Jack, there are priests who love the devotion, understand it's value. I wish there were more. But that's why it is so important for lay Catholics like us to sit in the pews to witness about and encourage the devotion. When they are hostile, keep their feet to the fire.
Things are better than they were ten years ago. The Woodstockers are slowly but surely taking up the beds at Regina Cleri. Maybe we'll live to see the day when the ruins are repaired. Obamacare is going to accelerate that trajectory, IMO.
Hope you are all enjoying the sun!
A faithful Jesuit who naturally gets no press whatsoever--Fr. James Kubicki SJ. He is the current Director of the Apostleship of Prayer. Read this. It will bring tears to your eyes, just knowing that there is still a priest somewhere in these "not so Christian United States" ( as Fr. Hardon referred to the US of A) still teaching children their Catechism.
Offer It Up: Eucharistic Devotions with Children
apostlesofprayer.blogspot.com/.../eucharistic-devotions-with-children.html
If you don't read the blog, it is a must read.
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