Thomæ de Aquino. (infra octavam ad libitum Celebrantis omitti potest, juxta Rubricas.)
Lauda, Sion, Salvatórem,
lauda ducem et pastórem
in hymnis et cánticis.
Quantum potes, tantum aude:
quia major omni laude,
nec laudáre súfficis.
Laudis thema speciális,
panis vivus et vitális
hódie propónitur.
Quem in sacræ mensa cenæ
turbæ fratrum duodénæ
datum non ambígitur.
Sit laus plena, sit sonóra,
sit jucúnda, sit decóra
mentis jubilátio.
Dies enim sollémnis agitur,
in qua mensæ prima recólitur
hujus institútio.
In hac mensa novi Regis,
novum Pascha novæ legis
Phase vetus términat.
Vetustátem nóvitas,
umbram fugat véritas,
noctem lux elíminat.
Quod in cœna Christus gessit,
faciéndum hoc expréssit
in sui memóriam.
Docti sacris institútis,
panem, vinum in salútis
consecrámus hóstiam.
Dogma datur Christiánis,
quod in carnem transit panis
et vinum in sánguinem.
Quod non capis, quod non vides, animosa fírmat fides, præter rerum órdinem.
Sub divérsis speciébus,
signis tantum, et non rebus,
latent res exímiæ.
Caro cibus, sanguis potus:
manet tamen Christus totus
sub utráque spécie.
A suménte non concísus,
non confráctus, non divísus:
ínteger accípitur.
Sumit unus, sumunt mille:
quantum isti, tantum ille:
nec sumptus consúmitur.
Sumunt boni, sumunt mali
sorte tamen inæquáli,
vitæ vel intéritus.
Mors est malis, vita bonis:
vide, paris sumptiónis
quam sit dispar éxitus.
Fracto demum sacraménto,
ne vacílles, sed meménto,
tantum esse sub fragménto,
quantum toto tégitur.
Nulla rei fit scissúra:
signi tantum fit fractúra:
qua nec status nec statúra
signáti minúitur.
Ecce panis Angelórum,
factus cibus viatórum:
vere panis filiórum,
non mitténdus cánibus.
In figúris præsignátur,
cum Isaac immolátur:
agnus paschæ deputátur:
datur manna pátribus.
Bone pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserére:
tu nos pasce, nos tuére:
tu nos bona fac vidére
in terra vivéntium.
Tu, qui cuncta scis et vales:
qui nos pascis hic mortáles:
tuos ibi commensáles,
coherédes et sodáles
fac sanctórum cívium.
Amen. Allelúja.
O Sion, thy Redeemer praising,
Songs of joy to Him upraising,
Laud thy Pastor and thy Guide:
Swell thy notes most high and daring;
For His praise is past declaring, And thy loftiest powers beside.
‘Tis a theme with praise that gloweth, For the bread that life bestoweth Goes this day before us out;
Which, His holy supper taking,
To the brethren twelve His breaking None hath ever called in doubt.
Full, then, be our praise and sounding, Modest and with joy abounding Be our mind’s triumphant state;
For the festal’s prosecution,
When the first blest institution Of this feast we celebrate.
In the new King’s new libation, In the new law’s new oblation, Ends the ancient Paschal rite;
Ancient forms new substance chaseth, Typic shadows truth displaceth, Day dispels the gloom of night.
When He did at supper seated,
Christ enjoined to be repeated, When His love we celebrate:
Thus obeying His dictation,
Blood and wine of our salvation, We the victim consecrate.
‘Tis for Christian faith asserted, Bread is into flesh converted, Into blood the holy wine:
Sight and intellect transcending, Nature’s laws to marvel bending, ‘Tis confirmed by faith divine.
Under either kind remaining,
Form, not substance, still retaining, Wondrous things our spirit sees:
Flesh and blood thy palate staining, Yet still Christ entire remaining, Under either species.
All untorn for eating given,
Undivided and unriven,
Whole He’s taken and unrent;
Be there one, or crowds surrounding, He is equally abounding, Nor, though eaten, ever spent.
Both to good and bad ‘tis broken, But on each a different token or of life, or death attends:
Life to good, to bad damnation;
Lo, of one same manducation
How dissimilar the ends.
When the priest the victim breaketh, See thy faith in no wise shaketh, Know that every fragment taketh All that ‘neath the whole there lies:
This in Him no fracture maketh, ‘Tis the figure only breaketh, Form, or state, no change there taketh Place in what it signifies.
Bread, that angels eat in heaven, Now becomes the pilgrim’s leaven, Bread in truth to children given, That must ne’er to dogs be thrown.
He, in ancient types disguised, Was the Isaac sacrificed, For the feast a lamb devised, Manna to the Fathers shown.
Bread, whose shepherd-care doth tend us, Jesu Christ, Thy mercy send us, Do Thou feed us, Thou defend us, Lead us where true joys attend us, In the land where life is given:
Thou all ken and might possessing, Mercies aye to us largessing, Make us share Thy cup of blessing, Heritage and love’s caressing With the denizens of heaven.
Amen. Alleluia.