Tag: St. Thomas Aquinas

Posted on

Learning the Latin of the Hymns for Benediction and Adoration

I sometimes get requests for help in understanding the Latin texts of the very familiar hymns for Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction. The O Salutaris and Tantum Ergo, though familiar to many Catholics remain only vaguely understood in terms of a word-for-word translation. Most know the poetic English renderings (“O Saving Victim Opening Wide” and “Humbly Let us Voice our Homage”) but this does not necessarily facilitate a word-for-word understanding as the Latin is sung. What I hope to do here,  and in greater detail in the attached PDF files, is to give a very literal rendering that preserves the word order of the Latin so that one can understand the Latin precisely. In the PDF I also give a brief word study of each word in both hymns. It is my hope to bring these hymns more alive for the faithful who sing them who may not be highly skilled in Latin.

1. The O Salutaris – The Author is St. Thomas Aquinas. These are the last two verses of a longer hymn Verbum Supernum Prodiens (The heavenly Word, going forth) which was composed for Lauds (Morning Prayer) of the Divine Office of Corpus Christi. The meter is Iambic Dimeter, accentual with alternating rhyme. This hymn was said to so please even the hostile Rousseau that he would have given all his poetry to be its author.  I propose here to record the Latin text to the left and then a very literal English translation to the right which also preserves the word order for easy comparison:

    • O salutaris Hostia    (O saving victim)
    • quae caeli pandis ostium    (who of heaven opens the gate – i.e. who opens the gate of heaven)
    • bella premunt hostilia    (wars press hostile – i.e. hostile wars press)
    • da robur fer auxilium    (give strength, bear aid)
    • Uni Trinoque Domino    (To the One and Threefold Lord)
    • sit sempiterna gloria    (may there be eternal glory)
    • qui vitam sine termino    (who life without end)
    • nobis donet in patria    (to us may he grant in the Fatherland)

I have prepared a printable and more thorough word study here: Study the O SALUTARIS

2. The Tantum Ergo– The author is St. Thomas Aquinas. It was composed for Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the Divine Office for the Feast of Corpus Christi. The meter is trochaic tetrameter catalectic, rhyming at both the caesura and at the end of the line. These two verses are the last two of the full hymn Pange Lingua.  There is here a wonderful union of sweetness of melody with clear-cut dogmatic teaching. I propose here to record the Latin text to the left and then a very literal English translation to the right which also preserves the word order for easy comparison:

    • Tantum ergo sacramentum   (So great therefore a sacrament)
    • veneremur cernui    (let us venerate with bowed heads)
    • et antiquum documentum    (and the ancient document)
    • novo cedat ritui    (to the new, give way, rite    i.e. gives way to the new rite)
    • Praestet fides supplementum    (may supply faith a supplement  i.e. may faith supply a supplement)
    • Sensuum defectui.    (of the senses for the defect  i.e. for the defect of the senses)
    • Genitori Genitoque    (To the One who generates and to the one who is generated (i.e. Father and Son)
    • Laus et jubilatio    (be praise and joy)
    • Salus, honor, virtus, quoque    (health, honor, strength also)
    • sit et benedictio    (may there be and blessing)
    • Procedenti ab utroque    (to the One proceeding from both)
    • Compar sit laudatio    (equal may there be praise  i.e. may there be equal praise)

I have prepared a printable and more thorough word study here: Study the TANTUM ERGO.

I hope that this may be of some help along with the printable PDF word studies. Venite Adoremus (Come let us adore).

Here is setting of the Tantum Ergo by Mozart which I paired with some video footage I found:

Posted on

Practical Wisdom

Last week I began auditing a course at Dominican House of Studies here in Washington, DC. During my first class, the professor was speaking on the unity in sacred doctrine of speculative wisdom and practical wisdom as discussed by St. Thomas Aquinas in Question 1 of the First Part of Summa Theologica.

My professor’s first example of a unity of speculative and practical wisdom was of someone we might describe as “crunchy”. Why do we call him “crunchy”? Because he eats granola. Why does he eat granola? Because he doesn’t eat meat. Why doesn’t he eat meat? Because he adheres to a philosophy where killing animals may cause ill effect in this life or the next. So in fact, according to this man’s beliefs, he is acting very honorably because his speculative and practical wisdom are united.

I thought too of my Muslim roommate during my freshman year of college. I found her to be the most honorable person I met that year. During the feast of Ramadan, she would wake up before the sun to pray, eat, brush her teeth, then go back to bed. Why? Because she was fasting from dawn to sunset. Why? Because she was purifying herself. Why? To worship Allah without impurity.

This lesson made me think about how Catholics act and why. Have you ever had someone ask you, why do you cross yourself? Why do you tell your sins to a priest? Why do you pray in front of abortion clinics? Why do you decline offers to “come back to my place”? Why do you pray the rosary?

These are some examples of how speculative and practical wisdom are united in our Catholic faith. By performing certain acts and knowing why we do them, we will be a witness to Christ and his Church. How do your actions reflect your Catholic faith?

Be doers of the word and not hearers only. James 1:22

For reference: Why Do Catholics Do That? by Kevin Orlin Johnson