Antiphona ad Offertorium...

I have often said before that I enjoy Requiem Masses - indeed, I would replace (were I ''in charge'' of things) boring Ferial Masses with Requiems for the suffering souls in Purgatory, since this is very important. I have only ever MCd one Requiem Missa Cantata before and so, trying to focus upon the ceremonies, didn't have much of an opportunity, nor have I since, to peruse the texts of the Mass - trying to remember things like ''Rex tremendae maiestatis,'' and ''Qui Mariam absolvisti,'' no candles for the Gospel, etc. I did a little of this yesterevening in the Sacristy with the old Missal, and I read the Offertory verse to myself. Isolated from my dictionary, I had to ask Fr Finigan what certain odd words meant (all of which turned out to be what I had guessed they meant anyway), and it was quite lovely. Here is the Offertory verse with my translation:

Domine Iesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de poenis inferni et de profundo lacu: libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum: sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti, et semini eius. ℣ Hostias et preces tibi, Domine laudis offerimus: tu supplice pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini eius. O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, set the souls of all the faithful departed at liberty from the pains of Hell and from the deep lake; free them from the mouth of the lion, neither let them be absorbed into Tartarus, nor let them fall into obscurity: but let the holy standard-bearer Michael show them the holy light: as you once promised to Abraham and to his seed. ℣ To you, O Lord, we offer sacrifices and prayers of praise: you receive them for those souls, of whom today we make memory: make them, O Lord, to pass from death unto life: as you once promised to Abraham and to his seed.

Let's have more High Masses of Requiem and less Low Mass...! The above painting shouldn't need an introduction, but it is William Blake's rendering of the Last Judgement. It's awfully plain isn't it?