Thursday 14 January 2016

Advent Vespers - Canite tuba and Psalm 109

Vespers began with Father Andrew chanting 'Deus in adjutorium meum intende' (O God come to my aid) and everyone answers 'Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina'. (O Lord, make haste to help me). This is based on Psalm 70:2 and was originally introduced at the start of prayer in the west by John Cassian in the fourth century. Saint Benedict had used Cassian’s prayer at the start of most offices and for tasks such as weekly service in the kitchen.
See Kevin Peterson's blogpost at Compline Underground

Canite tuba in Sion, qui a prope est dies Domini. Ecce venit, ecce venit ad salvandum nos
Sound the trumpet in Sion, for the day of the Lord is near. See, he is coming to save us

Then into Psalm 109
The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand:
Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.
The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.
With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.
The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
The Lord at thy right hand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins: he shall crush the heads in the land of the many.
He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.


The Antiphon Canite tuba is repeated. We tried to get urgency into ‘ecce venit ad salvandum nos’ but it isn’t obvious in the recording.

Father Andrew has a fine voice.

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