Tuesday, May 17, 2016

An ancient collect for Pentecost

"O God, Who by the mystery of this day’s festival dost sanctify Thy universal Church in every race and nation, shed abroad throughout the whole world the gift of the Holy Spirit; that the work wrought by Divine goodness at the first preaching of the Gospel may now also be extended among believing hearts; through. . . ."

"Deus, qui sacramento festivitatis hodiernae universam ecclesiam tuam in omni gente et natione sanctificas, in totam mundi latitudinem spiritus tui sancti dona defunde et, quod inter ipsa evangelicae praedicationis exordia operata est divina dignatio, nunc quoque per credentium corda diffunde."

     8th-century sacramentaries Gelasianum Vetus (no. 638), Gellonensis (no. 1035), Rhenaugiense (no. 629), and Sangallensis (no. 818), with, of course, slight variations.  All of the manuscripts listed at Corpus orationum no. 2057 associate this prayer with Pentecost in some way.  Translation from William Bright, Ancient collects and other prayers selected for devotional use from various rituals, 2nd ed. (Oxford:   J. H. and Jas. Parker, 1862), 62-63.

"O God, who by the mystery of today's great feast
sanctify your whole Church in every people and nation,
pour out, we pray, the gifts of the Holy Spirit
across the face of the earth
and, with the divine grace that was at work
when the Gospel was first proclaimed,
fill now once more the hearts of believers.
Through. . . ."

"Deus, qui sacramento festivitatis hodiernae
universam ecclesiam tuam
in omni gente et natione sanctificas,
in totam mundi latitudinem spiritus tui sancti dona defunde,
et, quod inter ipsa evangelicae praedicationis exordia
operata est divina dignatio,
nunc quoque per credentium corda perfunde."

     Collect, Mass during the Day, Pentecost Sunday, Roman Missal.  Note the substitution of "perfunde" for "diffunde"/"defunde", though "perfunde" is present in none of the many manuscripts listed at Corpus orationum no. 2057.  "Translation" of 1973 according to Fr. Z:

"God our Father, let the Spirit you sent on your Church to begin the teaching of the gospel continue to work in the world through the hearts of all who believe."

     Cf. the following, which is sometimes attributed to the Gelasian sacramentary, though I haven't found it yet in the edition ed. H. A. Wilson:

"O God, who in the exaltation of thy Son Jesus Christ dost sanctify thy universal Church: Shed abroad in every race and nation the gift of the Holy Spirit; that the work wrought by his power at the first preaching of the gospel may now be extended throughout the whole world; through. . . ."

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