Monday, October 14, 2024

"no power of oureselues to helpe ourselues"

"O God, Who seest that in our own weakness we do continually fall, make, in thy mercy, the examples of thy holy children a mean whereby to renew in us the love of thyself. Through."

As trans. Divinum Officium (online).

"Deus, qui nos conspicis ex nostra infirmitate deficere, ad amorem tuum nos misericorditer per sanctorum tuorum exempla restaura. Per."

     The Anglican breviary containing the Divine office according to the general usages of the Western church put into English in accordance with the Book of common prayer (1955), E474 (Feast of St. Calixtus, 14 October, and possibly elsewhere in the Proper of the saints, Tridentine breviary and missal):

"O God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:  we pray thee, that, by the examples of thy Saints; thou wouldest mercifully restore us to the perfect love of thee.  Through."

     This is no. 1876 in Corpus orationum, and no. 44 in Bruylants.  According to the former it is present in two strictly 8th-century sacramentaries, Prague (before 788, a "Gregorianized Gelasian" from Ratisbonne originally) and Gellonensis (late 8th), as well as a number of 8th/9th century (and later) manuscripts, too.

The collect for the Feast of St. Calixtus in the contemporary Liturgy of the hours is very different, and much less interesting.  Indeed, there does not seem to be a single occurrence of the clause "qui nos conspicis ex nostra infirmitate deficere" anywhere in the contemporary Liturgia horarum.

BCP 1549:  "we haue no power of oureselues to helpe ourselues", followed by a different text:  seconde Sonday [of Lent].

BCP 1662:  "we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves":  Second Sunday of Lent.

BCP 1979:  "no power in ourselves to help ourselves":  Third Sunday of Lent.

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