Dominica in Palmis – Part I

This feast will be divided into two posts: one, to describe the feast as it appears in the Bragan missal; the other, to analyze the differences/likenesses with the Roman missal, be it for the pre-Pian rite [Holy Week was revised before VC 2], be it for the ’62 missal. 

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The rubrics inform us that the best violet antependium is to be used and that the images are to be unveiled until the end of the procession with the palms, which will take place before Mass. Also, there should be neither images nor reliquairies between the candelabra, but palms may be placed where the are normally flowers.

Prime is said, afterwards prepairing for the procession in the following fashion: priest, deacon, and sub-deacon are to wear violet; two torchbearers wear violet dalmatics, as well as the crossbearer, who takes the unveiled cross between the torchbearers.There are six cantors with violet copes and ceptres in the case that they have the office of cantor in the cathedral; in other places,  four cantors with copes and ceptres. If the palms are blessed by the bishop, he uses a violet cope and a simple mitre.When the bishop (or priest) leads his ministers to the blessing, he goes ahead of the crossbearer, asperging with holy water to the antiphon Asperges me, without the Gloria Patri, and with the prayer Exaudi nos, Domine after the antiphon, as usual, the procession following behind singing the responsory  Jn 11:47-49.50.53 Collegerunt pontifices, repeating it until arriving at the place where the palms will be blessed.

Afterwards, the crossbearer with the torchbearers turn West next to the table (which was prepaired previously in the sacristy) for the blessing, where all the palms and olive branches have been gathered. The priest, deacon, subdeacon and all other members of the clergy sit and Terce is said.

After Terce the subdeacon takes the book, holding it reverently before his chest, reverences the bishop (or priest), genuflects before the cross and sings the prophecy Is 62:11-12; 53: 1-7. When the prophecy is ended the sub-deacon genuflects and returns to his original place, with the choir afterwards singing the gradual Fil. 2: 8-9., Christus factus est pro nobis.

The deacon, after receiving the blessing, accepts the incense from the deacon after it has been blessed: he approaches the righthand side of the table, turns north and begins the Gospel (Mat. 21: 1-9). After the Gospel he reverences the celebrant and there is a homily.

The celebrant then blesses the palms, saying in a moderate voice:

V/ Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R/ Qui fecit caelum et terra.
V/ Sit nomen Domini benedictum.
R/ Ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum.
V/ Dominus vobiscum.
R/ Et cum spiritu tuo.

V/ Our Help is in the Lord

R/ Who made heaven and earth.

V/ Blessed be the name of the Lord

R/ From now to the end of the age.

V/ The Lord be with you.

R/ And also with you.

 

Oremus.
Deus, cuius Filius pro salute generis humanide caelo descendit ad terras; et, appropinquante hora passionis suae, Ierosolymam in asino venire, et a turbis Rex appellari ac laudari voluit: benedicre dignare, hos palmarum ceterarumve frondium ramos: ut omnes, qui eos laturi sunt, ita benedictionis tuae dono repleantur: quatenus et in hoc saeculo hostis antiqui tentamenta superare, et in futuro cum palma victoriae, et fructu bonorum operum tibi valeant apparere. Per eudem Christum Dominum.
R/ Amen.

God, Whose Son descended from Heaven to Earth for the salvation of the Human race, and when the hour of His passion was approaching, he willed to come to Jerusalem on an ass and be called King by the crowds, deign to bless these palms and the branches of other foliage that all, who shall bear them, will be filled with the gift of your blessing, in so much as even in this age they may be able to overcome the temptations of the ancient enemy and arrive to you with the palm of victory and the fruit of good works. Through the same Jesus Christ..

Oremus.
Omnipotens Iesu Christe, mundi Creator et Redemptor, qui nostrae liberationis gratia ex summa caelo arce descendere, carnemque sumere, et crucem subire dignatus es: quique sponte propria, loco approprinquans passionis, a turbis, cum ramis palmarum obviantibus, benedici, laudari, et Rex benedictus, in nomine Domini veniens, clara voce appellari voluisti: tu nunc nostrae laudationis confessionem acceptare, et hos palmarum caeterarumque ramos frondium seu flores benedicere digneris: ut quicumque in tuae servitius obsequio exinde aliquid tulerit, caelesti benedictione sanctificatus, peccatorum remissionem, et vitae aeternae praemia percipere mereatur. Per te, Salvator noster: qui unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus. Per omnia saecula saeculorum.
R/ Amen.

Almighty God, King of the world, creator and redeemer, you who deigned to descend from the summit of the arch of heaven for our liberation by grace, to assume carnality, and to undergo the passion, the same who by your own will, drawing near to the place of the passion, were willing to be blessed by the crowd that had come to meet you on the way with palm branches, to be praised, and, approaching, to be called in a clear voice King, Blessed in the name of the Lord, now accept the praise of our confession, and deign to bless and sanctify these branches of palms and flowers, so that whosoever in the submission of your service thence will have borne any such thing, with the holy blessing from heaven he may merit to obtain remission of sins and the gift of eternal life. 

Oremus.
Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui in diluvio Noe famulo tuo ostendisti per os columbae, gestantis ramum olivae, pacem terrae redditam fore: te supplices deprecamur, ut hanc creaturam olivae, quam ante conspectum gloriae tuae offerimus, veritas tua sanctificet: ut eam devotus populus in manibus suscipiens, benedictionis tuae gratiam consequi mereatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
R/ Amen.

O Almighty and Eternal God, who did show to your servant Noah in the flood that peace had been returned to the earth though the mouth of a dove carrying a olive branch  : We humbly beseech you that Thy truth sanctify this creation of the olive tree which we offer Thee in the sight of Thy glory, so that the devoted people, receiving into their hands may merit to obtain the grace of Thy blessing.

Oremus.
Bone Redemptor Domine, qui mansueti animalis tergo insidens, ad passionem pro redemptione nostra spontaneus appropinquans, te Regem regum et mortis triumphatorem ostendisti: cui humiliter, ad tolerandam pro nobis passionem, venienti ramis arboreis certatim sternebatur: et a triumphatricibus turbis cum voce laudis occurrebatur : quaesumus divinam majestatem tuam: ut oris nostri confessionem, atque corporalis jejunii humiliationem libens suscipias, et fructum nobis viriditatis habere concedas: ut, sicut illi tibi fuerunt obviam cum ramis arborum egressi: ita nos in secundo tibi redeunti adventu cum palmis victoriae mereamur occurrere laeti: Salvator noster, qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivis et régnas Deus, in saecula saeculorum.
R/ Amen.

O Good Redeemer Lord, who sitting on the back of a tamed beast, willingly approached Thy passion for our redemption, Thou doth show Thyself, the King of kings and the vanquisher of death, for whom, coming humbly, in order to undergo the passion for us, the road was covered with tree branches, and from the triumphant crowds with the acclaim of praise was met; we beseech Thy divine majesty that Thou willingly accept the confession from our mouth and the humility of our corporal fast, and that Thou concede to have the fruit of vigor: just as they came out to meet Thee with tree branches : so  too, may we merit to arrive to Thee coming again in Thy second advent, blessed with palms of victory. Our Savior, who with the Father and Holy Ghost, live and reign God, into the age of ages. Amen.

Oremus.
Deus qui dispersa congregas, et congregata conservas: qui populis tuis, obviam Iesu Christo, Filio tuo, venientibus et ramos palmaris portantibus, benedixisti: benedic etiam et hos ramos palmae et olivae, caeterarumve frondium, quos famuli tui ad honorem nominis tui et benedictionem fideliter suscipiunt; ut in quemcumque locum introducti fuerint, tuae benedictionis effectum habitatores loci illius consequantur: et, omni adversa valetudine effugata, dextera tua protegat quos redemit Iesus Christus Filius tuus, Dominus noster: Qui tecum vivit, et regnat, in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus.

O God, who dost gather what is dispersed abroad, and preserve what is gathered together; who didst bless the people who went forth to meet Jesus, bearing branches of palms; bless likewise these branches of palm and olive, which Thy servants receive faithfully in honor and blessing of Thy Name; that into whatsoever place they shall be brought, those who dwell in that place may obtain Thy blessing, and all adversities being removed, Thy right hand may protect those who have been redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God for ever and ever. 

Then follows the Preface – which is the same in everything as the one found in the Roman missal, except for quia te solum auctorem Deum et gubernatorem [this word is not in the Roman] cognoscunt – with the Bragan rubrics prescribing the ferial tone for the Sanctus (the  ’62 missal ommits any reference to the tone).

The celebrant receives the incense and blesses it, asperging the palms 3 times with holy water, saying in a low voice the antiphon Asperges me, Domine without the psalm verse, and then incenses the palms thrice.

Afterwards he says in a moderate voice:

V/ Dominus vobiscum.
R/ Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus.
Haec tibi, Domine, festa recoluntur, et annuis exacta curriculis memorantur: in quibus infantium turbae praecisas frondes arborant assumentes, et in tuae laudis trophaeo: Hosanna filio David: benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini, acclamantes occurrerunt: ut omnes gentes cognoscerent, et victoriam te levasse de mundo, et de diabolo obtinuisse triumphum. Praesta igitur, Domine: ut hujus diei celeberrimum cultum praesentiae tuae sanctificatione clarifices: ut, perfectis tibi sacris solemnibus, universa haec plebs tua ad sanctam resurrectionem tuam excubando perveniat. Haec quoque creatura arborum, olivarum, seu frondium, una cum palmis, quam populus pro tuis laudibus suscipiendam alacri devotione expetit, a te, Domine, ita benedicatur: ut quicumque pia devotione pro expellendis languoribus, sive pro expugnandis hostis insidiis, in cunctas habitationes suas eam hinc portaverint, ab omni sint impugnatione inimici securi. Ut cognoscant omnes, quia nomen tuum est gloriosum, Salvator mundi, qui cum Deo Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivis et régnas Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum.
R/ Amen.

This your feast, Lord, is renewed, and the things that have been accomplished in the course of the years are remembered: when the crowds of children cut down the branches of trees and took them and in trophy of your praise ran crying out: Hosanna to the son of David: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, that all people might acknowledge, both that you have won victory from the world and obtained triumph over the Devil. Grant therefore, Lord, that you make bright the thronging worship of this day with your sanctifying presence: that when these sacred rites have been accomplished this your entire people may in vigilance attain unto your holy resurrection. Also may this creature of trees, olives or branches, along with palms which your people seeks to take up for your praise with ready devotion may so be blessed by you, Lord. That all those who with devout piety take it from here into all of their habitations for the driving out of illness or for the casting out of snares of the foe, may be safe from every attack of the enemy. So that all may come to know that your name is glorious, Savior of the world, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit live and reign, God, throughout all the ages. Amen.

The palms are distributed while the choir sings the antiphons Pueri Hebraeorum portantes and Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta. While the procession makes its way back to the church the antiphon Cum appropinquasset Dominus is sung.

Ave, Rex noster, Fili David is sung three times up to Redemptor mundi, genuflecting at the words Ave, Rex noster; the third time being sung in its entirety.

Ave, Rex noster, Fili David, Redemptor mundi, quem prophetae praedixerunt Salvatorem domui Israel esse venturum. Te enim ad salutarem victimam Pater misit in mundum, quem exspectabant omnes sancti ab origine mundi, et nunc: Hosanna Filio David, Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Hail our King, Son of David, Redeemer of the world: whom the prophets foretold as Savior of the house of Israel who was to come. For the Father sent you into the world as saving victim: For whom all the saints waited from the origin of the world, and now Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

The procession heads towards the western door of the church, all processing in hierarchical order. The bishop (or priest), deacon and subdeacon, headed by the crossbearer between the torchbearers turn to the door, while the remaining crosses remain in their place. The cantors enter the church, close the doors, and begin the Gloria laus, up to the verse Israel es tu Rex, which the choir repeats. The cantors sing the continuing verses and are always answered with Gloria laus.

Once the verses of the Gloria laus are ended the celebrant receives the cross and with it strikes the door singing Attollite portas, to which the cantors reply Quis est iste Rex gloriae?, and to which he replies Dominus fortis et potens. The celebrant strikes the door two more times, with the ensuing dialogue which can be found in the following pictures taken from the missal:

Celebrant strikes church door during the “Attollite portas” Source: Nymphios

 

The dialogue ended the doors are openned and the procession enters the church to the singing of Ingrediente Domino in sanctam, as in the ’62 missal.

(segundo o missal de ’62, em Toledo)

As pertains to the Mass of the day, only the following stands out:

• After the Tract the deacon beings the Passion narrative without the dalmatic;
• When in the narrative Iesus autem iterum clamas voce magna, emisit spiritum, is reached, the deacon strikes the book loudly;
• After striking the book, while the Roman missal says to kneel and “pause”, the Bragan missal’s rubrics say that while kneeling one ought to pray either the Pater, Credo, or another short prayer in a low voice.

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Comments:

I thank the blogger known as “The Rad Trad”(AKA, His Tradiness) for his help with the rubrics.

Some of the videos posted may have a different melody than that found in the Bragan missal.

One can find on-line an interesting article about Galican prayers in the Bragan missal.