The Wild Tears Fall

Lauda, Sion Salvatorem Sion, lift thy voice and sing:
Lauda ducem et pastorem Praise thy Saviour and thy King
In hymnis et canticis. Praise with hymns thy Shepherd true.

Quantum potes, tantum aude; All thou canst, do thou endeavour,
Quia major omni laude, Yet thy praise can equal never
Nec laudare sufficis. Such as merits thy great King.

Laudis thema specialis, See today before us laid
Panis vivus et vitalis The living and life-giving Bread!
Hodie proponitur. Theme for praise and joy profound!

Quem in sacrae mensa coenae, The same which at the sacred board
Turbae fratrum duodenae Was, by our incarnate Lord,
Datum non ambigitur. Giv'n to His Apostles round.

Sit laus plena, sit sonora, Let the praise be loud and high;
Sit jucunda, sit decora Sweet and tranquil be the joy
Mentis jubilatio. Felt today in every breast.

Dies enim solemnis agitur, On this festival divine
In qua mensae prima recolitur Which records the origin
Hujus institutio. Of the glorious Eucharist.

In hac mena novi Regis, On this table of the King,
Novum Pascha novae legis, Our new Paschal offering
Phase vetus terminat. Brings to end the olden rite.

Vetustatem novitas, Here, for empty shadows fled,
Umbram fugat veritas, Is reality instead;
Noctem lux eliminat. Here, instead of darkness, light.

Quod in coena Christus gessit, His own act, at supper seated,
Faciendum hoc expressit: Christ ordain'd to be repeated,
In sui memoriam. In His memory divine:

Docti sacris institutis, Wherefore now, with adoration,
Panem, vinum in salutis We, the Host of our salvation
Consecramus hostiam. Consecrate from bread and wine.

Dogma datur Christianis, Hear what Holy Church maintaineth,
Quod in carnem tranist panis, That the bread its substance changeth
Et vinum in sanguinem. Into Flesh, the wine to Blood.

Quod non capis, quod non vides, Doth it pass thy comprehending?
Animosa firmat fides, Faith, the law of sight transcending
Praeter rerum ordinem. Leaps to things not understood.

Sub diversis speciebus, Here beneath these signs are hidden
Signis tantum, et non rebus, Priceless things, to sense forbidden;
Latent res eximae. Signs, not things, are all we see.

Caro cibus, sanguis potus: Flesh from bread, and Blood from wine,
Manet tamen Christus totus, Yet is Christ in either sign
Sub utraque specie. All entire, confessed to be.

A sumente non concisus, They, who of Him here partake,
Non confractus, non divisus: Sever not, nor rend, nor break:
Integer accipitur. But, entire, their Lord receive.

Sumit unus, sumunt mille: Whether one or thousands eat,
Quantum isti, tantum ille: All receive the self-same meat,
Nec sumptus consumitur. Nor the less for others leave.

Sumunt boni, sumunt mali: Both the wicked and the good
Sorte tamen inaequali, Eat of this celestial Food:
Vitae vel interitus. But with ends how opposite!

Mors est malis, vita bonis: Here 'tis life: and there 'tis death:
Vide paris sumptionis The same, yet issuing to each
Quam sit dispar exitus. In a difference infinite.

Fracto demum sacramento, Nor a single doubt retain,
Ne vailles, sed memento, When they break the Host in twain,
Tantum esse sub fragmento, But that in each part remains
Quantum toto tegitur. What was in the whole before.

Nulla rei fit scissura: Since the simple sign alone
Signi tantum fit fractura: Suffers change in state or form,
qua nec status, nec statura The signified remaining one
Signati minuitur. And the same for evermore.

Ecce panis angelorum, Lo! upon the altar lies,
Factus cibus viatorum: Hidden deep from human eyes,
Vere panis filiorum, Bread of Angels from the skies,
Non mittendus canibus. Made the food of mortal man;

In figuris praesignatur, Children's meat to dogs denied.
Cum Isaac immolatur: In old types presignified:
Agnus Paschae deputatur: In the manna heaven-supplied,
Datur mann patribus. In Isaac, and the Paschal lamb.

Bone Pastor, panis vere, Jesu! Shepherd of the sheep!
Jesu, nostri miserere: Thou Thy flock in safety keep.
Tu nos peasce, nos tuere: Living Bread! Thy life supply:
Tu nos bona fac videre Strengthen us, or else we die:
In terra viventium. Fill us with celestial grace!

Tu qui cuncta scis et vales: Thou, who feedest us below!
Qui nos pascis his mortales: Source of all we have or know!
Tuos ibi commensales, Grant that with Thy Saints above,
Cohaeredes et sodales fac Sitting at the feast of love,
sanctorum civium. Amen. We may see Thee face to face. Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

This past, sweet Thursday, the whole of Poland slowed. Gently, she lifted herself from the whirlpool of refuse and confusion and fell into orbit around the true Sun, signified in the golden monstrance upheld by a priest's veiled hands. How the heart within me was revived as my neighbours and I processed through streets devoid of machinery-gazing at the monstrance, the banners, the statues, the priests sumptuously robed according to their office, young boys dressed to serve the altar, and little girls in their white, Communion dresses. The only sounds were those of birds, of wind, and of the human voice. The only words spoken were those of charity and wisdom, plainly felt, as well as said, by the many walking beneath the searing, noonday sun.

It is generally considered that the modern nation, in order to defeat hatred, must also outlaw the expression of love. The Church must receive no favour from the State, even though the constituents of the State are one and the same with her, these constituents ought not to unveil the dearest loves seated within their hearts. In a day where every man is 'entitled to his opinion', provided that he does not think himself right, (and Heaven forbid he act on what he thinks right), it has been a blessing to live in a land where that disease has not spread.

Politics is a science meant to keep the commonwealth functioning. Science is an art that is employed for invention and natural curiosity. History is the study of man's past either for pleasure or to benefit the other studies. Art is for entertainment. Mathematics is that pure science which governs the mechanical arts and first forms how man receives information through his senses. Language is the means of communication. It is only Philosophy and Theology that can dare to tell men how to act, because contemplation of the Good is their proper sphere alone!

And if the purpose of the State is more than simply making it easier to survive, though Hobbes and Locke dismissed it as simply that, but the right and natural organ of the social and rational animal, as Aristotle and Plato insisted, then is it not the State's duty to promote the Good? To make happiness possible for man? While it cannot encroach on man's individual conscience (for to deprive man of his volition is to make him an animal), it should cultivate the environment that natural law demands for its citizens to act uprightly.

Rather, has not the State turned all the passionate Rites of beauty, truth, and holiness into something dirty and to be kept out of the public eye for fear the impressionable would fall in love with it? Whether the individual agrees or not, he bows his head to the dictum 'Separation of Church and State' with more unquestioning obedience than I prayed the Creed as a child. Man has lost his freedom to the monolithic structure of modern law, which is only the dictum of other men. The mechanic has left off operating the mill to worship the wheel, not paying any heed to the water that turns it. Few and blessed are the peoples that stoop at the edge to quench their thirst.

Boze Cialo by Rachel Rudd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at foolishnessntears.blogspot.com.