Rogation Wednesday
and
Vigil of the Ascension

Matins

Lauds

COLLECT OF THE DAY
(from the Preceding Sunday)

Oremus.
Deus, a quo bona cuncta procédunt, largíre supplícibus tuis : ut cogitémus, te inspiránte, quæ recta sunt ; et, te gubernánte, éadem faciámus.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, from whom all good things do come : grant to us thy humble servants ; that by thy holy inspiration, we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guidance may perform the same.  Through.

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Matins

In illo témpore : Sublevátis Jesus óculis in cælum, dixit : Pater, venit hora, clarífica Fílium tuum.  Et réliqua.

At that time : Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said : Father, the hour is come, glorify thy Son.  And so on, and that which followeth.

Póterat Dóminus noster, unigénitus et coætérnus Patri, in forma servi, et ex forma servi, si hoc opus esset, oráre siléntio : sed ita se Patri exhibére vóluit precatórem, ut meminísset nostrum se esse doctórem.  Proínde eam, quam fecit oratiónem pro nobis, notam fecit et nobis : quóniam tanti magístri non solum ad ipsos sermocinátio, sed étiam pro ipsis ad Patrem orátio, discipulórum est ædificátio : et si illórum, qui hæc dicta áderant auditúri, profécto et nostra, qui fuerámus conscrípta lectúri.

Our Lord, the only-begotten and co-eternal Son of the Father, could have prayed silently (if need were) in the form of a servant, and after the fashion of a servant ; but he willed to shew himself as thus praying to the Father, that we might remember him as our teacher.  Thus he made known unto us the prayer which he made for us.  For he was so great a Master that, not only his discourse to them, but his prayer to the Father for them, is an edification for his disciples.  And if it was so for them who were there to hear, truly it is so for us also, for whose instruction it hath been written down.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Deus, cánticum novum cantábo tibi, allelúja : * In psaltério decem chordárum psallam tibi, allelúja, allelúja.
V.  Deus meus es tu, et confitébor tibi : Deus meus es tu, et exaltábo te.
R.  In psaltério decem chordárum psallam tibi, allelúja, allelúja.

R.  I will sing a new song unto thee, O God, alleluia : *  I will sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute, alleluia, alleluia.
V.  Thou art my God and I will thank thee ; thou art my God and I will praise thee.
R.  I will sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute, alleluia, alleluia.

Quaprópter hoc quod ait : Pater, venit hora, clarífica Fílium tuum : osténdit, omne tempus, et quid, quando fáceret vel fíeri síneret, ab illo esse dispósitum, qui témpori súbditus non est : quóniam quæ futúra erant per síngula témpora, in Dei sapiéntia causas efficiéntes habent, in qua nulla sunt témpora.  Non ergo credátur hæc hora fato urgénte venísse, sed Deo pótius ordinánte.  Nec sidérea necéssitas Christi connéxuit passiónem : absit enim ut sídera mori cógerent síderum Conditórem.

Wherefore, by these words : Father, the hour is come ; glorify thy Son : he sheweth that every occasion, whereon he hath done anything, or alloweth anything to be done, and the season wherein he did it or allowed it, and even the time itself, is like ordained of him, who is himself not subject to time.  Yea, all things which were then to come, or are yet to come now, have the reason why they should be, in the Wisdom of God, which is itself independent of all time.  The hour is come.  We must not believe that that hour was brought on by the march of destiny, but was by the ordination of God.  No stars decreed irresistibly that the time was come for Christ to suffer, for God forbid that the revolutions of his planets should force death on him who made them.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

R.  Bonum est confitéri Dómino, allelúja : * Et psállere, allelúja.
V.  In decachórdo psaltério, cum cántico et cíthara.
R.  Et psállere, allelúja.

R.  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, alleluia, * And to sing praises, alleluia.
V.  Upon an instrument of ten strings, upon the harp with a solemn sound.
R.  And to sing praises, alleluia.

In the Office of the Vigil :

V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  Et psállere, allelúja.

V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  And to sing praises, alleluia.

Clarificátum a Patre Fílium nonnúlli accípiunt in hoc, quod ei non pepércit, sed pro nobis ómnibus trádidit eum.  Sed si passióne clarificátus dícitur, quanto magis resurrectióne?  Nam in passióne magis ejus humílitas quam cláritas commendátur, Apóstolo teste, qui dicit : Humiliávit semetípsum, factus obédiens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis.  Deínde séquitur, et de ejus clarificatióne jam dicit : Propter quod et Deus illum exaltávit, et donávit ei nomen, quod est super omne nomen : ut in nómine Jesu omne genu flectátur, cæléstium, terréstrium, et infernórum.  Et omnis lingua confiteátur, quia Dóminus Jesus Christus in glória est Dei Patris.  Hæc est clarificátio Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, quæ ab ejus resurrectióne sumpsit exórdium.

Some think that the glorification of the Son by the Father was this, that he spared him not, but delivered him up for us all.  But if we say that he was glorified by suffering how much more shall we say that he was glorified by rising again?  While he suffered, his humbleness was the more manifested than his glory, as saith the Apostle : He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Then he addeth, concerning glorification : Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  This is the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ, that glorification whose first rays began to dawn on the resurrection morning.

V.  Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nobis.
R.  Deo grátias.

V.  But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R.  Thanks be to God.

The Te Deum is said every day in Eastertide, even in the Office of the Vigil.  After the Te Deum, Lauds normally follows immediately, beginning with the Opening Versicles.  Otherwise, the Conclusion of Matins is read, according to the Rubrics.

R.  Dicant nunc, qui redémpti sunt, allelúja, * A Dómino, allelúja, allelúja.
V.  Quos redémit de manu inimíci, et de regiónibus congregávit eos.
R.  A Dómino, allelúja, allelúja.
V.  Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.
R.  A Dómino, allelúja, allelúja.

R.  Let them give thanks, alleluia, * Whom the Lord hath redeemed, alleluia, alleluia.
V.  Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and whom he hath gathered out of the lands.
R.  Whom the Lord hath redeemed, alleluia, alleluia.
V.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R.  Whom the Lord hath redeemed, alleluia, alleluia.

After the conclusion of the First Nocturn, the Second Nocturn is begun according to the current weekday.

Second Nocturn

Lauds

The first part of Lauds is in the Ordinary

Ad Bened. Ant:  Pater, venit hora, * clarífica Fílium tuum claritáte quam hábui, priúsquam mundus esset, apud te, allelúja.

Ant. on Bened:  Father, the hour is come : * glorify thy Son with the glory which I had with thee before the world was, alleluia.

Oremus.
Deus, a quo bona cuncta procédunt, largíre supplícibus tuis : ut cogitémus, te inspiránte, quæ recta sunt ; et, te gubernánte, éadem faciámus.  Per Dóminum.

Let us pray.
O God, from whom all good things do come : grant to us thy humble servants ; that by thy holy inspiration, we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guidance may perform the same.  Through.

COMMEMORATION OF THE CROSS

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH
 

Lesser Litanies

On these three Rogation Days, those who are not taking part in the Procession of the Litany, shall say it privately after Lauds, with its prayers and Collects, but without the Penítential Psalms.  When the Litany is thus added to Lauds, it is begun as soon as the reponse Deo gratias has been said at the end of the Office (ie. Fidelium is not said,) and after the Litany is ended the final Antiphon of the BVM is not added.  It is not, however, permitted to anticipate the Litany on the preceding day.