Today, the Vigil of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord, an important triduum begins, which is considered second only to the Easter Triduum in the Ambrosian Rite.
Milan was, in fact (as Gregory Di Pippo mentioned in his most recent post) the place where the relics of the Three Kings were kept until 1164.
This triduum begins today with the Mass "inter Vesperas" of the Vigil of Epiphany and ends on January 7th with the Solemnity of the Christophory of the Lord.
On the Vigil of Epiphany, like on the Vigil of Christmas and Pentecost, in churches where a chapter of Canons takes care of the liturgy, a very peculiar ceremony takes place, whereby, after the first part of the First Vespers, and in particular after the responsorium in choro which follows the hymn (see my previous post about Ambrosian Rite Vespers here), the vesperal Office is suspended, and the celebrant takes off the cope and wears the chasuble. Four readings are sung by lectors illustrating the meaning of this feast as pre-figurated in the Old Testament, then the Epistle is sung by the Subdeacon and the Gospel by the Deacon.
Each reading is followed by very melismatic antiphons, called psalmelli, and a prayer sung by the Celebrant in the middle of the sanctuary, looking at liturgical East.
Then the Mass is celebrated as a normal one, apart from the fact that this Mass, excluding a very beautiful cantus sung in the place of the Hallelujah, has no antiphons at all.
This feature is considered by most scolars as a sign of great archaism.
After the benediction, the celebrant wears again the cope, and Vespers are resumed (according to the second schema, see my previous post).
I present here to our readership the text of the four readings (with an English translation) with psalmelli and prayers, and the full text of the Mass of the Vigil of Epiphany:
Lectio Isaiæ Prophetæ. c. 49.
Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus. In témpore plácito exaudivi te, et in die salutis auxiliatus sum tui: et servavi te, et dedi te in fœdus pópuli, ut suscitares terram, et possideres hæreditates dissipatas: ut díceres his qui vincti sunt: Exite: et his qui in ténebris: Revelámini. Super vias pascentur, et in ómnibus planis páscua eorum. Non esúrient, neque sítient, et non percútiet eos æstus et sol: quia miserator eorum reget eos, et ad fontes aquarum potabit illos. Et ponam omnes montes meos in viam, et sémitæ meæ exaltabuntur. Ecce isti de longe vénient, et ecce illi ab aquilone, et
mari, et isti de terra australi. Laudate cæli, et exulta terra, jubilate montes laudem: quia consolatus est Dóminus pópulum suum, et páuperum suorum miserébitur.
Reading of Isaiah the Prophet
Thus saith God the Lord: In an acceptable time I have heard thee, and in the day of salvation I have helped thee: and I have preserved thee, and given thee to be a covenant of the people, that thou mightest raise up the earth, and possess the inheritances that were destroyed: That thou mightest say to them that are bound: Come forth: and to them that are in darkness: shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in every plain. They shall not hunger, nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun strike them: for he that is merciful to them, shall be their shepherd, and at the fountains of waters he shall give them drink. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my paths shall be exalted. Behold these shall come from afar, and behold these from the north and from the sea, and these from the south country. Give praise, O ye heavens, and rejoice, O earth, ye mountains, give praise with jubilation: because the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on his poor ones.
Psalmellus.
Benedictus Dóminus Deus Ísrael, qui facit mirabília solus: et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum.
Deus judícium tuum regi da, et justítiam tuam fílio regis: et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum. Ps. 71.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.
Give to the king thy judgment, O God: and to the king's son thy justice: and blessed be the name of his majesty for ever
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oratio.
Deus, qui hodierna die Unigénitum tuum géntibus stella duce revelasti, * concede propítius: ut qui jam te ex fide cognóvimus, usque ad contemplandam spéciem tuæ celsitúdinis perducamur. Per eundem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, * qui tecum vivit, et regnat in unitate Spiritus sancti Deus per omnia sécula seculorum.
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Léctio libri Regum. 4. Reg. 2.
In diebus illis. Cum levare vellet Dóminus Eliam per túrbinem in cælum, ibant Elias, et Eliseus de Gálgalis. Dixitque Elias ad Eliseum: Sede hic, quia Dóminus misit me usque Bethel. Cui ait Eliseus : Vivit Dóminus, et vivit ánima tua, quia non derelinquam te. Cumque descendissent Bethel, egressi sunt fílii prophetarum, qui erant in Bethel, ad Eliseum, et dixerunt ei: Numquid nosti, quia hódie Dóminus tollet dóminum tuum a te ? Qui respondit: Et ego novi: silete. Dixit autem Elias ad Eliseum: Sede hic, quia Dóminus misit me Jéricho. Et ille ait: Vivit Dóminus, et vivit ánima tua, quia non derelinquam te. Cumque venissent Jéricho, accesserunt fílii
prophetarum, qui erant in Jéricho, ad Eliseum, et dixerunt ei: Numquid nosti, quia Dóminus hódie tollet dóminum tuum a te ? Et ait: Et ego novi: silete. Dixit autem ei Elias: Sede hic, quia Dóminus misit me ad Jordanem. Qui ait : vivit Dóminus, et vivit ánima tua, quia non derelinquam te.
Ierunt ígitur ambo páriter, et quinquaginta viri de fíliis prophetarum secuti sunt, qui et steterunt econtra longe: illi autem ambo stabant super Jordanem. Tulitque Elias pállium suum, et involvit illud, et percussit aquas, quæ divisæ sunt in utramque partem, et transierunt ambo per siccum.
Cumque transissent, Elias dixit ad Eliseum: Póstula quod vis ut fáciam tibi, ántequam tollar a te. Dixitque Eliseus: Óbsecro, ut fiat spíritus tuus duplex in me. Qui respondit: Rem diffícilem postulasti: áttamen si víderis me, quando tollar a te, erit quod petisti: si autem non víderis, non erit. Cumque pérgerent, et incedentes sermocinarentur, ecce currus igneus, et equi ígnei diviserunt utrumque: et ascendit Elias per túrbinem in cælum, Eliseus vero videbat, et clamabat: Pater mi, pater mi, currus Ísrael, et auriga ejus. Et non vidit eum ámplius.
Reading of the Book of the Kings.
On those days. It came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elias into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elias and Eliseus were going from Galgal. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel, The sons of the prophets, that were at Bethel, came forth to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he answered: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay here because the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come to Jericho, The sons of the prophets that were at Jericho, came to Eliseus, and said to him: Dost thou know that this day the Lord will take away thy master from thee? And he said: I also know it: hold your peace. And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee; and they two went on together, And fifty men of the sons of the prophets followed them, and stood in sight at a distance: but they two stood by the Jordan. And Elias took his mantle and folded it together, and struck the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, and they both passed over on dry ground. And when they were gone over, Elias said to Eliseus: Ask what thou wilt have me to do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Eliseus said: I beseech thee that in me may be thy double spirit. And he answered: Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless if thou see me when I am taken from thee, thou shalt have what thou hast asked: but if thou see me not, thou shalt not have it. And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more.
Psalmellus cum Infantibus.
O Regem cæli, cui tália famulantur obséquia ! In stábulo pónitur, qui cóntinet mundum: jacet in præsépio, et in núbibus tonat.
Sicut audívimus, ita et vídimus in civitate Dei nostri: jacet in præsépio, et in núbibus tonat. Ps. 47.
O King of Heaven, to whom such great honors are given! He is placed in a stable, which containeth the world: he lieth in cradle and reignth above the heavens.
As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts: he lieth in cradle and reignth above the heavens.
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spíritu tuo.
Oratio.
Deus, illuminator ómnium géntium, * da pópulis tuis perpétua pace gaudere: et illud lumen spléndidum infunde córdibus nostris, quod trium Magorum méntibus aspersisti. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, * qui tecum vivit.
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spíritu tuo.
Léctio libri Númeri. c. 24.
In diebus illis. Sumpta parábola Bálaam hæc locutus est: Dixit Bálaam fílius Beor: dixit homo, cujus obturatus est oculus dixit auditor sermonum Dei, qui novit doctrinam Altissimi, et visiones Omnipotentis videt, qui cadens apertos habet óculos. Videbo eum, sed non modo: intuebor illum, sed non prope. Orietur stella ab Jacob, et consurget virga ex Israel: et percútiet duces Moab, vastabitque omnes filios Seth. Et erit Idumæa posséssio ejus: hæréditas Seir cedet inimicis suis: Ísrael vero fórtiter aget. De Jacob erit qui dominetur, et perdat relíquias civitatis. Cumque vidisset Ámalech, assumens parábolam ait: Princípium géntium Ámalech, cujus extrema perdentur. Vidit quoque Cinæum: et assumpta parábola, ait:
Robustum est quidem habitáculum tuum: sed si in petra posúeris nidum tuum, et fúeris electus de stirpe Cain, quámdiu póteris permanere ? Assur enim cápiet te. Assumptaque parábola, íterum locutus est: Heu, quis victurus est, quando ista fáciet Deus ? Vénient in triéribus de Itália, superabunt Assýrios, vastabuntque Hebræos, et ad extremum étiam ipsi peribunt.
Surrexitque Bálaam, et reversus est in locum suum.
Reading of the Book of Numbers.
On those days. Balaam took up his parable and said: Balaam the son of Beor hath said: The man hath said, whose eye ire stopped up: The hearer of the words of God hath said, who knoweth the doctrine of the Highest, and seeth the visions of the Almighty, who falling hath his eyes opened: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not near. A star shall rise out of Jacob and a sceptre shall spring up from Israel: and shall strike the chiefs of Moab, and shall waste all the children of Seth. And he shall possess Idumea: the inheritance of Seir shall come to their enemies, but Israel shall do manfully. Out of Jacob shall he come that shall rule, and shall destroy the remains of the city. And when he saw Amalec, he took up his parable, and said: Amalec the beginning of nations, whose latter ends shall be destroyed. He saw also the Cinite: and took up his parable, and said: Thy habitation indeed is strong: but though thou build thy nest in a rock, And thou be chosen of the stock of Cin, how long shalt thou be able to continue? For Assur shall take thee captive. And taking up his parable, again he said: Alas, who shall live when God shall do these things? They shall come in galleys from Italy, they shall overcome the Assyrians, and shall waste the Hebrews, and at the last they themselves also shall perish.
And Balaam rose, and returned to his place.
Psalmellus.
Omnes de Saba vénient, aurum, et thus deferentes, et laudem Dómino annunciantes.
Omnes isti congregati sunt: de longe vénient: aurum et thus deferentes, et
laudem Dómino annunciantes. Is. 60.
All they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and shewing forth praise to the Lord.
All these are gathered together: shall come from afar: bringing gold and frankincense, and shewing forth praise to the Lord.
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spíritu tuo.
Oratio.
Deus, illuminátio et vita credéntium, cujus múnerum ineffábilis magnitudo hodiernæ solemnitatis testimónio celebratur: * réspice propítius ad devotionem nostram, et pacem tuam nostris concede tempóribus. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, * qui tecum vivit, et regnat in unitate Spíritus sancti Deus per ómnia sécula seculorum.
Dóminus vobiscum.
Et cum spíritu tuo.
Léctio libri Regum. 4. Reg. 6.
In diebus illis. Dixerunt fílii prophetarum ad Eliseum: Ecce locus, in quo habitamus coram te, angustus est nobis. Eamus usque ad Jordanem, et tollant sínguli de silva matérias síngulas, ut ædificemus nobis ibi locum ad habitandum. Qui dixit eis: Ite. Et ait unus ex eis: Veni ergo et tu cum servis tuis. Respondit: Ego véniam. Et ábiit cum eis. Cumque venissent ad Jordanem, cædebant ligna. Áccidit autem, ut cum unus matériam succíderet, cáderet ferrum securis in aquam: exclamavitque ille, et ait: Heu, heu, heu, dómine mi ! et hoc ipsum mútuo accéperam. Dixit autem homo Dei: Ubi cécidit? At ille monstravit ei locum. Præcidit ergo lignum, et misit illuc: natavitque ferrum. Et ait ei: Tolle. Qui extendit manum, et tulit illud.
Reading of the Book of the Kings.
On those days. The sons of the prophets said to Eliseus: Behold the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go as far as the Jordan and take out of the wood every man a piece of timber, that we may build us there a place to dwell in. And he said: Go. And one of them said: But come thou also with thy servants. He answered: I will come. So he went with them. And when they were come to the Jordan they cut down wood. And it happened, as one was felling some timber, that the head of the axe fell into the water: and he cried out, and said: Alas, alas, alas, my lord, for this same was borrowed. And the man of God said: Where did it fall? and he shewed him the place. Then he cut off a piece of wood, and cast it in thither: and the iron swam. And he said: Take it up. And he put out his hand and took it.
Psalmellus.
Vídimus glóriam Dei, glóriam Unigéniti: quia Verbum caro
factum est, et habitavit in nobis.
Et nos omnes de plenitúdine ejus accépimus grátiam: et habitavit in nobis.
Joan. 1.
We saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father: for the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
And we have received grace from his fullness: and dwelt among us.
Ad Missam de Vigilia Epiphaniæ.
Dóminus vobiscum : et sic ante reliquas etiam hujus, et aliarum ejusmodi
Missarum Orationes.
Oratio super populum.
Omnípotens sempiterne Deus, qui Verbi tui incarnationem præclari testimónio síderis indicasti, quod videntes Magi oblatis majestatem tuam munéribus adoraverunt, * concede: ut semper in méntibus nostris tuæ appáreat stella justitiæ, et noster in tua sit confessione thesaurus. Per eundem Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, * qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spíritus sancti Deus per omnia.
Epístola beati Pauli Apóstoli ad Titum. c. 3.
Carissime. Eramus nos aliquando insipientes, incréduli, errantes, servientes desidériis, et voluptátibus váriis, in malítia, et invídia agentes, odíbiles, ínvicem odientes. Cum autem benignitas, et humánitas appáruit Salvatoris nostri Dei: non ex opéribus justítiæ, quæ fécimus nos, sed secundum suam misericórdiam salvos nos fecit per lavacrum regenerationis, et renovationis Spíritus sancti, quem effudit in nos abunde per Jesum Christum Salvatorem nostrum: ut justificati grátia ipsius,
hæredes simus secundum spem vitæ æternæ.
Epistle of the Blessed Paul the Apostle to Titus.
My dearest. We ourselves also were some time unwise, incredulous, erring, slaves to divers desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But when the goodness and kindness of God our Saviour appeared: Not by the works of justice, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and renovation of the Holy Ghost; Whom he hath poured forth upon us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour: That, being justified by his grace, we may be heirs, according to hope of life everlasting.
Cantus.
Super flúmina Babylonis sédimus, et flévimus, dum recordaremur tui Sion. Ps. 136.
Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion.
Léctio sancti Evangelii secundum Matthæum.
c. 3.
In illo témpore. Vénit Dóminus Jesus a Galilæa in Jordanem ad Joannem, ut baptizaretur ab eo. Joannes autem prohibebat eum, dicens: Ego a te débeo baptizari, et tu venis ad me? Respondens autem Jesus, dixit ei: Sine modo: sic enim decet nos implere omnem justítiam. Tunc dimisit eum. Baptizatus autem Jesus, confestim ascendit de aqua. Et ecce aperti sunt ei cæli: et vidit Spíritum Dei descendentem sicut columbam, et venientem super se. Et ecce vox de cælis, dicens: Hic est Fílius meus dilectus, in quo mihi complácui.
Reading of the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
At that time. The Lord Jesus cometh from Galilee to the Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him. But John stayed him, saying: I ought to be baptized by thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said to him: Suffer it to be so now. For so it becometh us to fulfill all justice. Then he suffered him. And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Oratio super sindonem.
Adesto, Dómine, supplicatiónibus nostris: * et pópulo tuo, quem tibi ex ómnibus géntibus elegisti, veritatis tuæ lumen ostende. Per Dóminum.
Oratio super oblatam.
Ecclésiæ tuæ, Dómine, propítius dona concede: * quibus non jam aurum, thus, aut myrrha proferatur; sed quod eisdem munéribus declaretur. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum.
Præfatio.
Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Qui a puerpério cælesti íntulit mundo suæ mirácula majestatis: ut adorandam Magis osténderet Stellam: et transacto témporis intervallo, aquam mutaret in vinum: et suo quoque baptísmate sanctificaret fluenta Jordanis idem Jesus Christus Dóminus noster. Quem una tecum.
Oratio post Communionem.
Largire, quæsumus, omnípotens Deus, supplícibus tuis: * ut, quem natum in
terris fatemur hominem, hunc Deum, astris quoque faténtibus, adoremus. Qui
tecum vivit, et regnat.
