Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Alternate Suffrages

Below are the suffrages taken from an earlier translation done by Douglas of the Monastic Diurnal before the changes made to the Office in 1915, as a result of Divinu afflatu. I present these here for those interested as alternatives to using the "Suffrage of All Saints" found in the post-1915 Monastic Diurnals.

It worth noting that there are two Commemorations of the Cross. One is said throughout the year and the other in Paschaltide. This latter suffrage is identical to the Commemoration of the Cross in Paschaltide in the MD. During Paschaltide, this is the only suffrage to be said. The remaining are all the standard suffrages in the order they are presented in the MD.

A suffrage is to be said of the patron of the parish. For instance, my parish is St. Michael the Archangel, so I used the antiphons, versicles, and collect from his feast to make this suffrage. I ended up adding in the suffrages of two other saints as well, for personal reasons: St. Stephen the Protomartyr, as patron of my family and St. Sebastian, as the patron against the plague. The suffrage for Peace is always said last.

Commemoration of the Cross 
Ant. By the sign of the Cross, deliver us from our enemies, O our God.

℣. All the world shall worship thee, and sing of thee. ℟. And praise thy Name, O Lord.

Let us pray. i
Keep, we beseech thee, O Lord, in perpetual peace, those whom thou has vouchsafed to redeem by the wood of the Holy Cross. Through the same.

Commemoration of the Cross in Paschaltide
At Lauds, Ant. He that was crucified † is risen from the dead; and hath redeemed us, alleluia, alleluia.

At Vespers, Ant. He the Holy Cross endured, † Burst the gates of hell in twain: Begirt with might and majesty, On Easter morn he rose again, alleluia.

℣. Tell it out among the nations, alleluia. ℟. That the Lord reigneth from the Tree, alleluia.

Let us pray. Collect
O God, who didst will that thy Son should for us undergo the burden of the Cross, that he might deliver us from the power of the enemy: grant unto us thy servants that we may attain unto the joy of his resurrection. Through the same.

Of St. Mary

Ant. O holy Mary, be thou a help to the helpless, a strength to the fearful, a comfort to the sorrowful: pray for the people, entreat for the clergy, intercede for all the devout women-folk: may all who celebrate thy holy commemoration have knowledge of thine aid.

℣. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. ℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Collect
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord God, that we thy servants may rejoice in continual health of mind and body: and that by the glorious Mary ever Virgin, we may be delivered from this present sadness, and attain eternal joys.

From the Octave of the Epiphany until the Purification
℣. After childbearing thou didst remain a spotless Virgin. ℟. Intercede for us, O Mother of God.

Let us pray. Collect
O God, who through the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary hast bestowed the rewards of eternal salvation on the human race: grant, we beseech thee, that we may know the might of her intercession, through whom we have received the Author of our life, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.

Of St. Joseph, Spouse B.V.M.
At Vespers, Ant. Behold a faithful and wise steward, who his Lord hath made ruler over his household.

℣. Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house. ℟. And his righteousness endureth forever.

At Lauds, Ant. And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph.

℣. The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom. ℟. And his tongue will be talking of judgment

Let us pray. Collect
O GOD, who in thy ineffable providence didst vouchsafe choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of thy most blessed Mother: grant, we beseech thee, that we may have him for our intercessor in heaven whom we venerate as our protector upon earth.

Of the Holy Apostles
At Vespers, Ant. Peter the Apostle, and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles, they have taught us thy law, O Lord.

℣. Thou shalt make them princes in all lands. ℟. They shall remember thy Name, O Lord.

At Lauds, Ant. These glorious princes of the earth, as they loved each other in their lives, so also in death they were not divided.

℣. Their sound is gone out into all lands. ℟. And their words into the ends of the world.

Let us pray. Collect
O GOD, whose right hand raised up blessed Peter when he walked upon the waves, lest he should sink, and delivered his fellow apostle Paul from the deep of the sea when thrice he suffered shipwreck: favorably hear our prayers, and grant, for the sake of them both, that we may obtain eternal glory.

Of  St. Benedict
At Vespers, Ant. O Benedict, most holy Confessor of the Lord, Father and Leader of monks, intercede for the salvation of us all.

At Lauds, Ant. O sacred heralding of that blessed man, our Father Benedict ! O priceless love of love divine! despising the pomp of the world he laid hold upon eternal life.

℣. The righteous shall blossom as a lily. ℟. He shall flourish for ever before the Lord.

Let us pray Collect
STIR up in thy Church, O Lord, thy Holy Spirit, in whose power our blessed Father Benedict the Abbot served thee: that we being filled with the same Spirit may give all diligence to love what he loved, and to do the works which he taught.

[Suffrage of the Parish Patron]

Of Peace
This is always said last.
Ant. Give peace in our time, O Lord, for there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O our God.

℣. Peace be within thy walls. ℟. And plenteousness within they palaces.

Let us pray. Collect
O God, from who all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; thought the merits of Jesus Christ our Savior. Who liveth.