From Dom Guéranger's The Liturgical Year.
How could we more appropriately conclude the teachings of this Octave, than by quoting the words used by the Church herself in today's Liturgy?
Strangers as we are and pilgrims on the earth, let us fix our hearts and our thoughts on the day which will give to each of us a home, and restore us to Paradise. Who, that is on a voyage, would not hasten to return to his country! Who, that is on the way home, would not eagerly desire a favourable wind, that he might the sooner embrace his dear ones! Parents, brothers, children, friends in multitudes impatiently await us in our heavenly fatherland; blessed crowd already secure of their own eternal happiness, they are solicitous about our salvation. What joy for them and for us, when at length we see them and they may embrace us! How great the delight of that heavenly kingdom: no more fear of death; but eternal and supreme happiness! Let all our earnest desires tend to this: that we may be united with the Saints, that together with them we may possess Christ.[1]
These enthusiastic words, borrowed from St. Cyprian's beautiful book “On Mortality,” are used by the Church in her second Nocturn; and in the third she gives us the strong language of St. Augustine, consoling the faithful, who are obliged still to remain in exile, by reminding them of the great beatitude of this earth : the beatitude of those who are persecuted and cursed by the world. To suffer gladly for Christ, is the Christian's glory, the invisible beauty which wins for his soul the good pleasure of God, and procures him a great reward in heaven.[2]
He that hurteth, let him hurt still, says our Lord ; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is just, let him be justified still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still. Behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to his works. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.[3] Patience, then, Christians I Patience, all who are now despised, for time is short; the fashion of this world passeth away![4] It is in the light of our Baptism that we must look upon those foolish men, who think themselves strong, because they are violent; who call themselves wise, because pleasure is their only law. When the Man-God, with the spirit of his mouth, shall take vengeance on Satan their leader, their lot will be the indignant sentence heard by the Prophet of Patmos: Without are dogs, murderers, every one that loveth and maketh a lie.[5] Meanwhile the whole creation, which they made the unwilling slave of their corruption, will answer to their digraceful fall by a triumphant song of deliverance. Itself will be transformed into new heavens and a new earth. It will partake of the glory of the children of God, delivered like itself, and will be worthy to contain the new Jerusalem, the holy city, where in our flesh we shall see God; and where, seated at the right hand of the Father in the Person of Jesus Christ, our glorified human nature will enjoy forever the honours of a bride.
Let us honour all the Saints by a Sequence long sung on this Octave day by the church of Seville.
Sequence
Ad honorem Salvatoris,
Intus corde, voce foris,
Concinat haec concio;
Dulcis erit melodia
Si concordent ista tria:
Cor, os, operatio.
Admirandus est in sanctis
Suis Deus; sed cum tantis
Tandem bonis satiat,
Cur dum spirant in hac vita
Vix respirant, eos ita
Flagellat et cruciat?
Numquid, Christe, pie odis
Quos diversis poenae modis
Dignum ducis affici,
Et attritos in tormentis
Saepe sinis et consentis
Dirae neci subjici?
Sed non odit, sed explorat
Quo affectu quis laborat
In ejus obsequio;
Amat cunctos, probat tamen
Per sudorem et certamen
Quanta sit devotio.
Certant enim contra mundum,
Hostem nequam et immundum,
Canis quoque vitia;
Hac imprimis confessores
Martyresque formant mores
Virili constantia.
Est certamen capitale
Quod conflict capitale
Martyri supplicium;
Sed interdum confessori
Litor deest in lituri
Carnis optans gaudium.
Ob amorem ergo Christi
Certant illi, certant isti,
Tam mares quam feminae:
Qui plus sudat in agone
Plus mercedis et coronae
Refert pro certamine.
Omnes Deo sunt electi:
Velit Deus horum flexti
Meritis et precibus,
Ut quum dies erit dira
Non nos sua subdat ira
Tartari tortoribus.
Sed hunc nostra laudet lyra
Cum coelorum civibus.
Amen.
To the honour of our Saviour,
let this assembly sing,
both with the inward music of the heart,
and with the outward sound of the voice;
sweet will be the melody if these three
be of one accord: heart, lips, and action.
God is wonderful in his Saints;
but since at the last he satisfies them
with such good things, wherefore,
while they live this life,
are they scarce able to breathe,
he so scourges and torments them?
Is it O Christ, that thou
dost lovingly hate them,
since thou judgest well that
they should suffer in so many ways,
and permittest them often to be crushed
under tortures and subjected to a cruel death?
Nay, he hates them not,
but seeks to know with how much
love each one labours in his service;
he loves them all, yet he proves,
by the toil and the strife,
how great is their devotedness.
For they strive against the world,
the wicked unclean foe,
the vices of the flesh;
chiefly by this manly constancy
that confessors and martyrs
form themselves to virtue.
The special combat for the martyr
is that which gives him
the stroke of death;
but for the confessor the executioner is wanting;
he must choose the struggle
against the pleasures of the flesh.
'Tis therefore for the love of Christ
that strive the former and the latter,
whether men or women;
and he that labours most in the strife,
carries off a higher prize,
a brighter crown for his combat.
All are elected by God:
may God allow himself to be moved
by their merits and prayers,
that when the terrible day shall come,
he may not in his wrath
hand us over to the infernal torturers.
But rather may our lyre be permitted
to praise him in the company of the heavenly citizens.
Amen.
Let us next pray for our dear departed ones. The Missals of several churches furnish us with this earnest supplication.
Sequence
De profundis exclamantes
Audi, Christe, nostras voces
In coelesti curia:
Pro defunctis fidelibus
Orat nunc mater omnibus,
Te supplex Ecclesia.
Fiant ergo intendentes
Ut audiant tuae aures
Vocia haec suffragia:
Vox haec orat, Rex gloriae
Fidelibus ut hocie
Concedas remedia.
Peccatores quamvis simus,
Sustinere nec possimus,
Si observes vitia:
Fiat tamen salutaris
Quae offertur nunc a nobis
Pro defunctis hostia.
Haec quam Patri obtulisti
Offerimus et nos ipsi;
Sit eis propitia:
Propitius esto eis;
Solve vincla, jesu, reis
In tua potentis.
Propter legem quam dedisti,
Te sustinent quos fecisti:
Averte supplicia:
Te sustinent, eruantur;
In te sperant, educantur
Ad coeli palatia.
In te sperant, in te credunt;
Ad te tendunt et suspirant
De faecis miseria:
In te die, in te nocte,
In te mane et vespere
Sit eis fiducia.
Sit apud te quem rogamus,
Pro qua tibi supplicamus,
Pietatis copia:
Ut redims eas, Christe,
Supplex rogat coetus iste,
Ab omni nequitia.
Reginarum imperatrix,
Tua roget te genitrix:
Fiat horum impetratix
Quae rogamus, Maria.
Bone Jesu Rex gloriae,
Omnes sancti praecipue
Te rogantes sint hodie
Pro eorum venia.
Qui per crucem exaltatus
Peccatorum es misertus,
Audi preces queis devotus
Ad te clamat noster coetus
Cum misericordia.
Per te vincla confringantur,
Portae mortis destruantur,
Diaboli confundantur,
Et animae consequantur
Sempiterna guadia.
Amen.
As we cry out from the depths,
hear, O Christ, our voices
from thy heavenly court:
mother Church now
suppliantly implores thee
for all the faithful departed.
Let, then, thine ears be attentive
to hear her prayerful voice:
this voice that calls on thee,
O King of glory,
to grant this day
some relief to the faithful.
Although we are sinners
and unable to endure
if thou consider our vices:
still, let the victim
now offered by us
avail for the dead.
See, we offer the same
as thou didst offer to the Father:
may it be a succour to them;
yea, be thou propitious to them,
and in thy might, O Jesus,
loose the bonds of the guilty.
Because of the law which thou hast given,
the creatures thou hast made wait for thee;
turn away the punishment:
they wait for thee, may they be delivered;
they trust in thee,
lead them forth to the heavenly dwellings.
In thee they trust, in thee they believe,
towards thee they yearn and sigh
from their awful depth of misery;
in thee by day, in thee by night,
in thee at morn and evening
be their sure confidence.
With thee, we implore,
be that abundant mercy for which we pray;
that thou wouldst redeem them,
O Christ, from all evil,
this suppliant crowd
beseeches thee.
Let the Queen of queens,
thy Mother, intercede;
may Mary obtain
for us what we ask.
O good Jesus, King of glory,
let all thy Saints
ask pardon for them,
especially on this day.
O thou who, raised upon the cross,
didst take pity on sinners,
mercifully hear the prayers
wherewith our assembly
cries to thee.
By thee may all bonds be broken,
the gates of death destroyed,
the devils put to confusion,
and souls obtain possession
of never-ending joys.
Amen.
[1] S. Cyprian. De Mortalitate, xxvi.
[2] S. Aug. De Sermone Domini in monte, Lib. i. cap. v.
[3] Apoc. xxii. 11-13.
[4] I Cor. vii. 29-31.
[5] Apoc. xxii. 15.
[6] De Rossi. Bullet: 1879.