Quinquagesima

Today, Quinguagesima, is the last Sunday in the count-down to Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

Here is the Introit of the Mass (EF)  sung by the Benedictine Nuns of Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation, Le Barroux:

Esto mihi in Deum pro­tectórem, et in locum re­fúgii, ut salvum me fácias: quóniam firmaméntum meum et refúgium meum es tu: et propter nomen tuum dux mihi eris, et enútries me. 

In te, Dómine, sperávi, non confúndar in ætérnum:  in justítia tua libera me et éripe me.

Glória Patri...

Be Thou unto me a God, a protector, and a place of re­fuge, to save me: for Thou art my strength and my refuge: and for Thy name’s sake Thou wilt lead me, and nourish me. 

In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deli­ver me in Thy justice, and save me.

Glory be to the Father...      .

Curiously, while Quinquagesima is indeed 50 days before Easter as its name would suggest, Sexagesima and Septuagesima are not 60 and 70 days before Easter.

This period of pre-Lenten preparation has been replaced in the new Calendar by a few Sundays of Ordinary Time; these are then resumed after Pentecost, as a further set of Ordinary Time Sundays.  In former times (and still, if one celebrates according to the traditional calendar) these were the Sundays after Pentecost.

In my view, that change is an impoverishment.  The seasons of the Church year used to be a constant reminder of one or other of the great mysteries of our Faith.  It seems particularly ironic that in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, when we were all supposed to be so much more aware of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church today, we should have removed the reference to the descent of the Holy Spirit in our counting of the Sundays after Pentecost, and replaced them with 'Ordinary.'

If I had my way, we'd call them Ghostly Sundays, in honour of the Holy Ghost, and because it would be such a great name!

O Oriens

Today's Great O Antiphon is O Oriens.

O Oriens,

splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Morning Star,

splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:

Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

Here is Arvo Pärt's setting:

O MorgensternO Morgenstern, Glanz des unversehrten Lichtes: Der Gerechtigkeit strahlende Sonne: o komm und erleuchte, die da sitzen in Finsternis, und im Schatten des Todes.

O Morning Star O morning star, incandescence of pure light, radiant sun of righteousness; O come and enlighten those who sit there in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Medieval Christmas Poetry (iii)

Here is another lovely medieval Christmas poem. It dates from the 13th Century; unfortunately I only have it in a translated version. Nonetheless, it is a pleasing verse: another macaronic poem, like Of on that is so fayre and bright.

Holy Mary, mother mild.

Mater salutaris

Fairest flower of any field,

Vere nuncuparis

With Jesus Christ you were with child;

You drive me from my musings wild

Potente,

Which make me go to death, I know,

Repente.

My thoughts are wild like any roe, 

Luto gratulante

They plunge me in the utmost woe,

Illaque favente.

But if the Christ from me should go,

I know my heart would break in two,

Fervore. 

By night and day I lose my way

Dolore.

Jesu, through your power and might

Omnia fecisti:

The Holy Ghost in Mary alit,

Sicut voluisti.

Since we call him Lord Almighty,

Jesu, bring my thought to Christ

Constanter,

That it shall stay, not go astray

Fraudanter.

Jesus Christ, so high aloft,
Digno tu scadente;
Heaven and earth below you wrought
Victore triumphante;
With your body mankind you bought:
His soul at any cost you sought,
Nec dare,
And gave the blood that was so good
Tam gnare.

Sweetest Lady, flower of all,

Vere consolatrix,

Be my helper lest I fall, 

Cunctis reparatrix.

Gentlest Queen of chosen sway,

Be before me night and day

Precantis!

Give me grace to see the face

Infantis!

That through your sweetest prayers I may,

Tutrix orphanorum,

Leave this world's vexatious way,

Solamen miserorum;

And to you, Lady, may I take

My sins and them thereby foresake

Volente,

And so not miss your heavenly bliss: 

Poscente.

(Trans: Brian Stone)

From the Penguin Medieval Verse - which is well worth buying!

Medieval Christmas Poetry (ii)

My favourite medieval poem for Christmas is this Hymn to the Virgin. The trick of inserting rhyming Latin into rhyming English, whilst making the meaning quite clear, really appeals to me.

This is from about 1300.

Of on that is so fayr and bright
Velut maris stella
Brighter than the day is light
Parens et puella
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia,
That ic mote come to thee,
Maria.

Al this world was for-lore,
Eva peccatrice
Tyl our Lord was y-bore
De te genetrice
With ave it went away
Thuster nyth and comes the day
Salutis
The well springeth ut of the
Virtutis

Levedy, flour of alle thing
Rosa sine spina
Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,
Gratia divina
Of alle thu ber'st the pris,
Levedy, quene of paradys
Electa
Mayde milde, moder es
Effecta.


Well he knows he is your Son,
Ventre quem portasti
Your prayers to him he will not shun,
Parvem quem lactasti.
So kindly and so good he is
That he has brought us all to bliss
Superni
And shut for ever the foul abyss
Inferni.

What do you mean, it is not obvious?  OK, here are some clues:

on - one; levedy - lady; thuster - dark; pris - prize.

Velut maris stella - like the star of the sea
Parens et puella - mother and maiden
Eva peccatrice - by Eve's sinVentre quem portasti - whom you bore in your womb
Parvem quem lactasti - the little one whom you suckled

Ask in the comms box if anything else needs elucidating (and correct all my errors…)

For historic reasons (see last December's posts) the last verse is translated by Brian Stone, unlike the others, (I've forgotten my source for them).

This has been set to music often, with varying success… A quick visit to Youtube will give several examples.

Here is Benjamin Britten's:

Happy New Year!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent: the start of the Church's year.

We have the whole family here this weekend, to celebrate Anna's (Mrs T's) birthday. So I am not going to spend much time writing new posts. Instead, here is a re-cycled post from previous years, slightly adapted.

Whilst the experts on the Pray,Tell blog are quick to proclaim that Advent is not a time of penance, I demur.   

Having discussed this over a few years with my friend the Part Time Pilgrim, we have made some progress.  After a bit of to and fro, he explained that his concern with my position is that Advent should not be seen as the same as Lent.  I agree: the two are different.  Advent is a time of joyous preparation for the coming of Our Lord (memories of his first coming, and looking forward to his second, of course). But both of these considerations naturally lead us to listen to the words of St John the Baptist: Repent!

We think it important to keep our Advent Celebrations quite distinct from our Christmas Celebrations - though they are related, they are two different seasons of the Church's cycle, with different themes and moods.

So as ever, we will celebrate Advent by saying our prayers around the Advent Wreath, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel and having a reading as we add another character to our Jesse Tree. We will also say the wonderful collect from the traditional Roman rite of the Mass:

Arise in thy strength we beseech thee O Lord and come; from the dangers which threaten us because of our sins, be thy presence our sure defence, be thy deliverance our safety for ever more. 

For those who love Latin, or those who fondly remember my introduction to Liturgical Latin, here is the collect in Latin. too:

Excita, quǽsumus, Dómine, poténtiam tuam, et veni: ut ab imminéntibus peccatórum nostrórum perículis, te mereámur protegénte éripi, te liberánte salvári.

The Marian Antiphon changes today from the Salve Regina to the Alma Redemptoris Mater, which we will sing until the Feast of the Purification (February 2nd).

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Alma redemptoris mater, 

quae pervia caeli porta manes,

et stella maris succurre cadenti

surgere qui curat populo.  

Tu quae genuisti, 

natura mirante, 

tuum sanctum Genitorem.  

Virgo prius, ac posterius, 

Gabrielis ab ore, 

summens illud ave, 

peccatorum miserere.

Mother of the Redeemer, who art ever of heaven

The open gate, and the star of the sea, aid a fallen people, 

Which is trying to rise again; thou who didst give birth, 

While Nature marveled how, to thy Holy Creator, 

Virgin both before and after, from Gabriel's mouth 

Accepting the All hail, be merciful towards sinners.

(Translated by Blessed John Henry Newman)

(For those who prefer a more contemporary sound, try The Dogma Dogs: It's Lent - but note that this is not for Liturgical Use!)

So today we will be out in the rain, collecting holly for the wreath, up in the attic looking for the advent calendars, Jesse Tree book etc, and I will be singing the Alma Redemptoris throughout the day...

Anna's Jesse Tree blog, means that Ant, when she and her husband,  return home, and Bernie, when she goes back to her flat in Manchester, and Charlie, when he returns to University, can all be with us spiritually at the end of each day as we recall Salvation History.  

New LMS Mass Booklet

I recently received my latest copy of Mass of Ages, the Latin Mass Society Magazine, and along with it a new Mass Booklet, compiled by Joseph Shaw.

It is excellent. Its cover page accurately sums up the contents: The Ordinary Prayers of the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form, or Vetus Ordo), Benediction, Angelus and other prayers and devotions.

The layout is clear, in the traditional manner, with the Latin text on the left hand page, and an English translation (a traditional one, with thee and thou etc) on the opposite page. There are explanatory notes in the margins. I rather like: Commonly used postures for the Faithful: Kneel when the server kneels. For traditionally, the Faithful were not told how they had to pray the Mass: there was licence for many different ways, allowing for the Catholicity of the Church. It is a recent (post-Vatican II) innovation to require us to behave and pray in the way Bugnini and his confrères thought we should. But I digress.

As I was saying, there are explanatory notes in the margins, and also line drawings (by Steffano Mazzeo) showing the posture of priest (and server where appropriate) at different points in the Mass. One of the wonderful things about the traditional rite is that one can follow what is happening with one's eyes, even if one cannot hear (or understand) the Latin. So this is a very practical, useful and educative aid. My children certainly found this helpful in their children's missals as they were learning the Mass, as did I.

This booklet is particularly helpful in a few other ways. One is that it has the local prayers after Mass: the Prayer for the Sovereign (Domine salvam fac) along with the music and accompanying collect. It also has the prayers for England, Scotland and Wales (the latter in Welsh with an English translation) in the appropriate place in Benediction. As well as various other prayers (Prayers after Communion, the Angelus, etc) there is a section on Chants for the Mass. This contains the Asperges, and Vidi Aquam, and then (interestingly) Masses XI (Orbis Factor) and XVII, and Credo I. There are also the four Marian antiphons (simple tones) and the Litany of Loreto.

It is well-produced, on good paper, and runs to 72 pages. It is available from the LMS, for a very reasonable £3.75 (plus postage).

The Bishop in Black

I was trying to remember the last time I saw a bishop vested in black: I am not sure I ever have, before yesterday.

At +Campbell's arrival in the Church, before Mass, we sang Ecce sacerdos magnus; and continued with the Christus vincit as he prayed before the Blessed Sacrament, and then proceeded to the Sanctuary and vested for Mass.

The Mass was a Requiem for Remembrance Day; a Low Mass in the traditional Roman rite, and the bishop said his Latin very well, which was impressive. He also preached well - off-the-cuff, I was told. He took the Lesson from Maccabees as his theme, and stressed the importance of the traditional practice of offering sacrifice for the dead, including the supreme, unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass.

At the Offertory, we sang a responsory from the Matins for the Dead: Credo quod Redemptor meus vivit. This was where the limitations of a two-man Schola started to show, as my voice was giving way (I have a lingering cold...). However, we got away with it.

Mass proceeded largely in silence, with Fr Millar as MC assisting the bishop (and carrying his candle - again something I have not seen for a long time).

At Holy Communion we sang (or to be more accurate, Jonathan sang, with occasional support and some croaks from me) O Sacrum Convivium, and then Adoro te devote.  After Mass, we sang the solemn Salve Regina, and then a vernacular hymn: Help Lord the souls that thou hast made.

After Mass, the bishop greeted people as they left, so we were able to kiss his ring and thank him for his support. He said a few kind words about the singing (very kind, in the circumstances) saying that the chant had taken him back 50 years. 

So remember him in your prayers: a sacerdos magnus indeed!

Our Progressive Bishop

I mentioned recently that our Bishop,  the Right Reverend Michael Campbell, OSA, is to celebrate Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form on November 8th, for Remembrance Sunday, for the souls of the War Dead. (6.00pm at Our Lady and St Joseph's,  Carlisle).

I learned yesterday that this is not the first public Mass in the Extraordinary Form that our Bishop will have celebrated.

Apparently, he was taught to say the traditional Mass by the priests of the Institute of Christ the King, and said two low Masses at their seminary.

He also confirmed candidates at the iconic St Walburge's Church in Preston (which he has has entrusted to the Institute) and immediately afterwards, celebrated a low Mass there.

Indeed, I have been told that one of the reasons he wishes to say Mass at OLSJ, as well as demonstrating his support for the traditional rite there, is that he wants to keep practicing, so as to ensure he does not forget how to celebrate the Usus Antiquior.

So he is truly a progressive bishop: progressing more deeply into the life of the Church. For we cannot forget or abandon our past and remain true to the traditions that have been handed on to us.  Those who label themselves as progressive (or are seen as such by the popular mind) would be hard put to answer to what they are progressing. But our Bishop makes good progress: keep him in your prayers.

Resurrexit, sicut dixit: Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Today is the day of the new creation: all is made new in Christ.

And we sing with joy to His Blessed Mother, given to us as our Mother from the Cross: for the next forty days, instead of the Angelus, which honours the Incarnation, we will sing and pray the Regina Caeli, celebrating the Resurrection.

The Regina Caeli: first the Gregorian Chant, then the arrangement by Gregor Aichinger.

Regina caeli
V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia: 
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, Alleluia,  
Has risen as He said, Alleluia. 
Pray for us to God, Alleluia. 
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia. 
For the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia. 

Let us pray: O God, who gave joy to the whole world by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of eternal life.  Through the same Christ our Lord.   Amen.  

For those who pray #twitterangelus, the Regina Caeli in tweetable format is here.

Christ makes all things new, and the joy of the reality of Easter far outweighs any problems in the Church or beyond.

More EF Masses at Warwick Bridge

I have just learned of some more Masses in the Traditional Roman Rite planed for the beautiful church of Our Lady and St Wilfrid, Warwick Bridge.

Most exciting is a Mass on Saturday 31st May.  That is the feast day of St Petronilla, an early Roman Martyr, whose relics are under the altar at the Church.

For that reason, there will be a High Mass, sung in the presence of our Bishop, +Michael Campbell. The Ordinary will be Victoria's Missa O Quam Gloriosum Est (with the motet of that name sung at the Communion).  The proper will be sung as plainchant.

The bishop will be arriving at 9.45 (greeted by a polyphonic Ecce sacerdos) and the Mass will start at 10.00.  It promises to be a magnificent occasion, so if you are in the North West, (or even North East or Scottish borders) put the date in your diary.

There are also Sunday Masses planned for 25th May at 6pm and 29th June (SS Peter and Paul) at 6pm. These will probably be Missae Cantatae, with chant throughout.

The Church, as I have mentioned before (with a picture), is a real gem, and perfectly suited to the Traditional Mass, having been designed by Pugin, and kept intact (including Rood Screen, etc).

Resurrexit sicut dixit: Alleluia!

Happy Easter!

Today is the day of the new creation: all is made new in Christ.

And we sing with joy to His Blessed Mother, given to us as our Mother from the Cross: for the next forty days, instead of the Angelus, which honours the Incarnation, we will sing and pray the Regina Caeli, celebrating the Resurrection.

The Regina Caeli: first the Gregorian Chant, then the arrangement by Gregor Aichinger.

Regina caeli
V. Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia.
R. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
V. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
R. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus. Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia: 
For He whom thou didst merit to bear, Alleluia,  
Has risen as He said, Alleluia. 
Pray for us to God, Alleluia. 
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, Alleluia. 
For the Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia. 

Let us pray: O God, who gave joy to the whole world by the Resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of eternal life.  Through the same Christ our Lord.   Amen.  

For those who pray #twitterangelus, the Regina Caeli in tweetable format is here.

Christ makes all things new, and the joy of the reality of Easter far outweighs any problems in the Church or beyond.

Ant and her fiancé made this Easter Garden:

You can't see from this angle, but the stones contain a tomb, with the rock rolled away, revealing the empty interior.

Please pray for the conversion of Ant's fiancé and for all blessings on their marriage this summer.

And my fritillaries are out, to make my joy complete! Not quite up to the display in Addison's walk, but fond memories, and beautiful flowers. (Just found this: especially last three photos...)

May all my readers have a very happy and blessed Eastertide.

Easter Sunday EF Masses in Lancs Diocese

I realise that I had forgotten to post this month's EF Mass details to the blog.  The Masses for Passion Sunday are in the past now, but the Easter ones may be of interest to local readers:

Sunday April 20^th at 6.00 pm

Easter Sunday

Our Lady & St Wilfrid,Warwick Bridge, Carlisle

Saturday April 26^th at 10.00 am

Easter Saturday

Our Lady & St Wilfrid,Warwick Bridge, Carlisle

Mass is also celebrated every Sunday at 9.00 am

at St Mary Magdalene, Leyland Road, Penwortham.

Local Representatives: Bob & Jane Latin

Telephone: 01524 412987

Email: lancasterlms@gmail.com

Website: latinmasslancaster.blogspot.com

It is worth saying that Our Lady and St Wilfrid, Warwick Bridge is a gem of a Church: designed by Pugin, and still with its rood screen in place, it is a lovely setting for the traditional Mass: and it has a very flattering acoustic (Easter Sunday's Mass will be sung; the one the following Saturday is likely to be a Low Mass).

Prayers while vesting for Mass

I have just been re-reading the prayers that used to be said by the priest while vesting for Mass.  

They speak beautifully of the significance of the liturgical vestments.

I do wonder how many priests retain any of these prayers - or indeed any sense that the vestments have any real meaning.

I found these here, which is another site with the complete texts of the Mass: it opens to today's Mass every time you visit, which is helpful; and it has Masses for all weekdays and feasts (I understand: I haven't checked).


CUM SACERDOS INDUITUR 

Cum lavat manus: 
Da, Dómine, virtútem mánibus meis ad abstergéndam omnem máculam; ut sine pollutióne mentis et córporis váleam tibi servíre.

Ad Amictum:
Impóne, Dómine, cápiti meo gáleam salútis, ad expugnándos diabólicos incúrsus.

Ad Albam: 
Deálba me, Dómine, et munda cor meum; ut, in Sánguine Agni dealbátus, gáudiis pérfruar sempitérnis.

Ad Cingulum: 
Præcínge me, Dómine, cíngulo puritátis, et exstíngue in lumbis meis humórem libídinis; ut máneat in me virtus continéntiæ et castitátis.

Ad Manipulum: 
Mérear, Dómine, portáre manípulum fletus et dolóris; ut cum exsultatióne recípiam mercédem labóris.

Ad Stolam:
Redde mihi, Dómine, stolam immortalitátis, quam pérdidi in prævaricatióne primi paréntis: et, quamvis indígnus accédo ad tuum sacrum mystérium, mérear tamen gáudium sempitérnum.

Ad Casulam: 
Dómine, qui dixísti: Jugum meum suáve est et onus meum leve: fac, ut istud portáre sic váleam, quod cónsequar tuam grátiam. Amen.

PRAYERS WHILE VESTMENTS ARE TAKEN

While he washes his hands:
Give strength to my hands, Lord, to wipe away all stain, so that I may be able to serve Thee in purity of mind and body.

For the amice:
Lord, set the helmet of salvation on my head to fend off all the assaults of the devil.

For the alb:
Purify me, Lord, and cleanse my heart so that, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, I may enjoy eternal bliss.

For the cincture:
Lord, gird me with the cincture of purity and extinguish my fleshly desires, that the virtue of continence and chastity may abide within me.

For the maniple:
Lord, may I worthily bear the maniple of tears and sorrow so as to receive the reward of my labour with rejoicing.

For the stole:
Lord, restore the stole of immortality, which I lost through the collusion of our first parents, and, unworthy as I am to approach Thy sacred mysteries, may I yet gain eternal joy.

For the chasuble:
O Lord, Who hast said, "My yoke is sweet and My burden light," grant that I may so carry it as to merit Thy grace. Amen.

Remember, Man, that thou art dust...

Memento homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.

Remember man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.


Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent in the Western Church.  We are called to repent of our sins and believe the Gospel, to dedicate ourselves anew to prayer and works of charity, and to restrain our misguided subjection to our passions (the result of Original Sin) by mortification and good deeds.

Humility and obedience are little valued by the World, which teaches self-esteem and autonomy as the highest human values.  We are called to be a sign of contradiction.

The ashes which we receive are a sign of this (note that we receive them humbly, not take them...)  Here is one of the prayers over the ashes from the Extraordinary Form of the Mass:

Almighty and everlasting God, spare the penitent sinner, have pity on thy suppliant people, and in loving kindness, send down from heaven thy holy Angel to bless and sanctify these ashes.  Thus hallowed, may they be a saving remedy to all who, humbly calling upon thy holy name, reproach themselves with the sins of which their conscience accuses them, and who, grieving over their evil deeds, make pitiful recourse to thee for mercy and pardon.  Grant, in fine, that they over whom, in token of sorrow for their sin, these ashes are sprinkled, may be blessed by thee with lasting well-being of soul and body.  Through Christ our Lord.

And here is the Lenten Hymn: Attende Domine (English translation below the Latin text)

(NB: The Marian Antiphon for the season, of course, is the Ave Regina Caelorum.)

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Ad te Rex summe,

omnium Redemptor,

oculos nostros

sublevamus flentes:

exaudi, Christe,

supplicantum preces.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Dextera Patris,

lapis angularis,

via salutis,

ianua caelestis,

ablue nostri

maculas delicti.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Rogamus, Deus,

tuam maiestatem:

auribus sacris

gemitus exaudi:

crimina nostra

placidus indulge.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Tibi fatemur

crimina admissa:

contrito corde

pandimus occulta:

tua, Redemptor,

pietas ignoscat.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Innocens captus,

nec repugnans ductus;

testibus falsis

pro impiis damnatus

quos redemisti,

tu conserva, Christe.

Attende Domine, et miserere, quia peccavimus tibi.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.
Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

To Thee, highest King,
Redeemer of all,
do we lift up our eyes
in weeping:
Hear, O Christ, the prayers
of your servants.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

Right hand of the Father,
corner-stone, 
way of salvation,
gate of heaven,
wash away our 
stains of sin.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

We beseech Thee, God,
in Thy great majesty:
Hear our groans
with Thy holy ears:
calmly forgive
our crimes.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

To Thee we confess
our sins admitted
with a contrite heart
We reveal the things hidden:
By Thy kindness, O Redeemer,
overlook them.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

The Innocent, seized,
not refusing to be led;
condemned by false witnesses
because of impious men
O Christ, keep safe those
whom Thou hast redeemed.

Hear us, O Lord, and have mercy, because we have sinned against Thee.

On a lighter note, though still on track with the season, there's always the Dogma Dogs: Lent, Lent, time to repent!