Ad Nonam
The Hour of Sacrifice
The office begins with a call to prayer and a hymn reflecting on the Passion of Christ.
O God, come to my help, etc. Hymn. May Christ's blessed Passion be our liberation, so that through it heavenly joys may be prepared for us. Glory to Christ the Lord, who, hanging on the cross, cried out and gave up his spirit, and saved the world that was lost.✦✦ Praise and honor to Christ, who was sold and betrayed without cause, and who suffered death for the people on the harsh cross.✦✦✦ Amen.
The Final Breath
The antiphon and scripture reading focus on the moment of Christ's death and the theological necessity of his suffering.
Antiphon. When Jesus had taken the vinegar, he said: It is finished. And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. Psalm 141.1 With my voice I cried out to the Lord; with my voice to the Lord, etc. Chapter.2 It was fitting that he, through whom all things and for whom all things were made, who had brought many sons to glory, should be made perfect as the author of their salvation through suffering.✦ R.3
The Servant's Offering
A series of versicles and responses meditate on Christ being numbered among the transgressors, followed by the Kyrie.
Thanks be to God. Versicle. He surrendered his soul to death.✦ Response. And he was counted among the criminals.✦ Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Prayer for the Hour of Death
The concluding prayer asks for Christ's mercy at the hour of our own death, mirroring his surrender on the cross.
Prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, who at the ninth hour of the day, with your hands stretched out on the cross and your head bowed, handed over your spirit to God the Father and with the key of your most worthy death unlocked paradise: grant to us, your unworthy suppliants, that in the hour of our death you would mercifully bring our souls to you, who are the true paradise.4 Who live and reign, etc.
Read the original Latin
Deus, in adiutorium meum intende etc. Hymnus. Beata Christi passio Sit nostra liberatio, Ut per hanc nobis gaudia Parata sint caelestia. Gloria Christo Domino, Qui pendens in patibulo, Clamans emisit spiritum, Mundumque salvans perditum. Laus, honor Christo vendito Et sine causa prodito, Mortem passo pro populo In aspero patibulo. Amen.
Antiph. Cum accepisset Iesus acetum, dixit: Consummatum est. Et inclinato capite, emisit spiritum. Psalmus 141. Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi, voce mea ad Dominum etc. Capitulum. Decebat eum, per quem omnia et propter quem omnia facta sunt, qui multos filios in gloriam adduxerat, auctorem salutis eorum per passionem consummari. R.
Deo gratias. V. Tradidit in mortem animam suam. R. Et cum viris sceleratis deputatus est. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Oratio. Domine Iesu Christe, qui hora diei nona, expansis in cruce manibus et inclinato capite, Deo Patri spiritum tradidisti et clave mortis tuae dignantissimae paradisum reserasti: concede nobis indignis supplicibus tuis; ut in hora mortis nostrae animas nostras ad te, qui verus paradisus es, facias misericorditer pervenire. Qui vivis et regnas etc.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.27.50;Mark.15.37;Luke.23.46;John.19.30 — Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Mark.15.37 — And Jesus, having cried out with a loud voice, breathed his last. Luke.23.46 — And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. John.19.30 — When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
- ↩John.3.16-John.3.17;Luke.19.10 — For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. John.3.17 — For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Luke.19.10 — For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
- ↩Matt.26.14-Matt.26.16;Zech.11.12 — Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests. Matt.26.15 — and he said, 'What are you willing to give me, and I will hand him over to you?' And they weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. Matt.26.16 — And from that time he sought an opportunity to betray him. Zech.11.12 — And I said to them, "If it is good in your eyes, give me my wages; but if not, let it go." So they weighed out my wages — thirty pieces of silver.
- ↩Matt.26.47-Matt.26.50;John.18.2-John.18.5 — And while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. Matt.26.48 — Now the one who was betraying him gave them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is he; seize him." Matt.26.49 — And immediately he came to Jesus and said, 'Greetings, Rabbi!' And he kissed him. Matt.26.50 — But Jesus said to him, 'Friend, for what purpose are you here?' Then they came forward, laid hands on Jesus, and arrested him. John.18.2 — Now Judas, who was betraying him, also knew the place, because Jesus had often gathered there with his disciples. John.18.3 — So Judas, having received the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons. John.18.4 — Jesus, knowing everything that was coming upon him, went out and said to them, 'Whom are you seeking?' John.18.5 — They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." He said to them, "I am he." And Judas, the one who was betraying him, was standing with them.
- ↩John.11.50-John.11.52 — You do not consider that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish. John.11.51 — Now he did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation— John.11.52 — and not for the nation only, but in order that he might also gather into one the children of God who are scattered.
- ↩Heb.2.10 — For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
- ↩Isa.53.12 — Therefore I will give him a share among the many, and he will divide spoil with the strong, because he poured out his life to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors.
- ↩Isa.53.12;Luke.22.37 — Therefore I will give him a share among the many, and he will divide spoil with the strong, because he poured out his life to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors. Luke.22.37 — For I tell you, this must be fulfilled in me: "And he was counted with the transgressors." For what is written about me is reaching its completion.
Notes
- 1 ↩Vulgate numbering: Psalm 141 corresponds to Psalm 142 in the Hebrew/modern numbering.
- 2 ↩Liturgical rubric for the short reading (capitulum / little chapter) of the hour.
- 3 ↩Liturgical response cue (Responsorium / Response), left as the standard office abbreviation.
- 4 ↩dignantissimae (modifying mortis) is taken as 'most worthy'; a rare superlative form related to dignus/dignari, not a source corruption.
Office of the Passion (Long Hours of the Passion) companion
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