(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

Feast of S. Thomas Aquinas. Which makes me very happy, because Thomas is possibly my favourite theologian ever (it's him or Eckhart, but I have to admit that Thomas is probably more of an all-rounder).

O SALUTARIS Hostia
Quae caeli pandis ostium.
Bella premunt hostilia;
Da robur, fer auxilium.
Uni trinoque Domino
Sit sempiterna gloria:
Qui vitam sine termino,
Nobis donet in patria.

Amen.

O SAVING Victim opening wide
The gate of heaven to all below.
Our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.
To Thy great name be endless praise
Immortal Godhead, One in Three;
Oh, grant us endless length of days,
In our true native land with Thee.

Amen. (tr. E Caswall)

ETA Mgr Knox suggested that Aquinas invented the limerick - at least in terms of form (and allowing for the fact that you can't scan Latin quite like English):

Sit vitiorum meorum evacuatio
Concupiscentae et libidinis exterminatio,
Caritatis et patientiae,
Humilitatis et obedientiae,
Omniumque virtutum augmentatio (used as the priestly post-communion thanksgiving in the old Breviary).

Which RJ Winkler suggested translating:

Extinguish concupiscent fires,
Eliminate lustful desires;
Give patience and love,
A plenitude of
What humble obeying requires.

I admit it's not very funny, but I've always felt Edward Lear was a bit over-rated, too....

(h/t godzdogz.op.org, the blog of the English Dominican Studentate. And yes, I see what they did there).