O Gloriosa Domina / O Gloriosa Virginum

Mosaic in the Apse of the Hagia Sophia - Courtesy of Wikipedia   

O Gloriosa Domina is the second half of the hymn: Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera. It was composed by Venantius Fortunatus (c.530-c.600/609), the Bishop of Poitiers. In 1632, in accordance with revisions made to the hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to O Gloriósa Vírginum. Both versions are shown below. It is sung in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Roman Breviary. It is said that St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was always singing this hymn. His mother sang it to him as a baby, and even on his death bed after receiving Extreme Unction, he intoned the hymn.


O Gloriosa Domina

O GLORIOSA DOMINA

1. O Gloriosa domina
excelsa super sidera,
qui te creavit provide,
lactas sacrato ubere.

2. Quod Eva tristis abstulit,
tu reddis almo germine;
intrent ut astra flebiles,
sternis benigna semitam. 

3. Tu regis alti ianua
et porta lucis fulgida;
vitam datam per Virginem,
gentes redemptae, plaudite.

4. Patri sit Paraclito
tuoque Nato gloria,
qui veste te mirabili
circumdederunt gratiae. Amen.


O Gloriosa Virginum

O GLORIOSA VIRGINUM (1632 Revision)
Listen

1. O gloriósa vírginum,
sublímis inter sídera,
Qui te creávit párvulum
lacténte nutris úbere.

2. Quod Heva tristis ábstulit,
tu reddis almo gérmine,
Intrent ut astra flébiles,
caeli reclúdis cárdines. 

3. Tu Regis Alti jánua
et aula lucis fúlgida,
Vitam datam per Vírginem,
gentes redémptae pláudite.

4. Jesu Tibi sit glória,
Qui natus es de Vírgine,
Cum Patre et almo Spíritu,
in sempitérna saécula. Amen


William Byrd's 'O Gloriosa Domina' performed by Cantum Barbum

Star of Sea and Ocean / Ave Maris Stella

Painting by Filippo Lippi - Courtesy of Wikipedia

Star of Sea and Ocean is a translation by Rev. Ralph Wright O.S.B. (b.1938) of the 9th. century anonymous Latin hymn, Ave Maris Stella. Under her ancient title: Stella Maris (Star of the Sea), the Virgin Mary has been named the patroness of numerous coastal Churches, as well as missions to seafarers such as the Apostleship of the Sea. In the Divine Office (1974), Star of Sea and Ocean is sung at Evening Prayer I in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is set to the same tradition tune associated with the ancient Latin text, as featured in the following video.


Gregorian (Sung by the Daughters of St. Paul)

AVE MARIS STELLA (Public Domain)

1. Ave maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
atque semper Virgo,
felix caeli porta.

2. Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
funda nos in pace,
mutans Hevae nomen.

3. Solve vincula reis,
profer lumen caecis
mala nostra pelle,
bona cuncta posce.

4. Monstra te esse matrem:
sumat per te preces,
qui pro nobis natus,
tulit esse tuus.

5. Virgo singularis,
inter omnes mites,
nos culpis solutos,
mites fac et castos.

6. Vitam praesta puram,
iter para tutum:
ut videntes Iesum
semper collaetemur.

7. Sit laus Deo Patri,
summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto,
tribus honor unus. Amen.

Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The hymns selected for use in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary are sung on Marian Feast Days and Our Lady's optional Memorial on Saturdays. Beginning at paragraph #508, the Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the Church's teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary this way: "From among the descendants of Eve, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of his Son. 'Full of grace', Mary is 'the most excellent fruit of redemption': from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life. Mary is truly 'Mother of God' since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself. Mary 'remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin in carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin' with her whole being she is 'the handmaid of the Lord'. The Virgin Mary 'cooperated through free faith and obedience in human salvation'. She uttered her yes 'in the name of all human nature' By her obedience she became the new Eve, mother of the living."

LITURGY OF THE HOURS (1975)
73. Virgin-Born, We Bow Before You
79. Joy to You
80. O Mary, of All Women
156. Mary, Crowned with Living Light
157. Mary Immaculate, Star of the Morning
158. Holy Mary, Now We Crown You
159. Mother of Christ
160. Hail, This Festival Day
161. Rejoice, O Virgin Mary
162. Hail, Holy Queen (Deiss)
163. The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky
164. Mother of Holy Hope
165. Mary the Dawn
166. Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate
167. Queen of Heaven

DIVINE OFFICE (1974)
42. Star of Sea and Ocean
43. Maiden Yet a Mother
44. Mary Crowned with Living Light
45. Hail Queen of Heaven the Ocean Star
46. God Who Made the Earth and Sky
47. Queen on WhoseStarry Brow DothRest

ROMAN BREVIARY
O Gloriosa Domina
O Gloriosa Virginum
Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera
Quem Terra, Pontus, Sidera


Part 1 - Excerpt from The Footprints of God: Mary by Stephen K. Ray


Part 2 - Excerpt from the The Footprints of God: Mary by Stephen K. Ray 

Queen of Heaven

Queen of Heaven, Rejoice, Alleluia!

Queen of Heaven was written by Fr. Lucien Deiss C.S.Sp. (1921-2007). It was first published in 1965 as part of the collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Volume 1. He composed approximately 400 hymns for the Church. Jubilee, a 2 CD set representing the best of his work in available through WLP. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Queen of Heaven is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate / Ave Maris Stella

Mother of Our Lord and King

Praise to Mary, Heaven's Gate is a 1965 Rev. Michael M. Quinn O.P. translation of the 9th. century anonymous Latin hymn, Ave Maris Stella (see 2nd video). From earliest times it was used in the Roman Breviary at Vespers on Marian Feast Days. Fr. Quinn's text is set to the tune, Gott Sei Dank (Lubeck) by the Lutheran Pastor and Theologian, Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen (1670-1739). His Geistreiches Gesangsbuch of 1704 (also known as Freylinghausen's Songbook), in which Gott Sei Dank was first published, is considered an importatant advancement in the development and organization of hymnals. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Praise to May, Heaven's Gate is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the Feast of the Assumption.

Tune: Lubeck

AVE MARIS STELLA (Public Domain)

1. Ave maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
atque semper Virgo,
felix caeli porta.

2. Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
funda nos in pace,
mutans Hevae nomen.

3. Solve vincula reis,
profer lumen caecis
mala nostra pelle,
bona cuncta posce.

4. Monstra te esse matrem:
sumat per te preces,
qui pro nobis natus,
tulit esse tuus.

5. Virgo singularis,
inter omnes mites,
nos culpis solutos,
mites fac et castos.

6. Vitam praesta puram,
iter para tutum:
ut videntes Iesum
semper collaetemur.

7. Sit laus Deo Patri,
summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto,
tribus honor unus. Amen.

Gregorian (Sung by the Daughters of St. Paul)

Mary the Dawn

Mary the Dawn, Christ the Perfect Day

Mary the Dawn was first published in 1949 under the pen name 'Paul Cross', believed to be a pseudonym for Fr. Justin Mulcahy, C.P. (1894-1981). A Passionist Priest from the St. Paul of the Cross Province, he studied at the Pius X School of Liturgical Music in New York and eventually earned a degree in Church Music from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Vatican. The haunting melody of Mary the Dawn is an adaptation of Gregorian Mode IV. In some hymnals, the text is attributed to 'Anonymous', while others show the author as Paul Cross.  In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the Feast of the Assumption. The 1st video below features a choral version conducted by Richard Proulx from the album, Marian Classics. The 2nd video features a contemporary interpretation by the Daughters of St. Paul from their album, Stella Maris.

Mother of Holy Hope

May Every Age Call His Mother Holy and Blest

Mother of Holy Hope was written by Fr. Lucien Deiss C.S.Sp. (1921-2007). It was first published in 1965 as part of the collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Volume 1. Besides writing many hymns honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Reverend Deiss also authored the book: Mary, Daughter of Sion (Liturgical Press, 1972), which reflects upon the life of Mary as a Daughter of Abraham. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Mother of Holy Hope is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the Feast of the Assumption.

The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky / Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera / Quem Terra, Pontus, Sidera

Whose Might They Own, Whose Praise They Tell

The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky is a John Mason Neale (1818-1866) translation of the 6th century Latin in hymn, Quem Terra, Pontes, Aethera (see 2nd video) attributed to the Bishop of Tours, Venantius Fortunatus (c.530-c.600). According to changes made to the Roman Breviary in 1632, the hymn was sung on Feast Days of the Blessed Virgin Mary in two parts: the first at Matins and the other, O Gloriosa Virginum at Lauds. The God Whom Earth and Sea and Sky is set to the tune: Eisenach by the Lutheran Pastor, Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630). In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



THE GOD WHOM EARTH, AND SEA, AND SKY by John M. Neale, 1854 (Public Domain)

 1. The God Whom earth, and sea, and sky,
Adore, and laud, and magnify,
Who o’er their threefold fabric reigns,
The virgin’s spotless womb contains.

 2. The God Whose will by moon and sun
And all things in due course is done,
Is borne upon a maiden’s breast,
By fullest heavenly grace possest.

3. How blest the mother, in whose shrine
The great Artificer Divine,
Whose hand contains the earth and sky,
Vouchsafed, as in His ark, to lie!

4. Blest, in the message Gabriel brought;
Blest, by the work the Spirit wrought:
From whom the Great Desire of earth
 Took human flesh and human birth. 

5. All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, virgin-born, to Thee!
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.

Quem Terra, Pontus, Aethera: Sacred Motet by William Byrd

QUEM TERRA, PONTUS, AETHERA by Venan­ti­us For­tu­na­tus

1. Quem terra, pontus, aethera
colunt, adorant, praedicant,
trinam regentem machinam
claustrum Mariae baiulat.

2. Cui Luna, Sol, et omnia
deserviunt per tempora,
perfusa caeli gratia,
gestant Puellae viscera.

3. Beata Mater, munere,
cuius supernus Artifex,
mundum pugillo continens,
ventris sub arca clausus est.

4. Beata caeli nuntio,
fecunda Sancto Spiritu,
desideratus Gentibus,
cuius per alvum fusus est.

5. Iesu, Tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.


Quem Terra, Pontus, Sidera

QUEM TERRA, PONTUS, SIDERA (1632 Revision)

1. Quem terra, pontus, sidera
colunt, adorant, praedicant,
trinam regentem machinam
claustrum Mariae baiulat.

2. Cui Luna, Sol, et omnia
deserviunt per tempora,
perfusa caeli gratia,
gestant Puellae viscera.

3. Beata Mater, munere,
cuius supernus Artifex,
mundum pugillo continens,
ventris sub arca clausus est.

4. Beata caeli nuntio,
fecunda Sancto Spiritu,
desideratus Gentibus,
cuius per alvum fusus est.

5. Iesu, Tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen

By You the Light has Entered the World

Hail, Holy Queen was written by Fr. Lucien Deiss C.S.Sp. (1921-2007). It was first published in 1965 as part of the collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Volume 1. Besides writing many hymns honouring the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Deiss also authored the book: Joseph, Mary, Jesus (Liturgical Press, 1996) which reflects on the childhood of Jesus and the influence, both intellectually and spiritually that Joseph and Mary had in his life. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Hail, Holy Queen is used on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption; and in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mary

Rejoice, Full of Grace

Rejoice, O Virgin Mary was written by the Spiritan Priest, Fr. Lucien Deiss C.S.Sp. (1921-2007). It was first published in 1965 as part of the collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Volume 1. Fr. Deiss composed over 400 songs during his lifetime. Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Vol. 1 along with it's follow-up: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Vol. 2 (1970), in total, sold over one million copies worldwide. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Rejoice, O Virgin Mary is used on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and for the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Hail, This Festival Day

Ave Maria, the Maid Who Bore Us the Redeemer

Hail, This Festive Day is a John Dunn adaption of the 1906 Maurice Frederick Bell (1862-1947) translation of the Latin hymn: Salve, Festa Dies by the poet and priest of the Merovingian Court, Venantius Fortunatus (530-609). It remains a custom in some monasteries to go in procession through the cloister singing Salve, Festa Dies on the way to Chapel for the praying of Lauds on Easter morning. Hail, This Festive Day is sung to the original tune, Salve Festa Dies. First published in the English Hymnal of 1906 with Bell's translation, the melody was originally credited to "Anonymous", but later publications named the English composer, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) as the writer. In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.



HAIL THEE, FESTIVAL DAY by Maurice F. Bell (Public Domain)

Refrain: Hail thee, festival day!
              Blest day that art hallowed forever;
              Day wherein Christ arose,
              Breaking the kingdom of death.

1. Lo, the fair beauty of earth,
from the death of the winter arising,
every good gift of the year
now with its Master returns.

2. He who was nailed to the Cross
 is God and the Ruler of all things;
all things created on earth
worship the Maker of all.

3. God of all pity and power,
let thy word be assured to the doubted;
light on the third day returns:
rise, Son of God, from the tomb!

4. Ill doth it seem that thy limbs
 should linger in lowly dishonor;
ransom and price of the world,
veiled from the vision of men.

5. Loosen, O Lord, the enchained,
the spirits imprisoned in darkness;
rescue, recall into life those
who are rushing to death.

6. Ill it beseemeth that thou,
by whose hand all things are encompassed,
captive and bound shouldst remain,
deep in the gloom of the rock.

7. Rise now, O Lord, from the grave
and cast off the shroud that enwrapped thee;
thou art sufficient for us;
nothing without thee exists.

8. Mourning they laid thee to rest,
who art Author of life and creation;
treading the pathway of death,
life thou bestowedst on man.

9. Show us thy face once more,
that the ages may joy in thy brightness;
give us the light of day,
darkened on earth at thy death.

10. Out of the prison of death
thou art rescuing numberless captives;
freely they tread in the way
whither their Maker has gone.

11. Jesus has harrowed hell;
he had led captivity captive;
darkness and chaos and death
flee from the face of the light.

Mother of Christ

Star of the Sea, Our Beacon in Distress 

Mother of Christ was written by the Scottish Jesuit priest, theologian and hymnodist; Fr. James Quinn, S.J. (1919-2010). It was first published in 1969 as part of the collection: New Hymns for New Seasons. After Fr. Quinn lamented the fact that there were too few hymns in the vernacular to compliment the New Mass, his fellow priest in the Edinburgh parish where they served, challenged him to write some of his own. All total, Fr. Quinn would eventually write about 300 hymns, some of which have become standards. Mother of Christ is sung to the tune Farley Castle, written in 1638 by Henry Lawes (1596-1662) as a setting for Psalm 72. It can also be sung to the tune: Old 124th (see the following video). In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


ALTERNATIVE TUNE: OLD 124TH

Holy Mary, Now We Crown You

Glorious Queen

Holy Mary, Now We Crown You was first published in 1955. It was written by the Sulpician Priest, Fr. Melvin L. Farrell. He is the author of a number of books including Getting to Know the Bible: A Catholic Guide to Studying Scripture (2003). Holy Mary, Now We Crown You is set to the 1735 tune: Steiner by Johann Ludwig Steiner (1688-1761). The following video features a new musical setting by the contemporary Philippine composer and organist, Alejandro D. Consolacion II. It uses stanzas 3,4, and 5; plus the refrain. In the liturgy of the Hours, Holy Mary, Now We Crown You is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


ALTERNATE TUNE

Mary Immaculate, Star of the Morning

Mary Immaculate, Mother of God

Mary Immaculate, Star of the Morning was written by F. W. Wetherell (1829-1903), a minister of the Church of Ireland. It is set to Liebster Immanuel, a melody from the Himmels-Lust of 1679, adapted and harmonized by the German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). It can also be sung to the tune: Morning Star (see video). In the Liturgy of the Hours, Mary Immaculate, Star of the Morning is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Alternative Tune: Morning Star

MARY IMMACULATE, STAR OF THE MORNING by F. W. Wetherell (Public Domain)

1. Mary Immaculate, Star of the morning,
Chosen before the creation began,
Chosen to bring, for Thy bridal adorning,
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.

2. Here in an orbit of shadow and sadness,
Veiling Thy splendor, Thy course Thou hast run;
Now Thou art throned in All glory and gladness,
Crowned by the hand of the Savior and Son.

3. Sinners, we honor Thy sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for Thy pity we lead;
Grant us the shield of Thy Sovereign protection,
Measure Thine aid by the depth of our need.

4. Bend from Thy throne At the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which Thy footsteps have trod;
Stretch out Thine arms to us, Living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.

Mary, Crowned with Living Light

Place of Peace and Holiness

Mary, Crowned with Living Light was written by the Benedictine Nuns of the Abbey of Our Lady of Consolation, more commonly known as Stanbrook Abbey. They played an active role in the revision of the Office during the 1970's, and in particular the Hymnal Supplement for the Liturgy of the Hours which included many selections from the Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal, edited by Dame Hildelith Cumming, OSB (1909-1991). Mary, Crowned with Living Light is set to the tune Glorification from Gossner's Choralbuch, Leipzig, 1832. In the following video, an alternative tune is used. It is sung by the Cistercian Nuns of St. Mary's Abbey, Glencairn, Ire. In the Liturgy of the Hours it is used in the Commons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and on the Feast of the Assumption.


ALTERNATE TUNE

O Mary, of All Women

You Are the Chosen One

O Mary, of All Women was written by Sulpician Priest, Fr. Michael Gannon. It was first published in 1966 as part of the Peoples Mass Book, one of the earliest english-language hymnals to correspond to the liturgical reforms of Vatican II. Fr. Gannon studied at The Catholic University of America and at the Louvain from 1957 to 1958. O Mary, of All Women is set to the 17th century Flemish tune, Au Fort de ma Detresse. An alternative tune that can also be used is Aurelia, as featured in the following video. It is used in the Liturgy of the Hours on the Feast of Mary, Mother of God.


Tune: Aurelia

Joy to You

Mary, Mother of the Lord!

Joy to You was written by Fr. Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp. It was first published in 1970 as part of the collection: Biblical Hymns and Psalms, Volume II. It was also featured on a recording by Fr. Deiss called Joy to You, Mother of the Lord: 12 Songs in Honor of Our Lady. Fr. Deiss was very involved in liturgical renewal during Vatican II. His efforts to compose new hymns of devotion to Our Lady corresponded to the issuing of several important theological Papal documents following Vatican II concerning the renewal and reaffirmation of the role of Mary in the Church. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Joy to You is used on the Feast Day of Mary, the Mother of God and on the Feast of the Assumption.

Virgin-Born, We Bow Before You

Blest Was She in Her Child

Virgin-Born, We Bow Before You was written by clergyman, Reginald Heber (1783-1826). It was published posthumously after his sudden death from a stroke while serving as the Anglican Bishop of Calcutta. The suggested tune in the Divine Office is Psalm 86 by Claude Goudimel (1514-1572). A popular alternative is the tune: Mon Dieu, Prete Moi L'Oreille, as featured in the following video. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Virgin-Born, We Bow Before You is sung during Christmas, on the Feast of the Holy Family, and in the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Tune: Mon Dieu, Prete Moi L'Oreille

VIRGIN-BORN, WE BOW BEFORE THEE by Reginald Heber, 1827 (Public Domain)

Virgin-born, we bow before thee:
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.
Blessed was the breast that fed thee;
blessed was the hand that led thee;
blessed was the parent's eye
that watched thy slumbering infancy.

Blessed she by all creation,
who brought forth the world's salvation,
and blessed they, for ever blest,
who love thee most and serve thee best.
Virgin-born, we bow before thee;
blessed was the womb that bore thee;
Mary, Mother meek and mild,
blessed was she in her Child.