Saturday, April 9, 2011

PRACTICE NOW THE VIDI AQUAM




During Easter season, at a Sung Mass, we sing the Vidi Aquam instead of the usual Asperges Me. Since it is sung fewer times in the year, we need to familiarize ourselves with it.   We will sing it at least once in the coming Easter season.

Here is the Latin text :

Vidi aquam / egredientem de templo / a latere dextro : alleluia!
Et omnes ad quos pervenit / aqua ista / salvi facti sunt /
et dicent : alleluia!


Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus / quoniam in saecula misericordia eius.


Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto / sicut erat in principio / et nunc et semper / et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

The English translation :

I saw water coming forth from the temple on the right side : alleluia!
And all those to whom this water came / were saved and shall say : alleluia!


Give praise to the Lord for He is good / for His mercy endureth forever.


Glory be to the Father...

THE MEANING

When our Lord was hanging on the cross, a soldier thrust his lance into the Lord's side and out flowed blood and water, representing the sacraments of the Church which give us grace and life.

Christ is the true temple, seen in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel as quoted in the Vidi Aquam. Ezekiel saw the temple, and, from the right, flowed water which turned into a river that gave birth to all kinds of vegetative and animal life. This vision was prophetic and symbolic of the life-giving sacraments, coming forth from the pierced side of the crucified Jesus, the true temple.

See Ezekiel, chapter 47, verses 1 and 9.

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