On the Dedication of a Church

XXVI. DEDICATIO ECCLESIAE
[English]

Jerusalem et Sion filiae,
Coetus omnis fidelis curiae,
Melos pangas jugis laetitiae,
Alleluia!
Christus enim desponsat hodie
Matrem nostram, norma justitiae,
Quam de lacu traxit miseriae,
Ecclesiam.

In Spiritus Sancti clementia,
Sponsa sponsi laetatur gratia:
A reginis, laudum cum gloria,
Felix dicta.
Dos ut datur, crescit laetitia:
Quae dos! quanta! triplex potentia,
Tangens coelum, terram et stygia
Judicia.

Mira loquar, sed sanum credere:
Foederatam tam largo munere,
De proprio produxit latere
Deus-Homo
Formaretur ut sic Ecclesia
Figuravit in pari gloria
Adae costis formata femina,
Hostis Eva.

Eva fuit noverca posteris:
Haec est mater electi generis,
Vitae portus, asylum miseris
Et tutela.
Pulchra, potens, partu mirabilis,
Ut luna, sol, fulget spectabilis,
Plus acie multo terribilis
Ordinata.

Multiplex est, singularis, una,
Generalis et individua;
Omnis aevi, sexus, simul una
Paris turmas.
Haec signata Jordanis fluctibus;
Haec quae venit a terrae finibus,
Scientiam audire cominus
Salomonis.

Haec typicis descripta sensibus,
Nuptiarum induta vestibus,
Coeli praeest hodie civibus
Christo juncta.
O solemnis festum laetitiae;
Quo unitur Christus Ecclesiae,
In quo nostrae salutis nuptiae
Celebrantur!

Coetus felix, dulce convivium,
Lapsis ubi datur solatium,
Desperatis offertur spatium
Respirandi!
Justis inde solvuntur praemia,
Angelorum novantur gaudia,
Laeta nimis quod facit gratia
Charitatis.

Ab aeterno fons sapientiae,
Intuitu solius gratiae,
Sic praevidit in rerum serie
Haec futura.
Christus ergo nos suis nuptiis,
Recreatos veris deliciis,
Interesse faciat gaudiis
Electorum! Amen.

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XXVI. ON the DEDICATION of a CHURCH
[Latin]

Jerusalem and Sion's daughters fair!
And all the faithful crowd that worship there!
That ceaseless strain of tuneful joy prepare,
"Alleluia!"
For Christ, Who doth all righteousness display,
Is to our Mother-Church espoused to-day,
That Church, whom He in love hath drawn away
From depths of woe.

Through the blest Spirit's mercy from above
The Bride rejoices in the Bridegroom's love:
Earth's queens with glorious praises doth she move
To call her blest.
'Mid greater joy still is her dowry given:
What! and how great! that threefold power, which heaven,
And earth below, and the dread judgments even
Of hell affects.

Belief is wise, though strange my tale: - that bride,
By gifts of such vast magnitude allied
To Him, was taken out of His own side
By the God-Man:
That thus the Church should form and shape receive
In equal glory, we a type believe
Was woman, formed - source of our sorrow, Eve! -
From Adam's rib.

Eve a stepmother hath been to her seed;
The Church to her elect a mother indeed,
Life's haven, an asylum in their need,
And sure defence.
She, beautiful and great, in birth divine,
Fair as the moon, clear as the sun doth shine;
More terrible than armies' serried line,
With banners dight.

Multifold is she, yet but one alone;
As all together, and each singly, known;
Of every age and sex, yet only one;
Troops she brings forth.
Jordan! thy waves a type of her appear,
And she, that from the ends of earth drew near,
That, face to face, she might the wisdom hear
Of Solomon.

She, whom these types, when understood, portray,
Robed for her marriage-feast in bright array,
Presides o'er all the heavenly host to-day,
The bride of Christ.
O holy joy's bright feast-day in the skies,
Which joins the Church with Christ in marriage-ties!
That marriage-day, whose rite mankind allies
With saving-health!

O happy gathering! O sweet feast of heaven!
When consolation to the lapsed is given,
And to the sinner, to despair now driven,
A breathing-space!
Here their rewards are to the righteous paid,
And angels' joys, renewed again, displayed;
Feast, by the grace of charity thus made
Too full of joy!

The fount of wisdom from the first hath known,
Through the clear insight given by grace alone,
As the due course of things hath onward gone,
What is to be:
Therefore may Christ, by these His marriage-rites,
Make us, refreshed thereby with true delights,
Partake those joys to which His love invites
All His elect! Amen.

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