October 28: Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Today, sing the hymns for Apostles and Evangelists.

Here are the mass chants for this feast, Ss. Simonis et Iudæ, Apostolorum, at the website of the Benedictines of Brazil.

Here is the gradual, "Constitues eos (mp3)"; here's the chant score:





That comes from Psalm 45, verses 17 - 18: "Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children : whom thou mayest make princes in all lands. I will remember thy Name from one generation to another : therefore shall the people give thanks unto thee, world without end."

The Introit, Iudicant sancti gentes, seems to be taken from Wisdom 3:8: "They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the LORD shall be their King forever." Here's the image of an illuminated manuscript; the last words on the page are Iudicant sancti gentes; the image comes from this interesting site, the Medieval Manuscripts section of "The Free Library of Philadelphia":





The Hebrew Bible reading for the day is from Deuteronomy 32:1-4:

Moses recited the words of this song:

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;
let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
May my teaching drop like the rain,
my speech condense like the dew;
like gentle rain on grass,
like showers on new growth.
For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;
ascribe greatness to our God!
The Rock, his work is perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without deceit,
just and upright is he.

Here's a gorgeous icon of these two (relatively unknown) Apostles: