St. Thomas Aquinas And Corpus Christi

[Perigrina]

Here is a good article about the role of St. Thomas: http://catholicexchange.com/corpus-christi-our-debt-to-st-thomas-aquinas

(See article for English translations.)

 

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote the liturgy for Corpus Christi when Pope Urban IV added the Solemnity to the universal Church’s liturgical calendar in 1264. He provided a great sequence, one of the great poems chanted or recited before the proclamation of the Gospel. At one time the Church had many sequences for different feasts and Masses (including the Dies Irae in the Requiem Mass), but now we have only three: Victimae Paschali Laudes (Christians, To the Paschal Victim) for Easter Sunday; Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit) for Pentecost, and Lauda Sion Salvatorem (Sion, Lift Up thy Voice and Sing), for Corpus Christi:

 

http://youtu.be/qjyFJBABHFw

 

This sequence urges us not only to praise God, but to do it well, with hymns and chants expressing joy and festivity.

St. Thomas also wrote a hymn for Vespers: Pange Lingua (Sing, tongue, the mystery of the glorious Body), from which we have the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling) verses sung at Benediction.

http://youtu.be/QmW5pD9Qdvc

There's more ...

[Perigrina]

(part II)

His hymn for Matins, Sacris Solemniis (Sacred Solemnity), includes the great Panis Angelicus (Bread of Angels) meditation best known in the setting by Cesar Franck:

http://youtu.be/PK3TeWqSAZk

From the third hymn, for Lauds, Verbum Supernum Prodiens (Word Descending from Above), we take the other Benediction hymn, O Salutaris Hostia (O Saving Victim)

http://youtu.be/rgpOgDLXXp4

and more ...

[Perigrina]

Finally, St. Thomas Aquinas wrote a hymn of Eucharistic thanksgiving,Adore Te Devote (Devoutly I Adore Thee), 

http://youtu.be/WMK5MnZaoks