Little Office of the Blessed Sacrament
Ordinary
Man hath eaten the bread of Angels, and the table of our Lord is prepared for him.
Panem Angelorum manducavit homo, et paratur ei mensa Domini.
At Matins only
O Lord, open my lips.
Domine labia mea aperies.
And my mouth will announce Thy praise.
Et os meum annuntiabit laudem tuam.
At Compline only
Convert us, O God our Saviour.
Converte nos, Deus salutaris noster.
And turn away Thy wrath from us.
Et averte iram tuam a nobis.
At all the Hours
O God, come to my aid.
Deus in adiutorium meum intende.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Domine ad adiuvandum me festina.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Alleluia.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Alleluia.
During Lent until Easter, instead of the alleluia the following is said: Praise to Thee, O Lord, King of everlasting glory.
Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.
Pange, lingua, gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.
Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.
Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.
On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.
In suprema nocte cenae
recumbens cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.
Word made Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.
Verbum caro, panem verum
verbo carnem efficit:
fitque sanguis Christi merum,
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.
Thus Angels' Bread is made
the Bread of man today:
the Living Bread from heaven
with figures dost away:
O wondrous gift indeed!
the poor and lowly may
upon their Lord and Master feed.
Panis angelicus
fit panis hominum;
dat panis caelicus
figuris terminum;
O res mirabilis:
manducat Dominum
pauper, servus et humilis.
Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.
To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honour, blessing,
might and endless majesty.
Genitori, Genitoque
laus et iubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.
Conclusion of the Hours
O how sweet, O Lord, is Thy Spirit, who, that Thou mightest show Thy sweetness towards Thy children, by most sweet bread sent from Heaven fillest the hungry with good things, send the rich away empty.
O quam suavis est Domine spiritus tuus, qui ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstrares, pane suavissimo de caelo praestito esurientes reples bonis, fastidiosos divites dimittens inanes.
Thou hast given us bread from Heaven.
Panem de caelo praestitisti eis.
Filled with all sweetness and delight.
Omne delectamentum in se habentem.
Let us pray,
O God, who under a wonderful Sacrament hast left us a memorial of Thy Passion; grant us, we beseech Thee, so to reverence the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever feel within ourselves the fruit of Thy Redemption: Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever.
Amen.
Deus, qui nobis sub Sacramento mirabili Passionis tuae memoriam reliquisti; tribue, quaesumus, ita nos Corporis et Sanguinis tui sacra mysteria venerari, ut redemptionis tuae fructum in nobis iugiter sentiamus: Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.