The Gothic Missal includes prayers for the celebration of mass on the feast day commemorating the birth of *John the Baptist (S00020). Written in Latin in Gaul, perhaps at Luxeuil for the Christian community of Autun, c. 680/710.
E08238
Liturgical texts - Sacramentaries
Late antique original manuscripts - Parchment codex
The Gothic Missal (Missale Gothicum)
MISSA IN NATIVITATE SANCTI IOHANNIS BAPTISTAE
368. Deus, qui beatum Iohannem baptistam ueritatis testimonium decorasti, da nobis, quaesomus, humilitatis eius exemplum audire, ut desiderimus intellegere quod exercuit et adeseqi toto amore quod meruit. Per Iesum Christum.
369. COLLECTIO SEQVITVR. Omnipotens sempiterne deus, qui beatissimum praecursorem tuum Iohannem baptistam ad praeparandas unigeniti tui uias nasci iussisti, praesta, quaesomus, ut intercessionis eius auxilium tribuas, ad implenda mandata praepares uoluntates. Per dominum nostrum.
370. POST NOMINA. Omnipotens sempiterne deus, qui hunc diem honorabilem nobis in beati Iohannis baptistae natiuitate fecisti insignem, quaesomus ut tuus praecursor, qui inter natos maulierum omnibus maior surrexit, nostram fragilitatem tuae pietate commendet, et caris nostris, ☩ quorum sunt nomina recitata ☩, ita refrigerium pietatis impetret, ut ibi recipiantur uel ultimi, ubi summus praemanet in regno caelorum baptista. Quod ipse.
371. COLLECTIO AD PACEM. Deus, qui praesentem diem honorabilem nobis in beati Iohannis natiuitate, da populis tuis spiritalium gratia gaudiorum, et omnium fidelium mentes dirige in uiam salutis et pacis. Per.
372. IMMOLATIO MISSAE. Vere dignum est nos tibi semper hic et ubique gratias agere, domine, sancte pater, omnipotens aeterne deus. Qui in omnium sanctorum tuorum es splendore mirabilis, qui praesentem diem honorabilem nobis in beati Iohannis natiuitate fecisti, ut gratiae tuae operante uirtute ille, quo inter natos mulierum nullus maior oriretur. Da populis tuis eruditionem spiritalium gaudiorum et omnium fidelium mentes dirige in uiam salutis et pacis, ut quem manifestauit testificatio nuntii, impleat praesentia nuntianti. Per Christum dominum nostrum. Per quem maiestatem tuam.
373. BENEDICTIO POPVLI. Deus, qui per Zacharie loquilla manifestasti natiuitate sancti Iohannis, ☩ presta, quesumus, ut qui natalicio eius deuotisseme colimus, intercessionem illius gaudiamus. ☩ Vt populus tuus, qui ad natiuitatem eius conuenerunt, saluintur meretis. Per interuentu omnium sanctorum deprecacionem illius meretis adiuuintur. ☩ Da, domine, ut illi angelus Gabriel qui Zacharie loquente obmotuit intercessor adsistat et meretis adiouintur et moribus. Illis uos.
'Mass for the Birth of John the Baptist
368. God, who adorned blessed John the Baptist with the testimony of truth, grant, so we ask, that we listen to the example of his humility, so that we desire to understand what he accomplished and to comprehend with all love what he acquired. Through Jesus Christ.
369. Collect follows. Almighty and everlasting God, who has commanded that your Forerunner John the Baptist was born to prepare the ways for your Only-begotten (cf. Luc. 1, 76; Matth. 11, 10), grant, so we ask, that you bestow the help of his intercession [and] prepare the will to fulfil [your] commands. Through our Lord.
370. After the names. Almighty and everlasting God, who through the birth of the blessed John the Baptist made this venerable day eminent for us, we ask that your Forerunner, who has arisen among the children of women as the greatest of all (Matth. 11, 11), entrusts our weakness to your love, and that he procures such consolation of love for our beloved whose names have been recited, that they may be received there, even if as the last, where the Baptist abides as the highest: in the kingdom of the heavens. May you [deign to grant...]
371. Collect at the kiss of peace. God, who through the birth of blessed John the Baptist [made] this venerable day eminent for us, give to your flock the grace of spiritual joys and guide the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace (Luc., 1, 79). Through.
372. Prayer of sacrifice. It is truly worthy that we always bring thanks to you, here and everywhere, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God. For you are wondrous in the splendour of all your saints, who through the birth of blessed John made the present day venerable for us, since he, greater than whom is no one among the children of women (Matth. 11, 11), was born through the working of the power of your grace. Give to your faithful the learning of spiritual joys and guide the hearts of all the faithful into the way of salvation and peace (Luc. 1, 79), so that he who has revealed through the testimony of the messenger fulfils [the testimony of] the messenger with his presence. Through Christ our Lord. Through whom your majesty.
373. Blessing of the people. God, who revealed the birth of Saint John through the word of Zacharias. AMEN. Grant, so we ask, that [we] who celebrate his day of birth devoutly rejoice in his intercession. AMEN. That your servants, who have gathered for the day of his birh, are saved by [his] merits, [and] are helped through the intercession of all the saints [and] through the merits of his prayer. AMEN. Grant, Lord, that the angel Gabriel, who put the speaking Zacharias to silence, assist them as intercessor, and that they are helped through [his] merits and saintly example. May he [bless] you.'
Text: Rose 2005, 491-3.
Translation: Rose 2017, 259-61.
Service for the saint
Eucharist associated with cult
Liturgical invocation
Chant and religious singing
Other liturgical acts and ceremonies
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Transmission, copying and reading saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesFamily
Relatives of the saint
Angels
Source
The Gothic Missal (Missale Gothicum) is the standard editorial name used for Vatican City, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Reg. Lat. 317, a liturgical manuscript (sacramentary) compiled in Burgundy at the turn of the eighth century. It provides an exceptionally rare witness to late antique liturgical practice in Gaul. The inclusion of an entry for the late Merovingian political martyr Leudegar of Autun (eastern Gaul) (ob. 677/9) gives both an earliest possible date for the manuscript's compilation, and, since it appears alongside an entry for the earlier Autun martyr Symphorianus, an indication of the community for which the codex might have been made. On palaeographical grounds, E.A. Lowe located the Missal's production to the scriptorium of Luxeuil (c. 130 miles northeast of Autun), at a date no later than c. 710.The full manuscript is now available to view online: https://spotlight.vatlib.it/it/latin-paleography/catalog/Reg_lat_317
Discussion
The codex as it survives includes entries for nine biblical saints and nine from the city of Rome (plus Cyprian of Carthage, commemorated with Pope Cornelius), alongside six Gallic feast days and one from Spain (Saturninus, Eulalia, Ferreolus and Ferrucio, Symphorianus, Maurice and the Theban Legion, Leudegar, and Martin). The Missal covers most feasts in roughly chronological order, beginning after Christmas with the feast of Stephen (usually 26 Dec.). The manuscript does not, however, provide any dates for the celebration of these feasts: presumably, its users would have also had a separate liturgical calendar at hand.For an overview of the contents of the Gothic Missal, see E08222.
The timing of the different feasts for John the Baptist varied among the late antique churches. The sequencing of this service for his birthday between that of Ferreolus and Ferrucio (always 16 June) and the shared feast of Peter and Paul (since ancient times 29 June) indicates that the intended date here is 24 June, i.e. the summer solstice. For full discussion see Rose 2005, 252-8.
Bibliography
Edition and study:Missale Gothicum e codice Vaticano Reginensi latino 317 editum, ed. Els Rose (Turnhout, 2005).
Translation:
The Gothic Missal, trans. Els Rose (Turnhout, 2017).
Further reading:
Lowe, E.A., Codices latini antiquiores, 11 vols (Oxford, 1937-71), i. 32.
Benjamin Savill
04/09/2022
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00020 | John the Baptist | Iohannes Baptista | Certain |
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