| The first line of the penultimate stanza of the hymn, "Verbum supernum
prodiens", composed by St. Thomas Aquinas for the Hour of Lauds in the Office
of the Feast of Corpus Christi. This stanza and the final stanza, or doxology
(Uni trinoque domino), have been selected to form a separate hymn for Benediction
of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Usually, and most appropriately, it is begun
either when the door of the tabernacle is opened or when the monstrance
is being placed on the throne of exposition. In England the singing of the
"O Salutaris" is enjoined in the "Ritus servandus", the code of procedure
approved by a former synod of the Province of Westminster.But the use of
the hymn, not being prescribed in the rubrics, is not of universal obligation.
It is, however, very generally used, although any other appropriate text
is permissible, such as the "Adoro Te devote", the "Pange, lingua", the
antiphon "O sacrum convivium" etc. While it is not forbidden to sing vernacular
hymns at Benediction the "O Salutaris", being a liturgical text, cannot
be sung in the vernacular (S.R.C., 27, Feb., 1882, Leavenworth. Cf. "Am.
Eccl., Rev.", April, 1895, 341). The hymn is often chosen as a motet for
solemn Mass, and may thus be used after the proper Offertory for the day
has been sung or recited. An indefensible, but, fortunately, very rare,
custom, perhaps inaugurated by Pierre de la Rue, the profound contrapuntal
composer of the fifteenth century, was that of replacing the "Benedictus"
at Mass by the "O Salutaris". Gounod imitated his example in his first "Mass
of the Orpheonistes", but in his second mass of that name gives both the
"Benedictus" and the "O Salutaris", as Rossini in his posthumous "Messe
Solennelle" and Prince Poniatowski in his "Mass in F". The plain-song melody
in the eighth mode is beautiful, and forms the theme of de la Rue's musical
tour de force in the Mass of that title. The modern settings have been very
numerous, although not always serviceable, inasmuch as many are too theatrical
for church use; others are entirely for solo use, and still others probably
violate the prescription of the Motu Proprio of 22 November, 1903, requiring
that in hymns the traditional form be preserved. There are about twenty-five
poetical versions of the hymn in English |