Introduction
Jean Gerson (1363-1429) was a prolific and highly influential French scholar and theologian, especially while serving as the Chancellor of the illustrious University of Paris. (I previously translated a small portion of one of his sermons on St. Nicholas, under the title "False Hopes and Immortality.") Amidst his copious sermons and his harsh critiques of popular poems (notably the Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun), Gerson had a special devotion to St. Joseph. Part of this devotion included an attempt to establish a Feast of the Nuptials (or Betrothals) of Mary and Joseph. Though Gerson's attempt failed, there eventually was a Feast of the Espousals of Mary (lacking Gerson's Josephite emphasis) which enjoyed a sizable popularity, usually celebrated on January 23. For a history of the Feast and a discussion of its underlying theology, see Michael P. Foley, "The Feast of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph," New Liturgical Movement, January 21, 2021.
Given below is a translation of the office Gerson himself prepared; in the 1606 edition of his works, it is appended to a sermon for the Feast of St. Joseph. (I hope to translate and post this sermon fairly soon; unlike most of Gerson's works, it is, thankfully, short.) The order of the office says to incorporate a sequence found elsewhere in Gerson's works; I have included a translation of the full sequence here. See the footnotes for more details.
Office of the Espousals of Mary and Joseph
Jean Gerson
Introit: “Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating the feast day in honor of Joseph and Mary, in whose marriage the angels rejoice, and they together praise the son of God.”
Verse: “This is a great sacrament, but I speak of the Church and of Christ.” (Eph 5:32)
Glory etc. Glory in the highest etc.
Collect: “God, Who gave Your only-begotten to temporal parents without carnal commerce, to the just Joseph and Mary, wedded virgins, make us, we pray, through their intercession, participants in the heavenly nuptials. Through the same Lord,” etc.
Epistle: “For Sion I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem I will not be quiet, until there arises within her like splendor, and her savior is kindled like a lamp. And the nations will see your justice, and all the kings your fame. And a new name will be called to you, which the mouth of the Lord has named; and you will be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a diadem of a king in the hand of your God. You will no more be called ‘derelict,’ and your land will no more be called ‘desolate.’ But you will be called ‘my will in her,’ and your land will be inhabited, since it pleased the Lord to dwell in you. For a youth will dwell with a virgin, and your sons will dwell in you, and a husband will rejoice over his wife, and your God will rejoice over you” (Is 62:1-5).
Gradual: “You know, Lord, that I never desired man, and I preserved my soul clean from all concupiscence” (Tob 3:16).
Verse: “But I consented to receive a man because of fear of You, not because of my lust” (Tob 3:18).
Alleluia with the melody of Dulce lignum.1 “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to accept Mary your wife, for what is born in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:20)
Prose. “To Joseph was sent a messenger in dreams,” etc. is placed after the end of the sermon. “But Jacob…”, as is found before in the third part of the works of Gerson.2
To Joseph was sent a messenger in dreams;
he spoke to the just man hoping, meanwhile,
for a nod of assent: “Do not fear,
Davidic offspring, to accept a spouse;
heavenly commands wed you to this virgin.
“To you the King of Glory joins Mary;
see how grace postulates this modest
matrimony. Believe, magnanimous one.
Hear, do not hesitate; these things are too great.
How you will sing a new Epithalamion!3
“Be conscious, if you please, that she has a son;
fulfill the commands quickly while you know the mystery;
do not reveal this; arise, tell the message
to your wife straightforth: ‘For the Lord wills this:
I promptly give myself, as husband, to you, Mary.’”
Virgin, may you receive the deposit of God,
in which may you perfect the proposed vow
with the grace of offspring; I will that you announce;
the Virgin humbly, giving thanks, returns,
therefore, the wedlock is solemnly joined.
They wed with angelic choirs singing,
the parents clasp hands with sacred joy;
they chastely dance, sweetly singing;
Hymen,4 drawing them to the joy, introduces
what occurs in heaven, and they are amazed.
The Virgin, quickly visiting her kin,
asks, “Joseph, do you want me to go?” He wills, and gives equally
faithful friends; secretly Elizabeth and
the infant give applause, a kind of prophet;
then the Virgin returns, gives birth, without doubts.
In Joseph see a little decorum;
Joseph gives an eye; carry, warm, refresh.
O, such glory is set in you,
which commands heaven; He serves, He obeys,
Who tempers the world—O miracles!
Tell your Son, “Now, by body’s right,
You have Your own right, agreement through strength;
You were given to my wife, the Holy Spirit
gave Himself vicariously, making the womb
of my wife pregnant with You, voluntarily, from heaven.”
Word-begetting Virgin, Virgin, font of grace,
come to us, full of mercy for our race,
and, full of vice, we plead you, virgin,
you, famed Joseph, your Son Whom we worship,
Jesus, may He placidly arrange us in joy.
O Trinity to be venerated, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary,
whom the concord of divine charity conjoined;
the mother, virgin, gave birth in an inn,
on whose breasts Jesus sucked; Joseph rejoices in service;
here a virgin serves a virgin with humble benignity.
But to the twin virgins, full of charity,
be great praise of humility; to Joseph, but to a greater virgin,
and to the offspring of deity, there is praise in the summit;
here, the throne of humility, distinct in three grades,
and likewise grace’s gift, we now extol in praises,
that, through their prayers, it be given to follow
the life of humility and, through grace, to enjoy eternal joys;
“amen” we say to each, this sacred triple union,
singing the praises of servants to the Lord, one and three.
And it is sung with the same tune with which this prose is sung: “He did not send the virgin any messenger…”5
Gospel according to Matthew: “But Joseph, arising from sleep, did as the angel ordered him, and received his wife, and did not know her, until she bore her only-begotten Son, and she called His Name Jesus.” (Mt 1:24-25)
Offertory: “The parents of Jesus took the boy to Jerusalem, that they would place Him before the Lord, and they would offer a pair of turtle-doves or two young doves.” (cf. Lk 2:22, 24)
Another offertory: “Let each one love his wife as himself, but let the wife fear her husband.” (Eph 5:33)
Secret prayer: “We venerate that virginal marriage, Lord, in which we believe Him born Who was circumcised, and presented in the Temple, and immolated on the altar of the Cross for us, our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns, God, through all the ages of ages.”
Preface: “And on the betrothal of the blessed...”6
Communion: “His father and mother were amazed at the things which were said about Him. And Symeon blessed them, saying: ‘Now You have dismissed Your servant, Lord, according to Your word, in peace. Since my eyes have seen Your salvation.’” (cf. Lk 2:29-34).7
Another Communion: “Whom Moses wrote of in the Law and the Prophets, we have found: Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth.” (Jn 1:45)
Another Communion: “’Son, what have You thus done to us? Behold, Your father and I, sorrowing, sought You,’ and He descended with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.” (Lk 2:48, 51)
Prayer after Communion: “We give You thanks, Lord, for the virginal marriage of the just Joseph and Mary, asking that we might enjoy the blessed Fruit born in it with perpetual sweetness. He Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, through all ages of ages. Amen.”
1Dulce lignum (Sweet wood) is part of the hymn Crux fidelis (Faithful Cross), drawn from the long hymn Pange lingua (Sing, tongue) by St. Venantius Fortunatus (530-609). Crux Fidelis was traditionally sung during the Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday.
2 In the third volume of Gerson’s works (1606 edition), there is a sermon on the Nativity of Mary beginning with the words, from Matthew, “But Jacob become Joseph, the man of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, Who is called…” (128-147). Before the sermon is a sequence (127-128), modeled on that previously used for the Feast of the Annunciation (see next note). I have inserted the full text of this sequence here. Ioannis Gersonii Doctoris et Cancellarii Parisiensis Tertia pars Operum… (Paris, 1606), 127-128.
3 An epithamalion is a wedding hymn.
4 Hymen is the Greek god of marriage (later adapted by Romans): a strange pick for an Office hymn.
5 Mittit ad Virginem / Non quemvis Angelum is a sequence that was formerly used for the Feast of the Annunciation. It is often attributed to Peter Abelard (1079-1142). The sequence reads: “The lover of man did not send the virgin any angel, but His strength, the archangel. May he declare for us the strong message, may make the fore-judgment of a virgin’s birth occur in nature. // May the King of glory, born, overcome nature, may He reign and rule and remove from our midst the weight of dross. May the one mighty in battle frighten the battlements of the proud, trampling, through His force, the high necks. // May He toss outside the prince of the world and may His mother be a partaker in the Father’s empire with Him. Go, you who are sent to spread these gifts, remove the veil of the old letters by virtue of the message. // Bring your message in person; say, “Hail,” say, “Full of grace,” say, “The Lord is with you,” and say, “do not fear.” Virgin, may you receive the deposit of God, in which may you perfect the proposed chastity and keep your vow. // The maiden hears and receives the message, she believes and conceives and bears a son, but admirable, counselor of the human race, and strong God, and Father of the later age, stable in faith. // Whose stability renders us stable, lest the slippery mobility of the world keep us from being partakers with Him. But may the giver of pardon, through excessive pardon, having obtained grace through the mother of glory, dwell in us.” Gerson erroneously uses the word nuncium (“messenger” or “herald”) instead of angelum (“angel”) in his reference.
6 The Roman Canon has various Prefaces for the different major feasts of the liturgical year. The Preface for feasts of Mary was the same for each of her feasts, except for one phase that specified the feast being celebrated. Gerson here gives the replacement phrase for his feast, though there is a transposal of two words: the text reads Et in te desponsatione beatæ, but, to match the Preface, it should read Et te in desponsatione beatæ. Here is how the phrase reads in the context of the Preface: “It is truly meet and just...for us to always and everywhere give You thanks...And to praise, bless, and proclaim You on the betrothal of the blessed Mary ever-Virgin...”
7 Gerson has rearranged the order of the Scriptural text; in the text of Luke, the Nunc dimittis comes before “his father and mother were amazed,” but Gerson puts vv. 29-32 (Nunc dimittis) after vv. 33-34.
Source: Ioannis Gersonii, Doctoris et Cancellarii Parisiensis, Quarta pars Operum… (Paris, 1606), 222-223.
Translation ©2024 Brandon P. Otto. Licensed via CC BY-NC. Feel free to redistribute non-commercially, as long as credit is given to the translator.
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