Since I’ve been trying in some small way to be on retreat here at the hermitage (though with innumerable distractions), I’ve been letting readers suggest posts for the blog, at least by way of comments, etc. Some of my recent entries have been pretty intense. I guess that was spurred on by a particularly vicious troll who had gone into total attack mode. Today, something very wonderful. A wonderful supporter of the hermitage and of this hermit send in the words “sub tuum praesidium” with no further comment. I love it! Let me explain…
“Sub tuum praesidium” (Under your protection) is the title of the most ancient hymn to the glorious, Immaculate Virgin Mother of God. In the video above, we hear the monks of Silos and see the words and chant notation in the Liber Usualis. Freak alert: This hymn, at least in its notation, is hated by chant purists. Whatever. I love it do death. I had this chant introduced to the Fathers of Mercy “tradition” when I was but a lowly novice back in the day. The Fathers of Mercy had always recited an English version of the Sub tuum after all liturgical actions. I fought for decades about the translation they used — We fly to your patronage… — saying that this hymn is not about the fatherliness of the Theotokos, but rather and very specifically her maternal protection. Just the other year, they updated their translation to read — We fly to your protection — taking a hint from the Latin version of this hymn.
I’d like to go one step further. Let’s take a look at the Greek version!
Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν – Under your good-heartedness… — which needs to be explained as to why this would be used with the Virgin Mother of God way, way, way back in the day, when Greek was much closer to Koine, New Testament Greek, and understood for what it was.
In the Gospels, there is a word used for our Lord’s mercy for us, which is only used with Him, no one else; only He has a particular kind of mercy, that of sacrificing His Heart for us. This is found, for instance, upon the return of the prodigal son, when the father, it is translated poorly, has compassion for his son, or that he is moved with mercy for his son. The mercy bit is misericordia, which is getting closer, for that misericordia refers to the misery of heart that one suffers as one takes on the need of the other as one’s own need so as to fulfill that need as if it were one’s own need. There is no idiot “transference” here. In the mystical body of Christ, we all carry each other’s burderns by way of our Lord’s mercy. Back to His unique mercy…
In the Gospels, the word used for the Lord’s mercy is a passive verb — ἐσπλαγχνίσθη — His Heart was sacrificed… Yikes! Yes, Jesus’ Heart was uniquely sacrificed for us. And… and… the Immaculate Heart of His Mother was also pierced with a sword of sorrow as none of our hearts could ever be, for she had a clear vision in her immaculateness of the goodness of her Son, and therefore also saw all the hell vomited upon Him with incisive clarity. What sorrow! What intercession for us! What mercy! What a sacrificing of her heart for us… The Greek used for “protection” refers instead to a goodheartedness which in turn refers to just how good a Heart our Lord had, sacrificed for us, and therefore just how good a heart His Mother had, also sacrificed for us.
I love this hymn to the Mother of God even more!
The usual image that is used with this hymn is that of the Virgin spreading out her mantel to protect those who fly to her for protection. I’ve used the image of our Lady of Guadalupe here, since under her mantel, her extended veil, her cloak, she protects the unborn Jesus in her womb as a sign of her protection for the untold numbers of children who were being sacrificed in Mexico at the time. And are we not her children as well?
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
How we benefit from the innumerable distractions! With thanks for another great meditation.
Dear Fr. Byres I totally agree with ah1228 your distractions are our blessings! Thank you for another wonderful thought provoking posting. I’ve been offline for the most part of two months now due to my own illness [2 heart attacks] and my darling mother’s illness and death (RIP). Hopefully I’ll get to read and meditate on all your past posts in my inbox! In the meantime, I continue to offer a decade of my Rosary for you each time I recite it. May God Bless you and continue to inspire your writing. An extra Prayer for you…Hail Mary…
Oh my… xynth! My condolances for your mother’s death. I hope you are stabilized with the heart condition. Yikes! Thank you so much for the prayers amidst all the suffering, prayer which is surely front and center before the throne of God. You have my prayers and blessings. Get better!
Wonderful Father.
May Our Lady protect us all in this battle between good and evil.
No matter how fierce the devil‘s attack may be one thing is sure Truth always triumph because God is the Truth.
A very edifying post. Thank you Father for the nice explanations.
My condolences to our friend xynth over the loss. May the soul of our departed mother rest in peace. Prayers for the healing of xynth.
If I may make two suggestions for blog topics then:
Really thorough and rigorous examinations of conscience.
Battle plan for parish evangelization.
Thanks for all you do Father, be assured of my prayers!!
Hello Sean,
Click on the category “Confession” over on the sidebar, which probably doesn’t appear if you’re using email readers, etc.
The battle plan for parish evangelization is always abundant opportunity for confession preached up by all the priests who let is be known how much they themselves love the sacrament, the friendship and reverence for Jesus which they gain there being super evident with the respect with which they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
Other than that, get out of the way, and watch Jesus be the Priest He is among us, fully cooperating with Him. He will show you exactly what needs to the be done.
To be open to seeing what Jesus is showing you, get rid of any pre-concieved plans. Every parish is different. However:
Don’t let the Catholic parochial school present mishmash anti-Catholic rubbish. Make sure the preparation for the reception of the sacraments is spectacular, etc.
Look, it’s all very simple. Bishop what’s his name? who was second in charge after Saint Jose Maria Escriva for the Opus Dei crowd was asked by a huge gathering of youth just what needs to be done to get young people lost to sex and drugs and unreality all of a sudden interested in the Church again.
Without any hesitation he answered that priests are to celebrate Mass with great respect and exactitude. The young people will flock to Mass. And he’s right. Spot on.
Thank you so very much, Father Byers, sorry for misspelling your name last time!
Thanks, Father, for this exegetical explanation of the “Sub tuum praesidium” I have been using this Marian antiphon at Compline’s conclusion since I discovered it in when I took up praying the LH in Latin a little over 4 years ago. I found the related Greek word in my interlinear NT in Luke 1:78 (part of the Benedictus), I transliterate it here to splagkna and it is associated with next the word “eleous” and in Latin in the Vulgate is translated to “viscera misercordiae” and in English is translated to either “tender mercy” or “tender compassion”. Latin and English have not quite gotten across what’s really there have they?
This idea of “good-heartedness says a lot. One might say the first words of the Sub tuum could be loosely translated as “Under your heart we take refuge” – and what is under the Lady’s heart? Her virginal womb – which in an understood sense – is the place where all the sons and daughters of Father are born through Baptism.