Dies Irae
Sequence for the Requiem Mass
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Dies irae, dies illa,
Solvet saeclum in favilla:
Teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando iudex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulcra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Iudicanti responsura.
Liber scriptus proferetur,
In quo totum continetur,
Unde mundus iudicetur.
Judex ergo cum sedebit,
Quidquid latet apparebit:
Nil inultum remanebit.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
Quem patronum rogaturus?
Cum vix iustus sit securus.
Rex tremendae maiestatis,
Qui salvandos salvas gratis,
Salva me, fons pietatis.
Recordare Iesu pie,
Quod sum causa tuae viae:
Ne me perdas illa die.
Quaerens me, sedisti lassus:
Redemisti crucem passus:
Tantus labor non sit cassus.
Iuste Iudex ultionis,
Donum fac remissionis,
Ante diem rationis.
Ingemisco, tamquam reus:
Culpa rubet vultus meus:
Supplicanti parce Deus.
Qui Mariam absolvisti,
Et latronem exaudisti,
Mihi quoque spem didisti.
Preces meae non sunt dignae:
Sed tu bonus fac benigne,
Ne perenni cremer igne.
Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab haedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.
Confutatis maledictis,
Flammis acribus addictis,
Voca me cum benedictis.
Oro supplex et acclinis,
Cor contritum quasi cinis:
Gere curam mei finis.
Lacrimosa dies illa,
Qua resurget ex favilla
Judicandus homo reus:
Huic ergo parce Deus.
Pie Iesu Domine,
dona eis requiem. Amen.
This sequence (poem, song) was written sometime in the 3rd or 4th century. The Catholic Church considers this sublime chant sequence one of her greatest treasures. It is traditionally sung during a Solemn (High) Requiem Mass.
The Dies Irae is a beautiful prayer that helps us to meditate on our own death, and the Final Judgment. The Church wants us to profit spiritually by each funeral Mass we attend, by considering that we too shall die. As the saints repeated constantly, "consider thy last end, and thou shalt never sin."
None of the saints had a problem with the Church using black for the funeral Mass, nor did they have a problem with the Church's assumption that they would be in Purgatory for some time after death. As they were dying, they always requested prayers for their departed soul. They would have withdrawn in horror at the suggestion of a "Mass of the Resurrection" in white vestments -- along with a spontaneous declaration that they are in Heaven -- instead of a traditional, reverent, somber funeral Mass where everyone present prays for the departed soul.
After all, funeral Masses were somber and focused on freeing the departed soul from Purgatory, from the year 33 AD up to 1970!
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