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The Abbey of La Trinité in Vendôme, France and the Cult of the Holy Tear: An Exploration of a Multi-Sensory Devotional Experience

Seeing

Seeing the stone taken from the tomb, Mary ran and came to Simeon Peter and to the other disciples and said to them let's take the Lord to the grave.

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Celebrating Lazarus in the Liturgy Lazarus of Bethany, the friend and follower of Christ, was the recipient of the last miracle Christ performed before the passion. According to medieval tradition, Lazarus and his sister Mary Magdalene were put to sea and miraculously landed at Sainte-Maries, near the city of Marseille, where Lazarus became the city's first bishop and was later martyred in the second half of the first century. His cult following grew around Gaul, and his relics were venerated in Autun, Vézelay, and Vendôme. In the Roman calendar, the feast day of Lazarus is celebrated on December 17. The Lazarus story from John, chapter 11, was read on the Saturday before Passion Sunday (fifth Sunday of Lent). In Vendôme, however, the calendar's from the abbey, Lazarus's feast day is listed on September 19. In a breviary manuscript (BMV 17), the feast day is marked in cappis to designate the special vestments the monks wore to commemorate this special feast day. The liturgy at Vendôme was particularly rich, as the sixteenth-century antiphonary, from which the office below is derived, contains over forty chants and responses. A twelfth-century antiphonary from Marseille (BnF ms. lat. 1090) contains forty-four chants. This signals how important Lazarus was to the liturgical life at La Trinité.

THE OFFICE OF LAZARUS, BISHOP AND MARTYR
Bibliothèque municipale de Vendôme, MS 270 Antiphonarium, 16th C

Chants transcribed and sung by Jonathan Bading
Office translations by Jonathan Bading and Anne Heath

*Indicates the note is a sound recording

f. 205r De sancto lazaro episcopo et martyre.
Ad vesperas
Capitulum
Beatus vir qui suffert
Responsum
Videns
quere in festo marie madgalene.
Hymnus
Deus tuorum
Versus
Magna e(st).
Antiphona
O quam venerandus* es egregie dilecte dei lazare in terris quondam languidus nunc arcepoli inclitus roga pro nobis dominum qui te dilexit plurimum ut qui te iam fetidum suscitavit a tumulo nos purget delictorum a scalore nimio protegat nos benignus ab inferti fetidiis quibus te revocavit Christus dei filius.

Seculorum amen.
Psalmum
Magnus
Oratio
Deus qui per unigenitum filium tuum dominum nostrum ihm xpi beatum lazarum quatriduanu(m) mortuum resuscitasti a monumento. erige non de tumulis peccatorum. ut mereamur adipisci consortium electorum tuorum. Per euide(m).
Ad Matutinas
Invitatorium
Adoremus* Christum qui per assumptam humanitatem elevit lazarum. Et per divinitatis po(205v)tenciam reduxit eum ad lucis regnum.
Psalmum
Venite exulte
Hymnus
Martyr dei qui unicum
In primo nocturno
Antiphona
Erat quidam languens* lazarus a bethania de castello marie et marthe sororis eius. Seculorum amen.

Psalmi ut de communi unus martyris.
Antiphona
Maria erat* que unxit dominum unguento et excersit pedes eius capillis suis cuius frater lazarus infirmabatur. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Miserunt ergo* sorores eius ad eum dicentes domine ecce quem amas infirmatur. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Audiens autem* Ihesus dixit illi infirmitas hec non est ad mortem sed pro gloria dei ut glorificetur filius dei per eum. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Diligebat autem* ihesus martham et soro(206r)em eius mariam et lazarum. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Ut autem audivit* quia infirmabatur tunc quidem mansit in eodem loco duobus diebus. Seculorum amen.
Hymnus
Gloria et honore
Responsum
Dixit martha* ad ihesum domine si fuisset hic frater meus non fuisset mortuus. Sed nunc scio quia quocumque poposceris adeo dabit tibi deus.

Versus
Ego credidi quia tu es Christus filius dei vivi qui in hunc mundum venisti. Sed.

Responsum
Lazarus amicus noster* (206v) dormit sed vado ut a somno exsuscitem eum Dixerunt ergo ei discipuli eius domine si dormit salvus erit.
Versus
Dixerat ihesus de morte eius illi autem putaverunt quia de dormitione somni direret. Dixerunt
Responsum
Iste cognovit iusticiam
Require in commun (unius martyris)
Responsum
Lugens pie defunctum fratrem suum lazarum maria magdalene dixit ad ihesum Domine si fuisses hic non esset mortuus lazarus frater meus.
Versus
Videns namque ihesum procidit ad pedes eius et flebili voce ait. Domine (207r) Gloria patre et filio et spiritu sancto

In secundo nocturno
Antiphona
Martha autem* ut audivit quia ihesus venit occurrit illi maria autem domi sedebat. Seculorum amen

Antiphona
Dixit martha* ad ihesum domine si fuisses hic frater meus lazarus non fuisset mortuus. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Dixit dominus* ihesus ego sum resurrectio et vita qui credit in me etiam si mortuus fuerit vivet omnis qui vivit et credit in me non morietur in eternum. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Letabitur iustus
Antiphona
Beatus quem
Antiphona
Iustus ut palma
Versus
Posuisti Domine
Responsum
Ihesus ergo* ut vidit mariam plorantem (207v) et iudeos qui venerant cum ea plorantes infremuit spiritu et turbavit semetipsum et dixit ubi posuistis eum. Dicunt ei domine veni et vide.

Versus
Quidam autem ex ipsis dixerunt non potuit hic qui apervit oculos ceci facere ut et hic non moreretur.
Responsum
Dicunt
Responsum
Fremens ergo* rursum Iheus in semetipsum venit ad momumentum erat autem spelunca et lapis superpositus erat ei. Et dixit ihesus tollite lapidem. (208r)
Versus
Dixit ei martha soros eius qui mortuus fuerat domine iam fecet quatrituanus enim est et dixit.

Responsum
Beatus vir qui suffert
Require in communi
Responsum
Elevatis Ihesus* sursum oculis dixit gratias ago tibi pater quoniam audisti me ego autem sciebam quia semper me audis.

Versus
Et cum hec dixisset voce magna clamavit lazare veni foras et ait. Gratias.

Ad canticum
Antiphona
Regnat Christus potens* insuperis dominator in inferis magnus et mirabilis resuscitator lazari redemptor omnis seculi quem (208v) decet laus et gloria per infinita secula. Seculorum amen
Psalmi
Beatus vir qui in sapientia

Versus
Iustus ut palma
Responsum
Venit ergo* turba multa ad Ihesum et non propter eum tantum sed ut lazarum viderent quem suscitavit a mortuis. Quia multi propter ullum abibant ex iudeis et credebant in Ihesum.

Versus
Cogitaverunt autem principes iudeorum ut lazarum interficerent. Quia.
Responsum
O beate lazare* presul egregie martir eximie felix domini dilectione veniam peccaminum. Nobis ab eo dignanter (209r) impetra ut digni efficiamur perpete gloria amen.
Versus
Quam felix mors tua atque preciosa perquam multi fruimur eterna cum Christo vita. Nobis.
Responsum
Posuisti Domine
Require in communi.
Responsum
Tibi Christe gloria per cuncta secula qui prothoplasti scelere mundum fetentem quadriformis delicti pernicie per lazari mistica et sororis eius marie sacramenta. Fracto alabasteo tui preciosi corporis replesti virtuum fragrantissimis unguentis.
Versus
Rogamus te domine ut ab omni hoste nos defendas ubique qui famulum tuum lazarum (209v) a cavernis inferni dignatus es revocare. Fracto Gloria.
Evangelarium
Erat quidam languens lazarus

In laudibus
Antiphona
Lazarus amicus* noster dormit eamus ut a sompno excitemus eum. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Domine si hic fuisses* lazarus non esset mortuus ecce iam feret quatriduanus in monumento. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Dixit dominus Ihesus* manifeste lazarus mortuus est et gaudeo propter vos ut credatis quia non eram ibi sed eamus ad eum. Seculorum amen

Antiphona
Multi autem ex iudeis* venerunt ad martham et mariam ut consolarentur eas de fratre suo. Seculorum amen
Antiphona
Ad monumentum (210r) lazari clamabat dominus dicens lazare veni foras. Seculorum amen
Pslami
Beatus vir qui suffret.
Versus
Magna est gloria
Ad Benedictus
Antiphona
Videns dominus* flentes sorores larzari ad monumentum lacrimatus est coram iudeis et clamabat lazare veni foras et prodiit ligatus manibus et pedibus institis et ait dominus Ihesus discipulis suis solvite eum et sinite abire. Seculorum amen
Psalmi
Benedictus
Oratio
Deus qui per unigentum
Ut supra in primis verbis

Ad Invitatiorum
Antiphona
Lazarus
Ad Tercia
Antiphona
Domine
Capitulum
Beatus vir qui inventus est
Versus
Posuisti domine super caput eius

Oratio
Infirmitatem nostram respice omnipotens deus: et quia pondus propriae actionis gravat beati lazari martiris tui atque pontificis interecessio gloriosa nos protegat. Per Dominum Nostrum.
Ad Nona
Antiphona
Ad monumentum* lazari clamabat dominus dicens lazare veni foras.
Capitulum
Potuit enim transgredi
Versu
Justus ut palma florebit.
Oratio
Deus qui ecclesiam tuam meritis et orationibus preciosissimi martiris tui atque pontificis lazari mirifico splendore clarificas. Concede propicuis: ut qui memoria illuis veneramur in terris intercessorem apud te mereamur habere in celis. Per Dominum Nostrum.
Ad Vesperas
Antiphona de Natali Domini
Erat quidam
Psalmi
Dixit dominum
Antiphona
Maria erat
Psalmi
Beatus vir qui timet
Antiphona
Miserunt ergo
Psalmi
Laudate pueri
Antiphona
Audiens autem
Psalmi
Credidi (210v)
Capitulum
Beatus vir qui suffert
Responsum
Posuisti domine
Hymnus
Deus tuorum militum
Versus
Magna eius gloria
Ad Magnificat
Antiphona
Maria ergo cum venisset* ubi erat Ihesus cecidit ad pedes eius et dixit ei domine si fuisses hic non esset mortuus frater meus

Oratio
Deus qui per unigenitum. Seculorum amen
Psalmi
Magnificat

Concerning saint Lazarus bishop and martyr
At vespers
Chapter reading
Blessed is he who endures
Response
Seeing
As in the feast of Mary Magdalene
Hymn
O God thy
Versicle
Great is
Antiphon
How venerable are you, Lazarus, exceedingly loved by God, once in earth languishing, now in an illustrious casket; pray for us to the Lord, who most delights in you, that he who awoke you already rotting in the tomb, may cleanse us for our many fetid failures, lovingly defending us from the infernal chasm from which Christ, the son of God, reclaimed you. Unto the ages of ages.
Psalm
Great
Prayer
O God who through your only begotten son our Lord Jesus Christ revived the blessed Lazarus, dead for four days, from the sepulcher. Raise us from the tomb of sins so that we may be worthy to attain the community of the elect. Through our Lord.

At Matins
Invitoria
Let us adore Christ who assuming humanity wept for Lazarus and who by the power of his divinity brought him back to the kingdom of light.
Psalm
Come let us praise
Hymnus
Martyr of God who strength
In the first nocturn
Antiphon
Now there was a certain man sick named Lazarus of Bethania of the town of Mary and of Martha her sister. Unto the ages of ages.
Psalm as in the communion of one martyr
Antiphon
Mary was she who annointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
His sisters therefore sent him, saying Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
And Jesus hearing it said to them this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the son of God may be glorified by it.  Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and Lazarus. Unto the ages of ages.

Antiphon
When he heard therefore that he was sick he still remained in the same place two days.  Unto the ages of ages.
Hymn
Glory and honor
Response
Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died. But now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it to thee.
Versus
I have believed that thou art Christ, son of the living God, who art come into this world.
Response
Lazarus our friend sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep. His disciples therefore said, Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well.
Versus
Jesus spoke of his death and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep.
His disciples said
Response
He recognized righteousness
Look in the common of one martyr

Response
Piously weeping over her dead brother, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene said to Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been there my brother had not died.
Verse
For seeing Jesus, she prostrated herself at his feet and with tearful voice said Lord glory be to the father and son and holy spirit.
In the second nocturn
Antiphon
Martha therefore as soon as she heard that Jesus had come, when to meet him, but Mary sat at home. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother Lazarus had not died. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
The Lord Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live and everyone that liveth and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
The Just shall rejoice
Antiphon
Blessed is he who has chosen
Antiphon
The Just shall flourish
Verse
Thou has set on his head
Response
Jesus, therefore, when he saw her weeping and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, groaned in the spirit, and troubled himself, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
Verse
But some of them said, "Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind have cause that this man not die?"
Response
They said
Response
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the sepulchre. Now it was a cave, and a stone was laid over it. And Jesus sayeth, "Take away the stone."
Verse
Martha the sister of him that was dead, saith to him, "Lord by this time he stinketh for he is now dead four days. And Jesus said.
Response
Blessed is he who endureth
Look in the common of one martyr
Responsum
And Jesus lifting up his eyes said, "Father, I give thee thanks that thou has heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always.
Verse
And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus come forth."
At the Canticle
Antiphona
Christ reigns powerfully above, ruler below, great and wonderful the awakener of Lazarus. Redeemer of all the world, who are worthy of praise and glory. Unto the ages of ages.
Psalmi
Blessed is the man who continue in wisdom
Verse
The just shall flourish
Response
A great multitude therefore came to Jesus, not for his sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. Because many of the Jews, by reason of him, went away, and believed in Jesus.
Verse
But the Jewish leaders thought to kill Lazarus also.
Response
O beate lazare presul egregie martir eximie felix domini dilectione veniam peccaminum. Nobis ab eo dignanter (209r) impetra ut digni efficiamur perpete gloria amen.
Verse
Quam felix mors tua atque preciosa perquam multi fruimur eterna cum Christo vita. Nobis.
Response
Lord for thou
Look in the common of one martyr
Response
Tibi Christe gloria per cuncta secula qui prothoplasti scelere mundum fetentem quadriformis delicti pernicie per lazari mistica et sororis eius marie sacramenta. Fracto alabasteo tui preciosi corporis replesti virtuum fragrantissimis unguentis.
Verse
Rogamus te domine ut ab omni hoste nos defendas ubique qui famulum tuum lazarum (209v) a cavernis inferni dignatus es revocare. Fracto Gloria.
Gospel reading
Now there was a certain man sick, named Lazarus
In Lauds
Antiphon
Lazarus our friend sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.

Antiphon
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Behold, he has been four days in the tomb. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there, that you may believe: but let us go to him. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Unto the ages of ages.
Antiphon
At the tomb of Lazarus, our Lord cried with a loud voice, Lazarus come forth. Unto the ages of ages
Pslam
Blessed is he who endureth.
Verse
Great is his glory
At the Benediction
Antiphon
The Lord, seeing the weeping sisters of Lazarus, wept before the Jews, and cried out Lazarus come forth, and (he) came forth bound hands and feet with winding cloth, and the Lord said to his disciples, "loose him and let him go."
Psalm
Blessed be
Prayer
Deus qui per unigentum
As in above at first verspers

At the invitiatory
Antiphon
Lazarus
In Terce
Antiphon
Lord
A chapter
Blessed is the rich man
Verse
The Lord hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
Prayer
Infirmitatem nostram respice omnipotens deus: t quia pondus propriae actionis gravat beati lazari martiris tui atque pontificis interecessio gloriosa nos protegat. Per Dominum Nostrum.
At Nones
Antiphon
At the grave of Lazarus the Lord cried out saying Lazarus come out. Unto the ages of ages.
A chapter
He that could have transgressed
Verse
The just shall flourish
Prayer
Deus qui ecclesiam tuam meritis et orationibus preciosissimi martiris tui atque pontificis lazari mirifico splendore clarificas. Concede propicuis: ut qui memoria illuis veneramur in terris intercessorem apud te mereamur habere in celis. Per Dominum Nostrum.
At Vespers
Antiphon from the Lord's Nativity
There was a
Psalm
The Lord said to my Lord
Antiphon
And Mary was she
Psalm
Blessed is the man that feareth
Antiphon
His sisters therefore sent to him
Psalm
Praise the Lord, ye Children
Antiphon
And hearing it
Psalm
I have believed
A Chapter
Blessed is the man the endureth
Response
For thou has prevented him
Hymn
O God they soldiers'
Verse
His glory is great
At the Magnificat
Antiphon
When Mary therefore, was come where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet, and saith to him; Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Prayer
Deus qui per unigenitum. Seculorum amen
Psalm
Magnificat