Mass readings in Scots: Feast of SS Peter and Paul, Apostles

First reading
Acts 12: 1-11

It wis about this time at King Herod yokit tae misgydin some members o the Kirk. He begoud bi causin heid Jeames the brither o John; an syne, seein the Jews weill pleised wi his wark, he gaed on tae hae Peter arreistit, tae, an pitten in jyle under the chairge o fowr gairds o fowr sodgers the píece. This wis durin the Feast o Barmless Breid; efter the Passowre he ettelt tae bring him out afore the fowk. Sae Peter lay in jyle stricklie gairdit, but aa the time the Kirk wis prayin an better prayin tae God for him.

The nicht afore Herod wis tae bring him furth, Peter wis sleepin cheyned tae twa sodgers, an gairdswis keepin watch afore the door, whan aa o a suddentie an angel o the Lord wis staundin there, an a licht shíned i the príson. He waukent Peter wi a pap on the airm an said til him, " Heast ye, get up"; an the cheyns fell aff his shackles. Syne the angel said til him, "Pit on your belt an your shaes." He did sae, an then the angel said, "Cast your coat about your shuithers, an fallow me." Sae he gaed out an fallowt him, no kennin it wis rael an true, but thinkin he wis seein a vísion. Whan they hed passed first ae gaird, an syne anither, an cam tae the airn yett at led intil the toun, it apent o itsel, an they gaed out an alang a street, at the end o whilk the angel quat him.

Whan Peter wis himsel again, he said, "Atweill, I ken nou at the Lord hes cleikit me out o Herod's clauchts an saufed me frae the faa at the Jewish fowk wis ettlin for me!"

[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33: 2-9 (resp. v.8)

[The angel o the Laird hauds sauf thaim that fears him.]

A will sain the Laird at aw times;
his ruise will aye be in ma mou.
Ma saul will say great things o the Laird:
the puir in speerit will ken o't an be gled.

[The angel o the Laird hauds sauf thaim that fears him.]

O ruise the Laird wi me;
lat us be witnesses thegither o his great name.
A socht the Laird, an he taen tent tae ma vyce
an free'd me frae aw ma fears.

[The angel o the Laird hauds sauf thaim that fears him.]

Lat yer een turn tae him, an ye will hae licht,
an yer faces winna be shamed.
This puir man's cry come afore the Laird,
an he gien him salvation frae aw his tribbles.

[The angel o the Laird hauds sauf thaim that fears him.]

The angel o the Laird aye wauks ower thaim that fears him
for tae haud thaim sauf.
By experience ye will see that the Laird is guid;
blythe is the man that haes faith in him.

[The angel o the Laird hauds sauf thaim that fears him.]

[From Psalm 34 in The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 3, The Books of Wisdom, [Job, Psaums, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sang o Sangs] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-006-7. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.]


Second reading
2 Timothy 4: 5-8, 17-18

As for me, e hinmaist draps o life are bein poored oot for God, ma ein is near at han. A've fochten a gweed fecht, run e coorse. A wis set an kept e faith. Fit's afore ma is a croon o richteousness att God e True Jeedge will gie on att Day - an nae jist tae me, bit tae aa them faiv set their herts on him appearin.

Neeneless e Lord steed up for ma an gied ma e strinth tae proclaim his message att aa Gintiles mith hear, an A wis rescyeed fae e moo o e lion. A'm seer e Lord will rescyee ma fae aa ill an keep ma fae hairm till A win till his hivvenly keengdom. Glory tae him for ivver an ivver.

[From The Doric New Testament (2012), rendered in Doric by Gordon M. Hay, published by G. M. Hay, Longside, ISBN 978-0-9573515-0-9, author's website http://www.doricbible.com/, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here. ]

Gospel reading
Matthew 16: 13-19

Whan Jesus cam’ intil the coasts o' Cesarea Philippi, he spier’t at his disciples, sayin’, "Wha do men say that I the Son o’ man am?" An’ they said, "Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, an’ ithers Jeremias, or ane o' the prophets." He saith until them, "But wha say ye that I am?" An’ Simon Peter answer’t an’ said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son o’ the livin’ God." An’ Jesus answer’t an’ said until him, "Blesset art thou, Simon-Barjona: for flesh an’ bluid haena shawed this until thee, but my Father wha is in heaven. An’ I say alsua until thee, That thou art Peter; an’ upon this rock I will big my kirk; an’ the yetts o’ hell sallna prevail agayne it. An’ I will gie until thee the keys o’ the kingdom o’ heaven; an’ whatsaever thou sallt bin’ on yirth sall be bund in heaven, an’ whatsaever thou sallt lowse on yirth sall be lowset in heaven."

(From The Gospel of St. Matthew, Translated Into Lowland Scotch, by George Henderson (1862) here)

Manent Mercredi #11: more on Manent from the Liberty Law Forum

Further to my last Manent Mercredi, more from Paul Seaton at the Liberty Law Forum:

If I had to venture a French thinker who has significantly influenced Manent’s thinking about the nation, I would propose Charles Péguy (1874-1914). Among other things, Péguy introduced the concept of “communion,” which has a spiritual dimension lacking in the Greek koinōnía, and his writings helped Manent see how the nation synthesizes the temporal (past, present, and future) and historical phases of a people’s existence. There are some beautiful passages in this vein in the book I translated, Democracy without Nations?

[...]

In Manent’s view, oft repeated, the post-Maastricht EU has been constructed in the light of an Idea of Humanity as already (or virtually) united, with no significant collective differences.What is normative is the autonomous individual and harmonious Humanity. As a result, all other human groupings lose normative status, especially nations and religious communions, and are seen as threats, or as material to be remade along ideological lines. Moreover, this view of integrated Humanity is enforced. Rigorously. 

More here.

Seaton discusses a number of alternative 'takes' on Manent which are linked to in his article and are worth pursuing. My tuppenceworth (admittedly a tyro's tuppenceworth offered in the spirit of one who is interested but does not know) is that I find in Manent a number of themes from Leo Strauss which I find helpful: in particular, the 'political' as a sphere of human practice irreducible to philosophy or religion, but which maintains a creative tension with them, and the importance of engaging with classical thought as a root to the perennial problems of politics. In addition, however, Manent has a greater focus on the potential of modernity, coupled with an interest in two contemporary concrete issues: the EU and the place of Islam in Europe. (I found Aurelian Craiutu's essay helpful here.)

Mass readings in Scots: Twelfth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

First reading
Jeremiah 20: 10-13

"For numbers o thaim say evil secretly i ma hearin,
'There is fear on ivery side!'
They say, 'Come, let us give witness against him!'
Aw ma nearest friends,
wha are watchin for ma fall, say,
'It may be that he will be taken bi deceit,
an we will get the better o him an give him punishment!'
But the Lord is wi me as a great ane, greatly tae be feared:
sae ma attackers will have a fall, an they will no overcome me:
they will be greatly shamed, because they have no done wisely,
e'en wi an unendin shame, kept i memory for iver.
 But, o Lord o Armies, testin the upricht
an seein the thouchts an the heart,
let me see yer punishment come on thaim;
for A have put ma cause before ye.
Make melody tae the Lord,
give praise tae the Lord:
for he has made the soul o the poor man free
from the hands o the evil-doers."

[Own translation, level 1 (19/06/20). See here for details of methodology.]

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 68: 8-10, 14, 17, 33-5 (resp. v.14)

O God, i' the feck o' yer gudeness, hearken me hame.

For, for thee I hae tholed the scorn;
schame, it has happit my face:
Frem hae I been till my brether;
no-kent till my ain mither's sons.
For the kiaugh o' yer houss, it has glaum'd me up;
an' the jeers o' wha gibet yersel, they een cam a' down on me.

O God, i' the feck o' yer gudeness, hearken me hame.

Bot me, O Lord, my bidden's
yer ain i' the likely time:
O God, i' the feck o' yer gudeness, hearken me hame;
i' the trewth o' heal-ha'din that's thine.
Hearken me, Lord, for yer gudeness is gude;
i' the rowth o' yer pitie, leuk owre till me.

O God, i' the feck o' yer gudeness, hearken me hame.

A' lown-livin folk, they sal see; wha spier ay for God, sal be blythe,
an' the hearts o' ye a' sal thrive.
For the Lord he sal hearken the puir;
an' his folk in sic thrall, he sal ne'er mislippen.
Lilt till him syne sal the lift an' the lan';
the fludes, an' ilk haet that gangs wurblin thro' them.

O God, i' the feck o' yer gudeness, hearken me hame.

[From Psalm 69, in The Psalms: frae Hebrew intil Scottis P. Hately Waddell (1891) here]


Second reading
Romans 5: 12-15

Sin intilt the warld throu ae man, an at Sin's back cam Deith, an sae Deith wan throu til aa men, because ane an aa they sinned. Nae dout but there wis sin i the warld afore there wis law, but whaur nae law is, there downa be nae imputin o sin. For aa that, Deith ringed as a kíng aa the time frae Aidam tae Moses een owre them at their sins wisna, like Aidam's, contraventions o law or commaunds. Sae Aidam is a paittren o him at wis tae come.

But there is an unco odds atween the transgression an the free gift. Deith wis brocht on the haill o mankind bi the transgression o the ae man, but a fell hanter gryter is the guid at the haill o mankind hes gotten frae the grace o God an the gift at cam bi the grace o the man Jesus Christ.


[From The New Testament in Scots (2012), translated by W. L. Lorimer, Canongate Classics, ISBN 978 0 85786 285 3, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]


Gospel reading
Matthew 10:26-33

[Thir twal Jesus sent oot, and chairged them, sayin,]

“Be-na fley’t at them than; for thar is naething cover’t that sanna be uncover’t ; and hid, that sanna be kent. What I tell ye i’ the mirk, tell ye oot i’ the licht ; and what ye hear whush’t i’ the lug, proclaim ye on the hoose-taps!

"And dreid-na them wha slay the body, but canna slay the saul! but raither dreid ye him wha is able to wreck saul and body in hell! Arena twa sparrows gaun for a bodle? And ane frae mang them fa’s-na on the grund withoot yere Faither! But the vera hairs o’ yere heid are a’ coontit. Dinna be dowie, than: ye are better nor mony sparrows!

"Whasae sal own me afore men, him sal I own afore my Faither wha is in Heeven. But whasae disowns me afore men, him sal I disown afore my Faither wha is in Heeven."

(From The New Testament in Braid Scots William Wye Smith (1904) here)

Manent Mercredi #10: on the nation

From the Law and Liberty website, a good essay by Guillaume de Thieulloy on Manent's thought, focusing especially on his views on the nation state and on his (comparative) neglect in France:

Accurate glosses of other thinkers and charming writing are the main assets of the writings of my former teacher. Nor is this by chance—for Manent rightly thinks of himself as an heir, as we all are. We received our forma mentis from our ancestors and especially from the classics. Manent, in his latest book (Beyond Radical Secularism), proffered the classic authors as an access point for young French people (including those whose parents were not culturally French) to a shared vision of the world and of the human being. The appeal he made in this 2016 book was very powerful and striking. Unfortunately, the education system in our country worked, and still works, toward the creation of a “new human being,” after the revolutionary tabula rasa. If we are seeking the common good, we need a common language and some common heroes, common legends, and common history. So, the French rulers who pretend to promote the ethic of “vivre-ensemble” (living together)—especially with those who have immigrated into France—while at the same time abandoning education in the classics are deceiving the rest of us, or themselves.

Manent’s public profile is now that of a promoter of the European nation-state—or perhaps more precisely, a defender of that nation-state which is being so harshly attacked by European “elites.” That defense includes, of course, the American “daughter” of the European nation-state. It also includes, in some aspects, the Jewish mother of the European nation-state, which has been for so many centuries a nation without a state. He’s indeed one of the rare influential writers who doesn’t seem to think that “progress” implies the vanishing of this very specific “political form.”

See more here. (The earlier essay by Paul Seaton referred to by de Thieulloy is also worth reading and can be found here.)

Mass readings in Scots: Corpus Christi (Sunday after Trinity Sunday) (Year A)

First reading
Deuteronomy 8: 2-3, 14-16

[Moses said tae the people:] 'An mynd the wey that the Laird yer God haes taen ye throu the wilderness thir fowerty year, sae that he coud lay law yer pride an sey ye tae see whit wis in yer hert an gin ye wad haud his orders or no. An he laid law yer pride an lat ye be 'ithoot meat an gien ye manna for yer meat, a thing new tae ye, that yer faithers niver seen; sae that he coud mak it clear tae ye that breid isna man's ae want, but his life is in ilka wird that comes oot the mou o the Laird.

'Mynd that yer herts isna liftit up in pride, giein nae thocht tae the Laird yer God that taen ye oot the laund o Egypt, oot the preeson hoose; that wis yer guide throu that muckle an ill-kyndit waste, whaur the war pushion snakes an scorpions an a drouthy laund 'ithoot watter; that gart watter come oot the haurd stane for ye; that gien ye manna for yer meat in the wilderness, a meat that yer faithers haed niver seen.'

[From The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 1, The Pentateuch, [Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Nummers, Deuteronomy] trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-005-0. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.]


Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147: 12-15, 19-20 (resp: v.12)

R: Prayse the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Prayse the Lord, O Jerusalem;
prayse thy God, O Zion:
For he heth strencthenet the bars o' thy yettes;
he heth blisset thy childer wuthin thee.

R: Prayse the Lord, O Jerusalem!

He mak's peece in thy boordirs,
an' fills thee wi' the fyneist o' the wheet.
He sen's furth his commandement apon yirth;
his wurd rins verra swuftlie.

R: Prayse the Lord, O Jerusalem!

He shaws his wurd untill Jacob,
his staatutes an' his juudgemints til Israel.
He hæsna deelt sae wi' onie ither natione;
an' as for his juudgemints, thaye haena kennet thame.

 R: Prayse the Lord, O Jerusalem!


[From Psalm 147, The Book of Psalms in Lowland Scots Henry Scott Riddell (1857) here]


Second reading
1 Corinthians 10: 16-17

Is wir communion caup, nae e communion o e bleed o Christ? Is e loaf we brakk nae e communion o e body o Christ? Tho we be mony, we're the ae loaf, an the ae body, cause we aa share e same loaf.

[From The Doric New Testament (2012), rendered in Doric by Gordon M. Hay, published by G. M. Hay, Longside, ISBN 978-0-9573515-0-9, author's website http://www.doricbible.com/, Amazon UK here, Amazon US here.]



Gospel reading:
John 6:51-58

"The Leevin Breid that cam
doon frae Heeven is mysel;
gin ony man eat this Breid, he leeves for Aye:
and the breid I sal gie
is my flesh, that I wull gie for the warld’s life.”

But the Jews had an unco bruilzie anent it, amang theirsels, and cry’t oot, "Hoo can this man gie us his flesh to eat?” Than quo’ Jesus to them,

"Truly, truly say I t’ye,
Gin ye eatna the flesh o’ the Son o’ Man,
and drink his blude,
thar is nae Life in ye!
Wha eats my flesh, and drinks my blude,
wins Life Eternal;
and him wull I raise again at the Last Day.
For my flesh is vera meat,
and my blude is vera drink.
And wha eats my flesh and drinks my blude,
bides in me,
and I in him.
E’en as the Evir-leevin Faither sends me,
and I leeve by him,
sae he wha eats o’ me, sal e’en leeve by me!
This is e’en the Breid that cam doon frae Heeven;
no like as yere forebears wha did eat manna,
and dee’t:
wha eats o’ this Breid leeves for aye!”


(From The New Testament in Braid Scots (1904) by William Wye Smith here)

Weekly posting of Sunday Mass readings in Scots

 



 

For a while now, I've been posting complete readings in Scots for Sunday Mass derived from a variety of sources on a monthly basis. (You'll find an apologia for this undertaking in the blogpost linked to in that sentence.)

 

From this Sunday (Corpus Christi in Scotland) I shall also be posting on a weekly basis the Sunday Gospel reading in Scots whilst continuing to post, at least once in the month, the complete readings for a Sunday Mass (ie (normally) the Old Testament reading, the Responsorial Psalm, the Epistle and the Gospel reading). I'm doing this mostly because I think there's something to be said for the regularity of such an approach. It will also allow the Catholic Church in Scotland to make the (no doubt unworthy!) boast of being the only Church to be providing such regular weekly resources in Scots. (I'm happy to be corrected on this. Resources on a less than weekly basis may be found on the Centre for the Scots Leid here (especially monthly audio readings of Lorimer's New Testament translation) and on the Church of Scotland Worship in Scots webpage here.) As the lectionaries for other Christian communities often coincide with the Catholic lectionary in the Sunday Gospel reading, this will also provide an ecumenical resource.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Mass readings in Scots: Trinity Sunday (Sunday after Pentecost) (Year A)

First Reading:
Exodus 34:4-6, 8-9

Sae Moses gat twa stanes cuttit like the first; an at day-braw he gaen up Munt Sinai, as the Laird haed said, wi the twa stanes in his haund. And the Laird come doun in the clud an taen his place aside Moses, an Moses gien wirship tae the name o the Laird. An the Laird gaen by afore his een, sayin, The Laird, the Laird, a God fou o peety an grace, slaw tae wraith an muckle in mercy an faith. Syne Moses gaen doun swith on his face in wirship. An he said, Gin nou A hae grace in yer een, lat the Laird gang amang us, for this is a thrawn fowk, an forgie us oor wrangdaein an oor sin, an tak us fer heirskip.

(From The Old Testament in Scots, vol. 1, The Pentateuch, trans. Gavin Falconer and Ross G. Arthur (2014) (translation into Plain Scots under the auspices of the Ullans Academy) ISBN 978-1-78324-005-0. Amazon US here. Amazon UK here.



Responsorial Psalm:
Dan 3:52-56

Lord God of our fadris, thou art blessit,
and worthi to be praisit, and glorious, and abone uphieit (or enhansit) into warldis.
Blessit is the name of thi glorie, quhilk is haly,
and worthi to be louit and abone enhannsit into warldis.

Thou art blessit in the hali tempile of thi glorie,
and abone praisabile and glorious into warldis.

Thou art blessit in the throne of thi realmme,
and abone praisabile and abone enhansit into warldis.

Thou art blessit that behaldis the depnes of watris, and sittis on cherubyn;
(and art) praisabile and abone enhansit into warldis.

Thou art blessit in the firmament of heuen,
and praisabile and glorious into warldis.

(From The New Testament in Scots (1520) vol. 3 by Murdoch Nisbet here)


Second reading:
2 Corinthians 13:11-13

But noo i’ the end, brethren, rejoicin, restore yersels to order; be consoled; be o’ the ae mind; leeve thegither in peace ; and the God o’ love and peace sal be wi’ ye!

Greet ye ane anither wi’ a sacred kiss. A’ the saunts salute ye.

The favor o’ the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love o’ God, and the indwallin o’ the Holie Spirit, be wi’ ye a’!
 
(From The New Testament in Braid Scots (1904) by William Wye Smith here)



Gospel:
John 3: 16-18

For God sae loved the warld
as to gie his Son, the Only-Begotten Ane,
that ilka ane wha lippens till him sudna dee,
but hae Life for aye.
For God sent-na his Son intil the warld
to bring condemnation on’t,
but that raither the warld micht be saved by him.
And ane that lippens him isna hauden guilty;
but ane wha winna lippen him is judged guilty e’en no;
for he hasna lippened
to the Son o’ God, the only-begotten Ane.

(From The New Testament in Braid Scots (1904) by William Wye Smith here)