The Roman Missal: Holy Saturday (English) 12

1[Prophecy XI. Deuteron. xxxi. 22—30.]

2In those days Moses wrote the canticle, and taught it the children of Israel. And the Lord commanded Josue the son of Nun, and said, Take courage, and be valiant; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I have promised, and I will be with thee. Therefore after Moses had wrote the words of this law in a volume, and finished it; he commanded the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a testimony against thee. For I know thy obstinacy, and thy most stiff neck. While I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord; how much more when I shall be dead? Gather unto me all the ancients of your tribes, and your doctors, and I will speak these words in their hearing, and will call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that, after my death, you will do wickedly, and will quickly turn aside from the way that I have commanded you: and evils shall come upon you in the latter times, when you shall do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him by the works of your hands. Moses therefore spoke, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel, the words of this canticle, and finished it even to the end.

3Tract. Hear, O heaven, and I will speak: and let the earth give ear to the words out of my mouth. Let my speech be expected like rain; and my words descend like dew. As a shower upon the grass, and like snow upon hay: because I will invoke the name of the Lord. Give ye magnificence to our God: God's works are true, and all his ways judgments. God is faithful, in whom there is no iniquity: the Lord is just and holy.

4Let us pray. Let us kneel down. Rise up again.

5Prayer. Deus altitudo. O God, the exaltation of the humble, and strength of the upright, who by thy holy servant Moses, wast pleased so to instruct thy people by the singing of thy holy canticle, that that renewal of the law might be also our direction; stir up thy power in all the fulness of the justified gentiles, and give joy whilst thou dost diminish fear; that all sins being blotted out by thy remission, what was denounced in vengeance, may be conducive to our salvation. Through our Lord, &c.