¹ Ps 44.5. See Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae in Liber responsalis: PL 78, col. 799A, In secundo nocturno: ‘Specie tua et pulchritudine tua, intende, prospere, procede et regna.’

² Matt. 13.45.

³ Cf. Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae, PL 78, col. 799C, In Evangelio: ‘Ante thorum hujus Virginis frequentate nobis dulcía capita dragmis.’

⁴ Ps 8.2 (10) LXX.

⁵ Cf. Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae, PL 78, col. 799C, In Evangelio: ‘Haee est quae nescivit thorum in delieto, habebit fructum in respcctione animarum sanctarum.’

⁶ Ps 18.2.

⁷ Cf. S. of S. 7.6. Also found in the Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae, PL 78, col. 798C: ‘O quam pulchra et speciosa est Maria virgo Dei, quae de mundo migravit ad Christum.’ The first part of the antiphon (‘O quam pulchra et speciosa est’) is based upon S. of S. 7.6. It is interesting to note that it docs not quite follow the Vulgate (‘Quam pulchra est ct quam decora’), reading ‘speciosa’ instead of ‘decora’. The Vulgate was widely used at the time of Gregory the Great The antiphon might be based on an old Latin version of the Song of Songs. If this is the case, this antiphon forms part of older liturgical material which was in circulation before the time of Gregory the Great and from which the author of the Liber responsalis took his inspiration.

⁸ Ps 23.1.

⁹ Ps 44-5.

¹⁰ Ps 44.3.

¹¹ PS 44-9.

¹² Reused by William Durandus in his pontifical. See Andrieu, M., Le pontifical de Guillaume Durand (Vatican City, 1940), p. 417 Google Scholar (33): ‘Veni electa mea et ponam in te tronum meum. Quia concupivit rex speciem tuam.’ The first part of this antiphon reminds us of S. of S. 2.10 (‘Surge, veni, proxima mea, sponsa mea’) or S. of S. 7.11 (‘Veni, dilecte mi’). The second part of the antiphon comes from Ps 44.12. The Fathers frequently quote this verse when writing about consecration ceremonies or Christian virginity. See De lapsu virginis consecratae, V, 19, PL 16, col. 372A: ‘Non es memorata qualis ad te die illo facta est allocutio: Aspicc, filia, intuere, virgo, et ohliviscere populum tuum, et domum patris tui, et concupiscet Rex decorem tuum; quia ipse est Dominus tuus’ (Ps 44.11-12). See Jerome, Letter 22, 1, ed. Hilberg, p. 143: ‘Audi, filia, et vide et inclina aurem tuam et ohliviscere populum tuum et domum patris tui; et concupiscet rex decorem tuum [Ps 44.11-12]. In quadragesimo quarto psalmo deus ad animam loquitur humanam […]’. See Ambrose, De virginihus, I, 36 (in Gori, Verginità e vedovanza, 1, p. 136): ‘Primum enim quod nupturae prae ceteris concupiscent, ut sponsi decore se iactent, co necesse est impares sacris se fateantur esse virginibus, quibus solis contingit dicerc: Speciosus forma praefiliis hominum, diffusa est gratia in lahiis tuis [Ps 44.3]. Quis est iste sponsus? Non vilibus addictus obsequiis, non caducis superbus divitiis, sed cuius sedes in sacculum saeculi. Filiae regum in honore eius. Astitit regina a dextris eius in vestitu deaurato varietale circumamicta virtutum [Ps 44.10]. Audi igitur, filia, et vide et inclina aurem tuam et ohliviscere populum tuum et domum patris tui, quoniam concupivit rex speciem tuam, quia ipse est deus tuus [Ps 44.r 1].’

¹³ Ps 44-5.

¹⁴ This antiphon is also found in the Passio of St Agnes §1 (PL 17, col. 735B): ‘Pulchra facie, sed pulchrior fide, ct elegantior castitate.’

¹⁵ Ps 44-5.

¹⁶ Ps 44-5.

¹⁷ Ps 44.2. Also found in the Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Marine (PL 78, col. 799A), In secundo notturno.

¹⁸ Ps 45.2 LXX.

¹⁹ Ps 86.1 LXX

²⁰ Ps 118.80(?).

²¹ Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids, Matt. 25.1-13. See Thecla’s hymn in the Symposium of Methodius of Olympus (ed. Musurillo, pp. 310-21). The whole hymn is built around Matthew’s parable. The chorus reads as follows: ‘Chastely I live for you, and holding my lighted lamps, My spouse, I go forth to meet you’ (trans. H. Musurillo, St. Methodius, the Symposium [London, 1958], Thecla’s hymn at pp. 151-7). See Ambrose, De institution virginis, 110 (ed. Gori, Verginità e vedovanza, 2, pp. 188-90): ‘His igitur famulam tuam indue vestimentis, quae in omni tempore munda sint; mundum cnim manet quidquid nulla interueniens culpa fuscaverit, ut ei iure dicatur: Quoniam placuerunt deo facta tua [Eccles. 9.7]. In omni tempore sint vestimenta sua candida, et oleum in capite non desit, quo faces suas mysticas possit accendere, ut cum venerit sponsus, inter illas sapientes virgines cadesti thalamo digna numcrctur [cf Matt. 25.10], quae devotionis ac fidci suae gravitatisquc lumine munus sacrac professions illuminct’ See also the end of the prayer Deus castorum corporum in The Gelasian Sacramentary, ed. Wilson, p. 157: Transcat in numeram sapientium pucllarum, ut caelestcm sponsum accensis lampadibus cum oleo praeparationis expectet; ncc turbata improvisi regis adventu, securata cum lumine ut praccedentium choro iungatur occurat, nee cxcludatur cum stultis. Regalem ianuam cum sapicntibus virginibus liccnter introeat, et in Agni tui perpetuo comitatu probabilis mansura castitate pcrmancat. Per Dominum.’

²² Cf. Matt 25.6.

²³ Cf. Isa. 61.10(?). The same antiphon is found in the Passio of St Agnes, §3 (PL 17, col. 736B).

²⁴ Ps 95.1; 97.1; 149.1.

²⁵ See n. 12.

²⁶ Ps 96.1.

²⁷ Matt. 25.7.

²⁸ Ps 98.1.

²⁹ Ps 44.12. See n.12.

³⁰ Ps 44.5.

³¹ Matt. 25.2.

³² Matt 25.7.

³³ Cf. S. of S. 1.5 (Vulgate 1.4). See Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae (PL 78, col. 798B): ‘Ista est speciosa inter filias Jerusalem’. I suggest that this antiphon is inspired by S. of S. 1.5 (Vulgate 1.4). The text of this verse in the Vulgate is the following: ‘nigra sum sed formosa filiac Hicrusalcm’. In the antiphon the word ‘speciosa’ replaces ‘formosa’. This could prove the antiquity of this antiphon as in the case of the antiphon based on S. of S. 7.6. See n.7 above.

³⁴ S. of S. 3.6. Cf. Responsoria de assumptione sanctae Mariae (PL 78, col. 798A): ‘Quae est ista quae ascendit per desertum sicut virgula fumi, ex aromatibus myrrhae et thuris.’ This antiphon is based word for word on the text of the Vulgate.

³⁵ Cf. Matt. 25.1-13.

³⁶ Matt. 25.6.

³⁷ Ps 44-5.

³⁸ Matt. 25.1-13.

³⁹ Ibid.

⁴⁰ Matt. 25.6.

⁴¹ Matt. 13.45.

⁴² Ps 44-3.

⁴³ Matt. 25.1-13.

⁴⁴ Matt. 25.10.

⁴⁵ Ibid.

⁴⁶ Matt. 25.6.

⁴⁷ Matt. 25.2