Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, quae sub his figuris vere latitas: tibi se cor meum totum subiicit, quia te contemplans totum deficit.
Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, sed auditu solo tuto creditur; credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius: nil hoc verbo Veritatis verius.
In cruce latebat sola Deitas, at hic latet simul et humanitas; ambo tamen credens atque confitens, peto quod petivit latro paenitens.
Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor; Deum tamen meum te confiteor; fac me tibi semper magis credere, in te spem habere, te diligere.
O memoriale mortis Domini! panis vivus, vitam praestans homini! praesta meae menti de te vivere et te illi semper dulce sapere.
Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine; cuius una stilla salvum facere totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.
Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, oro fiat illud quod tam sitio; ut te revelata cernens facie, visu sim beatus tuae gloriae.
Amen.
English Translation of Adoro te devote
Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee, truly present underneath these veils: all my heart subdues itself before Thee, since it all before Thee faints and fails.
Not to sight, or taste, or touch be credit hearing only do we trust secure; I believe, for God the Son has said it- Word of truth that ever shall endure.
On the cross was veiled Thy Godhead’s splendor, here Thy manhood lies hidden too; unto both alike my faith I render, and, as sued the contrite thief, I sue.
Though I look not on Thy wounds with Thomas, Thee, my Lord, and Thee, my God, I call: make me more and more believe Thy promise, hope in Thee, and love Thee over all.
O memorial of my Savior dying, Living Bread, that gives life to man; make my soul, its life from Thee supplying, taste Thy sweetness, as on earth it can.
Deign, O Jesus, Pelican of heaven, me, a sinner, in Thy Blood to lave, to a single drop of which is given all the world from all its sin to save.
Contemplating, Lord, Thy hidden presence, grant me what I thirst for and implore, in the revelation of Thy essence to behold Thy glory evermore. Amen.
A Medieval Melody: The Story of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Eucharistic Hymn
Imagine yourself in 13th century Italy. The air is filled with the scent of incense and the sound of Gregorian chants. It’s 1264, and Pope Urban IV has just made a momentous decision: he’s establishing a new feast day called Corpus Christi, celebrating the Body of Christ in the Eucharist.
But a feast day needs music, and for that, the Pope turns to one of the greatest minds of the Middle Ages: St. Thomas Aquinas.
Aquinas, a Dominican friar known for his brilliant theological works, takes on this sacred task with gusto. He doesn’t just write one hymn – he composes five of them, each a masterpiece in its own right. These hymns are meant to honor Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament, the heart of the new feast day.
One of these hymns stands out. It’s so profound that it finds its way into the Roman Missal, the book containing the instructions and prayers for Catholic Mass. There, it takes on a special role as a prayer of thanksgiving after Mass.
But this hymn’s impact doesn’t stop there. The Church, recognizing its spiritual power, attaches a partial indulgence to it. This means that any faithful person who recites the hymn with devotion can receive a partial remission of the temporal punishment for their sins – a concept deeply important in Catholic theology.
So, the next time you hear a centuries-old Latin hymn echoing through a church, remember: it might just be the work of a medieval friar, commissioned by a pope, that has been touching hearts and souls for over 750 years.
From the halls of papal power to the pages of the Missal, from the 13th century to today, this hymn continues to play its part in the rich tapestry of Catholic worship. It stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith, music, and the brilliant mind of St. Thomas Aquinas.