Enrance Antiphon for Ss Peter & Paul - source?

[gwyn]

Hello everyone,
The Entrance Antiphon for Ss Peter and Paul - Mass during the day:

These are the ones who, living in the flesh,
planted the Church with their blood;
they drank the chalice of the Lord
and became the friends of God.

I can't find the scriptural source of this. Can anyone enlighten me?
Thanks folks.
Gwyn.

[Holy Cow]

Jn 1: 6-7; Lk 1: 17


(I think)

[John Ainslie]

Jn 1: 6-7; Lk 1: 17
(I think)

No, this is the reference for today's feast, The Birth of St John the Baptist.

This new one for SS Peter & Paul is a bit of a mystery. The Missal asserts no biblical reference for the text at all, not even a "cf. ...". In fact, the second half has an allusion to Matthew 20:22-23: '"Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able". He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup..."' The phrase in the first half, 'living in the flesh', reminds me of a bit of an epistle where Paul talks about meeting the Lord 'whether in the flesh or out of flesh, I know not - God knows'. Someone can enlighten me where to find that...

[JW]

There is no scripture reference in my missal for the Vigil Entrance Antiphon either: "Peter the Apostle, and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles, these have taught us your law, O Lord. " Contextually, both seem to have been written after the death of Peter and Paul, so I'm left wondering whether they could be taken from an ancient text, but not directly from Scripture, despite the scriptural allusions? It's not possible they could be modern, is it?

[gwyn]

Thanks for your responses. It is indeed interesting stuff.

I'm bewildered as to why the old Introit "Now I know that the Lord really has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hands of Herod" (Acts 12: 11) was replaced.
I blame Cardinal Annibale.

[Holy Cow]

ooo... so it is! That'll teach me to read too quickly...

http://www.liturgies.net/saints/peterandpaul/mass.htm

this website has it wrong then...

[Southern Comfort]

There is no real scriptural source for this antiphon. It follows the model found in some of the antiphons in the Common of Martyrs, where you find such texts as

These are they who come out of the great ordeal
and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
For God’s sake they handed their bodies over for punishment,
and they have earned unfading crowns.

with a reference of cf. Rev 7:14, Dan 3:95

This truly is a Martyr,
who shed his (her) blood for the name of Christ,
who did not fear the threats of judges
but attained the heavenly kingdom.

with no reference at all

These are the Saints who were victorious
because of the blood of the Lamb,
and in the face of death refused to cling to life;
therefore they reign with Christ for ever, alleluia.

with a reference of cf. Rev 12:11

This is the one who was not deserted by God
on the day of struggle
and now wears a crown of victory
for faithfulness to the Lord’s commands, alleluia.

with no reference at all

"These are they who... / This is one who..." is the classic way of starting such antiphons

The Diocesan Proper for my diocese has similar antiphons for local saints which make use of the second example quoted above but in the previous Missal translation, as here:

Here is a true martyr who shed her blood for Christ; her judges could not shake her by their
menaces, and so she won through to the kingdom of heaven.

[mcb]

It's not possible they could be modern, is it?

Definitely an old text. Here's a 14th century chant manuscript. (Click on the little arrow near the top if the side bar is in the way.) These are the ones who, living in the flesh is Isti sunt qui viventes in carne, starting at the big red capital I in the fourth line.

I think the text might be from the Common of Apostles, which (if I read right) was in liturgical books in past centuries but disappeared once each of the apostles had their own propers. There are musical settings, including a couple by Peter Philips from the early 17th century, and this one on cpdl.