Veni Sancte Spiritus Reple

A prose invocation of the Holy Ghost. The Alleluia following the Epistle of Whitsunday comprises two parts: (1) a chant in the fourth tone: “Alleluia, alleluia. V. Emitte Spiritum tuum, et creabuntur; et renovabis faciem terræ” (Psalm 103:30, Vulgate edition, with change of “emittes” into “emitte”); (2) a chant in the second tone: “Alleluia. V. Veni sancte Spiritus, reple tuorum corda fidelium, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende.” A rubric directs all to kneel when the “Veni Sancte Spiritus” begins. Then follows the sequence (see VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS ET EMITTE COELITUS). An invocation much used in schools and in private devotions is constructed from the above “Alleluia” by taking first the “Veni . . . accende”, then the “Emitte . . . terræ”, and concluding with the prayer of the feast: “Deus qui corda . . . gaudere” (omitting the words “hodierna die”). From the plainsong melody (composed in the eleventh century) of this Veni was developed the exquisite plainsong of the sequence following it.