Altus Ex Olympi Vertice

ALTO EX OLYMPI VERTICE. - Hymn of the Roman Breviary for Lauds on the feast of the dedication of a church. By an unknown author, of the 7th or 8th century; altered in its metrical form by the Urban commission niana of 1626 (v. INNOGRAFIA). The poet continues to develop the concept expressed by the first stanza of the hymn for Matins of the same office: Christ is the foundation, the cornerstone of the two Churches, the triumphant and the militant; for he, as the Word, came down from heaven like a stone cut from the mountain and took on human nature, while remaining God (st. 1). The triumphant Church sings the praises of the Most Holy Trinity; the militant Church, gathered in material temples on earth, would like to emulate that song, to form with the heavenly ones a single harmony (st. 2). For this it needs divine help, which it therefore invokes, so that the king of heaven may hear the prayers raised by the faithful in the temple, and may pour his grace into all until the day when all will be gathered into one triumphant Church (st. 3-4). These last two stanzas appear to be a later addition, very much in keeping with the preceding ones; and they imitate, summarizing them, the magnificent concepts developed by Solomon at the consecration of the temple of Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:29-52).

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