Exaltabo Te, Domine

Here's an mp3 from JoguesChant of the Ash Wednesday Offertory, Exaltabo Te, Domine; below is the chant score.

The text comes from Psalm 30; here's JoguesChant's translation:

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and have not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me; O Lord, I called out unto you, and you healed me.

Here's another version, from the Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis:



The Collect for the day echoes the portion of Wisdom in today's Introit:

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Scarlatti (1685–1757) composed a setting of this text; here's one version of that:



Here's something really gorgeous, though! It's another version of Exaltabo Te from Psalm 30 (although not this text precisely; I'm trying to find the text itself and will come back and post it when I do) by Michel-Richard Delalande (1657-1726), in the glorious Grands Motets style:



And there's a Taizé version of Exaltabo Te, too; the Coral Corpus Christi, of the church of Corpus Christi de Málaga, sings this one:



Here's the last part of Eliot's poem, Ash Wednesday; I've loved this particular section since I first read it when I was 18 years old (and many years from joining the church):

Blessed sister, holy mother, spirit of the fountain, spirit of the garden,
Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among these rocks,
Our peace in His will
And even among these rocks
Sister, mother
And spirit of the river, spirit of the sea,
Suffer me not to be separated
And let my cry come unto Thee.

A holy Lent to all.