E05172: Latin Orationale of the Old Hispanic Liturgy of the 7th c. (Orationale Visigothicum), with prayers used on the feasts of saints in December: *Leocadia (virgin and confessor of Toledo, S01367), *Eulalia (virgin and martyr of Mérida, S00407), *Mary, Mother of Christ (S00033), *Stephen, the First Martyr (S00030), *Eugenia (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00401), *John the Apostle and Evangelist (S00042), *Columba (virgin and martyr of Sens, 01862).

Orationale Visigothicum

Summary:

The Orationale Visigothicum contains prayers for use in the divine office on every day of year. The prayers are ordered according to the liturgical seasons. Generally the prayers are divided into benedictiones (blessings) and completuriae (closing prayers), and aliae (other), and sometimes it is specified whether they should be applied during the matutinal or vespertine office. The number of prayers given for a day varies. In our database we are providing summaries only of the entries that relate to the feasts of saints.

9 December: the title says Quinto Idus Decembris quando et sancte Leocadie festum incurrit ('On the fifth day before the Ides of December when the feast of saint Leocadia occurs') but then follow three prayers (nos. 118-120) that do not refer to the saint (they allude to Jerusalem which appears in the antiphons preceding the prayers). Only then a subtitle states that the prayers for the feast of saint Leocadia begin – 29 prayers follow (nos. 121-149), both for Vespers and Matins. In the prayers Leocadia is glorified as a virgin and a confessor (and not a martyr, according to the story about Leocadia included in the Spanish Passionary which is an account of her confession and not martyrdom, see $E###).

10 December: the title erroneously says Quarto Idus Decembris quando et festum sancte Leocadie incurrit (it should be Eulaliae). Similarly to the feast of Leocadia, three prayers follow with antiphons that do not make reference to the saint, then follow the subtitle Incipiunt orationes in diem sancte Eulalie and 31 prayers (nos. 153-183) follow both for Vespers and Matins. The prayers praise Eulalia as virgin and martyr and contain some allusions to her martyrdom (e.g. that she was tortured by fire, prayers 170-173, see the Martyrdom of Eulalia 11, or that she was hanged on the cross, prayer 174, see the Martyrdom of Eulalia 17).

18 December: the feast of Mary, Mother of Christ. First follow 33 prayers for Vespers and Matins (nos. 202-234). Then there is a prayer to recite 'on the same day on which the mass of Holy Mary is celebrated' (no. 235), followed by a blessing (no. 236). The following subtitle (Item alio die post sancte Marie orationes de antiphonis et de adventu Domini que in ordine secuntur, 'Then on the day after the day of Holy Mary, follow in order these prayers [referring to] the antiphons and the advent of the Lord') indicates that the feast of Mary was considered a moment that divides Advent in two phases. The prayers for the feast focus on the Annunciation and Conception of Jesus. For the establishment of the feast of Mary on 18 December in the Spanish Church see E04419.

26 December: the feast of Stephen, the First Martyr. There are 21 prayers (nos. 316-336) for Vespers and Matins, which praise Stephen as the first person that suffered martyrdom (he is called protomartir in prayer 335), mention the persecution of Christians by the synagogue and Stephen's death by stoning.

27 December: the feast of Eugenia. Two prayers (nos. 337-338) both for Vespers and for Matins. They refer to the story that Eugenia entered and lived in a male monastery disguised as a man, and mention Melantia, a woman who fell in love in Eugenia thinking that she was a young man (see the Martyrdom of Eugenia, $E02490). Then follow 5 prayers (nos. 339-343) transmitted only in the ms. British Library Add. 30852, and missing in the main Visigothic manuscript, Verona ms. LXXXIX (84). First four prayers refer generally to the saints, Eugenia praised as virgin and martyr appears in the last prayer, Benedictio no. 343. Her feast is linked with the Nativity (Quique hodie, et a Maria est generatus at ab Eugenia est cofessus ... '[Jesus Christ] who is today born of Mary and confessed by Eugenia ...').

28 December: the feast of John the Apostle. 7 prayers (nos. 344-350) which focus on John as the Beloved Disciple who reclined beside Jesus at the Last Supper.

31 December: the feast of Columba, martyr of Sens. 7 prayers (nos. 351-357) which praise Columba as virgin and martyr. The first prayer uses wordplay on the saint's name and the noun columba, the dove, to emphasise her chastity. Further, the prayers mention that she was sent to a brothel (no. 356, Martyrdom of Columba 4-5), tortured by fire, and later beheaded (no. 352, Martyrdom of Columba 6-8).

Summary by M. Szada.