Here is Midnight High Mass from Ushaw 1962 with commentary!
If you want to experience it live, come to Immaculate Heart, Balornock on Christmas Eve- Carols from 11.30pm!
Midnight Mass 1962
The Fourth Sunday of Advent, the origin of the Hail Mary
During Advent, the Sacred Liturgy is replete with references to the Blessed Virgin Mary who bore the Word Made Flesh in Her womb. From prophesies about the tender shoot that came from the root of Jesse to chant motifs appearing in the propers, Our Lady is evoked and invoked continually.
Today, I was astounded to learn that the origin of the Hail Mary that we pray so regularly finds its origin in the offertory chant of today’s Mass. I was aware that the ‘Holy Mary Mother of God’ part of the prayer was added later but according to the liturgical scholar Fr Lasance, the first time that the angelic salutation (Hail Mary) and the greeting of St Elizabeth (Blessed art thou among women) were placed together was in the offertory chant of today’s Mass.
This chant dates back to the Gregorian Antiphonary (compiled by Pope Gregory the Great, 6th century) used in the early Roman basilicas which was widely considered to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore untouchable- and we sang it this morning!
Rorate Caeli, The Advent Prose
Appointed to be sung at Benediction during Advent, the Rorate Caeli is a meditation on our desperate need for the Lord. References from the Old Testament remind us of the darkness of e world before it knew the light of Christ yet provide a stark meditation on the state of our world which awaits the second coming. After verses of lamentation and the refrain pleading for the Messiah, the final verse offers the hope of deliverance.
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people;
my salvation shall not tarry:
why wilt thou waste away in sadness?
why hath sorrow seized thee?
Fear not, for I will save thee:
For I am the Lord thy God,
the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.
I love this old recording. Something about the emotion and the French accent.
See the description on the YouTube video for the translation of the text.
Video: Si Iniquitates, Wesley
As we move towards the end of the Church year and during the month of the Holy Souls, the De Profundis has appeared regularly in the liturgy. Even today’s introit contains motifs from the Requiem introit and the De Profundis sung at the offertory had phrases from the Libera Me.
Here is a video of the offertory motet from this morning’s Missa Cantata, Si Iniquitates, verse two of the De Profundus, set by Samuel Wesley.
Requiem Sequence: Dies Irae
The sequence of the Requiem Mass is both an exquisite piece of poetry and a striking meditation on the four last things. It is quite astounding that this prose was supressed in the new Mass of Paul VI and even the tract is replaced with the Alleluia! This is key to understanding the principle ‘lex Orlando, lex credendi’ because this change in the prayer of the church signifies a significant change in belief.
The Dies Irae provides a sobering meditation to us and excites a keen desire to pray for the Holy Souls. May we all redouble our efforts to assist them by our prayer, fasting, almsgiving, indulgences and Masses.
In a lighter note, here is a presentation about the influence that the chant of the Dies Irae has had on popular culture.
Feast of All Saints: O Quam Gloriosum
Happy feast of All Saints.
Here is a motet by the Spanish Priest composer, Fr Thomas Luis de Victoria- O Quam Gloriosum, complete with beautiful footage from the BBC.
O quam gloriosum est regnum,
in quo cum Christo gaudent omnes Sancti!
Amicti stolis albis,
sequuntur Agnum, quocumque ierit.
O how glorious is the kingdom
in which all the saints rejoice with Christ,
clad in robes of white
they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
And Fr Victoria’s Mass on the same theme.
Vespers Hymn: The Feast of Christ the King
1. Te saeculorum Principem, Te, Christe, Regem Gentium,
Te mentium, Te cordium Unum fatemur arbitrum.
2. Scelesta turba clamitat: Regnare Christum nolumus:
Te nos ovantes omnium Regem supremum dicimus.
3. O Christe, Princeps Pacifer, Mentes rebelles subiice:
Tuoqu(e) amore devios, Ovil(e) in unum congrega.
4. Ad hoc cruent(a) ab arbore, Pendes apertis brachiis:
Diraque fossum cuspide Cor igne flagrans exhibes.
5. Ad hoc in aris abderis Vini dapisqu(e) imagine,
Fundens salutem filiis Transverberato pectore.
6. Te nationum Praesides Honore tollant publico,
Colant magistri, iudices, Leges et artes exprimant.
7. Submissa regum fulgeant Tibi dicat(a) insignia:
Mitique sceptro patriam Domosque subde civium.
8. Iesu, tibi sit gloria, Qui sceptra mundi temperas,
Cum Patr(e) et almo Spiritu, In sempiterna saecula. Amen.
V. Multiplicabitur eius imperium.
R. Et pacis non erit finis.
1. Thou, Prince of all ages, Thou, O Christ, the King of the nations,
we acknowledge Thee the one Judge of all hearts and minds.
2. The wicked mob screams out. “We don’t want Christ as king,”
While we, with shouts of joy, hail Thee as the world’s supreme King.
3. O Christ, peace-bringing Prince, subjugate the rebellious minds:
And in Thy love, bring together in one flock those going astray.
4. For this, with arms outstretched, Thou hung, bleeding, on the Cross,
and the cruel spear that pierced Thee, showed man a Heart burning with love.
5. For this, Thou art hidden on our altars under the form of bread and wine,
and pour out on Thy children from Thy pierced side the grace of salvation.
6. May the rulers of the world publicly honour and extol Thee; May teachers and judges reverence Thee;
May the laws express Thine order and the arts reflect Thy beauty.
7. May kings find renown in their submission and dedication to Thee.
Bring under Thy gentle rule our country and our homes.
8. Glory be to Thee, O Jesus, supreme over all secular authorities;
And glory be to the Father and the loving Spirit through endless ages.
V. His empire shall be multiplied.
R. And there shall be no end of peace
A Plenary Indulgence is available today. Click here for details.
For more information on this feast, see the below encyclical in which Pope Pius XI instituted it.
ON THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING
Encyclical of Pope Pius XI promulgated on December 11, 1925.
Music for Mission Sunday
In 1926, Pope Pius XI, the year after instituting The Feast of Christ The King, inaugurated the penultimate Sunday of October as World Mission Sunday. It must have been in the mind of the pontiff that the two are intimately connected and that the mission of the Church is to grow the kingdom of Heaven and establish the Kingship of Jesus Christ in every sphere of life.
Continue reading “Music for Mission Sunday”Feast of St Luke: The Magnificat
My contribution on the feast of St Luke is to share the only extended quote from Our Blessed Lady, the Magnificat which is found in St Luke’s gospel. A close associate of St Paul, St Luke had a tremendous devotion to Our Lady and there is a consensus that says that he gained the insights into the mysteries of the Nativity from Our Lady Herself.
Continue reading “Feast of St Luke: The Magnificat”Biber’s Rosary Sonatas
We are well in to the month of the Holy Rosary and I would like to share some non-liturgical music for a change, Biber’s Rosary Sonatas.
Continue reading “Biber’s Rosary Sonatas”