Benedictus Antiphons 4th Week of Advent

Consider this a Catholic blogosphere straight -arm.

While nearly every other Catholic blogger out there is doing his annual duty by mentioning the O Antiphons (again) and perhaps adding (yet another) perspective on them, I will rebel by highlighting the Benedictus Antiphons for the 4th Week in Advent.  So there. *

Sunday
Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, alleluia.

Monday
The Lord says: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, alleluia.

Tuesday
Arise, Arise, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.

Wednesday
I will place salvation in Sion, and glory in Jerusalem, Alleluia

Thursday
Be comforted, by comforted, O my people, say the Lord, your God.

Friday
Lo, all things are accomplished which were said by the Angel of the Virgin Mary.

Saturday (December 24th)
The Savior of the world shall rise like the sun, and sill come down into the womb of the Virgin, as the shower of rain upon the grass, alleluia.

Sunday (Christmas Day)
Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will, alleluia, alleluia.


I hope the remaining days of Advent are good for all of you.
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* I like the O Antiphons just fine.  This post is just for fun.

Advent Musings

This Advent has been extremely busy for me. But I am forcing myself to blog today. Between the school activities, parish ongoings, Knights of Columbus events, regular work, shopping, extra Masses (two Rorate Masses on the same day btw), there has hardly been time to breath. But Advent remains my favorite time of the year. The whole atmosphere is filled with joy and expectation. But like the world 2000 years ago, all that fades once the Lord actually gets here. Because the world will ultimately be unsatisfied with their gifts, which have become the Jesus of the present culture anyway.

But the Church will continue to celebrate Christmas for weeks after the 25th. In fact, I have two very Catholic Christmas parties after the feast-day itself.

There is an opposite side, btw, to the post-Christmas Scrooge ("get this tree out on the curb, its the 26th already!"). I'm talking about the Advent Grinch. The Advent Grinch is usually the traditionalist who sneers at anyone who puts up a tree before Christmas Eve. It could also be an ultra liberal rocks-in-the-holy-water-font pantsuit nun. I have met folks like this. Yes Advent is penitential, but I am against Advent moping. It could be that the Advent mopers are the same people who are bitter that all the pagans stop celebrating Christmas the day after.

I say, put up the tree. Keep it up through Epiphanytide. The world could use a little more happiness and it certainly could use a good witness to Our Lord. No long faces before or after Christmas! We should celebrate the fact that the world is waiting for its savior, even though to many that is merely materialism. The spark is still there, its just misdirected.

If you keep the "traditional" Catholic Advent, where there are no Christmas carols or decorations up before the feast, then more power to you. But please allow some wiggle room for the weaker of us. My parish has trees up and two nativity sets. The school also had a tree up and took the boys caroling several times. So, this isn't all traddies.

Likewise to all my non-Catholic friends, be prepared to watch me celebrate Christmas until February.

Oh, and go read Lord of the World already. Have a Merry Christmas if I don't get another chance to blog beforehand!

O Great Mystery

As I have told some of my friends recently, Advent is the center of my spiritual life. I am not sure why but it has something to do with the Incarnation and waiting for the Lord. Advent, I think more than Lent, points to the coming of our salvation. It is the anticipation of salvation being open to us. And this is the reality to which we are called isn't it? Salvation is possible for us but we are all still working on it. We are all anticipating the coming of the Lord in one way or another. It may be some are awaiting Baptism, others their First Communion, some in death. There may not a few who are also waiting for him to re-enter their lives after falling away into serious sin and many years of wandering in the spiritual desert.

No matter how deeply involved I am with my parish or the Church in general things never seem complete. Truly the Sacraments work in a way I cannot fathom but even they are only a foretaste of the reality in Heaven. When Advent rolls around every year I am reminded that somehow I am still waiting for Christ, even though he is with us all the time.

I recently read in the (outstanding) Divine Intimacy that Christ does not in fact have two comings - those being the Incarnation and Second Advent - but three. He comes to us individually as well. This Christmas time we can once again as Christ into our hearts.

May God bless you all and have a very Merry Christmas!

Isaiah the Post-Tribber

I have sent my velveteen Breviary away for rebind. I never snapped pictures of it because it was that bad but now I kind of wish I had. Regardless, while it is away the Liturgy of the Hours is taking its place. I had forgotten how difficult the Anglican Breviary was...

This morning during the Office of Readings I was struck by something during the scripture reading. Let's take a look:

Isaiah 26:15-21

15 You have been favourable to the nation, O Lord, you have been favourable to the nation: are you glorified? You have removed all the ends of the earth far off. 16 Lord, they have sought after you in distress, in the tribulation of murmuring your instruction was with them. 17 As a woman with child, when she draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cries out in her pangs: so are we become in your presence, O Lord. 18 We have conceived, and been as it were in labour, and have brought forth wind: we have not wrought salvation on the earth, therefore the inhabitants of the earth have not fallen. 19 Your dead men shall live, my slain shall rise again: awake, and give praise, you that dwell in the dust: for your dew is the dew of the light: and the land of the giants you shall pull down into ruin. 20 Go, my people, enter into your chambers, shut your doors upon you, hide yourself a little for a moment, until the indignation pass away. 21 For behold the Lord will come out of his place, to visit the iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth against him: and the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall cover her slain no more.

In this season of Advent we consider the first coming of Christ alongside his second and clearly here in Isaiah we have the Catholic view of the end times.

Look at verse 17 above. Compare it to this: (highlighting from Drbo.org, its a pain to remove it)

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered.

After this, the dragon appears to try and hurt the woman's son. Isaiah tells his readers to go inside their houses and hide during a tribulation. In the NRSV "indignation" is instead rendered "wrath".

Then the Lord returns. After everything else. At the end. This is the Catholic view of the endtimes. Jesus will return once, not two or three or five times. Once. This is also the order (without mention of tribulation) from the verse which is the basis of the relatively new rapture theory.

1 Thess 4:12f

12 And we will not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that you be not sorrowful, even as others who have no hope. 13 For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so them who have slept through Jesus, will God bring with him. 14 For this we say unto you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them who have slept. 15 For the Lord himself shall come down from heaven with commandment, and with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead who are in Christ, shall rise first.

16 Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ, into the air, and so shall we be always with the Lord. 17 Wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words.

The dead rise first. Just like in Isaiah. So, Paul knew what he was talking about. Of course, I don't mean to go into the end times here at length. This was just something that caught me attention.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

This is literally my favorite time of the year...the few days leading up to Christmas. It always has been. I've felt a little more detached this year than previous and I think that's because I'm finally settling into my traditional Catholic life. I'm not a new convert anymore and so the clay is hardening a bit. I was in Circuit City last evening and as I was looking around there was no impulse to buy anything for myself, let alone buy much of anything they were peddling for Christmas. The fact is that a lot of what stores put out for Christmas is sinful. I mean, lets be real here. The $3.99 DVD bin was loaded with morally illicit garbage. How many Dawkins and Hitchens books will find their way under a tree somewhere in America on Thursday? Ironic to say the least.

This year the economy has finally effected our business and so we're going light on the gifts. I wouldn't have it any other way. Last year the midnight Mass, my first as a confirmed Catholic made the Holiday anew for me. Remember at the beginning I said this has always been my favorite time of the year. But the Mass being what it is and my participation has made it all better. Rather, it has made it real.

Before I became Catholic all I had were fading traditions. They were fading because as all families do, we're getting older. My sister and I are both out of college, our cousins all have kids and families of their own so there are only remnants now of the "Christmases you remember". That all changed for me last year when Advent finally had meaning again and the wreath came back out. Then midnight Mass came and made my Christmas. I could have cared less for exchanging presents.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Advent and Rorate Coeli

My friend Chrissy over at Living in the Midwest put up a nice post on Advent which everyone should go and read. Advent has long been my favorite time of the year even before entering the Church. I think that is because at this time of the year I am reminded that the world still needs its Savior to come. Even though he was already, and still is, here with us even to the end of time, the work is not complete. And so the Church gives us reminders of his second coming for us to think about.

But what are all the lights, gifts. and the pre-Christmas bustle all about? People turn to material things to make up what is lacking in themselves. They are searching for the Savior. At this time of the year material things have taken the place of the true Savior but the desire in society is still the same. Its just that some have rejected the true One. There is no true happiness apart from God. As St. Augustine famously put it "Our hearts are restless Lord, until they rest in Thee." Society tries to solve its restlessness with material things. Its flipped upsidedown. Outside things cannot make you inwardly happy.

Those people who have rejected Christ are, whether they know it or not, still waiting for Him. They are waiting for the houseguest at the wrong entrance.


Check out Isaiah 45:8f

8 Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him. 9 Woe to him that gainsayeth his maker, a sherd of the earthen pots: shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it: What art thou making, and thy work is without hands?
10 Woe to him that saith to his father: Why begettest thou? and to the woman: Why dost thou bring forth?
11 Thus saith the Lord the Holy One of Israel, his maker: Ask me of things to come, concerning my children, and concerning the work of my hands give ye charge to me.
12 I made the earth: and I created man upon it: my hand stretched forth the heavens, and I have commanded all their host.
13 I have raised him up to justice, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and let go my captives, not for ransom, nor for presents, saith the Lord the God of hosts.

The forgotten Hymn of the Roman Liturgy in most modern parishes today, has been for a while now my absolute favorite of the entire year. Of course, it is the Rorate Coeli.

Rorate Coeli

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

Be not angry, O Lord, and remember no longer our iniquity : behold the city of thy sanctuary is become a desert, Sion is made a desert. Jerusalem is desolate, the house of our holiness and of thy glory, where our fathers praised thee.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

We have sinned, and we are become as one unclean, and we have all fallen as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast crushed us by the hand of our iniquity.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

See, O Lord, the affliction of thy people, and send him whom thou hast promised to send. Send forth the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion, that he himself may take off the yoke of our captivity.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

Be comforted, be comforted, my people; thy salvation shall speedily come. Why wilt thou waste away in sadness? why hath sorrow seized thee? I will save thee; fear not: for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

Translation from this site.

Decadence

Last night again I had some time to kill. I stayed in King of Prussia and would have blogged this then but my hotel wanted me to pay for the internet. Being unplugged for a night isn't a bad thing though.

Anyway, I ate in the KOP foodcourt something of a mix of Cajun and Chinese Food. Interesting to say the least...cajun chicken with fried rice and chinese vegetables. Anyway...

As I was walking around and looking at all of the high priced shops, people in expensive clothes walking really fast for no apparent reason with bags hanging from their arms, the giant two story advertisements for clothing and jewelry it was all very strange to me. I felt so disconnected from it all. It seems like a long time since I was tuned in to this sort of consumer attitude. There wasn't even any temptation to buy anything at all. In fact, and this may be part of a growing "Fransican" consciousness in me, but I genuinely felt sorry for the shoppers. As I looked around all I saw was decadence, and I just coasted through the mall. Oh, I went into my favorite stores such as the Apple Store and Brookstone. Yes, I sat in the massage chair. Traveling is tiring after all. The new model was $5,000. People actually buy these things and make payments on them. This new one had a hand massager, which was too much for my taste.

As I made my way around the mall, which I used for exercise after dinner, I decided to stop in and take a look around Brooks Brothers as I passed by which is sort of a higher end clothing store. Shirts and sweaters were all almost $100. I saw one special that said "choose any two shirts for $199".

It was at that moment that I said to myself, "If I am ever rich enough to shop here, I'm dropping everything and applying for the monastery." That thought is only partly in jest. Its not that buying things is inherently bad. Its not that buying a $100 shirt is always decadent, especially if its a gift or for that one or two nice suits you own. I think we all know that. Its a matter of moderation.

I know my limits. Like most people, I have a temptation to things. Clothes really aren't a problem for me as I have said here before, but big TVs and other toys are. Anyway, the point is not the store or what I would buy but that money but that having it at all would be a temptation and be a serious detriment to any progress I may have made in the spiritual life. And so if I am ever rich enough to drop that kind of money without thought I'll know its time to rethink priorities.

The point of life is to get to heaven. Surrounding ourselves with things that give us the illusion we are creating it here on earth is a big lie we tell ourselves.

After I got to KOP yesterday I made my way to the local Catholic bookstore and bought something there for $35, the Christmas/Advent Volume for the Liturgy of the Hours. Literally, I pined over the decision for 20 minutes as I browsed other things there. But as I walked around the mall I realized that there are people walking around who can drop $50 on anything they want without a care.

This is also a matter of justice. We throw away more things in this country than a great part of the world will ever see or be able to afford in their entire lifetimes. Its actually shameful, this decadence of ours. And to think, while spending $4 for a coffee at Starbucks, we have the nerve to complain about the economy. Makes you think huh? Made me think.

Breakin out the Chant

Last evening I took a slight chance while playing the Ordinary Form Mass. I broke out the Gregorian Chant.

As it was the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the entrance antiphon is: (Rorate Caeli) "Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior" according to 70s ICEL. Of course this being the modern Roman rite, almost nobody knows what that is anymore. We sang "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Very appropriate...but 4 Sundays in a row. So I decided to borrow the Liber Cantualis organ accompaniment from my Latin Mass parish to sing the Rorate Caeli chant during communion. The text and melody are too fantastic to pass up

I was a little bit apprehensive to do this, because I didn't know what the reaction would be to an obvious Chant being sung in the middle of an Ordinary form Mass. Beforehand I spoke to the regular organist (I play every other week) and he said go for it. Apparently he's sung latin during communion before and the people seemed to enjoy it.

So as the people's communion began I received and then went back to the organ, gave myself a note and started. The chant seemed to suck the air out of the room. All of a sudden the modern, red carpet theater style parish all but vanished and a sacred space emerged. Everything instantly became reverent and nobody seemed to mind. All smiles afterward as well.

A great and repeatable success! Tomorrow at the Christmas Vigil mass I'm going to sing/play an appropriate Christmas chant and hopefully all of these 2 time a year people will get a little more out of it this time around.

Rorate Caeli Translation (non-ICEL)
Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

See, O Lord, the affliction of thy people, and send him whom thou hast promised to send. Send forth the Lamb, the ruler of the earth, from the rock of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion, that he himself may take off the yoke of our captivity.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

Be comforted, be comforted, my people; thy salvation shall speedily come. Why wilt thou waste away in sadness? why hath sorrow seized thee? I will save thee; fear not: for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One.

String up the lights you advent people!

<----- A lighted "Advent tree" in front of my house.

You know (or maybe you don't) I'm a bit tired of all the Catholic "Adventists" out there. I usually love the Catholic radio and websites but I'm sick to death of all the people out there holding it out over our heads that they don't light their tree until Dec. 24th or put up any lights or anything until Advent is over.

On the internet I have read horror stories of bare Christmas trees, heard radio guests complain of priests allowing no festivities until Christmas Eve, and even seminarians walking around like the living dead to their classes. Although I won't post the links to protect their identities. :-)



What's the point?

Oh its not everyone, but there is a definite push by the orthodox Catholic community it seems to quell the Christmas spirit and bring back Advent with a bang. Does putting up festive, and albeit many times secular decorations for the season hurt anyone? Nope, it doesn't. In fact we have a hard enough time getting people to celebrate Christmas for what it is rather than a shop-til-you drop extravaganza. Christmas is being warred upon left and er...left.... and we're pulling people away from it to recognize Advent? First we gotta get em understanding Christmas in order to know what Advent is. The best way to do that is not to remind everyone that its not Christmas yet, so shame on you for celebrating it. The lefty secularists will eat this up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will use this excuse all the day long to remove any references to Christmas in every public forum. Don't think that they won't.

I'm not saying don't recognize Advent. I'm not encouraging you to celebrate Christmas until December 26th and put away the tree. Put up your decorations and celebrate Advent as part of this whole season. Keep those decorations up and add to them all the way up to through the octave of Christmas and until the Epiphany. Recognize the fact that putting a manger scene outside is actually ok right now and in fact might be a good reminder for those who need to know why the heck they are standing in line at Wal*Mart for 45 minutes to buy their relatives presents. Don't want to add Jesus until Dec. 25? Thats fine. Don't want to add the wise-men until Epiphany? Good deal. Put out the stable and hay.

Advent is the time of year where we get our houses in order for the birth of Christ, both figuratively and literally. It is not officially a penitential time of year but doing a little penance doesn't hurt. So, we give something up here and there, say a few more prayers, and perhaps spend some money on loved ones rather than buy ourselves something.

So here is a little gift I give to the Adventists out there...

Recovering Adventists Checklist:

• Put up a tree by the end of next week.
  
• Add lights to it.
  
• Attend at least 1 Christmas Concert before December 24th.
• Say Merry Christmas to someone you see at a store or even at Church.
• That wreath, it goes on the door.
• Smile.
  

That should help you out just a little bit. If nothing it'll help you get out of the grump you put yourself into by being all pissy about the fact others are not celebrating Advent.

By the way, considering myself an orthodox Catholic in the making, I am all for celebrating Advent. I await his coming by enjoying this time of year to the max. I love the decorations, the spirit in the air, the hope for snow, the anticipation of giving my gifts away for Christmas, and especially the liturgy.