Advent chants

Posted by Patricia Cecilia

Last week, before the sinuses and Eustachian tubes fell victim, I did record two of my favorite Advent chants. The first is the Advent Prose, Rorate coeli:

http://www.christeluxmundi.org/Rorate%20coeli%20(chant)%20PRW.mp3

The second is Alma redemptoris mater, the Vespers Antiphon for the Magnificat sung between the Vigil Mass of the First Sunday of Advent and The Feast of the Presentation (Candlemas, 2 Feburary) inclusive, except for the days upon which the O Antiphons are sung:

http://www.christeluxmundi.org/Alma%20redemptoris%20(chant)%20PRW.mp3

The Magnificat Antiphons, including the O Antiphons, are very dear to me because the Magnificat is very deeply embedded in my heart. The Blessed Virgin Mary's spontaneous song, when greeted by her elderly cousin Elizabeth, has always stirred in me an immediate response. At different times in my life, different parts of the Magnificat would 'jump out' at me:

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour....

He, remembering His mercy, hath holpen His servant Israel, as He promised to our forefathers....

He hath showed strength with His arm...

He hath filled the hungry with good things...

When I was in high school, our pastor once asked in a sermon, "What is your personal motto?" My response was immediate--the response of Our Lady to the Angel Gabriel, which is the last thing recorded before the Magnificat:

Ecce ancilla Domini
(Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord)

Of course, it has taken a lifetime to begin to come even close to the total surrender of the second half of Our Lady's response:

Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.

(Be it done unto me according to thy word.)

I hope that I grow older day by day, I also grow wiser, and more open to hearing the Holy Spirit speaking, so that all can be done unto me according to the Word-made-Flesh, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 17, 2009 at Thursday, December 17, 2009 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

1 comments

Carolyn NC

Very pretty!

December 18, 2009 at 1:21 AM

The Successor of St. Peter speaks

As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a Forma extraordinaria of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted.

… it has clearly been demonstrated that young persons too have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the Mystery of the Most Holy Eucharist, particularly suited to them.

What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.

— Benedict XVI,
Letter to Bishops
concerning his Motu Proprio
«Summorum Pontificum» (7/7/2007)

Ut unum sint

The Collect for the Unity of the Church, Removal of Schism and Return of Separated Christians

O GOD, Who dost correct what has gone astray and gatherest together what is scattered, and keepest what Thou hast gathered together, we beseech Thee in Thy mercy to pour down upon Christian people the grace of union with Thee, that putting aside disunion and attaching themselves to the true shepherd of Thy Church, they may be able to render Thee due service. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

The Collect for the Anglican Use

O HOLY Ghost the Lord, who on Pentecost gavest the Church the gift of tongues that Christ might be known, loved and served by peoples of divers nations and customs: watch over the Anglican heritage within thy Church, we pray thee, that, led by thy guidance and strengthened by thy grace, that Use may find such favor in thy sight that its people may increase both in holiness and number, and so show forth thy glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Son, one God world without end. Amen.

The Chanting Needle

Advent chants

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