EVENING PRAYER I
The season of Christmas begins iwth the First EP of the feast, which contains antiphons of great beauty and mystery. The psalms are proper to this service.
(1) He comes in splendor, the King who is our peace;
the whole wolrd longs to see him. (sung with Psalm 113)
(2) He sends forth his Word to the earth,
and his command spreads swiftly through the land (Psalm 147:12-20)
(3) The eternal Word, born of the Father before time began,
today emptied himself for our sake and became man. (NT Cant: Phil. 2:6-11)
The Reading is Gal. 4:3-7, "When the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman." The Responsory is sung only on this evening: "Today you will know that the Lord is coming, and in the morning you shall see his glory!"
Evening Prayer comes to its climax with the singing of the Magnificat, which is paired with this antiphon:
When the sun rises in the morning sky,
you will see the King of Kings coming forth from the Father,
like a radiant bridegroom from the bridal chamber.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are from the Proper for today.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year B: Commentary
II Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Psalm 89
Romans 16: 25-27
Luke 1: 26-38
The Fourth Sunday of Advent, in all three cycles, is devoted to the immediate coming of the feast of Christmas. The readings are directly connected to the incarnation of the Son of God. The Introit (Entrance Antiphon) of this Sunday is from Isaiah 63:
"Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let hte earth be opened and bud forth a Savior."
Accordingly, the first reading on this Sunday tells of the ancestor of Jesus, King David, deciding to build "a house for the Lord." God tells David not to worry---instead, God is going to build David a house, and assures him that "your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever." The psalm echoes this promise, with God announcing "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant----establish your throne for all generations!" St. Paul, in the letter to the Romans, ties all of this together by saying, "According to the revelation of the mystery kept secred for long ages, but now made known to all the nations," reminding us that all of this has its climax in the coming of Jesus, the Son of God.
Today's Gospel is the story of the Annunciation--the archangel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her that the Messiah, the Son of God, would be born of her womb. Mary's YES thus begins the reversal of all the times humanity has said NO to God, and Mary's consent brings Jesus into the world. The angel tells her that "he will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High--and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the hosue of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." The prophecies of the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm come to their fulfillment in the words of today's Gospel.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux speaks these words to Mary, as she decides how to answer the angel Gabriel:
"You have heard, O Viring, that you will conceive and bear a Son...the angel awaits an answer...we too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion...Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin...that is what the whole world waits for...for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned...Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the Divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the Eternal Word."
(Homilia 4)
The propers and readings have inspired so much music:
"Rorate coeli desuper," William Byrd. "Music for Advent," www.litpress.org
"Nova, nova!" medieval carol, "Music for Advent," www.litpress.org
"To a Maid Engaged to Joseph," hymn, "Music for Advent II," www. litpress.org
"The Annunciation Gospel," "Redeemer of the Nations, Come," www.jspaluch.com/wlp
Psalm 89
Romans 16: 25-27
Luke 1: 26-38
The Fourth Sunday of Advent, in all three cycles, is devoted to the immediate coming of the feast of Christmas. The readings are directly connected to the incarnation of the Son of God. The Introit (Entrance Antiphon) of this Sunday is from Isaiah 63:
"Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One; let hte earth be opened and bud forth a Savior."
Accordingly, the first reading on this Sunday tells of the ancestor of Jesus, King David, deciding to build "a house for the Lord." God tells David not to worry---instead, God is going to build David a house, and assures him that "your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before Me; your throne shall stand firm forever." The psalm echoes this promise, with God announcing "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant----establish your throne for all generations!" St. Paul, in the letter to the Romans, ties all of this together by saying, "According to the revelation of the mystery kept secred for long ages, but now made known to all the nations," reminding us that all of this has its climax in the coming of Jesus, the Son of God.
Today's Gospel is the story of the Annunciation--the archangel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell her that the Messiah, the Son of God, would be born of her womb. Mary's YES thus begins the reversal of all the times humanity has said NO to God, and Mary's consent brings Jesus into the world. The angel tells her that "he will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High--and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the hosue of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." The prophecies of the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm come to their fulfillment in the words of today's Gospel.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux speaks these words to Mary, as she decides how to answer the angel Gabriel:
"You have heard, O Viring, that you will conceive and bear a Son...the angel awaits an answer...we too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion...Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin...that is what the whole world waits for...for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned...Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the Divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the Eternal Word."
(Homilia 4)
The propers and readings have inspired so much music:
"Rorate coeli desuper," William Byrd. "Music for Advent," www.litpress.org
"Nova, nova!" medieval carol, "Music for Advent," www.litpress.org
"To a Maid Engaged to Joseph," hymn, "Music for Advent II," www. litpress.org
"The Annunciation Gospel," "Redeemer of the Nations, Come," www.jspaluch.com/wlp
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Liturgy of the Hours
Evening Prayer I
The Advent Vesper Office Hymn for the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Four of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, reflecting on the Savior's coming at Christmas:
(1) He comes, the desire of all human hearts;
his dwelling place shall be resplendent with glory, alleluia.
(2) Come, Lord, do not delay;
free your people from their sinfulness.
(3) The fullness of time has come upon us at last;
God sends his Son into the world.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The Antiphon on the Magnificat for December 20 is sung tonight:
O Key of David,
O royal Power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory:
The Lord is close at hand:
come let us worship him!
The Advent Morning Office Hymn is Magnis prophetae vocibus.
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Four of the four-week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper:
(1) Sound the trumpet in Zion, the day of the Lord is near;
he comes to save us, alleluia.
(2) The Lord is here, go out to meet him, saying:
great his birth, eternal his kingdom--
strong God, Ruler of all, Prince of Peace, alleluia.
(3) Your all-powerful Word, O Lord,
will come to earth from his throne of glory, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The Advent Vesper Office Hymn during the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."
The Psalms from Week 4 of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) See how glorious he is,
coming forth as the Savior of all peoples.
(2) Crooked paths will be straightened and rough ways smooth.
Come, O Lord, and do not delay, alleluia.
(3) Ever wider will his kingdom spread,
eternally at peace.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Prayer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The Great O Antiphon on the Magnificat is that for December 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere:
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice:
Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
The Advent Vesper Office Hymn for the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Four of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, reflecting on the Savior's coming at Christmas:
(1) He comes, the desire of all human hearts;
his dwelling place shall be resplendent with glory, alleluia.
(2) Come, Lord, do not delay;
free your people from their sinfulness.
(3) The fullness of time has come upon us at last;
God sends his Son into the world.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The Antiphon on the Magnificat for December 20 is sung tonight:
O Key of David,
O royal Power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory:
The Lord is close at hand:
come let us worship him!
The Advent Morning Office Hymn is Magnis prophetae vocibus.
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Four of the four-week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper:
(1) Sound the trumpet in Zion, the day of the Lord is near;
he comes to save us, alleluia.
(2) The Lord is here, go out to meet him, saying:
great his birth, eternal his kingdom--
strong God, Ruler of all, Prince of Peace, alleluia.
(3) Your all-powerful Word, O Lord,
will come to earth from his throne of glory, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The Advent Vesper Office Hymn during the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."
The Psalms from Week 4 of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) See how glorious he is,
coming forth as the Savior of all peoples.
(2) Crooked paths will be straightened and rough ways smooth.
Come, O Lord, and do not delay, alleluia.
(3) Ever wider will his kingdom spread,
eternally at peace.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Prayer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The Great O Antiphon on the Magnificat is that for December 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere:
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice:
Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Gaudete, the Third Sunday of Advent: Commentary
Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11
Magnificat (Lk 1:46-54)
I Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1: 6-8, 19-28
The Third Sunday of Advent is called GAUDETE (i.e., "rejoice"), from the first Latin word in its Introit/Entrance Psalm. On this Sunday, the Church permits the use of rose-colored vestments in place of the more customary Advent violet. Why? if you take violet paint and mix in white (the color of rejoicing), you will eventually come to the color rose.
The First Reading, the Second Reading, and the canticle taking the place of the Responsorial Psalm for this day, all utilize the word "rejoice." The words of the prophet Isaiah are caught up in the spirit of hte Lord, who anoints God's Messiah and charges him to "announce a year of favor from the Lord." Today's psalm is not a psalm at all---it is the Canticle of Mary, the "Magnificat" sung with the refrain, "My soul rejoices in my God!" and proceeeds to tell us that "the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name!" St. Paul, in the Second Reading, tells his readers, "Rejoice always!" so that "in all circumstances, give thanks--for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
The Gospel gives us the second Sunday appearance of John the Baptist, giving testimony to all who would listen that he was "the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. The Baptist points to the coming Messiah, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Abbot William of St. Thierry said:
Truly, you alone are the Lord. You dominion is our salvation. And this is clearly the reason: You first loved us so that we might love you---not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you. Now, in these last days, you have spoken to us in your Son, your Word; for you to speak thus, in your Son, was to bring out into the light of day how much and in what way you loved us, for you did not spare your own Son, but delivered him up for us all."
(On the Contemplation of God)
This Sunday's propers and readings are sung in these pieces:
"The Desert Shall Rejoice," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"Tell Out My Soul," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"Rejoice in the Lord Alway," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org (INTROIT)
"Dicite: pusillanimes," Music for Advent, www.litpress.org (COMMUNION)
Magnificat (Lk 1:46-54)
I Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1: 6-8, 19-28
The Third Sunday of Advent is called GAUDETE (i.e., "rejoice"), from the first Latin word in its Introit/Entrance Psalm. On this Sunday, the Church permits the use of rose-colored vestments in place of the more customary Advent violet. Why? if you take violet paint and mix in white (the color of rejoicing), you will eventually come to the color rose.
The First Reading, the Second Reading, and the canticle taking the place of the Responsorial Psalm for this day, all utilize the word "rejoice." The words of the prophet Isaiah are caught up in the spirit of hte Lord, who anoints God's Messiah and charges him to "announce a year of favor from the Lord." Today's psalm is not a psalm at all---it is the Canticle of Mary, the "Magnificat" sung with the refrain, "My soul rejoices in my God!" and proceeeds to tell us that "the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name!" St. Paul, in the Second Reading, tells his readers, "Rejoice always!" so that "in all circumstances, give thanks--for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
The Gospel gives us the second Sunday appearance of John the Baptist, giving testimony to all who would listen that he was "the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord. The Baptist points to the coming Messiah, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Abbot William of St. Thierry said:
Truly, you alone are the Lord. You dominion is our salvation. And this is clearly the reason: You first loved us so that we might love you---not because you needed our love, but because we could not be what you created us to be, except by loving you. Now, in these last days, you have spoken to us in your Son, your Word; for you to speak thus, in your Son, was to bring out into the light of day how much and in what way you loved us, for you did not spare your own Son, but delivered him up for us all."
(On the Contemplation of God)
This Sunday's propers and readings are sung in these pieces:
"The Desert Shall Rejoice," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"Tell Out My Soul," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"Rejoice in the Lord Alway," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org (INTROIT)
"Dicite: pusillanimes," Music for Advent, www.litpress.org (COMMUNION)
Third Sunday in Advent: Liturgy of the Hours
Evening Prayer I
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Three of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) Rejoice, Jerusalem, let your joy overflow;
your Savior will come to you, alleluia.
(2) I, the Lord, am coming to save you; already I am near;
soon I will free you from your sins.
(3) Lord, send the Lamb, the ruler of hte earth,
from the rock in the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
A man named John was sent from God;
he came for testimony, to testify to the Light.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Three of the four-week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper:
(1) The Lord is coming without delay.
He will reveal things kept hidden,
and show himself to all mankind, alleluia.
(2) Mountains ans hills shall be level,
crooked paths straight, rough ways smooth.
Come, Lord, do not delay, alleluia.
(3) I shall enfold Zion with My salvation
and shed my glory around Jerusalem, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
John said: I am the voice of one crying in the desert,
make straight the way of the Lord.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week 3 of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) Our Lord will come to claim his glorious throne
in the assembly of the princes.
(2) Let the mountains break out with joy
and the hills with answering gladness,
for the world's ture light, the Lord, comes with power and might.
(3) Let us live in holiness and love
as we patiently await our blessed hope,
the coming of our Savior.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
I baptize with water, but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the One who is coming after me.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Three of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) Rejoice, Jerusalem, let your joy overflow;
your Savior will come to you, alleluia.
(2) I, the Lord, am coming to save you; already I am near;
soon I will free you from your sins.
(3) Lord, send the Lamb, the ruler of hte earth,
from the rock in the desert to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
A man named John was sent from God;
he came for testimony, to testify to the Light.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Three of the four-week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper:
(1) The Lord is coming without delay.
He will reveal things kept hidden,
and show himself to all mankind, alleluia.
(2) Mountains ans hills shall be level,
crooked paths straight, rough ways smooth.
Come, Lord, do not delay, alleluia.
(3) I shall enfold Zion with My salvation
and shed my glory around Jerusalem, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
John said: I am the voice of one crying in the desert,
make straight the way of the Lord.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week 3 of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:
(1) Our Lord will come to claim his glorious throne
in the assembly of the princes.
(2) Let the mountains break out with joy
and the hills with answering gladness,
for the world's ture light, the Lord, comes with power and might.
(3) Let us live in holiness and love
as we patiently await our blessed hope,
the coming of our Savior.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
I baptize with water, but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the One who is coming after me.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Second Sunday of Advent, Year B: Commentary
Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11
Psalm 85
II Peter 3: 8-14
Mark 1: 1-8
The Isaiah passage proclaimed on this sunday is from what is known as the "book of the consolation of Israel." Its strong words, "Comfort! Give comfort to my people, says your God!" have been immortalized in the oratorio "Messiah" by G. F. Handel. The prophecy goes on to command, "In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord!" This text is quoted in the Gospel we hear today, where John the Baptist is referred to by St. Mark as "the voice of one crying in the desert, prepare the way of hte Lord, make straight his paths." John did this preparation by proclaiming the need for repentance---acknowledgment of past wrongs and the need to ask God both for forgiveness and for grace--the ability to live a new life. As he said this, John emphasized that he was preparing the way for One yet to come: "One mightier than I, coming after me."
In between the comfort of Isaiah and the challenge of John the Baptist comes the assurance of the Apostle Peter that "the Lord does not delay his promise--but is being patient with you, not wishing that any should perish." It is this incredible loving-kindness that we celebrate in Advent, leading up to the miracle of God-with-us, EMMANUEL.
Eusebius of Caesarea, preaching on todays First Reading, says:
"The profphecy meant that God was to come to a deserted place, inaccessible from the beginning. None of hte pagans had any knowledge of God, since his holy servants and the prophets were kept from approaching them. The voice commands that a way be prepared for the Word of God; the rough and trackless ground is to be made level, so that our God may find a highway when he comes. Prepare the way of the Lord---the way is the preaching of the Gospel, the new message of consolation, ready to pring all people the knowledge of God's saving power."
(Commentary on Isaiah)
There are many pieces based on today's readings. Some of them are:
"Comfort, Comfort Now My People" Music for Advent, www.litpress.org
"Take Comfort, God's People, Take Comfort" Music for Advent, www.litpress.org
"Isaiah Lesson" God Is With Us, www.jspaluch.com/wpl
"Vox Clamantis in Deserto," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
Psalm 85
II Peter 3: 8-14
Mark 1: 1-8
The Isaiah passage proclaimed on this sunday is from what is known as the "book of the consolation of Israel." Its strong words, "Comfort! Give comfort to my people, says your God!" have been immortalized in the oratorio "Messiah" by G. F. Handel. The prophecy goes on to command, "In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord!" This text is quoted in the Gospel we hear today, where John the Baptist is referred to by St. Mark as "the voice of one crying in the desert, prepare the way of hte Lord, make straight his paths." John did this preparation by proclaiming the need for repentance---acknowledgment of past wrongs and the need to ask God both for forgiveness and for grace--the ability to live a new life. As he said this, John emphasized that he was preparing the way for One yet to come: "One mightier than I, coming after me."
In between the comfort of Isaiah and the challenge of John the Baptist comes the assurance of the Apostle Peter that "the Lord does not delay his promise--but is being patient with you, not wishing that any should perish." It is this incredible loving-kindness that we celebrate in Advent, leading up to the miracle of God-with-us, EMMANUEL.
Eusebius of Caesarea, preaching on todays First Reading, says:
"The profphecy meant that God was to come to a deserted place, inaccessible from the beginning. None of hte pagans had any knowledge of God, since his holy servants and the prophets were kept from approaching them. The voice commands that a way be prepared for the Word of God; the rough and trackless ground is to be made level, so that our God may find a highway when he comes. Prepare the way of the Lord---the way is the preaching of the Gospel, the new message of consolation, ready to pring all people the knowledge of God's saving power."
(Commentary on Isaiah)
There are many pieces based on today's readings. Some of them are:
"Comfort, Comfort Now My People" Music for Advent, www.litpress.org
"Take Comfort, God's People, Take Comfort" Music for Advent, www.litpress.org
"Isaiah Lesson" God Is With Us, www.jspaluch.com/wpl
"Vox Clamantis in Deserto," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
"There's a Voice in the Wilderness Crying," Music for Advent II, www.litpress.org
Second Sunday of Advent, Year B: Liturgy of the Hours
Evening Prayer I
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second comingof the Lord:
(1) New city of Zion, let your heart sing for joy;
see how humbly your King comes to save you.
(2) Have courage, all of you, lost and fearful;
take heart and say: Our God will come to save us, alleluia.
(3) The law was given to Moses,
but grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Behold, I send my messenger before you, who will prepare your way.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper and are speaking of the end of time:
(1) Zion is our mighty citadel, our saving Lord its wall and its defense;
throw open the gates, for our God is here among us, alleluia.
(2) Come to the waters, all you who thirst;
seek the Lord while he can be found, alleluia.
(3) Our God will come with great power
to enlighten the eyse of his servants, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP until the secnd part of the season begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
John the Baptist appeared in the desert,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second coming of the Lord:
(1) The Lord will come on the clouds of heaven
with great power and might, alleluia.
(2) The Lord will come; he is true to his word.
If he seems to delay, keep watch for him,
for he will surely come, alleluia.
(3) The Lord, our king and lawgiver,
will come to save us, alleluia.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming: "The Lord is near!"
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
John proclaimed and said: One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second comingof the Lord:
(1) New city of Zion, let your heart sing for joy;
see how humbly your King comes to save you.
(2) Have courage, all of you, lost and fearful;
take heart and say: Our God will come to save us, alleluia.
(3) The law was given to Moses,
but grace and truth come through Jesus Christ.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Behold, I send my messenger before you, who will prepare your way.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper and are speaking of the end of time:
(1) Zion is our mighty citadel, our saving Lord its wall and its defense;
throw open the gates, for our God is here among us, alleluia.
(2) Come to the waters, all you who thirst;
seek the Lord while he can be found, alleluia.
(3) Our God will come with great power
to enlighten the eyse of his servants, alleluia.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP until the secnd part of the season begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
John the Baptist appeared in the desert,
proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week Two of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second coming of the Lord:
(1) The Lord will come on the clouds of heaven
with great power and might, alleluia.
(2) The Lord will come; he is true to his word.
If he seems to delay, keep watch for him,
for he will surely come, alleluia.
(3) The Lord, our king and lawgiver,
will come to save us, alleluia.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming: "The Lord is near!"
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
John proclaimed and said: One mightier than I is coming after me.
I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
First Sunday of Advent, Year B: Commentary
Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7
Psalm 80
I Corinthians 1: 3-9
Mark 13: 33-37
On the First Sunday of Advent, the Church will proclaim the plea of the prophet Isaiah, directed to the Lord: "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!"
The prophet reminds the Lord that he has done awesome deeds before, so could he please do them again for us now?!?
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come!" In these days when things are so unstable, many people are worried. In the Second Reading, Paul reminds the Corinthians that "God will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ!" And Paul reminds us why: "God," he says, "is faithful." During Advent, we re-ground ourselves in the faithfulness of God, and of the Chosen People who waited for his coming--and in our need to pray "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory."
Preaching about Advent, St. Bernard of Clairvaux says:
"We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first, he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; in the final coming, 'all flesh will see the salvation of our God,' and 'they shall look upon him whom they have pierced.' The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it, only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In this middle coming, the Lord comes in spirit and in power. Because it lies between the other two comings, it is like a road on which we travel from the first to the second. In his first coming, he was our redemption; in his last, he will be our life; in the middle, he is our rest and our consolation."
(Sermo 5 in Adventu Domini)
Music that goes with today's readings:
"Rorate coeli," "O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide," and "Vigilate," all recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on "Music for Advent," 1989, published by The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (www.litpress.org)
Psalm 80
I Corinthians 1: 3-9
Mark 13: 33-37
On the First Sunday of Advent, the Church will proclaim the plea of the prophet Isaiah, directed to the Lord: "Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down!"
The prophet reminds the Lord that he has done awesome deeds before, so could he please do them again for us now?!?
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples, "Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come!" In these days when things are so unstable, many people are worried. In the Second Reading, Paul reminds the Corinthians that "God will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ!" And Paul reminds us why: "God," he says, "is faithful." During Advent, we re-ground ourselves in the faithfulness of God, and of the Chosen People who waited for his coming--and in our need to pray "When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory."
Preaching about Advent, St. Bernard of Clairvaux says:
"We know that there are three comings of the Lord. The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first, he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; in the final coming, 'all flesh will see the salvation of our God,' and 'they shall look upon him whom they have pierced.' The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it, only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In this middle coming, the Lord comes in spirit and in power. Because it lies between the other two comings, it is like a road on which we travel from the first to the second. In his first coming, he was our redemption; in his last, he will be our life; in the middle, he is our rest and our consolation."
(Sermo 5 in Adventu Domini)
Music that goes with today's readings:
"Rorate coeli," "O Savior, Rend the Heavens Wide," and "Vigilate," all recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on "Music for Advent," 1989, published by The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN (www.litpress.org)
First Sunday of Advent: Liturgy of the Hours
Evening Prayer I
As is true of every Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent begins on the Saturday previous when the Church sings Evening Prayer I.
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week One of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second comingof the Lord:
(1) Proclaim the good news among the nations:
our God will come to save us.
(2) Know that the Lord is coming and with him, all his saints;
that day will dawn with a wonderful light, alleluia.
(3) The Lord will come with mighty power;
all mortal eyes shall see him.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, and the earth is full of his glory.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week I of the Four-Week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper and are speaking of the end of time:
(1) On that day, sweet wine will flow from the mountains,
milk and honey from the hills, alleluia.
(2) The mountains and hills will sing praise to God;
all the trees of the forest will clap their hands,
for he is coming, the Lord of a kingdom that lasts forever, alleluia.
(3) A great prophet will come to Jerusalem;
of that people he will make a new creation.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP until the secnd part of the season begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
Watch, therefore! You do not know when the lordof the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The entire Office has been transcribed to the traditional Gregorian melodies, and is available in a pdf file from chantermt@yahoo.com
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week One of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second coming of the Lord:
(1) Rejoice, daughter of Zion;
shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem, alleluia.
(2) Christ our King will come to us,
the Lamb of God foretold by John.
(3) I am coming soon, says the Lord;
I will give to everyone the reward his deeds deserve, alleluia.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming: "The Lord is near!"
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God;
You will conceive and give birth to a Son, alleluia.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
As is true of every Sunday, the First Sunday of Advent begins on the Saturday previous when the Church sings Evening Prayer I.
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week One of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second comingof the Lord:
(1) Proclaim the good news among the nations:
our God will come to save us.
(2) Know that the Lord is coming and with him, all his saints;
that day will dawn with a wonderful light, alleluia.
(3) The Lord will come with mighty power;
all mortal eyes shall see him.
[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]
The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, and the earth is full of his glory.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory, which is used until the Saturday after Advent II, inclusive:
Come, let us worship the Lord,
the King who is to come!
The traditional Advent Morning Office Hymn is Verbum Supernum prodiens, which is recorded in English on "Music for Advent" (www.litpress.org).
The psalms are from Sunday, Week I of the Four-Week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper and are speaking of the end of time:
(1) On that day, sweet wine will flow from the mountains,
milk and honey from the hills, alleluia.
(2) The mountains and hills will sing praise to God;
all the trees of the forest will clap their hands,
for he is coming, the Lord of a kingdom that lasts forever, alleluia.
(3) A great prophet will come to Jerusalem;
of that people he will make a new creation.
The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP until the secnd part of the season begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming.
The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.
The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:
Watch, therefore! You do not know when the lordof the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Evening Prayer II
The entire Office has been transcribed to the traditional Gregorian melodies, and is available in a pdf file from chantermt@yahoo.com
The traditional Advent Vesper Office Hymn is "Conditor alme siderum." An English version of it is recorded on track 4, "Music for Advent," Creator of the Stars of Night. (www.litpress.org)
The psalms from Sunday EP II, Week One of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, and all make reference to the second coming of the Lord:
(1) Rejoice, daughter of Zion;
shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem, alleluia.
(2) Christ our King will come to us,
the Lamb of God foretold by John.
(3) I am coming soon, says the Lord;
I will give to everyone the reward his deeds deserve, alleluia.
The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Payer until the second part of Advent begins. Its reference, too, is to the second coming: "The Lord is near!"
The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.
The antiphons on the Magnificat and Benedictus have been changed in the "Editio Typica Altera" of the Liturgy of the Hours (published 2000). The one now assigned to Year B is:
Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God;
You will conceive and give birth to a Son, alleluia.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
First Evening Prayer, All Saints' (Nov. 1)
First Evening Prayer
The Hymn is "Christe, Redepmtor omnium." (N.B., NOT the one associated with Christmas, but one modeled upon it)
The Psalms and antiphons are proper to this feast.
1. Psalm 113, with
Eternal light will shine upon your saints, O Lord,
and they will live forever, alleluia.
2. Psalm 147:1-11, with
Jerusalem, city of God, you will rejoice in your children,
for they shall all be blessed and gathered together with the Lord, alleluia.
3. Revelations Canticle (19:1-7), with
Before the throne of God and the Lamb,
the saints will sing a new song;
their voices will resound throughout the earth, alleluia.
The Reading is Hebrews 12:22-24, which tells us that the Church on this day celebrates the "assembly of the first-born enrolled in heaven" which is there through "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."
The Responsory is: “The just will rejoice in the presence of the Lord,” with the verse, “They shall sing for joy!”
The antiphon on the Magnificat is:
The glorious company of apostles praises you,
the noble fellowship of prophets praises you,
the white-robed army of martyrs praises you,
all the saints together sing your glory,
O holy Trinity, one God.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are proper to All Saints.
The Hymn is "Christe, Redepmtor omnium." (N.B., NOT the one associated with Christmas, but one modeled upon it
The Psalms and antiphons are proper to this feast.
1. Psalm 113, with
Eternal light will shine upon your saints, O Lord,
and they will live forever, alleluia.
2. Psalm 147:1-11, with
Jerusalem, city of God, you will rejoice in your children,
for they shall all be blessed and gathered together with the Lord, alleluia.
3. Revelations Canticle (19:1-7), with
Before the throne of God and the Lamb,
the saints will sing a new song;
their voices will resound throughout the earth, alleluia.
The Reading is Hebrews 12:22-24, which tells us that the Church on this day celebrates the "assembly of the first-born enrolled in heaven" which is there through "Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."
The Responsory is: “The just will rejoice in the presence of the Lord,” with the verse, “They shall sing for joy!”
The antiphon on the Magnificat is:
The glorious company of apostles praises you,
the noble fellowship of prophets praises you,
the white-robed army of martyrs praises you,
all the saints together sing your glory,
O holy Trinity, one God.
The Intercessions and the Prayer are proper to All Saints.
Hymn: Solemnity of All the Saints (Nov. 1)
All Saints’ Day
Nov. 1
Let us rejoice in God, the Lord, c.f. today’s Introit
And keep the saints’ great festal day;
In union with the heavn’ly host
All homage to God’s Son we pay.
A number vast, beyond our count, c.f. Rev. 7:2-4, 9-11
From ev’ry race and tongue and land,
The saints are gathered round the throne;
White-robed and crowned, with Christ they stand.
The love the Father poured on us c.f. I John 3:1-3
That names each one a ‘child of God’
Points forward to a greater gift
For those who, faithful, Christ’s way trod.
The gentle and those making peace, c.f. Matthew 5: 1-12
The mourner and the pure in heart,
Those persecuted for the right:
All saints of God, with grace their part.
“To God, who sits upon the thone, c.f. Rev. 7:2-4, 9-11
And to the Lamb,” the saints acclaim,
Be victory and endless praise!
Give ceaseless glory to His Name!”
To Father, Son, and Paraclete,
Our only God in persons three
All glory from the Church on earth
And from all saints in heaven be!
LM
no suggested tune
Nov. 1
Let us rejoice in God, the Lord, c.f. today’s Introit
And keep the saints’ great festal day;
In union with the heavn’ly host
All homage to God’s Son we pay.
A number vast, beyond our count, c.f. Rev. 7:2-4, 9-11
From ev’ry race and tongue and land,
The saints are gathered round the throne;
White-robed and crowned, with Christ they stand.
The love the Father poured on us c.f. I John 3:1-3
That names each one a ‘child of God’
Points forward to a greater gift
For those who, faithful, Christ’s way trod.
The gentle and those making peace, c.f. Matthew 5: 1-12
The mourner and the pure in heart,
Those persecuted for the right:
All saints of God, with grace their part.
“To God, who sits upon the thone, c.f. Rev. 7:2-4, 9-11
And to the Lamb,” the saints acclaim,
Be victory and endless praise!
Give ceaseless glory to His Name!”
To Father, Son, and Paraclete,
Our only God in persons three
All glory from the Church on earth
And from all saints in heaven be!
LM
no suggested tune
Commentary: 30th Sun. OT A
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A
Exodus 22: 20-26
Psalm 18
I Thessalonians 1: 5-10
Matthew 22: 34-40 [MYMt #29, “Magister, quod est,” chant]
The readings converge today on the need to love our neighbor. The First Reading, from the book of Exodus, is taken from a section of the book which gives laws governing social conduct. The intention of the laws is to produce compassion, and specifically mentions the alien, the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the laborer. The Responsorial Psalm, with its refrain, “I love You, Lord, my strength!” sings of God’s defense of those who trust in Him. The Gospel is the encounter between Jesus and a Sadducee. The Sadducee asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus creates what we have come to know as the “summary of the law” by connecting Deuteronomy 6:5 with Leviticus 19:18, and concludes, “On these two commandments the whole law is based, and the prophets as well.”
Talking about this conflation, St. Augustine of Hippo says: “People are renewed by love. As sinful desire ages them, so love rejuvenates them. Enmeshed in the soils of his desires, the psalmist laments, ‘I have grown old surrounded by my enemies.’ Love, on the other hand, is the sign of our renewal, as we know from the Lord’s own words, ‘I give you a new commandment—love one another.’ Love, however was present under the old covenant as well as in the new. As love grows stronger, we feel more secure, and when our feeling of security is complete, fear vanishes, since, as the apostle John declares, ‘Perfect love casts out fear.’
(Sermo 350a)
We continue our in-course reading of I Thessalonians this week, still immersed in the “thanksgiving” of the letter. Paul describes his work among them as bringing them from paganism to belief in one God, and then giving them the knowledge of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. His comments about being “delivered from the wrath to come” leads us into next week’s reading.
One of the Gospel Canticles at today's Liturgy of the Hours will be sung with the antiphon, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?" You can hear the Gregorian melody to this antiphon, sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew," published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
Exodus 22: 20-26
Psalm 18
I Thessalonians 1: 5-10
Matthew 22: 34-40 [MYMt #29, “Magister, quod est,” chant]
The readings converge today on the need to love our neighbor. The First Reading, from the book of Exodus, is taken from a section of the book which gives laws governing social conduct. The intention of the laws is to produce compassion, and specifically mentions the alien, the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the laborer. The Responsorial Psalm, with its refrain, “I love You, Lord, my strength!” sings of God’s defense of those who trust in Him. The Gospel is the encounter between Jesus and a Sadducee. The Sadducee asked Him, “What is the greatest commandment of the law?” Jesus creates what we have come to know as the “summary of the law” by connecting Deuteronomy 6:5 with Leviticus 19:18, and concludes, “On these two commandments the whole law is based, and the prophets as well.”
Talking about this conflation, St. Augustine of Hippo says: “People are renewed by love. As sinful desire ages them, so love rejuvenates them. Enmeshed in the soils of his desires, the psalmist laments, ‘I have grown old surrounded by my enemies.’ Love, on the other hand, is the sign of our renewal, as we know from the Lord’s own words, ‘I give you a new commandment—love one another.’ Love, however was present under the old covenant as well as in the new. As love grows stronger, we feel more secure, and when our feeling of security is complete, fear vanishes, since, as the apostle John declares, ‘Perfect love casts out fear.’
(Sermo 350a)
We continue our in-course reading of I Thessalonians this week, still immersed in the “thanksgiving” of the letter. Paul describes his work among them as bringing them from paganism to belief in one God, and then giving them the knowledge of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. His comments about being “delivered from the wrath to come” leads us into next week’s reading.
One of the Gospel Canticles at today's Liturgy of the Hours will be sung with the antiphon, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?" You can hear the Gregorian melody to this antiphon, sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew," published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
Hymn: 30th Sun. OT A
"Vex not the stranger in your land,"
Thus spoke the Lord at Sinai.
"Orphan and widow safe must stand;
Surely I hear their outcry.
Extort not from the poor in need,
For I am merciful indeed."
Thus spoke the Lord to Israel.
Of the commandments, Jesus said:
"This is the first, most holy:
With heart and mind and all your soul
Love God the Lord, you lowly!
The second like to it you'll find--
As self, so love all humankind,"
Said Jesus, our Messiah.
Turning from self and selfish ways
We serve our God by loving
All that we meet in concrete ways,
Prompted by Spirit's moving.
Hence, loving God and neighbor too,
We strive God's holy will to do---
Thus living Jesus' teaching.
87.87.887.
Lobt Gott der Herren
Thus spoke the Lord at Sinai.
"Orphan and widow safe must stand;
Surely I hear their outcry.
Extort not from the poor in need,
For I am merciful indeed."
Thus spoke the Lord to Israel.
Of the commandments, Jesus said:
"This is the first, most holy:
With heart and mind and all your soul
Love God the Lord, you lowly!
The second like to it you'll find--
As self, so love all humankind,"
Said Jesus, our Messiah.
Turning from self and selfish ways
We serve our God by loving
All that we meet in concrete ways,
Prompted by Spirit's moving.
Hence, loving God and neighbor too,
We strive God's holy will to do---
Thus living Jesus' teaching.
87.87.887.
Lobt Gott der Herren
Commentary: 29th Sun. OT A
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A
Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6
Psalm 96
I Thessalonians 1: 1-5
Matthew 22: 15-21
Today’s readings are themed around pagan states and God. The First Reading (from Isaiah) has God speaking to the King of Persia, Cyrus, who has authorized the return of the Israelites to the land. The Responsorial Psalm talks about “Tell His glory among the nations, among all the peoples His wonderful deeds.” The Gospel relates the attempt of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus by asking, “Is it lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not?” Jesus sees through their trick and tells them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
St. Lawrence of Brindisi wrote about this parable and said: “The reply by which Christ sidestepped his enemies’ trap shows His great prudence. His teaching that each must be given what belongs to him, and also the example He gave by being willing to pay the temple tax and giving a shekel for Himself and Peter, shows His justice. His declaring it to be a duty to pay taxes to Caesar, opening teaching the truth without fear of the people who would be offended, shows His fortitude. For this is God’s way, of which Christ is the authentic teacher.” (Opera omnia)
The in-course reading today begins the First Letter to the Thessalonians. Scholars tell us that it was the first of the New Testament documents to be written. We get the greeting and the thanksgiving of the epistle, in which Paul tells his readers, “Our preaching of the Gospel proved not a mere matter of words for you, but one of power; it was carried on in the Holy Spirit, and out of complete conviction.”
A motet based on the Gospel for today, called "Jesus and the Pharisees," is sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew." The recording is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Isaiah 45: 1, 4-6
Psalm 96
I Thessalonians 1: 1-5
Matthew 22: 15-21
Today’s readings are themed around pagan states and God. The First Reading (from Isaiah) has God speaking to the King of Persia, Cyrus, who has authorized the return of the Israelites to the land. The Responsorial Psalm talks about “Tell His glory among the nations, among all the peoples His wonderful deeds.” The Gospel relates the attempt of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus by asking, “Is it lawful to pay tax to the emperor or not?” Jesus sees through their trick and tells them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”
St. Lawrence of Brindisi wrote about this parable and said: “The reply by which Christ sidestepped his enemies’ trap shows His great prudence. His teaching that each must be given what belongs to him, and also the example He gave by being willing to pay the temple tax and giving a shekel for Himself and Peter, shows His justice. His declaring it to be a duty to pay taxes to Caesar, opening teaching the truth without fear of the people who would be offended, shows His fortitude. For this is God’s way, of which Christ is the authentic teacher.” (Opera omnia)
The in-course reading today begins the First Letter to the Thessalonians. Scholars tell us that it was the first of the New Testament documents to be written. We get the greeting and the thanksgiving of the epistle, in which Paul tells his readers, “Our preaching of the Gospel proved not a mere matter of words for you, but one of power; it was carried on in the Holy Spirit, and out of complete conviction.”
A motet based on the Gospel for today, called "Jesus and the Pharisees," is sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew." The recording is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Hymn: 29th Sun. OT A
The Lord anointed Cyrus,
A king from far away,
That he might do God's bidding
And thus pave Jacob's way
To journey back from exil.
The Lord, Almighty One,
Chose one from alien people
To have His will be done.
So Jesus, when confronted
With careful, well-set plot,
Responded to the inquest
With wit by which we're taught:
"Give unto Caesar, Caesar's,
And unto God, God's own."
By this response, He shows us
God's glory, oft unknown.
Appearance is deceiving,
The common way, oft wrong;
We need to be pursuing
God's judgment, true and strong.
The Spirit gives us insight
Through faith and labors long,
That ev'ry day be guided
By Jesus' word so strong.
76.76.D
You can use many different tunes; but you might seriously consider Ellacombe.
If you don't know that, check the melody out here:
http://www.cyberhym nal.org/htm/ h/a/haillord. htm
A king from far away,
That he might do God's bidding
And thus pave Jacob's way
To journey back from exil.
The Lord, Almighty One,
Chose one from alien people
To have His will be done.
So Jesus, when confronted
With careful, well-set plot,
Responded to the inquest
With wit by which we're taught:
"Give unto Caesar, Caesar's,
And unto God, God's own."
By this response, He shows us
God's glory, oft unknown.
Appearance is deceiving,
The common way, oft wrong;
We need to be pursuing
God's judgment, true and strong.
The Spirit gives us insight
Through faith and labors long,
That ev'ry day be guided
By Jesus' word so strong.
76.76.D
You can use many different tunes; but you might seriously consider Ellacombe.
If you don't know that, check the melody out here:
http://www.cyberhym nal.org/htm/ h/a/haillord. htm
Commentary: 28th Sun. OT A
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, A
Isaiah 25: 6-10
Psalm 23
Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22: 1-14
The readings today center around banquets. The First Reading, from the book of the prophet Isaiah speaks of a great banquet—a symbol of “the world to come.” The Responsorial Psalm sings in its fourth stanza, “You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
The Gospel presents Jesus telling the parable of the wedding feast, and the man without a proper wedding garment. The feast was prepared, and none of the original invitees came, so the Master sent his servants “into the highways and byways to say—the feast is ready! Come to the feast!” But the host comes in and finds a man improperly dressed—no wedding garment—and, when the fellow has no answer, has the attendants throw him out; his final comment is, “The invited are many, the elect are few.” How prepared are we for the Great Banquet? Either for the Eucharist that is its foretaste, or for the heavenly feast itself?
Many commentators have discussed what the wedding garment symbolizes. St. Augustine of Hippo says: ‘Whatever can this wedding garment be? For an answer, we must go to St. Paul, who says, ‘The purpose of our command is to arouse the love that springs from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.’ There is your wedding garment. Not just any kind of love. Examine yourselves to see whether you possess it. If you do, your place at the Lord’s table is secure.” (Sermo 90)
The in-course reading of Philippians continues today. Paul explains to the Philippians (who have sent him some sort of gift) that his experiences of want and suffering are part of what marks him as an apostle of Jesus, what unites him to the cross. He then assures the Philippians, “My God in turn will supply all of your needs fully, in a way worthy of His magnificent riches in Christ Jesus!”
There is a plethora of settings of the Twenty-Third Psalm. One lovely one is a metrical version of the psalm text, sung to a Scots melody set bycomposer Richard Hillert, sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "This is the Feast." Another is composer Noel Goemanne's arrangement of the early American tune "Resignation," found on the recording "Praise to the Lord: Great Hymns of the Church." A hymn based on the Gospel reading for today is by the Lutheran hymn-writer Martin Franzmann, set with marvelous ingenuity by composer Richard Hillert. This is found on the cd, "Music for the November Feasts." All of these recordings are published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Isaiah 25: 6-10
Psalm 23
Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22: 1-14
The readings today center around banquets. The First Reading, from the book of the prophet Isaiah speaks of a great banquet—a symbol of “the world to come.” The Responsorial Psalm sings in its fourth stanza, “You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
The Gospel presents Jesus telling the parable of the wedding feast, and the man without a proper wedding garment. The feast was prepared, and none of the original invitees came, so the Master sent his servants “into the highways and byways to say—the feast is ready! Come to the feast!” But the host comes in and finds a man improperly dressed—no wedding garment—and, when the fellow has no answer, has the attendants throw him out; his final comment is, “The invited are many, the elect are few.” How prepared are we for the Great Banquet? Either for the Eucharist that is its foretaste, or for the heavenly feast itself?
Many commentators have discussed what the wedding garment symbolizes. St. Augustine of Hippo says: ‘Whatever can this wedding garment be? For an answer, we must go to St. Paul, who says, ‘The purpose of our command is to arouse the love that springs from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.’ There is your wedding garment. Not just any kind of love. Examine yourselves to see whether you possess it. If you do, your place at the Lord’s table is secure.” (Sermo 90)
The in-course reading of Philippians continues today. Paul explains to the Philippians (who have sent him some sort of gift) that his experiences of want and suffering are part of what marks him as an apostle of Jesus, what unites him to the cross. He then assures the Philippians, “My God in turn will supply all of your needs fully, in a way worthy of His magnificent riches in Christ Jesus!”
There is a plethora of settings of the Twenty-Third Psalm. One lovely one is a metrical version of the psalm text, sung to a Scots melody set bycomposer Richard Hillert, sung by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd, "This is the Feast." Another is composer Noel Goemanne's arrangement of the early American tune "Resignation," found on the recording "Praise to the Lord: Great Hymns of the Church." A hymn based on the Gospel reading for today is by the Lutheran hymn-writer Martin Franzmann, set with marvelous ingenuity by composer Richard Hillert. This is found on the cd, "Music for the November Feasts." All of these recordings are published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Hymn: 28th Sun. OT A
God's own reign can be envisioned
As a royal wedding feast
Unto which the king invited
Both the greatest and the least.
Those invited spurned his goodness,
So the call was then sent out:
Go into the roads and shout
"All is ready for the banquet!
Bring within the good and bad---
There are seats still to be had!"
In the days which soon are coming,
God will on the mount provide
Lavish food and finest vintage,
Wiping tears from ev'ry eye.
Death itself will then be vanquished,
And our God will then erase
All that keeps us far from grace;
On the mountain God established
We shall dwell eternally,
There restored, renewed, set free.
In our hardships, we are strengthened
By the love of Jesus still.
God shall, all our needs perceiving,
Richly give in gracious will.
Thus invited to the banquet,
Where the feast shall ever last,
We by God will be kept fast.
Let us live in light of mercy
That our wedding garment bright
Find full favor in God's sight.
87.87.877.877
Lasset uns mit Jesu ziehen
If you don't know the tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/t/letuewwj.htm
This is recorded as a choir anthem on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew" by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop. The recording is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org). The 20th century arrangement for 3-voice choir and organ is very beautiful and highly creative!
As a royal wedding feast
Unto which the king invited
Both the greatest and the least.
Those invited spurned his goodness,
So the call was then sent out:
Go into the roads and shout
"All is ready for the banquet!
Bring within the good and bad---
There are seats still to be had!"
In the days which soon are coming,
God will on the mount provide
Lavish food and finest vintage,
Wiping tears from ev'ry eye.
Death itself will then be vanquished,
And our God will then erase
All that keeps us far from grace;
On the mountain God established
We shall dwell eternally,
There restored, renewed, set free.
In our hardships, we are strengthened
By the love of Jesus still.
God shall, all our needs perceiving,
Richly give in gracious will.
Thus invited to the banquet,
Where the feast shall ever last,
We by God will be kept fast.
Let us live in light of mercy
That our wedding garment bright
Find full favor in God's sight.
87.87.877.877
Lasset uns mit Jesu ziehen
If you don't know the tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/t/letuewwj.htm
This is recorded as a choir anthem on the cd, "Music for the Year of Matthew" by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop. The recording is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org). The 20th century arrangement for 3-voice choir and organ is very beautiful and highly creative!
Commentary: 27 Sun. OT A
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, A
Isaiah 5: 1-7
Psalm 80
Philippians 4: 6-9
Matthew 21: 33-43
The readings today both utilize a parable about a vineyard. The First Reading is actually “my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.” It is at the end that the prophet delivers the jab about the vineyard being Israel, and its inhabitants as unfaithful. The Responsorial Psalm echoes this concept of the vineyard’s “walls broken down, so that every passer-by picks its fruit;” the refrain of the psalm is taken from the First Reading, “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.” The Gospel has Jesus telling the chief priests and the elders a parable about a vineyard, its owner, and its tenants. At the end of it, he quotes Ps. 118 and then sums up by saying, “For this reason, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will yield a rich harvest.” The christological interpretation of this parable happened already in the Gospel itself (notice that the last to be sent was “the son,” and Him the tenants killed).
St. Basil the Great says: "Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord continually likens human souls to vines. He says, for instance: "My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside;" and again, "I planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it." Clearly it is human souls that he calls his vineyard, and the hedge he has put around them is the security of his commandments and the protection of the angles, for "the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him." (Homilies on the Hexaemeron, 5: SC 27, 304-307)
The in-course reading from Philippians continues this week. The first paragraph of the Second Reading has a long association with the Third Sunday of Advent. Here, though, we are given it as an exhortation to trust in God, who provides our needs and gives us peace. The pericope concludes with a list of things one ought to think of: things honest, pure, admirable, decent, etc. Using these in connection with living a life modeled on Christ (as Paul’s was when he was living there) will cause “the God of peace to be with you.”
A text based on the First Reading (Isaiah 5:1-7) is "Amid the World's Bleak Wilderness," by the hymnwriter Jaroslav Vajda, has been set by composer Richard Hillert and recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd "Praise to the Lord: Great Hymns of the Church." The text of the Second Reading (Philippians 4: 6-9) is set by an anonymous composer in the English renaissance motet, "Rejoice in the Lord Alway," which was recorded by the Schola on the cd "Music for Advent II." Finally, a the hymn that I wrote for this Sunday is recorded on "Music for the Year of Matthew." All of these cds are published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Isaiah 5: 1-7
Psalm 80
Philippians 4: 6-9
Matthew 21: 33-43
The readings today both utilize a parable about a vineyard. The First Reading is actually “my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.” It is at the end that the prophet delivers the jab about the vineyard being Israel, and its inhabitants as unfaithful. The Responsorial Psalm echoes this concept of the vineyard’s “walls broken down, so that every passer-by picks its fruit;” the refrain of the psalm is taken from the First Reading, “The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.” The Gospel has Jesus telling the chief priests and the elders a parable about a vineyard, its owner, and its tenants. At the end of it, he quotes Ps. 118 and then sums up by saying, “For this reason, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will yield a rich harvest.” The christological interpretation of this parable happened already in the Gospel itself (notice that the last to be sent was “the son,” and Him the tenants killed).
St. Basil the Great says: "Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord continually likens human souls to vines. He says, for instance: "My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside;" and again, "I planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it." Clearly it is human souls that he calls his vineyard, and the hedge he has put around them is the security of his commandments and the protection of the angles, for "the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him." (Homilies on the Hexaemeron, 5: SC 27, 304-307)
The in-course reading from Philippians continues this week. The first paragraph of the Second Reading has a long association with the Third Sunday of Advent. Here, though, we are given it as an exhortation to trust in God, who provides our needs and gives us peace. The pericope concludes with a list of things one ought to think of: things honest, pure, admirable, decent, etc. Using these in connection with living a life modeled on Christ (as Paul’s was when he was living there) will cause “the God of peace to be with you.”
A text based on the First Reading (Isaiah 5:1-7) is "Amid the World's Bleak Wilderness," by the hymnwriter Jaroslav Vajda, has been set by composer Richard Hillert and recorded by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the cd "Praise to the Lord: Great Hymns of the Church." The text of the Second Reading (Philippians 4: 6-9) is set by an anonymous composer in the English renaissance motet, "Rejoice in the Lord Alway," which was recorded by the Schola on the cd "Music for Advent II." Finally, a the hymn that I wrote for this Sunday is recorded on "Music for the Year of Matthew." All of these cds are published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org).
Hymn: 27th Sun. OT A
Hear now the song of fruitful vineyard
Planted with loving, tender care;
Hear how the tenants stole its profits
And killed the ownder's servants there.
Total rebellion seized their soul;
Breaking the covenant, their goal.
We are the vineyard, we the tenants
Pledged now in covenant with Christ.
In our rebellion, we have wandered
Far from His love beyond all price.
But mercy prompts God's faithful care
In which each sinner still can share.
Since love is God's response to sinners,
All anxious thoughts can be cast out;
Our needs, in pray're with grateful spirits,
Should then be voiced, beyond all doubts.
Lives that are honest, pure indeed,
Are by the God of peace thus freed.
98.98.88
tune: We nur den lieben Gott
If you don't know the tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/non/foreign.htm?de/wernurlg.htm
This hymn is recorded on the cd "Music for the Year of Matthew" by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop; the cd is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
On that recording, you'll notice two forms of the melody. The first and older form is used for stanzas one and three, and is sung in unison. That is what's known as the "free-rhythm" form of the chorale, which is the form sung in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The second form, used in stanza two, is a J. S. Bach harmonization of the "simplified melody."
Planted with loving, tender care;
Hear how the tenants stole its profits
And killed the ownder's servants there.
Total rebellion seized their soul;
Breaking the covenant, their goal.
We are the vineyard, we the tenants
Pledged now in covenant with Christ.
In our rebellion, we have wandered
Far from His love beyond all price.
But mercy prompts God's faithful care
In which each sinner still can share.
Since love is God's response to sinners,
All anxious thoughts can be cast out;
Our needs, in pray're with grateful spirits,
Should then be voiced, beyond all doubts.
Lives that are honest, pure indeed,
Are by the God of peace thus freed.
98.98.88
tune: We nur den lieben Gott
If you don't know the tune: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/non/foreign.htm?de/wernurlg.htm
This hymn is recorded on the cd "Music for the Year of Matthew" by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop; the cd is published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
On that recording, you'll notice two forms of the melody. The first and older form is used for stanzas one and three, and is sung in unison. That is what's known as the "free-rhythm" form of the chorale, which is the form sung in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. The second form, used in stanza two, is a J. S. Bach harmonization of the "simplified melody."
Commentary: 26 OT A
Ezekiel 18: 25-28
Psalm 125
Philippians 2: 1-11
Matthew 21: 28-32
The readings today discuss the way God judges and forgives. The First Reading is from the book of the prophet Ezekiel, where the prophet quotes the people’s plaint, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Ezekiel turns that back onto the people. God’s ability to forgive sins and allow people to repent struck the Israelites of Ezekiel’s time as unjust, but the prophecy states “since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” The Responsorial Psalm picks up on this, and sings from the vantage of the sinner, “The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in Your kindness remember me, because of Your goodness, O Lord.” The Gospel presents the parable of the two sons; the one who agreed to work and then did not, and the other who rebelled against his father and finally did as he was asked. After telling this parable, Jesus compares the “acceptance” of the conventionally religious of His time, who then ignored the Gospel Jesus offered, to the acceptance of the prostitutes and tax collector, who heard the Gospel of repentance and embraced it. The message is clear: God’s forgiveness goes, not those who “deserve” it, but to those who need it and rejoice in it.
Clement of Alexandria says: “God pardons what is past, then, but for the future we are each responsible for how we live. By repenting, we condemn our past misdeeds and beg forgiveness of the Father, the only One who in His mercy can undo what has been done, and wipe away our past sins with the dew of His Spirit.” (Homily on the Salvation of the Rich)
The in-course reading of Philippians continues today. The Second Reading contains two distinct parts: one is an ethical exhortation; the other is a hymn. The hymn is familiar to those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours, because it appears in Evening Prayer every week on Saturday (i.e., Evening Prayer I of Sunday). We also encounter the hymn each year as the Second Reading on Passion/Palm Sunday. Here, though, it is the exhortation which is the focus (as is indicated by the short form of the reading in the lectionary). The exhortation, in which Paul asks his readers to live in “unanimity, possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals…let all parties think humbly of othersas superior to themselves.” He does this, though by then adding the “hymn of Christ’s humiliation and glorification.” If we are to be followers of Christ, then we need to take Christ as the source of our new life.
The text of the antiphon of the Introit (Entrance Psalm) for this sunday in Year A is taken from today's Second Reading. You can hear this sung in Gregorian chant in Engish by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the recording "Music for the Year of Matthew," published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
Psalm 125
Philippians 2: 1-11
Matthew 21: 28-32
The readings today discuss the way God judges and forgives. The First Reading is from the book of the prophet Ezekiel, where the prophet quotes the people’s plaint, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Ezekiel turns that back onto the people. God’s ability to forgive sins and allow people to repent struck the Israelites of Ezekiel’s time as unjust, but the prophecy states “since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” The Responsorial Psalm picks up on this, and sings from the vantage of the sinner, “The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in Your kindness remember me, because of Your goodness, O Lord.” The Gospel presents the parable of the two sons; the one who agreed to work and then did not, and the other who rebelled against his father and finally did as he was asked. After telling this parable, Jesus compares the “acceptance” of the conventionally religious of His time, who then ignored the Gospel Jesus offered, to the acceptance of the prostitutes and tax collector, who heard the Gospel of repentance and embraced it. The message is clear: God’s forgiveness goes, not those who “deserve” it, but to those who need it and rejoice in it.
Clement of Alexandria says: “God pardons what is past, then, but for the future we are each responsible for how we live. By repenting, we condemn our past misdeeds and beg forgiveness of the Father, the only One who in His mercy can undo what has been done, and wipe away our past sins with the dew of His Spirit.” (Homily on the Salvation of the Rich)
The in-course reading of Philippians continues today. The Second Reading contains two distinct parts: one is an ethical exhortation; the other is a hymn. The hymn is familiar to those who pray the Liturgy of the Hours, because it appears in Evening Prayer every week on Saturday (i.e., Evening Prayer I of Sunday). We also encounter the hymn each year as the Second Reading on Passion/Palm Sunday. Here, though, it is the exhortation which is the focus (as is indicated by the short form of the reading in the lectionary). The exhortation, in which Paul asks his readers to live in “unanimity, possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals…let all parties think humbly of othersas superior to themselves.” He does this, though by then adding the “hymn of Christ’s humiliation and glorification.” If we are to be followers of Christ, then we need to take Christ as the source of our new life.
The text of the antiphon of the Introit (Entrance Psalm) for this sunday in Year A is taken from today's Second Reading. You can hear this sung in Gregorian chant in Engish by the Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop on the recording "Music for the Year of Matthew," published by The Liturgical Press (www.litpress.org)
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