Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
Today we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist on what is (more or less) the anniversary of the Last Supper. Pope Benedict, in his book Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection, spends some time discussing whether this was a traditional Passover meal, or whether perhaps it was celebrated the day before the date […]
» Read moreSaint Paul calls us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, cf. Ephesians 6:18). How are we to understand this? I think there are two ways. One is the way explored by an unnamed Russian pilgrim in the spiritual classic The Way of a Pilgrim. The book dates from the mid-19th century, and in it the author visits various monasteries […]
» Read moreWe shall end this Advent chant sequence with the hymn assembled from the O Antiphons. I’ve also posted one of my favourite Christmas songs, which is particularly appropriate in the deeps of Christmas Vigil. May all who read these words have a truly blessed Christmas.
» Read moreWe come to the last of the O Antiphons, for tomorrow is Christmas Eve, the Vigil of the Nativity. I mentioned yesterday that the O Antiphons were arranged backwards into the song Veni, Veni Emmanuel. This was by design, for the Antiphons themselves are a backwards acrostic. The first letters of the Messianic titles — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, […]
» Read moreAdvent is my favourite of the liturgical seasons, I think. These holy days feel like holy days, probably the only season that affects me like that. I suspect it’s childhood memories that make it so. With Christmas literally days away, we hear the penultimate O Antiphon this evening. I mentioned a couple of days ago that the antiphons might sound […]
» Read moreJust came back from a neighbour’s solstice party, a strange but wonderful concatenation of Christians and pagans. I am more impressed than ever with the various types in the pagan faiths that are echoes or pre-echoes of the coming of Christ, the Light of the World. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who […]
» Read moreChristmas is closer and closer each day, and we continue pleading with the Lord to make haste. Lead us from our prison of sin and darkness and death! It’s dark outside now as I’m posting this at scarcely six o’clock. The winter solstice, the longest night of the year, is nigh. This year, it’s even a more tangible symbol of […]
» Read moreBy now some of you might be thinking that the O Antiphon words might be sounding kind of familiar, even though you’re not really up on your Gregorian Chant. In fact, these antiphons are some of the earliest attested antiphons in the Divine Office, being mentioned in passing in the works of Saint Boethius in the early sixth century. The […]
» Read moreToday is the second “O” antiphon, O Adonai. These videos, which I will be embedding each day until Christmas, were recorded by the Dominican student brothers at Oxford in 2006. O Adonái, et Dux domus Israël, qui Móysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuísti, et ei in Sina legem dedísti: veni ad rediméndum nos in bráchio exténto. Englished: O Adonai, and […]
» Read moreAs Advent draws to its end, we begin the “O” antiphons at Vespers. These days, I’m praying the Office on the train, so no chant for us any more. Today being my birthday, I went home early, and so prayed Vespers around 4:00PM. Hopefully some day we can chant Vespers again in a parish (or at least chapel) setting. But […]
» Read moreHappy Feast of All Saints! This is the day where we celebrate all the saints, known and unknown. In the old days, they were referred to as the Church Triumphant. I’m just back from Mass, and I find myself questioning the wisdom of those who thought that since All Saints falls on a Monday, it should not be a Holy […]
» Read moreThis is a new start on what I hope will be a spiritual journal as I discern my possible vocation to the diaconate. This site has been moved in its entirety from it original site at http://mundus-tranquillare-hic.blogspot.com/. The old site will be shut down at some point. The phrase that just occurred to me as I was typing this was […]
» Read moreEnjoy! I wonder what (if any) version of this will be sung in my parish today? Veni Sancte Spiritus Veni, Sancte Spiritus,et emítte caélituslucis tuae rádium. Veni, pater páuperum,veni, dator múnerum,veni, lumen córdium. Consolator óptime,dulcis hospes animae.dulce refrigerium. In labóre réquies,in aestu tempéries,in fletu solácium. O lux beatíssima, reple cordis íntimatuórum fidélium. Sine tuo númine,nihil est in hómine,nihil est innoxium. […]
» Read moreWe come to the last of the O Antiphons, for tomorrow is Christmas Eve, the Vigil of the Nativity. I mentioned yesterday that the O Antiphons were arranged backwards into the song Veni, Veni Emmanuel. This was by design, for the Antiphons themselves are a backwards acrostic. The first letters of the Messianic titles — Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, […]
» Read moreWith Christmas literally days away, we hear the penultimate O Antiphon this evening. I mentioned a couple of days ago that the antiphons might sound vaguely familiar to you. In the 12th Century, an unknown songwriter compiled versions of the O Antiphons into a single Advent hymn, called Veni, Veni Emmanuel. You know the English version as O Come, O […]
» Read moreShort, sweet, and on the solstice. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.” (Isaiah 9:1[2]) Today is also the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle in the old calendar. O Oriens,splendor lucis ætérnae, et sol justítiæ:veni, et illúmina sedéntes in ténebris, et umbra […]
» Read moreContinuing on, we come closer and closer to the birth of the Messiah, “the holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open” (Rev. 3:7). If you are interested in learning more about the O Antiphons, I recommend Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s site here. The format is […]
» Read more