Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
At last we come to the final O Antiphon, for tomorrow is Christmas Eve, the great Vigil of the Nativity. Tonight is the very last O Antiphon. Here’s what the great Dom Guéranger has to say: We adore Thee, O Emmanuel! in this Thy journey, and we reverence the fidelity wherewith Thou fulfillest all that the prophets have written of […]
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With Christmas just days away now, 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 composer compiled versions of the O Antiphons into a single Advent hymn, called Veni, Veni Emmanuel. You know the English version as O Come, […]
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It is altogether right and proper that we should celebrate Christ as the bringer of light on this, the day of the winter solstice. This was an ancient holy day in many religions, as indeed it continues to be. On this, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, where people for eons have begged their divinity for […]
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Continuing on with our annual tradition, 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”. The key is the symbol of authority. Christ is the Key of the House of David, who opens […]
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By now some of you might be thinking that the O Antiphon words are sounding kind of familiar, even though you’re not really up on your Gregorian Chant. In fact, these antiphons are some of the earliest continually attested antiphons in the Divine Office. The earliest known mention is in the works of Saint Boethius in the early sixth century. […]
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Today is the second “O” antiphon, O Adonai. It is taken from Exodus 3:2 and Isaiah 11:3-5; with echoes and references to Isaiah 63:11-12, Micah 6:4, and Acts 7:30-31. For a reflection on this antiphon, we will turn to that great liturgical commentator, Servant of God Dom Prosper Guéranger, Abbot of Solesmes (d. 1875). O Sovereign Lord! O Adonaï! come […]
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O Wisdom! Advent is drawing to its close, and it’s time again for our annual look at the O Antiphons. These antiphons are part of the prayers at the liturgical hour of Vespers (evening prayer) for the 17th through the 23rd of December – the 24th is of course the Christmas Vigil itself. They are ancient prayers, possibly dating back […]
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Today is Lucy’s Day! No, not that one. Saint Lucy was a Sicilian martyr. She was a wealthy young lady of Greek extraction brought up by Christian parents. She was killed during the horrific persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in about 304. The facts surrounding her martyrdom have accreted so many legends that it’s difficult to be sure exactly what […]
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Time again for some history! If you think that the Spanish conquistadors are the ones who imposed Catholicism on the hapless Aztecs, well you’re wrong. Lord knows they tried. And tried. And failed. In the first decade of Spanish rule (1521 – 1531), only a handful of Native Americans embraced Christianity. And then… well, a miracle. Here’s the story as […]
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Thou art all fair, Mary, and the stain of original sin is not in thee. (Antiphon 1 for Lauds of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Monastic Breviary) On this great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us all join together with the Angels and the Saints of all ages in singing the […]
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The Church honours Saint Benedict with two great feasts. One is not much celebrated these days, as it typically occurs during Lent, and it has been removed from the Universal Calendar. The Benedictines, of course, continue to celebrate both. To these, some Benedictine monasteries add a third feast, which is celebrated today. Icon of Saint Benedict at Mount Athos The […]
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You are invited to an Advent tradition: a Rorate Mass on Saturday, December 6 at 6:30 AM. I can already hear the questions forming. What is a Rorate Mass? And why on earth would you have one so early in the morning? Well, here’s the FAQ, as the kids say. What is a Rorate Mass? It is a Solemn Votive […]
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Today is the memorial of Saint Edmund Campion. If the paintings of him are to be believed, he is a man to whom I bear more than a passing resemblance, at least in my youth. We commemorated the five hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation a few years ago. Many continue to see this as a good thing. I don’t. […]
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The season of Advent began with last night’s vespers, and today is the First Sunday of Advent. This is the first day of the new liturgical year, so happy Advent and happy new year! For me, it’s time to pull the Advent box out of the garage and start decorating. It will be a little more difficult for me than […]
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Fifty-six years before the English Puritan refugees at Plymouth celebrated their “first Thanksgiving”, Spanish explorers and their Timucua allies celebrated one in Saint Augustine, in what is now Florida. They had bean soup. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral from Asturias. He was under orders to root out some French colonists in the area. […]
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Francine in 2024 This weekend we celebrate the great feast of Christ the King. Traditionally, here at Pistachio House, we have had our “Franksgiving” feast on this weekend. This was Francine’s favourite holiday, as she embodied the Benedictine charism of hospitality. She loved gathering family and friends and cooking for them. We did our best without her and in her […]
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Today is the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This morning, I served at the school Mass at my parish. This particular Mass was offered for the repose of the soul of my beautiful bride, Francine. I am sure that she was absolutely delighted that a Mass was offered for her on a Marian feast. Many, many people gifted […]
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