How long until the Epiphany?

The Lord is come (Alleluia)
The humble have seen Him.
Where are the wise?

You wise and learned men,
rulers of nations,
delay no more!

What gifts do you bring
to the King of Kings?

He is born to be the salvation of all nations;
many out of all nations shall hear His call
and welcome Him with rejoicing.

Let us worship Him with the angels and saints,
Christ Jesus our Lord, our one Savior,
the same yesterday, and today, and to the ages of ages.

Christmas Day

When the angels went away from them to heaven,
the shepherds said to one another,
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem
to see this thing that has taken place,
which the Lord has made known to us.”
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph,
and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this,
they made known the message
that had been told them about this child.
All who heard it were amazed
by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things,
reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen,
just as it had been told to them.

Luke 2:15-20

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O Jesu mi dulcissime, adoro te in stabulo commorantem	O my sweetest Jesus, I worship you resting in the stable.
O puer dilectissime, adoro te in praesepio jacentem.	O most beloved child, I worship you lying in the manger.
O Christe, rex piissime, adore te in faeno cubantem in caelo regnantem.	O Christ, most kindly King, I worship you sleeping in the hay and reigning in heaven.
O mira Dei pietas, O singularis caritas, Christus datus est, Jesus natus est, datus est a Patre, natus est de virgine matre.	O marvelous kindness of God, O matchless love. Christ is given, Jesus is born, given by the Father, born of the virgin mother.
O divina ergo proles, te colimus hic homines ut veneremur caelites.	O divine Offspring, we men worship you here that we may revere you in heaven.

- Giovanni Gabrieli (1556-1612)

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus

Argent by the Tiber says:

Come, thou long expected indult -- found this header at Catholic Light and I haven't stopped humming the hymn Come, thou long-expected Jesus all day.

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Gliding through the blogosphere

Made comments this evening on my two favorite subjects:

On the return of the old Mass, in Καθολικός διάκονος:

Since you have "no burning desire to return to the missal of 1962" you are welcome to continue attending the novus ordo. By all accounts, the motu proprio will make the traditional Mass more available to those who want it; it will not outlaw the new one for those who want that. Some of us have been hoping for a restoration of the old Mass for a long time, especially in dioceses that make it pointlessly difficult to get to. (My diocese allows a Latin Mass once per month, in one location a long drive away, and in the past allowed it less often than that).

One of the differences between the introduction of the new Rite of the Mass and the proposed partial restoration of the old Rite is that the new Rite was forced on people whether they wanted it or not; now the old Rite will be offered for those who want it, without suppressing the new.

Why can't the new Rite and old co-exist? I have seen several parishes get along just fine with different Masses in different languages (e.g. English and Spanish, or English and Polish). The Eastern Catholics seem to cope with having more than one Divine Liturgy available without difficulty.

I'm not convinced that people were more disconnected from the liturgy in pre-Vatican II days. Attendance has dropped off since the introduction of the New Mass. Maybe some that have voted with their feet will return if given the option of returning to the Mass of Ages.

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On the correct translation of pro multis, in End of Times:

Seems pretty straightforward to me. Open your Bible to Matthew 26:28 and you can read what Jesus said. That is what the priest says he is going to say during the consecration. ("Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said...")

Speculation about what the Lord really intended even if he said something else is beside the point.

As you mention, we would not have had this problem if they had left it in Latin. The Mass's Latin "pro multis" matches the Bible's Greek "περι πολλων".

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In happy anticipation of the coming of the Lord and a renewal in the Church.

Laud and honor to our Lady most pure

Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (a Holy Day of Obligation) .

Gloriosa dicta sunt de te, Maria: quia fecit tibi magna qui potens est.
Of thee glorious things are said, Mary Immaculate, for whom the Mighty One has done great things.

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Behind the second curtain was a tent [or tabernacle] called the Holy of Holies. In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant
Hebrews 9:3-4

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The ark of the old covenant held the Word of GOD written on stone tablets.
Who carried the Word of GOD Incarnate?

The ark of the old covenant held the symbol of the High Priest, the Rod of Aaron.
Who carried the High Priest of GOD?

The ark of the old covenant held the Manna, the Bread come down from Heaven.
Who carried the Bread come down from Heaven?

(adapted from Bob Stanley's Arks of the Covenant page).

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And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars

Rev 11:19-12:1

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“Let us chant the melody that has been taught us by the inspired harp of David, and say, ‘Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy sanctuary.’ For the Holy Virgin is in truth an ark, wrought with gold both within and without, that has received the whole treasury of the sanctuary”
St. Gregory of Neocaesarea (c. 213–c. 270)

“Mary, a virgin not only undefiled but a virgin whom grace has made inviolate, free of every stain of sin.”
St. Ambrose (340 - 397)

“A Virgin, innocent, spotless, free of all defect, untouched, unsullied, holy in soul and body, like a lily sprouting among thorns.”
St. Theodotus of Ancyra (446)

“In the womb of the her mother now begins to blossom the earth which will be the dwelling place of the Creator of the earth, the holy scepter, the new ark, the vessel of manna, … the bush which was not consumed by fire, the golden candelabrum, the living bridal room of the Lord God.”
Hymn for the feast of the Conception of St. Anne (seventh century)

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Honor and praise to thee, ever-chaste, ever-faithful, ever-blessed mother of our Lord.

maranatha

marana tha - Come, Lord
maran atha - Our Lord comes

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And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
Daniel 12:8

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Today is the start of Advent for most Catholics, but today's readings seem more an anticipation of our Lord's return at the end of all days than a remembrance of His coming in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

First reading:
The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise
I made to the house of Israel and Judah.
In those days, in that time,
I will raise up for David a just shoot;
he shall do what is right and just in the land.
In those days Judah shall be safe
and Jerusalem shall dwell secure;
this is what they shall call her:
“The LORD our justice.”

From the second reading:
May the Lord make you increase and abound in love
... so as to strengthen your hearts,
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones.

From the Gospel:
“And then they will see the Son of Man
coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these signs begin to happen,
stand erect and raise your heads
because your redemption is at hand. ...
Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy
from carousing and drunkenness
and the anxieties of daily life,
and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.
For that day will assault everyone
who lives on the face of the earth.
Be vigilant at all times
and pray that you have the strength
to escape the tribulations that are imminent
and to stand before the Son of Man.”

maranatha

The Church in Iraq

The Church suffers.

Iraqi Catholics Losing Hope, Says Priest (Zenit 3/1/07)
Pope continuing to pray for Iraq and its Church (Spero 3/26/07)
Two Nuns Murdered (CWNews 3/28/07)

Remember your brothers and sisters in Christ.