Still, Still, Still

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

In the Bleak Midwinter

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
the Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
but His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
worshiped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

+++

May you find joy in the love of God. God bless you.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year.

Rorate caeli

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Ne irascaris Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis:
ecce civitas Sancti facta est deserta:
Sion deserta facta est: Jerusalem desolata est:
domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae,
ubi laudaverunt te patres nostri.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Peccavimus, et facti sumus tamquam immundus nos,
et cecidimus quasi folium universi:
et iniquitates nostrae quasi ventus abstulerunt nos:
abscondisti faciem tuam a nobis,
et allisisti nos in manu iniquitatis nostrae.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Vide Domine afflictionem populi tui,
et mitte quem missurus es:
emitte Agnum dominatorem terrae,
de Petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion:
ut auferat ipse iugum captivitatis nostrae.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus:
cito veniet salus tua:
quare maerore consumeris, quia innovavit te dolor?
Salvabo te, noli timere
(ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus,
Sanctus Israel, Redemptor tuus).¹

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Ember Week

Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of this week are traditionally days of fasting, abstinence, and corporal acts of mercy. What gift can you bring to the King of Kings?

Magnificat Antiphons (Arvo Pärt)

A modern (1988-1991) rendering of the O Antiphons into German by Arvo Pärt:

O Weisheit, hervorgegangen aus dem Munde des Höchsten,
die Welt umspannst du von einem Ende zum andern,
in Kraft und Milde ordnest du alles :
O komm und offenbare uns den Weg der Weisheit und der Einsicht.

O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High,
Thou encirclest the world from one end to the other,
Thou orderest all things with might and mercy:
O come to us and reveal the way of wisdom and of understanding.

O Adonai, der Herr und Führer des Hauses Israel,
im flammender Dornbusch bist du dem Moses erschienen,
und hast ihm auf dem Berg das Gesetz gegeben.
O komm und befreie uns mit deinem starken Arm.

O Adonai, the Lord and Leader of the House of Israel,
In the burning bush Thou hast appeared unto Moses
and hast given him the law upon the mountain:
O come and deliver us with Thy strong arm.

O Sproß aus Isais Wurzel,
gesetzt zum Zeichen für die Völker,
vor dir verstummen die Herrscher der Erde, dich flehen an die Völker:
o komm und errette uns, erhebe dich, säume nicht länger.

O Scion of the Root of Jesse,
set as a sign for the nations,
before Thee the rulers of the earth fall silent, unto Thee the people cry:
O come and save us, bestir Thyself, delay no longer.

O Schlüssel Davids, Zepter des Hauses Israel,
du öffnest, und niemand kann schließen,
du schließt, und keine Macht vermag zu öffnen:
o komm und öffne den Kerker der Finsternis und die Fessel des Todes.

O Key of David, Sceptre of the House of Israel,
Thou openest, and no one can shut,
Thou shuttest, and no power may open:
O come and unlock the dungeon of darkness and the fetters of death.

O Morgenstern, Glanz des unversehrten Lichtes:
Der Gerechtigkeit strahlende Sonne:
o komm und erleuchte, die da sitzen in Finsternis,
und im Schatten des Todes.

O Morning Star, Splendor of Eternal Light:
the Bright Sun of Justice:
O come and enlighten them that sit in darkness,
and in the shadow of death.

O König aller Völker, ihre Erwartung und Sehnsucht,
Schlußstein, der den Bau zusammenhält,
o komm und errette den Menschen,
den du aus Erde gebildet!

O King of all nations, their expectation and desire,
Keystone, Which holdest all things together:
O come and save mankind,
whom Thou hast formed from clay!

O Immanuel, unser König und Lehrer,
du Hoffnung und Heiland der Völker:
o komm, eile und schaffe uns Hilfe,
du unser Herr und unser Gott.

O Emmanuel, our King and Counselor,
Thou hope and Savior of the nations:
O come, make haste to help us,
Thou our Lord and our God.

(The translations are mostly taken from ArvoPart.org).

On Jordan's Bank

Christmas Season at a Mall

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legisfer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior, come Thou to save us O Lord our God.

O Rex Gentium

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the nations, and their desire, and Corner-stone, who makest two to be one: come Thou and save man whom Thou formedst from the dust.

O Oriens

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae: veni, et illumina sedentis in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Rising Brightness, Splendor of Light Eternal and Sun of Justice: come, and illumine those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Clavis David

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, Who openest and none shutteth, Who shuttest and none openeth: come Thou and bring forth the captive from the prison house who sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Radix Jesse

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur; veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.

O Root of Jesse, who standest as the ensign of the people; before whom kings shall not open their lips; to whom the nations shall pray: come and deliver us; tarry now no more.

O Adonai

O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O LORD, and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appearedst unto Moses in the flame of a burning bush and gavest to him the law in Sinai: come to redeem us with an outstretched arm.

O Sapientia

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, that proceedest from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, mightily and sweetly disposing all things: come and teach us the way of prudence.

[c.f. Wisdom 8:1]

Ember Saturday

Lectio Isaiae Prophetae:

Thus saith the Lord: Get thee up upon a high mountain, thou that bringest good tidings to Sion: lift up thy voice with strength, thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem: lift it up, fear not. Say to the cities of Juda: Behold your God: behold the Lord God shall come with strength, and His arm shall rule: behold His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather together the lambs with His arm, and shall take them up in His bosom, the Lord our God.

Gradual:

O Lord God of hosts, convert us: and show Thy face, and we shall be saved.
V.: Stir up Thy might, O Lord, and come to save us

Collect:

S. Let us pray.
V. Let us kneel.
R. Arise.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the coming solemnity of Thy Son, may both bestow upon us healing in this present life and grant to us rewards in the life to come. Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, through all the ages of ages.

"Cold and warmth, bless the Lord; Ice and snow, bless the Lord; Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever."

Creator Alme Siderum

A hymn for vespers during Advent.

Creator alme siderum,	Loving Creator of the stars,
Aeterna lux credentium,	Eternal Light of believers,
Jesu, Redemptor omnium,	O Jesus, Redeemer of all,
Intende votis supplicum.	attend to the prayers of suppliants.
Qui daemonis ne fraudibus	Who, so that no fraud of a demon
Periret orbis, impetu	would destroy the world, impelled
Amoris actus, languidi	by an act of love, for a feeble
Mundi medela factus es.	world became the remedy.
Commune qui mundi nefas	Who, for the common sinfulness of the world
Ut expiares, ad crucem,	to be expiated, went to the cross,
E Virginis sacrario	from the sanctuary of the Virgin
Intacta prodis victima.	untouched, went as a sacrificial victim.
Cujus potestas gloriae	Of Whose glorious power,
Nomenque quum primum sonat,	as soon as the Name sounds,
Et coelites et inferi	both celestial and infernal beings
Tremente curvantur genu.	bend a trembling knee.
Te deprecamur, ultime	Humbly we beseech thee, Last
Magnum diei judicem,	Day's great Judge,
Armis supernae gratiae	by force of arms of heavenly grace,
Defende nos ab hostibus.	defend us from the enemy.
Virtus, honor, laus, gloria,	Virtue, honor, praise, and glory,
Deo Patri cum Filio,	to God the Father with the Son,
Sancto simul Paraclito,	at the same time, the holy Paraclete,
In saeculorum saecula.	for ever and ever.
Amen.	Amen.

O Emmánuël

O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God.

O Rex Gentium

O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of them, Thou Corner-stone that makest both one: come and deliver man, whom Thou didst form out of the dust of the earth.

O Óriens

O Dawn of the East, Brightness of the light eternal, and Sun of justice: come and enlighten them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.