Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 23 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
O Emmanuel,
our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come to save us, O Lord our God.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 21 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 20 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
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;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 19 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Radix Jesse,
qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples,
kings stand silent in your presence,
the nations bow down in worship before you:
come to deliver us, do not tarry.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 18 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Click below to hear this week’s edition of “Word to Life.”
Joining me in the studio today to discuss the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent was Fr. Romanus Cessario, O.P. Fr. Cessario teaches moral theology at St. John’s Seminary in Boston and serves as the Senior Editor of Magnificat. In the course of his remarks on Sunday’s Gospel, Fr. Cessario mentioned a new book just published by Magnificat entitled Splendors of the Magnificat. For more information on it and other Magnificat publications, click here.
“Word to Life” airs live every Friday at 1:00 PM EST on The Catholic Channel, Sirius 159 and XM 117.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 18 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Adonai,
et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
and Ruler of the house of Israel,
Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush,
and gavest him the law in Sinai:
come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 17 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Dominicans, Liturgical Feasts
Today the Church’s Advent prayer takes a sharp turn toward Christmas. The texts of the Divine Office and Mass now point us directly to the mystery of the Nativity. The Gospel readings we’ll hear over the next week are especially worth noting in this regard. Listen well to them. Pray with them. Through them, draw near to Mary and Joseph as they travel to Bethlehem.
Every year around this time, the Church’s “O Antiphons” receive a lot of attention. We begin using them this evening. Include these, too, in your prayer. Each calls out to Christ according to one of his Messianic titles. All together the antiphons summarize the content of Israel’s waiting for the Messiah, as well as the wonders wrought by his birth.
For a brief history and listing of the O Antiphons, click here.
In 2006, the student brothers of the English Province recorded their singing of the O Antiphons to the traditional Dominican tones. Over the next week, I’ll post each of their videos on the appropriate day. First up, “O Sapientia.”
O Sapientia,
quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.
O Wisdom,
coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 11 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Click below to hear this week’s edition of “Word to Life.
Joining me on the program today to discuss the readings for Gaudete Sunday were Curtis Mitch, a trustee of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and co-author of the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, and Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P., a parochial vicar at the University Parish of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village.
“Word to Life” airs live every Friday at 1:00 PM EST on The Catholic Channel, Sirius 159 and XM 117.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 10 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Music, Parish Events
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 04 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Click below to hear this week’s edition of “Word to Life.”
Joining me on the program today to discuss the reading for the Second Sunday of Advent was Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P., the parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Zanesville, OH.
“Word to Life” airs live every Friday at 1:00 PM EST on The Catholic Channel, Sirius 159 and XM 117.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 01 Dec 2009 | Tagged as: Homilies
Last Saturday evening in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI observed the opening of the new liturgical year by presiding over the celebration of First Vespers for the First Sunday of Advent. Below you can read the homily he preached to the assembled faithful.
FIRST VESPERS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 28, 2009
Dear brothers and sisters,
With this evening celebration we enter the liturgical time of Advent. In the biblical reading we just heard, taken from the First Letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul invites us to prepare for the “coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:23), keeping ourselves irreproachable, with the grace of God. Paul uses, in fact, the word “coming,” in Latin adventus, from whence comes the term Advent.
Let us reflect briefly on the meaning of this word, which can be translated as “presence,” “arrival,” “coming.” In the language of the ancient world it was a technical term used to indicate the arrival of a functionary or the visit of a king or emperor to a province. But it could also indicate the coming of the divinity, which goes out of concealment to manifest itself with power, or which is celebrated as present in worship. Christians adopted the word “advent” to express their relationship with Jesus Christ: Jesus is King, who has entered into this poor “province” called earth to visit everyone; he brings to participate in his advent those who believe in him, all those who believe in his presence in the liturgical assembly. With the word adventus an attempt was made essentially to say: God is here, he has not withdrawn from the world, he has not left us alone. Although we cannot see or touch him, as is the case with tangible realities, he is here and comes to visit us in multiple ways.
The meaning of the expression “advent” includes therefore also that of visitatio, which means simply and properly “visit”; in this case it is a visit of God: He enters my life and wants to address me. We all experience in daily life having little time for the Lord and little time for ourselves. We end up by being absorbed in “doing.” Is it not true that often activity possesses us, that society with its many interests monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we dedicate much time to amusements and leisure of different kinds? Sometimes things “trap” us.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 27 Nov 2009 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Click below to hear this week’s edition of “Word to Life.”
Joining me on the program today to discuss the readings for the First Sunday of Advent were Fr. Jordan Kelly, O.P., a parochial vicar at the Church of St. Catherine of Siena in Manhattan, and Br. James Brent, O.P., a deacon completing his formation for the priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.
“Word to Life” airs live every Friday at 1:00 PM EST on The Catholic Channel, Sirius 159 and XM 117.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 23 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.
O Emmanuel,
our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come to save us, O Lord our God.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 22 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.
O King of the nations,
and their desire,
the cornerstone making both one:
Come and save the human race,
which you fashioned from clay.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 21 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Oriens,
splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 20 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
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;
you open and no one can shut;
you shut and no one can open:
Come and lead the prisoners from the prison,
those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 19 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Listen in to today’s show to hear my guests and I discuss the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
First, Dr. David Franks, a professor of theology at St. John’s Seminary in Boston, shares his thoughts on the special significance Christmas possesses for marriage and family life. This is a topic in which Dr. Franks is well versed. He and his wife, Angela, chair the Marriage Initiative sponsored by the Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts, which seeks to promote and defend traditional marriage among Catholics and in the public square. Together they also host “The Future Depends on Love,” a series on marriage and family broadcast on CatholicTV.
Then toward the end of the show, Fr. Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, MN, joins me to outline the homily he’s prepared for this last Sunday before Christmas. As always, Fr. Johnson gives us much to think and pray about.
Enjoy!
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 19 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Radix Jesse,
qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples,
kings stand silent in your presence,
the nations bow down in worship before you:
come to deliver us, do not tarry.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 18 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
O Adonai,
et Dux domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
and Ruler of the house of Israel,
Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush,
and gavest him the law in Sinai:
come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 17 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
Today the Church’s Advent prayer takes a sharp turn toward Christmas. The texts of the Divine Office and Mass now point us specifically to the mystery of the Nativity. The Gospel readings we’ll hear over the next week are especially worth noting in this regard. Listen well to them. Pray with them. Allow them to gather you with Mary and Joseph while on their way to Bethlehem.
Every year around this time, the Church’s “O Antiphons” receive a lot of attention. We began using them this evening. Include these too in your prayer. Each calls out to Christ with one of his Messianic titles. All together they summarize the content of Israel’s waiting and the wonders wrought by Christ’s birth.
For a brief history and listing of the O Antiphons, click here.
In 2006, the student brothers of the English province recorded their singing of the O Antiphons to the traditional Dominican tones. Over the next week, I’ll post each of their videos on the appropriate day. First up, “O Sapientia.”
O Sapientia,
quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.
O Wisdom,
coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 06 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Word to Life
Click below to hear my conversation with Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP, and Fr. Gabriel Gillen, OP, about the scripture readings for the Second Sunday of Advent. Both guests gave great insights into the mysteries of this shortest of liturgical seasons. They also suggested several ways of entering deeply into the peculiar rhythm of Advent prayer.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 02 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Miscellaneous
The second lesson in today’s Office of Readings helps us to see that, as a liturgical season, Advent is too short. For most of us, it takes more than four weeks to plumb the depths of the mysteries the season places before us—the mystery of Christ’s first coming in the flesh, the mystery of Christ’s coming sacramentally in the Church, and the mystery of Christ’s final coming in glory. Christ past, present, and future—yesterday, today, and forever. In four weeks.
Today’s reading from St. Gregory Nazianzen focuses on the first mystery only, the Incarnation. This alone is worth four weeks of study and prayer, if not longer. And thanks to God’s providence, we do have longer. We have a lifetime, and eternity beyond. But we begin to grasp the mystery now, in Advent.
From St. Gregory’s 45th Oration:
The very Son of God, older than the ages, the invisible, the incomprehensible, the incorporeal, the beginning of beginning, the light of light, the fountain of life and immortality, the image of the archetype, the immovable seal, the perfect likeness, the definition and word of the Father: he it is who comes to his own image and takes our nature for the good of our nature, and unites himself to an intelligent soul for the good of my soul, to purify like by like. He takes to himself all that is human, except for sin. He was conceived by the Virgin Mary, who had been first prepared in soul and body by the Spirit; his coming to birth had to be treated with honor, virginity had to receive new honor. He comes forth as God, in the human nature he has taken, one being, made of two contrary elements, flesh and spirit. Spirit gave divinity, flesh received it.
He who makes rich is made poor; he takes on the poverty of my flesh, that I may gain the riches of his divinity. He who is full is made empty; he is emptied for a brief space of his glory, that I may share in his fullness. What is this wealth of goodness? What is this mystery that surrounds me? I received the likeness of God, but failed to keep it. He takes on my flesh, to bring salvation to the image, immortality to the flesh. He enters into a second union with us, a union far more wonderful than the first.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 02 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Music
Around 
the Catholic blogosphere, writers are posting clips and commentary of their favorite Advent hymns. For a sampling, check out the posts at Dominican History, First Things, and The New Liturgical Movement.
I agree with Nathaniel at First Things that “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending” is one of the Church’s Advent greats. On his post he includes an organ rendition of the tune. Click below for the tune and hymn performed by the Wells Cathedral Choir. Click here for the text.
Another one of my favorites not getting much attention out there is “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.” Click below for a recording by the Robert Shaw Chorale and Orchestra.
The final two pieces I’m posting are traditional Dominican chants recorded by the friars of the French Province. The first is the “Veni redemptor gentium” (“Come, Redeemer of the Nations”). Click here for the original Latin text and an English translation. The second is the familiar “Conditor alme siderum” (“Creator of the Stars of Night”). For the Latin and English, click here.
May these beautiful hymns and chants deepen your Advent prayer.
And don’t forget about our two Advent musical programs coming up this Sunday afternoon and next.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 30 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Liturgical Feasts
Last evening at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict opened the Church’s new liturgical year with a solemn celebration of Vespers. You can find stunning pictures of the evening service here and here.
In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on how Advent is the season of hope par excellence. In these few short weeks before Christmas, we intensify our longing eastward gaze toward Christ’s second coming, sustained and nourished by the saving mysteries of his first coming. Hence, fixed as we are between Christ and Christ, between the two comings of Christ, for what more could we hope?
A happy and holy Advent to you and yours!
CELEBRATION OF FIRST VESPERS FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
November 29, 2008
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
With these vespers we begin the itinerary of a new liturgical year, entering into the first of the seasons that constitute that year: Advent. In the biblical reading that we just heard, taken from the First Letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul uses precisely this word: “coming,” which in Greek is “parousia” and in Latin, “adventus” (1 Thessalonians 5:23). According to the common translation of this text, Paul exhorts the Christians of Thessalonica to keep themselves irreprehensible “for” the coming of the Lord. But in the original text we read “in” the coming (“en te parousia”), as if the coming of the Lord were, more than a future event, a spiritual place in which we already walk in the present, during the wait, and in which we are perfectly vigilant in every personal dimension. In effect, this is exactly what we live in the liturgy: celebrating the liturgical seasons, we actualize the mystery — in this case the coming of the Lord — in such a way as to be able, so to speak, to “walk in it” toward its full realization, at the end of time, but already drawing sanctifying virtue from it from the moment that the last times have already begun with the death and resurrection of Christ.
Posted by Fr. Aquinas on 30 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Homilies
As the Church enters a new liturgical year, we’re beginning a new service here on CSVF Blog.
Starting today, the parish’s weekend homilies will be posted online.
Bookmark the blog, share the link with friends, and tune in to all of the Sunday preaching here at St. Vincent Ferrer.
First up, the homilies delivered earlier today, the First Sunday of Advent.
