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and make a donation,
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Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Missa Cantata In Honour Of The Holy Abbots.
This Article was first published in December 2019.
Illustration: A CHAPLAIN ABROAD
Missa Cantata
In Honour Of The Holy Abbots.
This Feast is particularly Benedictine.
The Texts of The Mass, and The Musical Setting,
exist only for this Mass.
We do not know the last time that this Mass was Sung.
But, it is our privilege to be able to Celebrate it again.
Saturday, 7 December 2019, saw the Celebration
of a very particular Mass in The Shrine at Glastonbury.
It was in honour of The Benedictine Abbots,
Richard Whiting, Hugh Faringdon, John Beche,
together with the four Benedictine Martyrs,
including two from our own Monastery at Glastonbury,
Richard James and John Thorne.
You can see pictures and a longer account of this Holy Mass
on The Community Web-Site, HERE.
This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,
The Seventh Great O Antiphon. 23 December.
Text from "The Liturgical Year",
by Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
"The Annunciation".
Artist: Francesco Albani (1578–1660).
Date: First half of the 17th-Century.
Source/Photographer: Web Gallery of Art
Current location: Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Author: Francesco Albani (1578–1660).
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Church sings this Antiphon
in today's Office of Lauds:
Ecce completa sunt omnia quæ dicta
sunt per angelum, de Virgine Maria.
Lo !, all things are accomplished
that were said by the Angel,
of The Virgin Mary.
SEVENTH GREAT O ANTIPHON.
O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domine Deus noster.
O Emmanuel,
Our King and Lawgiver,
The Expected of the Nations
and their Saviour,
come to save us,
O Lord our God.
O Emmanuel !, King of Peace !, Thou enterest today the City of Thy predilection, the City in which Thou hast placed Thy temple - Jerusalem.
A few years hence, the same City will give Thee Thy Cross and Thy Sepulchre: Nay, the day will come on which Thou wilt set up Thy Judgement-Seat within sight of her walls. But, today, Thou enterest the City of David and Solomon unnoticed and unknown.
It lies on Thy road to Bethlehem [Editor: In Hebrew, Bethlehem means "House of Bread"]. The Blessed Mother and Joseph, her spouse, would not lose the opportunity of visiting the temple, there to offer to The Lord their Prayers and Adoration.
They enter; and then, for the first time, is accomplished the Prophecy of Aggeus, that great shall be the glory of this last house more than of the first; for this second temple has now standing within it an Ark of The Covenant more precious than was that which Moses built; and within this Ark, which is Mary, is contained the God whose presence makes her the holiest of Sanctuaries.
The Lawgiver, Himself, is in this Blessed Ark, and not merely, as in that of old, the tablet of stone on which The Law was graven. The visit paid, our living Ark descends the steps of the temple, and sets out once more for Bethlehem, where other Prophecies are to be fulfilled.
We Adore Thee, O Emmanuel !, in this Thy journey, and we reverence the fidelity wherewith Thou fulfillest all that the Prophets have written of Thee; for Thou wouldst give to Thy people the certainty of Thy being The Messias, by showing them that all the marks, whereby He was to be known, are to be found in Thee.
And now; the hour is near; all is ready for Thy birth; come, then, and save us; come, that Thou mayst not only be called our Emmanuel, but our Jesus, that is, He that saves us.
THE GREAT ANTIPHON TO JERUSALEM.
O Hierusalem !,
civitas Dei sumi,
leva in circuitu oculos tuos;
et vide Dominum tuum,
quia jam veniet solvere
te a vinculis.
O Jerusalem !,
City of The Great God:
Lift up thine eyes round about,
and see thy Lord,
for He is coming to loose
thee from thy chains.
Lo ! All Things Are Accomplished That Were Said By The Angel Of The Virgin Mary. The Antiphon At Lauds.
by Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.
Volume 1;
Advent.
23 December.
O Emmanuel ! King of Peace ! Thou enterest today The City of Thy predilection, the City in which Thou hast placed Thy Temple - Jerusalem. A few years hence, the same City will give Thee Thy Cross and Thy Sepulchre; nay, the day will come on which Thou wilt set up Thy Judgement-Seat within sight of her walls.
But today Thou enterest The City of David and Solomon unnoticed and unknown. It lies on Thy road to Bethlehem. Thy Blessed Mother and Joseph, her spouse, would not lose the opportunity of visiting the Temple, there to offer to The Lord their Prayers and Adoration.
They enter; and then, for the first time, is accomplished the Prophecy of Aggeus, that great shall be the glory of this last House more than of the first; for this second Temple has now, standing within it, an Ark of The Covenant more precious than was that which Moses built; and within this Ark, which is Mary, is contained the God Whose presence makes her The Holiest of Sanctuaries.
The Lawgiver, Himself, is in this Blessed Ark, and not merely, as in that of Old, the Tablet of Stone on which The Law was graven. The visit paid, our Living Ark descends the steps of the Temple, and sets out once more for Bethlehem, where other Prophecies are to be fulfilled.
We adore Thee, O Emmanuel ! in this Thy journey, and we reverence the fidelity wherewith Thou fulfillest all that the Prophets have written of Thee; for Thou wouldst give to Thy people the certainty of Thy being the Messias, by showing them that all the marks, whereby He was to be known, are to be found in Thee.
And, now, the hour is near; all is ready for Thy Birth; come, then, and save us; come, that Thou mayst not only be called our Emmanuel, but Our Jesus, that is, He that saves us.
Ero cras !
“ Tomorrow, I Will Be ! ”
The Great O Antiphons. 23 December.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
"The Adoration of The Shepherds".
Artist: Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656).
Date: 25 December 1622.
Current location: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, Germany.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: http://mail.wikipedia.org/
(Wikimedia Commons)
"O Emmanuel".
The Great O Antiphon
for 23 December.
Available on YouTube at
23 December: Isaias vii. 14, xxxiii. 22
O Emmanuel,
Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium,
et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domine Deus noster.
O Emmanuel,
our King and Lawgiver,
The Expected of the Nations
and their Saviour,
come to save us,
O Lord our God.
Versicle. Rorate.
“Rorate cæli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . .”
“Ye Heavens, drop down from above,
Roráte caéli désuper, et núbes plúant jústum. Peccávimus, et fácti súmus tamquam immúndus nos, et cecídimus quasi fólium univérsi: et iniquitátes nóstræ quasi véntus abstulérunt nos:
abscondísti faciem túam a nóbis,
et allisísti nos in mánu iniquitátis nóstræ.
Víde Dómine afflictiónem pópuli túi,
et mítte quem missúrus es:
emítte Agnum dominatórem térræ,
de Pétra desérti ad móntem fíliæ Síon:
ut áuferat ípse júgum captivitátis nóstræ.
Consolámini, consolámini, pópule méus:
cito véniet sálus túa:
quare mæróre consúmeris,
quia innovávit te dólor?
Salvábo te, nóli timére,
égo enim sum Dóminus Déus túus,
Sánctus Israël, Redémptor túus.
Drop down ye Heavens, from above,
and let the skies pour down righteousness:
We have sinned, and are as an unclean thing,
and we all do fade as a leaf:
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away;
Thou hast hid Thy face from us:
and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.
Behold, O Lord, the affliction of Thy people
and send forth Him Who is to come
send forth The Lamb, The Ruler of the Earth,
from Petra of the desert
to the mount of the daughter of Sion
that He may take away the yoke of our captivity.
Ye are my witnesses, saith The Lord,
and My servant whom I have chosen;
that ye may know Me and believe Me:
I, even I, am The Lord, and beside Me there is no Saviour:
and there is none that can deliver out of My hand.
Comfort ye, comfort ye, My people,
My Salvation shall not tarry:
why wilt thou waste away in sadness ?
why hath sorrow seized thee ?
Fear not, for I will save thee:
for I am The Lord thy God
The Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.
Tuesday, 22 December 2020
A Beautiful Handmade Red Wood Rosary. Available For Purchase From Saint Michæl’s Abbey, Farnborough, England.
A beautiful handmade Red Wood Rosary, with Saint Benedict's Cross,
available from Saint Michæl's Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire, England.
Zephyrinus has already purchased his precious Rosary. By purchasing such a beautiful item, you are, of course, supporting Saint Michæl's Abbey. The Rosary is available for purchase online at The Abbey's Gift Shop at THE ABBEY SHOP
Fr. Finigan included the following Text in his excellent Article:
“The Daughter of Sion, The Morning Star, The Gate of Heaven, herself, was able to welcome The Messiah into the World and to gaze lovingly upon His Holy Face with delight, and Prayerful adoration.
“Pope Saint John Paul spoke of The Rosary as: “Contemplating, with Mary, The Face of Christ.”
“It would be hard to find a better concise summary of that Prayer, which I encourage you to say daily. During Advent, we would do well to renew our love of The Rosary while thinking of the first occasion, there in the stable at Bethlehem, when Our Blessed Mother contemplated The Face of her Divine Son.”Taken from the Sermon, given at Saint Bede’s, Clapham Park, 8 December 2019.
A beautiful handmade Red Wood Rosary, with Saint Benedict's Cross,
available from Saint Michæl's Abbey, Farnborough, Hampshire, England.
Zephyrinus has already purchased his precious Rosary. By purchasing such a beautiful item, you are, of course, supporting Saint Michæl's Abbey. The Rosary is available for purchase online at The Abbey's Gift Shop at THE ABBEY SHOP
The Great O Antiphons. 22 December.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
English: Adoration Of The Shepherds (Detail).
Deutsch: Anbetung der Hirten, Detail.
Artist: Guido Reni (1575–1642).
Date: 1630 - 1642.
Current location: Certosa di San Martino, Naples, Italy.
Source/Photographer: http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintings/product/74265/theadorationoftheshepherds
(Wikimedia Commons)
"O Rex Gentium".
The Great O Antiphon for 22 December.
Available on YouTube at
22 December: Aggeus ii. 8; Ephesians ii. 14, 20
O Rex Gentium,
et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis,
qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.
O King of the Gentiles,
and The Desired of them,
Thou cornerstone that makest both one,
come and deliver man,
whom Thou didst form out of
the dust of the Earth.
Versicle. Rorate.
“Rorate cæli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . .”
“Ye Heavens, drop down from above,
and let the clouds rain down The Just One”.
"Rorate Caeli".
Available on YouTube at
Monday, 21 December 2020
For Anybody Who Is Even Thinking About Drinking And Driving Over Christmas: Please Read This Article. AND DON'T.
This Article is taken from, and can be read in full at,
KENT FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
Chloe’s Road To Recovery
After A Head-On Drink Driver Crash.
All Illustrations: KENT AND FIRE RESCUE SERVICE
Kent Fire And Rescue Service.
Available on YouTube at
Broken legs, a shattered elbow, multiple breaks to the pelvis, a broken sternum, arm, jaw, cheek bone and eye socket, and internal damage to the spleen, kidneys and heart.
Despite these horrific injuries sustained from a Head-On Crash, caused by a Drink Driver, Chloe Dean from Ashford, Kent, does not let what was an almost life ending experience define her.
She’s learning to live again, to walk, and be able to play
with her young children – striving to be the person she was before the accident.
And while others would feel anger, her wishes for the man
who is now serving time for causing her ordeal, are that of learning, rehabilitation and positivity.
The remarkable 29-year-old mother of three continues
to rebuild her life 18-months on, and is now sharing her story
in the hope of preventing further accidents caused by Drink Drivers - providing a wake-up call to anyone who’s considering Drinking and Driving this Christmas.
The Great O Antiphons. 21 December.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
English: "Madonna And Child With Two Angels".
Deutsch: Madonna und zwei Engel.
Italiano: Madonna con due angeli.
Artist: Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510).
Date: 1468 - 1469.
Current location: Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project:
10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.
DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202.
Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: [1]
(Wikimedia Commons)
"O Oriens".
The Great O Antiphon for 21 December.
Available on YouTube at
21 December: Psalm cvi. 10
O Oriens,
splendor lucis æternæ,
et sol justitiæ;
veni et illumina sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.
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.
Versicle. Rorate.
“Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . .”
“Ye Heavens, drop down from above,
and let the clouds rain down The Just One”.
" Rorate Caeli ".
Available on YouTube at
Sunday, 20 December 2020
Monastère Saint-Benoit, France. Fund-Raiser Donation Page.
The Sanctuary,
Monastère Saint-Benoit, France.
Monastery Fund-Raiser Donation Page: MONASTERY DONATION
Illustration: MONASTERE SAINT BENOIT
Vigil of Saint Thomas. Apostle. 20 December.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
Vigil of Saint Thomas.
Apostle.
20 December.
Simple.
Violet Vestments.
The tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle,
in Mylapore, India.
Photo: 1 June 2013.
Source: Own work.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Like nearly all The Feasts of The Apostles, that of Saint Thomas is preceded by a Vigil, which will enable our Souls to prepare for it in a Holy Manner. The Gospel recalls the vocation of this great Apostle, who had the happiness of hearing continually The Word of Christ and of enjoying His intimacy. "I have called you friends because I have made known to you all that I have heard from My Father."
"God," adds the Epistle, "has chosen him from among all men. He has given him His Commandments, The Law of Life and of Instruction."
Wherefore, the Offertory declares that he had been chosen by Jesus to be one of The Twelve Princes, who would govern His Church: "The Lord has crowned him with glory and honour and has given him authority over the works of His hands."
"The Lord", the Epistle also says, "has given him his share of inheritance among The Twelve Tribes." The Country of The Parthians and Persians was allotted to Saint Thomas when The Apostles divided The World among themselves. Let us prepare for tomorrow's Solemnity in union with The Holy Church.
Mass: Ego autem.
Commemoration: Of The Feria.
Third Collect: Deus qui de beátæ.
If The Vigil falls on one of The Ember Days, The Mass is that of The Ember Day, with Commemoration of The Vigil, but without its Gospel at the end of Mass.
The Great O Antiphons. 20 December.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.
English: Workshop of The Della Robbia (Early-16th-Century).
Madonna with Child, The Holy Spirit and two Cherubims, enamelled terracotta.
Français: Atelier des Della Robbia (début du XVIe siècle.
Vierge à l'Enfant avec le Saint Esprit et deux chérubins, terre cuite émaillée.
Current location: Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Accession Number: Campana 32.
Source/Photographer: Jastrow (2006).
(Wikimedia Commons)
"O Clavis, David".
The Great O Antiphon for 20 December.
Gregorian Chant notation from The Liber Usualis (1961), p. 341.
Latin lyrics sung by The Cantarte Regensburg.
Available on YouTube at
20 December: Isaias xxii. 22;
Apocalypse iii. 7; Luke i. 79
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 no man shutteth,
Who shuttest and no man openeth;
come and bring forth from his prison-house,
the captive that sitteth in darkness and
in the shadow of death.
Versicle. Rorate.
“Rorate cæli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . .”
“Ye Heavens, drop down from above,
and let the clouds rain down The Just One”.
Saturday, 19 December 2020
“Christmas Is Coming, The Goose Is Getting Fat”. Have You Finished Your Christmas Baking ? Are The Cards Posted ? Which Mass Are You Going To ?
Illustration: PINTEREST
"Christmas Shopping".
Author: Frank Dadd.
Source: http://www.wikigallery.org/
Permission: Free for non-commercial use. See below.
Click here to report copyright issues.
This image (or other media file) is in the public domain
because its copyright has expired.
However - you may not use this image for commercial purposes and you may not alter the image or remove the WikiGallery watermark. This applies to the United States,
Canada, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life
of the author plus 70 years.
(Wikigallery.org)
"Christmas is coming,
the Goose is getting fat . . ."
Sung by: John Denver and The Muppets.
Available on YouTube at
Artist: Muriel Dawson
(1897-1974).
Illustration: PINTEREST
Illustration: PINTEREST
"My Favourite Time of Year".
The Florin Street Band.
Available on YouTube at
Postmen of The British Empire.
English Postman. 1904.
Postcard from the private collection of Jennifer Drury.
Found on mybrightonandhove.org
Illustration: PINTEREST
Found at corbertgauthier.net
Illustration: PINTEREST
Illustration: PINTEREST
Found on flickr.com
Illustration: PINTEREST
King's College Choir,
Cambridge, England.
Christmas Carols.
24 December 2011.
Available on YouTube at
Saturday In Ember Week Of Advent.
Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.
Saturday in Ember Week Of Advent.
Station at Saint Peter's.
Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.
Violet Vestments.
Illustration: MATER DEI LATIN MASS PARISH
Saturday is the most solemn of The Ember Days, because that was the day on which The Church Ordained her Priests in the great Basilica of Saint Peter. This Ordination in the tenth month of the Roman year (called, for that reason, December) was the only one formerly known in Rome. Hence, it was an important date.
Everything in The Mass, moreover, bears the character of a very ancient Liturgy. It calls to mind, with its numerous Lessons, intermingled with Responses and Prayers, the earliest form of the introductory part of The Mass.
The Soul that is penetrated with it finds itself filled with a Holy Impatience, and, with The Church, it aspires to the New Birth of The Only Begotten Son of God, Who comes to deliver us from the yoke of sin (Second Collect).
"While, with confidence, she awaits The Lord Jesus, Who shall deliver us from our enemies, destroying Anti-Christ with the brightness of His Coming" (Epistle).
The Gospel brings before us the image of Saint John the Baptist, The Precursor, who prepares our Souls each year for The Coming of The Saviour. The same Gospel is again found in The Mass of the following day, because, formerly, the Ordination, taking place in the evening, lasted well into the night, thus encroaching on the Sunday, provided it with its Liturgy.
Mass: Veni, et osténde.
After The Kyrie eleison, the Bishop confers The Tonsure.
After The First Lesson, the Bishop Ordains The Door-Keepers.
After The Second Lesson, the Bishop Ordains The Readers.
After The Third Lesson, the Bishop Ordains The Exorcists.
After The Fourth Lesson, the Bishop Ordains The Acolytes.
After The Fifth Lesson, the Bishop Ordains The Sub-Deacons.
After The Epistle, the Bishop Ordains The Deacons.
After The Tract, the Bishop Ordains The Priests.
The Four Seasons of the Year begin with the Liturgical periods known as Ember Weeks. They are known since the 5th-Century A.D., but they were fixed to their present dates by Pope Saint Gregory VII in the 12th-Century.
The Ember Days are Three Fast Days, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, intended to Consecrate to God the various Seasons in Nature, and to prepare those who are about to be Ordained.
The Gospel recalls Gabriel's mission to Mary to inform her that she was about to become The Mother of God.
No human voice, but an Angel's, must make known the Mystery of such message. Today, for the first time, are heard the words: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee." They are heard and believed. "Behold," says Mary, "the handmaid of The Lord, be it done to me according to thy word" (Third Lesson). During seven Centuries, now, Isaias had foretold this Virgin Motherhood (Epistle, Communion).
Circa 1950: The Vicar and Sunday School Children go out into the fields
to Bless the crops. The little boy is carrying a symbolic Tree of Plenty.
Picture Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
Illustration: ABOUT RELIGION
Rogation Days, like their distant cousins, The Ember Days, are days set aside to observe a change in the Seasons. Rogation Days are tied to the Spring planting. There are Four Rogation Days: The Major Rogation, which falls on 25 April, and Three Minor Rogations, which are Celebrated on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday immediately before Ascension Thursday.
For An Abundant Harvest.
As The Catholic Encyclopedia notes, Rogation Days are "Days of Prayer, and formerly, also of Fasting, instituted by The Church to appease God's anger at man's transgressions, to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest."
Illustration: ABOUT RELIGION
Origin Of The Word.
Rogation is simply an English form of the Latin "Rogatio", which comes from the verb "Rogare", which means "to ask." The primary purpose of The Rogation Days is to ask God to Bless the fields and the Parish (the geographic area) that they fall in.
The Major Rogation likely replaced the Roman feast of "Robigalia", on which (The Catholic Encyclopedia notes) "the heathens held processions and supplications to their gods." While the Romans directed their prayers for good weather and an abundant harvest to a variety of gods, the Christians made the Tradition their own, by replacing Roman polytheism with monotheism, and directing their Prayers to God.
By the time of Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540 A.D. - 604 A.D.), the Christianised Rogation Days were already considered an ancient custom.
The Litany, Procession, And Mass.
The Rogation Days were marked by the recitation of The Litany of The Saints, which would normally begin in, or at, a Church. After Saint Mary was invoked, the Congregation would proceed to walk the boundaries of the Parish, while reciting the rest of The Litany (and repeating it as necessary or supplementing it with some of The Penitential or Gradual Psalms). Thus, the entire Parish would be Blessed, and the boundaries of the Parish would be marked. The procession would end with a Rogation Mass, in which all in the Parish were expected to take part.
Sunday School Children Celebrate Rogation Day in 1953.
A photo at Market Lavington Museum, Wiltshire, England.
Illustration: MARKET LAVINGTON MUSEUM
Like The Ember Days, Rogation Days were removed from The Liturgical Calendar when it was revised in 1969, coinciding with the introduction of The Mass of Paul VI (The Novus Ordo).
Parishes can still Celebrate them, though very few in The United States do; but, in portions of Europe, The Major Rogation is still Celebrated with a Procession. As The Western World has become more industrialised, Rogation Days and Ember Days, focused as they are on agriculture and the changes of the Seasons, have seemed less "relevant." Still, they are good ways to keep us in touch with nature and to remind us that The Church's Liturgical Calendar is tied to the changing Seasons.
Celebrating The Rogation Days.
If your Parish does not celebrate The Rogation Days, there's nothing to stop you from Celebrating them yourself. You can mark the Days by reciting The Litany of The Saints. And, while many modern Parishes, especially in The United States, have boundaries that are too extensive to walk, you could learn where those boundaries are and walk a portion of them, getting to know your surroundings, and maybe your neighbours, in the process. Finish it all off by attending daily Mass and Praying for good weather and a fruitful harvest.
Saint Michael's Church, Bunwell, Norfolk, England, has always been
the centre of Village Life. In this picture, taken on Rogation Sunday,
April 1967, the Rector, Rev. Samuel Collins, followed by the Choir,
Parishioners, and The New Buckenham Silver Band, walk
The Parish Boundaries and pause to Bless the stream.
Illustration: BUNWELL HERITAGE GROUP
References in The Liturgy, connecting The Annunciation with Advent, date back to very early times. Many Churches observed this Feast on 18 December, in preference to 25 March, the latter date often falling in Lent.
Furthermore, this First Joyful Mystery of The Blessed Virgin is in keeping with the spirit of joy, which is so characteristic of the second half of The Season of Advent, when The Lord, Who is nigh, is so eagerly awaited (Second Gradual). Who, having appeared in the humility of His First Coming to save us (Collect), will come again like a King, full of glory (First Gradual), to take vengeance on His enemies and to deliver us forever (Offertory).
The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.
In The Liturgical Calendar of The Western Christian Churches, Ember Days are four separate Sets of Three Days within the same Week — specifically, the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday — roughly equidistant in the circuit of the Year, that are set aside for Fasting and Prayer.
These Days set apart for Special Prayer and Fasting were considered especially suitable for The Ordination of Clergy. The Ember Days are known in Latin as the "quattuor anni tempora" (the "Four Seasons of The Year"), or, formerly, as the "jejunia quattuor temporum" ("Fasts of The Four Seasons").
The Four Quarterly Periods, during which The Ember Days fall, are called The Embertides.
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