Masses In Kent: Tenterden; Ramsgate; Chislehurst. And Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.

Illustration by

Margaret Tarrant.

FLICKR

Zephyrinus is delighted to publicise Masses, which are Celebrated in Kent on a regular Weekly basis on Sundays and on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation.

Also, in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. The First Sunday of the Month.

Besides Glorifying God, you will see

the wonderful Kent and Essex countrysides

changing throughout the Seasons,

which, in itself, Glorifies God.

                  

TENTERDEN, KENT.

CHURCH OF SAINT ANDREW.

SAINT ANDREW’S

CATHOLIC CHURCH,

TENTERDEN.

Masses are Celebrated

at the

Church of Saint Andrew,

47, Ashford Road,

Tenterden, Kent TN30 6LL,

at 1200 hrs,

EVERY SUNDAY

and on Feast Days and Holy Days of Obligation.

RAMSGATE, KENT.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CHURCH.

Zephyrinus is grateful to Tony V at PRAY TELL UNCHAINED

for providing information on Masses in Ramsgate, Kent.

The Ramsgate Web-Site is

THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF RAMSGATE AND MINSTER

Mass at Saint Augustine’s, Ramsgate, Kent.

Image: SAINT AUGUSTINE'S, RAMSGATE, KENT

Saint Augustine’s Shrine,

Ramsgate, Kent.

Image: AUGUSTINE'S SHRINE.

Times of Masses.

RAMSGATE, KENT.

Saint Augustine’s Church,

Saint Augustine’s Road,

Ramsgate,

Kent CT11 9PA.

Telephone: 01843 592 071.

1200 hrs every Sunday

and 0930 hrs on Fridays.

RAMSGATE, KENT.

SAINT ETHELBERT

AND SAINT GERTRUDE CHURCH.

Saint Ethelbert and Saint Gertrude Church,

Ramsgate, Kent.

Illustration:

CATHOLIC PARISH OF RAMSGATE AND MINSTER

Saint Ethelbert and Saint Gertrude Church,

72, Hereson Road,

Ramsgate,

Kent CT11 7DS.

Mass at

0930 hrs every Wednesday.

CHISLEHURST,

KENT.

SAINT MARY’S CHURCH.

Saint Mary’s Church,

Chislehurst, Kent.

Illustration: ARCHDIOCESE OF SOUTHWARK

CHISLEHURST, KENT.

Saint Mary’s Church

28 Crown Lane,

Chislehurst,

Kent BR7 5PL.

E-Mail: chislehurst@rcaos.org.uk

Telephone: 020 8467 3215.

Mass at

1100 hrs every Sunday

and

1930 hrs every Friday.

LEIGH-ON-SEA,

ESSEX.

CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

AND SAINT JOSEPH.

Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Joseph Church,

Image: OUR LADY OF LOURDES

LEIGH-ON-SEA, ESSEX.

Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Joseph Church,

161, Leigh Road,

Leigh-on-Sea,

Essex SS9 1J.

Telephone: 01702 478078.

E-Mail: leighonsea@dioceseofbrentwood.org

Web-Site: OUR LADY OF LOURDES

Mass at

1600 hrs on The First Sunday of every Month.

Followed by Solemn Vespers

and Benediction.

“The Mass Of The Foundation Of The Trinitarian Order”.

Artist: Juan Carreño de Miranda.

Illustration: LOUVRE

THE SAINT ANDREW DAILY MISSAL

THE SAINT ANDREW DAILY MISSAL

Available (in U.K.) from

CENACLE CATHOLIC BOOKS

Available (in U.S.A.) from

ST. BONAVENTURE PUBLICATIONS

Available (in Ireland) from

SILVERSTREAM PRIORY

Attribution of Floral Background:

Designed by macrovector / Freepik

“O Clavis David”. The Fourth Great O Antiphon Of Advent.

“O Clavis David”. 

The Fourth Great O Antiphon Of Advent.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Text from “The Liturgical Year”.
   By: Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
   Book 1.
   Advent.

O Clavis David et sceptrum domus Israël, 

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 lead the captive from prison,

Sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Jesus, Son of David ! Heir to his throne and his power ! Thou art now passing over, in Thy way to Bethlehem [Editor: House of Bread], the land that once was the kingdom of Thy ancestor, but now is tributary to the Gentiles.

Scarce an inch of this ground which has not witnessed the miracles of the justice and mercy of Jehovah, Thy Father, to the people of the Old Covenant, which is so soon to end.

The Great O Antiphons.

Plainsong with accompaniment.

Caroline sings the Great O Antiphons,

accompanied by Richard. 

O Emmanuel is sung by CONSORT SW1.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Before long, when Thou hast come from beneath the Virginal cloud which now hides Thee, Thou wilt pass along this same road doing good, healing all manner of sickness and every infirmity, and yet having not where to lay Thy head.

Now, at least, Thy Mother’s womb affords Thee the sweetest rest, and Thou receivest from her the profoundest adoration and the tenderest love.

But, dear Jesus, it is Thine own Blessed Will that Thou leave this loved abode. Thou hast, O Eternal Light, to shine in the midst of this World’s darkness, this prison, where the captive, whom Thou hast come to deliver, sits in the shadow of death.

Open his prison-gates by Thy all-powerful key. And who is this captive, but the human race, the slave of error and vice ? Who is this captive, but the heart of man, which is thrall to the very passions it blushes to obey ?

Oh ! Come and set at liberty the World Thou hast enriched by Thy Grace, and the creatures whom Thou hast made to be Thine own brethren.

In some Countries in The Middle-Ages, another

Great O Antiphon was added to The Angel Gabriel.

O Gabriel !

Nuntius Cœlorum, 

Qui januis clausis ad me intrasti, 

Et Verbum nunciasti; 

Concipies et pares:

Emmanuel vocabitur.

O Gabriel !

The Messenger of Heaven, 

Who camest unto me through closed doors,

And didst announce The Word unto me:

“Thou shalt conceive and bear a Son,

And He shall be called Emmanuel”.

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,

Mylapore, India.

Photo: 1 June 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: 

Mathen Payyappilly Palakkappilly 

(User:Achayan).

(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.

English: Workshop of The Della Robbia (Early-16th-Century).

Madonna with Child, The Holy Spirit and two Cherubims.

Français: Atelier des Della Robbia (début du XVIe siècle.

Vierge à l'Enfant avec le Saint Esprit et deux chérubins.

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

YOU TUBE

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

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.

“Rorate Cæli”.

Gregorian Chant for Advent.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Versicle. Rorate.

“Rorate cæli desuper, et nubes pluant justium . . .”

“Ye Heavens, drop down from above,

and let the clouds rain down The Just One”.

Friday In Ember Week Of Advent.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Friday in Ember Week Of Advent.

Station at The Church of The Twelve Apostles.

Indulgence of 10 Years and 10 Quarantines.

Violet Vestments.

Illustration: MATER DEI LATIN MASS PARISH

The Mass of today sums up perfectly the whole spirit of Advent, which is, so to speak, the first act of the great drama of The Incarnation.

It might be called “The Expectation of Christ” and pictured in a Triptych (see vignette, below): On the Left, The Prophets, and, in particular, Isaias, who search the horizon and announce to us The Coming of Christ (Epistle), The Sun of Justice; on the Right, Saint John the Baptist (The Forerunner), who, from the womb of his mother, salutes Jesus (Gospel), and, as the Friend of The Bridegroom, presents Him as The Messias to His Bride, The Church; in the Centre Panel, The Virgin, in her First and Second Joyful Mysteries, The Annunciation and The Visitation, of which we read in the Gospels for The Wednesday in Ember Week, and for today.

Mass: Prope es tu.

The Blessed Virgin Mary,

Saint Gabriel, Prophet Isaias, Saint John the Baptist.

Illustration: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY

Artist: René de Cramer.

“Copyright Brunelmar/Ghent/Belgium”.

Used with Permission.

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 Fasting Days, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, intended to Consecrate to God the various Seasons in Nature, and to prepare those Priests 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.

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, 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

Optional Today.

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 and 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.

The Midnight Mass Of Christmas 2021. Veillée De Noël Et Messe De Minuit 2021. Church Of Saint Eugène - Sainte Cécile, Paris.

English: Christmas Eve and Christmas Midnight Mass 2021.

Church of Church Of Saint Eugène - Sainte Cécile, Paris.

Français: Veillée de Noël et messe de minuit 2021.

Available on YouTube

HERE