“My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord”.

Madonna Adoring The Child With Five Angels.

Artist: Sandro Botticelli.

Date: 1485 - 1490.

Source: [1]

Author: w:Botticelli

(Wikimedia Commons)

This Article was taken (in December 2012) from

ENLARGING THE HEART

And Mary Said:

“Behold The Handmaid Of The Lord”.

(Luke 1:38) . . .

“Magnificat”.

The Canticle of Mary.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

If a handmaid is she, who, with intent and with complete attention, beholds her Lord, then, again, The Most-Holy Virgin is the first among The Handmaids of The Lord.

[. . .] She did not care to please the World, but only God; nor did she care to justify herself before the World, but only before God. She herself is obedience; she herself is service; she herself is meekness.

The Most-Holy Virgin could in truth say to the Angel of God: "Behold The Handmaid of The Lord".

The greatest perfection, and the greatest honour that a woman can attain on Earth, is to be a handmaid of The Lord. Eve lost this perfection and honour in Paradise without effort, and The Virgin Mary achieved this perfection and this honour outside Paradise with her efforts.

“My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord”.

(Luke 1:46).

Brethren, we have in total only a few words spoken by The Most-Holy Theotokos recorded in the Gospels.

All of her words pertain to The Magnification of God. She was silent before men, but her Soul conversed unceasingly with God. Every day and every hour, she found a new reason and incentive to Magnify God.

If only we were able to know and to record all her Magnifications of God throughout her whole life, oh, how many books would it take !

But, even by this one Magnification, which she spoke before her kinswoman, Elizabeth, the mother of the great Prophet and Forerunner, John, every Christian can evaluate what a fragrant and God-Pleasing Flower was her Most Holy Soul.

This is but one wonderful Canticle of The Soul of The Theotokos, which has come down to us through the Gospel. However, such Canticles were without number in the course of the life of The Most-Blessed One.

Even before she heard the Gospel from the lips of her Son, she knew how to speak with God and to glorify Him in accordance with the teaching of the Gospel.

This knowledge came to her from The Holy Spirit of God, whose Grace constantly poured into her, like clear water into a pure vessel.

Her Soul Magnified God with Canticles throughout her whole life, and therefore God Magnified her above The Cherubim and The Seraphim.

Likewise, small and sinful as we are, the same Lord will Magnify, in His Kingdom, us, who Magnify her, if we exert ourselves to fill this brief life with the Magnification of God in our deeds, words, thoughts, and Prayers.

O Most-Holy, Most-Pure and Most-Blessed Theotokos, cover us with The Wings of Thy Prayers.

Nikolai Velimirovich (1880-1956; Orthodox Church):

Prologue from Ohrid, December 26th and 27th OS.

Bethlehem Means “House of Bread”.

Illustration: IBELIEVE

Vigil. The Nativity Of Our Lord. 24 December.

Angels announcing Christ’s birth to the Shepherds.

Artist: Govert Flinck (1615–1660).

Date: 1639.

Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris.

(Wikimedia Commons)

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

The Vigil Of The Nativity Of Our Lord.
   24 December.

Indulgence of 15 Years and 15 Quarantines.

Double (from Lauds, onward).

Privilege of The First-Class.

Violet Vestments.

The Vigil of Christmas is impregnated with Holy Cheerfulness, and, if it were not for the Vestments of Penance and Fasting [Editor: Violet Vestments] one would imagine that The Feast had begun.

The Church joyfully awaits the twofold Coming of her Redeemer (Collect), Who "saves His people from their sins" (Gospel) and Who is The Shepherd of Israel (Gradual), that is The Church, of whom all are Members who have Faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus, Isaias foretells that "all flesh shall see The Salvation of God" and Saint Paul adds that he has been chosen to be The Apostle of The Gospel, "for obedience to The Faith in all Nations for His Name."

With the help of today's Mass, we may prepare to Celebrate the anniversary of "The Adorable Birthday" of The Only-Begotten Son of God (Secret and Postcommunion), The Son of David, Whom the spouse of Joseph brought into the World (Gospel) and Who, "born as man" according to the seed of David, has, by His Resurrection, proved, beyond all question, that He was God (Epistle).

Since this Resurrection was, for Christ, the prelude to His Glorious Reign, for us, it is the pledge of our own glorification and resurrection at The End of Time; thus, today's Liturgy prepares us for The Second Coming of Our Lord. "Today", the Introit and the Gradual say, "you shall know that The Lord will come and save us; and, in the morning, you shall see His Glory." "Sanctify yourselves and be ye ready," says The First Response at Matins, "for tomorrow, you shall see The Son of God in your midst."

By these two days, today and tomorrow," explains Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, "are meant that of the present life, which is short and gloomy, and that of Eternity amidst the splendours of The Saints. Our learning here below consists in remembering that The Lord is coming; and it is The First Coming of The Son of God which enlightens us about His Second Coming. It calls forth contrition, blazes forth in correction, shines through our zeal and renews us within and without.

Meditate on the marvels of The Lord's Mercy vouchsafed in His Incarnation, that, when the last morning dawns, we may contemplate those of His Glory.

"Tomorrow", says the Alleluia,"shall the iniquity of the Earth be abolished; and The Saviour of the World shall reign over us." Almighty God, The Creator of all things," adds the Psalmist, "is, indeed, The King of Glory, having snatched man from the power of Satan, receives him into His Heavenly Jerusalem [Editor: Versicle of Intercession, Offertory]. "Then shall The Glory of The Lord be manifested" (Communion).

Let us, therefore, prepare ourselves "with Holy Joy, Celebrating The Coming of The Only-Begotten Son of God, Who comes as Redeemer at Christmas, in order that we may be able to contemplate Him with assurance, when He shall come as Judge at The End of The World" (Collect).

The Introit passage is from Exodus and refers to Moses' promise to the Hebrews, concerning The Manna from Heaven, and The Liturgy applies it to Our Lord, Who is The True Bread from On High.

"The Church," says Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, "inspired by Almighty God, has put these words in today's Office whence they acquire a strength of meaning corresponding to the distance between symbol and reality and between light and shade."

"It was all the more fitting," says Saint Gregory,, "that The Lord should have been born at Bethlehem, since Bethlehem means "House of Bread"; for it was He Who said "I am The Living Bread, Which came down from Heaven"."

"The place, where The Lord was born, was, of old, called "House of Bread", because it was there that He was to appear in the flesh, Who, one day, would interiorly satiate the Souls of His Elect" (Matins),

Mass: Hodie sciétis.
Collect: Deus, qui nos redemptionis. This is the only Collect said, unless The Vigil falls on The Fourth Sunday of Advent: In which case, a Commemoration (Collect) is made of that Sunday.
Creed: Is Said, or Sung, if The Vigil falls on a Sunday.
Preface: The Common Preface.
Preface: Of The Most Holy Trinity, if the Vigil falls on a Sunday.

Arthur J. Elsley (1860 - 1952). Painter.

“Mother’s Darling”.

Artist: Arthur Elsley (1860–1952).

Source: ARTNET

Author: Arthur Elsley (1860–1952).

“Weatherbound).

Artist: Arthur Elsley (1860–1952).

Date: 1898.

Source: MY DAILY ART DISPLAY

Author: Arthur Elsley (1860–1952).

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

Arthur John Elsley (1860–1952)[1] was an English painter of the Late-Victorian and Edwardian periods, famous for his idyllic genre scenes of playful children and their pets.[2] 

He achieved great popularity during his life and much of his work appeared in calendars, magazines and books.[3]

Christmas Midnight Mass. Noël Messe De Minuit. Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Christmas Midnight Mass 

Tuesday, 24 December 2024.

2400 hrs (Paris Time).

2300 hrs (London Time).

1800 hrs (New York Time).

Noël Messe De Minuit.

Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Download the Mass Booklet

HERE

Matins Of Christmas On Christmas Eve. Matines De Noël. Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Matins of Christmas on Christmas Eve.

Matines de Noël.

Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

2145 hrs (Paris Time) Christmas Eve.

2045 hrs (London Time) Christmas Eve.

1545 hrs (New York Time) Christmas Eve.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Download the Matins Booklet

HERE

Second Vespers Of Christmas Day. Secondes Vêpres De Noël. Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Second Vespers of Christmas Day.

Secondes Vêpres De Noël.

Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

1745 hrs (Paris Time), Christmas Day.

1645 hrs (London Time) Christmas Day.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Download the Vespers Booklet

HERE

Holy Mass Of Christmas Day. Sainte Messe Du Jour De Noël. Church Of Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Holy Mass Of Christmas Day.

Sainte Messe Du Jour De Noël.

Saint-Eugène-Sainte-Cécile, Paris.

Available on YouTube

HERE

1100 hrs (Paris Time) Christmas Day.

1000 hrs (London Time) Christmas Day.

0500 hrs (New York Time) Christmas Day.

Download the Mass Booklet

HERE

“My Favourite Time Of Year”. Sung By: The Florin Street Band.

“My Favourite Time Of Year”.

The Florin Street Band.

Available on YouTube

HERE

Le Monastère Saint-Benoît. The Monastery Of Saint Benedict, La Garde-Freinet, France. “Come And See” (Saint John 1:39).

Illustration: SAINT BENEDICT MONASTERY

You can support this new Traditional Monastery,

and make a donation,

by visiting their Web-Site HERE. 

Bring Back The Altar Rails !!!

Illustration: CHURCH POP

This Article is taken from. and can be read in full at,

CHURCH POP

Missa Cantata In Honour Of The Holy Abbots.

Illustration: A CHAPLAIN ABROAD

This Article was first published in December 2019.

It is taken from, and can be read in full at,

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

The Seventh Great O Antiphon. 23 December.

"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.

Author: Francesco Albani (1578–1660).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Text from “The Liturgical Year”,
by Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.

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 O 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.

Text is from “The Liturgical Year”,

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 ! ”

Devotions After Holy Communion.

19th-Century French Chalice and Paten in Gothic Style made in Solid Silver Gilt. Chalice and Paten both made by the French Silversmith Jules Passebois, in the 20th-Century.

Illustration: LUZAR VESTMENTS

DEVOTIONS AFTER HOLY COMMUNION.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

The following Act, corresponding to one of the four ends of sacrifice, may also be said after Mass, by way of thanksgiving.

An Act of Adoration.

O Lord Jesus, I have received Thee within myself, and from within the Sanctuary of my heart into which Thou hast deigned to descend, do Thou give to Almighty God, in my name, all the glory that is His due.

I unite myself to Thee, O Sacred Humanity, Who in Heaven and in The Holy Eucharist, dost never cease offering to the Most Holy Trinity an infinite worship, that which alone is truly worthy of The Three Divine Persons.

Through Thee, O Divine Priest, I wish to render glory to The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost, even in proportion to the immensity of their Divine Majesty, because I know that by Thee, with Thee, and in Thee, all honour and glory are given to them.

In union therefore with Thee, I prostrate myself in Adoration before God, acknowledging His Sovereign Dominion over me and over all creatures.

Amen.

The Great O Antiphons. 23 December.

"The Adoration of The Shepherds".

Artist: Gerard van Honthorst (1590–1656).

Date: 25 December 1622.

Current location: Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne.

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/

pipermail/wikide-l/2005-April/012195.html.

(Wikimedia Commons)

"O Emmanuel".

The Great O Antiphon

for 23 December.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,

unless otherwise stated.

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,

and let the clouds rain down The Just One”.

“Rorate Cæli”.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

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.

“Immortality”. Sung By: Céline Dion.

“Immortality”. 

Sung By: Céline Dion.

Available on YouTube

HERE

“Colours Of My Life”. Sung By: Judith Durham And The Seekers.

“Colours Of My Life”.

Sung by: Judith Durham and The Seekers.

Available on YouTube

HERE