Ember Wednesday in Advent - Missa Aurea

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Ember Wednesday in Advent - Missa Aurea Dec 19, 2018 13:19:13 GMT

Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2018 13:19:13 GMT

The Missa Aurea

During the Middle Ages, the Mass of the Missus Est — the first words of the Gospel of the Annunciation — on the Ember Wednesday of Advent was celebrated very solemnly as a kind of festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The stational church in Rome is the Basilica of Saint Mary Major; this choice signifies that today’s Mass is equal to that of the greatest feasts of the Mother of God. It was called the Missa Aurea, the “Golden Mass.” In manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the capital letters of the text of the Annunciation Gospel were written in gold. The letters of gold were but a sign of the secret grace hidden within the words of the Angel Gabriel and within the response of the Virgin Mary.

Then, too, there is the tradition of celebrating today’s Mass in the glow of candlelight. The “Golden Mass” was especially popular throughout Europe where the faithful hastened to their churches before dawn, bearing lanterns, confident of obtaining on this day whatever special grace they asked through the intercession of the Virgin of the Annunciation.

In some monasteries, the Gospel is sung today to a particular melody: the same ancient melody used to sing the Gospel of Pentecost. The Annunciation is the Proto-Pentecost. The Virgin Mother, overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, is the living image of the Church overshadowed by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

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Last Edit: Dec 18, 2019 12:29:16 GMT by Admin

"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Archbp. Lefebvre 1980

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Ember Wednesday in Advent - Missa Aurea Dec 18, 2019 12:44:57 GMT

Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2019 12:44:57 GMT

WEDNESDAY IN EMBER WEEK

Prope est jam Dominus: venite, adoremus.

The Lord is now nigh; come, let us adore.

To-day the Church begins the fast of Quatuor Tempora, or, as we call it, of Ember days: it includes also the Friday and Saturday of this same week. This observance is not peculiar to the Advent liturgy; it is one which has been fixed for each of the four seasons of the ecclesiastical year. We may consider it as one of those practices which the Church took from the Synagogue; for the prophet Zacharias speaks of the fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth months. (Zach viii. 19) Its introduction into the Christian Church would seem to have been made in the apostolic times; such, at least, is the opinion of St Leo, of St Isadore of Seville, of Rabanus Maurus, and of several other ancient Christian writers. It is remarkable, on the other hand, that the orientals do not observe this fast.

From the first ages the Quatuor Tempora were kept, in the Roman Church, at the same time of the year as at present. As to the expression, which is not unfrequently used in the early writers, of the three times and not the four, we must remember that in the spring, these days always come in the first week of Lent, a period already consecrated to the most rigorous fasting and abstinence, and that consequently they could add nothing to the penitential exercises of that portion of the year.

The intentions, which the Church has in the fast of the Ember days, are the same as those of the Synagogue; namely, to consecrate to God by penance the four seasons of the year. The Ember days of Advent are known, in ecclesiastical antiquity, as the fast of the tenth month; and St Leo, in one of his sermons on this fast, of which the Church has inserted a passage in the second nocturn of the third Sunday of Advent, tells us that a special fast was fixed for this time of the year, because the fruits of the earth had then all been gathered in, and that it behoved Christians to testify their gratitude to God by a sacrifice of abstinence, thus rendering themselves more worthy to approach God, the more they were detached from the love of created things. 'For fasting,' adds the holy doctor, 'has ever been the nourishment of virtue. Abstinence is the source of chaste thoughts, of wise resolutions, and of salutary counsel. By voluntary mortifications, the flesh dies to its concupiscences, and the spirit is renewed in virtue. But since fasting alone is not sufficient whereby to secure the soul's salvation, let us add to it works of mercy towards the poor. Let us make that which we retrench from indulgence, serve unto the exercise of virtue. Let the abstinence of him that fasts, become the meal of the poor man.'

Let us, the children of the Church, practise what is in our power to these admonitions; and since the actual discipline of Advent is so very mild, let us be so much the more fervent in fulfilling the precept of the fast of the Ember days. By these few exercises which are now required of us, let us keep up within ourselves the zeal of our forefathers for this holy season of Advent. We must never forget that although the interior preparation is what is absolutely essential for our profiting by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, yet this preparation could scarcely be real unless it manifested itself by the exterior practices of religion and penance.

The fast of the Ember days has another object besides that of consecrating the four seasons of the year to God by an act of penance; it has also in view the ordination of the ministers of the Church, which takes place on the Saturday, and of which notice was formerly given to the people during the Mass of the Wednesday. In the Roman Church, the ordination held in the month of December was, for a long time, the most solemn of all; and it would appear, from the ancient chronicles of the Popes, that, excepting very extraordinary cases, the tenth month was, for several ages, the only time for conferring Holy Orders in Rome. The faithful should unite with the Church in this her intention, and offer to God their fasting and abstinence for the purpose of obtaining worthy ministers of the word and of the Sacraments, and true pastors of the people.

The Church does not read anything, in the Matins of to-day, from the prophet Isaias: she merely reads a sentence from the chapter of St Luke, which gives our Lady's Annunciation, to which she subjoins a passage from St Ambrose's Homily on that Gospel. The fact of this Gospel having been chosen for the Office and Mass of to-day, has made the Wednesday of the third week of Advent a very marked day in the calendar. In several ancient Ordinaries, used by many of the larger churches, both cathedral and abbatial , we find it prescribed that feasts falling on this Wednesday should be transferred: that the ferial prayers should not be said kneeling on that day; that the Gospel Missus est, that is, of the Annunciation, should be sung at Matins by the celebrant vested in a white cope, with cross, lights, and incense, the great bell tolling meanwhile; that in abbeys, the abbot should preach a homily to the monks, as on solemn feasts. We are indebted to this custom for the four magnificent sermons of St Bernard on our blessed Lady, which are entitled: Super Missus est.

As the Mass of the Ember days is seldom sung, excepting in churches where the canonical Office is said, as also that we migth not add unnecessarily to this volume, we have thought it advisable to omit the Masses of Ember Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of Advent. The Station for the Wednesday is at St Mary Major, on account of the Gospel of the Annunciation, which, as we have just seen, has caused this day to be looked upon as a real feast of the blessed Virgin.

Having to speak, later on, of this mystery, in the proper of the saints, we will conclude this Wednesday with a prose of the middle ages, in honour of our blessed Lady's receiveing the angel's salutation, and with a prayer taken from one of the ancient liturgies.

PROSE IN HONOUR OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

(Taken from the missal of Cluny of 1523)

The angel, entering the Virgin's chamber, and gently bidding her not to fear, says to her:

Hail, Queen of the virgins! thou shalt conceive in thy womb the Lord of heaven and earth; and still remaining a Virgin, thou shalt bring forth the salvation of mankind, O gate of heaven bringing to the world the remedy of its iniquities!

How shall this be, replied the Virgin, for I know not man? How wouldst thou have me break the vow which I have sworn to keep?

The grace of the Holy Ghost shall accomplish all these things, said the angel. Fear not, by rejoice. I assure thee thy virginity shall be left intact: the power of God shall maintain it.

To this the noble Virgin answering, said to the angel: I am the lowly handmaid of the omnipotent God.

Consenting to thy word, O heavenly messenger, bearer of so great a secret, and desiring to see fulfilled what thou announcest, I am ready to obey the decree of God.

The angel left her, and in that moment her virginal womb conceived the Word made flesh from hers.

This was the chosen enclosure of nine months: then he left it, and began the great combat, carrying the cross upon his shoulders, wherewith he struck the enemy who brought death into the world.

O dear Mother of Jesus, who didst bring peace to angels and to men by giving birth to Christ, Pray for us to this thy Son, that he be merciful to us, and forgive us our sins, and give us his assistance, whereby, after this exile, we may possess the blessed joys of eternal life. Amen.

- This text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)

[Emphasis mine.]

Last Edit: Dec 18, 2019 12:45:57 GMT by Admin

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Ember Wednesday in Advent - Missa Aurea Dec 18, 2019 14:13:57 GMT

Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2019 14:13:57 GMT

SERMON OF ST. BERNARD ON THE "MISSUS EST" [of Ember Wednesday in Advent]

The holy Abbot St. Bernard's Preface to His "Praises of the Virgin Mother."

"I am in straits. My devotion bids me write; my occupations hinder me. Nevertheless, as sickness prevents me at present from following the community exercises with my brethren, I will not spend uselessly that little leisure which I contrive to find by shortening my night's rest. Besides, it is a pleasure to me to attempt what has been for so long in my mind namely,to speak or write something to the praise of the Virgin Mother, upon that portion of St. Luke's Gospel which contains the history of the Annunciation of our Lord's birth.

"And while I devote myself to this work, so long as the brethren over whom I am placed, and whom it is my happy duty to serve, do not find me less ready to minister either to their pressing needs, or even to their reasonable demands upon my time, I think none ought to object to my thus satisfying my devotion."

HOMILY I

THE PRAISES OF THE VIRGIN-MOTHER

"The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. St. Luke 1:26-27

WHAT can be the Evangelist s intention in mentioning in this text so many proper names? I think it is that he would not have us listen carelessly to what he has been at such pains to relate. He names the messenger sent, the Lord by Whom, the Virgin to whom he is sent, the spouse of the Virgin, with the race of each; their city, too, and country are pointed out by name. And why all this explanation? Can the Evangelist have said anything superfluous? By no means. If not a leaf from a tree, nor a single sparrow falls to the ground without a cause and the knowledge of our heavenly Father, can I suppose that one superfluous word would fall from the lips of the holy Evangelist, especially when he is giving the history of the Word Incarnate? Certainly I cannot. Full is every word of divinest mystery, redolent of sweetest heavenly perfume; to him, that is, who searches it diligently and knows how to draw "honey from the rock and oil from the flinty stone." [Deut. xxxii. 13.] For in that day "the mountains dropped down with sweetness, and the hills flowed with milk " [Joel iii. 18.] and honey. When the heavens dropped down dew and the clouds rained the Just One, then the joyous earth was opened and budded forth a Saviour, then the Lord gave goodness and our earth yielded forth her fruit.[Ps. Ixxxiv. 13.] On that mountain of mountains heaped up and fat "mercy and truth met each other, justice and peace kissed." [Ps. Ixxxiv. 13.]

In that day, too, one mountain was especially blessed among mountains namely, the Evangelist himself, when, with mellifluous eloquence, he made known to us the beginning of our long-desired salvation, like some delightful south wind bringing delicious spiritual perfumes caught from the rising Sun of Justice. Would that God would now also "send forth his words" and "let them flow to us" [Ps. cxlvii. ]; may " his Spirit breathe," may the Evangelist's words be intelligible to us; may they become to our hearts " more desirable than gold and precious stones "[Ps. xviii.]; may they be sweeter to us than honey and the honeycomb.

"The angel Gabriel was sent from God." [St. Luke i. 26] I do not think that this was one of the lower angels who for one cause or another are often sent to earth; and I gather it from his name, which is interpreted "Strength of God"; because, also, he was not sent as is usual from a superior spirit, but from God Himself. For this reason it is said "sent from God," or appointed by God, lest we should suppose that God had revealed His design to anyone before the Blessed Virgin. Among the blessed spirits themselves Gabriel alone was excepted, for he alone was found worthy of his name and embassy. The name befits the messenger, for could Christ, the Power of God, be more fittingly announced than by him who bore a similar name? Nor is it unbecoming or unsuitable that the Lord and His nuncio should bear the same title, for though the name is alike, the cause for which it is given differs. Christ is called the Strength or Power of God in quite another sense than the angel. In the angel it is merely an appellation; in Christ it expresses a substantial quality. Christ is called, and is, the Power of God. Stronger than the strong-armed, the Prince of this world, who kept his goods in peace, He came down upon him, waged war against him, and with His own arm bore away the spoils.

The angel is called the Strength of God either because he had merited the prerogative of officially announcing the Advent of the Power of God, or in order that he might strengthen and support the Virgin, by nature timid and bashful, whom the novelty of the miracle might terrify and overpower. This he did when he said: "Fear not, Mary, thou hast found grace with God."[St. Luke i. 30.] It is not unreasonable to suppose, though the Evangelist does not mention the angel's name, that this was the same archangel who strengthened and comforted Mary s spouse, a humble and timorous man. " Fear not, Joseph," he says, "son of David, to take unto thee Mary thy wife."[St. Matt. i. 20.]

Gabriel, therefore, was most fitly chosen for this work, or rather the name was imposed because of the embassy. The angel, therefore, is sent from God. Whither? " To a city of Galilee called Nazareth." Let us see if, as Nathaniel says, anything good can come from Nazareth. Nazareth is interpreted flower. The seed of this flower seems to me to have been cast from heaven upon the earth by the heavenly words spoken and the promises made to our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of this seed it is written, "Except the Lord of Hosts had left us seed, we had been as Sodom, and we should have been as Gomorrha."[Isa. i. 9. ] This seed flowered in the wonders displayed in the going forth from Egypt; it flowered in the signs and figures that marked the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness to the Promised Land; it flowered in the vision sand prophetical declarations of the Prophets, in the establishment and order of the kingdom and priesthood before the coming of Christ. But Christ is rightly understood to be the fruit of this seed and flower. For David says, "The Lord will give goodness, the earth shall yield her fruit."[Ps. Ixxxiv. 13.] And again: "Of the fruit of thy womb, I will set one upon thy throne." [Ps. cxxxi. .11.] In Nazareth, therefore, Christ's future birth is announced, because when the flower has budded we have hope that fruit will follow. But, as in the formation of the fruit the flower decays and drops off, so with the appearance of the Truth in the flesh, the figures passed away.

As the Apostle says, "These things happened to them in figure." Hence Nazareth is called a city of Galilee that is, change, or passage. We who have the fruit see that these flowers have passed away, and that even while they seemed to flourish their future decay was foretold. For David says: "In the morning he shall grow up like grass: in the morning he shall flourish and pass away, in the evening he shall fall, grow dry and wither."[Ps. Ixxxix. 6.] In the evening that is, in the fullness of time, when "God sent his only Son made of a woman, made under the law."[Gal. iv. 4.] "Behold," He says, "I make all things new."[Apoc. xxi. 5.] Hence it is again written, "The grass is withered and the flower is fallen: but the word of the Lord remaineth forever."[Isa. xl. 7, 8.] I think there is no doubt that the Word is Christ, and Christ is the good fruit that remaineth forever. But where is the grass that withered? where the flower that fell off? Let the Prophet answer: "All flesh is grass, and all the glory thereof as the flower of the field."[Isa. xl. 6.]

If all flesh is grass, the carnal Jews were grass; and did not the grass wither when that people, devoid of spiritual unction, adhered to the dry letter? And did not the flower fall off when they no longer gloried in the law? If the flower did not fall, where is their kingdom, their priest hood, their prophets, their temple? Where are those wonders in which they were wont to glory and to say: " How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us?" [Ps. Ixxvii. 3.] And again: "How great things he commanded our fathers, that they should make known to their children." [Ps. Ixxvii. 3.]

To Nazareth, a city of Galilee." To this city the angel Gabriel was sent from God. To whom? To a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph." Who is this Virgin so reverently saluted by the angel? and so lowly as to be espoused to a carpenter? Beautiful commingling of virginity with humility! That soul is in no small degree pleasing to God, in Whom humility commends virginity, and virginity adorns humility. But how much more worthy of veneration is she, in whom fecundity exalts humility, and child-bearing consecrates virginity. Virginity is a commendable virtue, but humility an indispensable one. The first is of counsel, the latter of precept. Of the one it is said, "He that can take, let him take it." [St. Matt. xix. 12.] Of the other, "Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." [St. Matt, xviii. 3] To the one reward is offered: the other is exacted under a threat. Again, we can be saved without virginity, not without humility. A soul that has to deplore the loss of virginity may still be acceptable to God by humility: without humility, I will venture to say that even the virginity of Mary would not have been pleasing to Him, the Divine Majesty.

Upon whom shall my spirit rest, if not on him that is humble and peaceable?"[Isa. xl. 2.] He says not on the virgin, but on the humble. If, therefore, Mary had not been humble the Spirit would not have rested on her. If the Holy Spirit had not rested on her, she would never have become fruitful; for how without Him could she have conceived of Him? Therefore, as she herself testifies, in order that she might conceive of the Holy Ghost, God the Father "regarded the humility of his handmaid," [St. Luke i. 48.] rather than her virginity. And if by her virginity she was acceptable to Him, nevertheless, it was by her humility that she conceived Him. Hence it is evident that it was her humility that rendered even her virginity pleasing to God.

A proud virgin, what can you say? Mary forgets herself and her virginity, and glories only in her humility, and you, neglecting humility, presume to pride yourself on your virginity. She says: " He hath had regard to the humility of his hand maid." And who is this handmaid? A holy virgin, a prudent virgin, a devout virgin. Are you more chaste than she? Are you more devout? Is your purity more pleasing than the chastity of Mary, that without humility, you deem it sufficient for you, when without humility her virginity could not find favour? The more honourable the gift of chastity, the greater the injury you do it in tarnishing its beauty within you by any admixture of pride. It would have been better for you not to be a virgin than to be puffed up and grow insolent by virginity. Virginity is not for all; it is for the few; and there are few among the few that unite humility with virginity. Wherefore, if you can only admire the virginity of Mary without being able to imitate it, study to copy her humility, and it will be sufficient for you. But if with virginity you possess humility, then you are great indeed.

But in Mary there is something more wonderful still: it is the union of fecundity with virginity. Since the beginning of the world it had not been heard that a woman was at once a virgin and a mother. And if you consider of whom she is the mother, how great will be your admiration of her exalted dignity! Do you feel as if you can never sufficiently praise it? Do you not judge, and rightly, that she who has the God-man for her Son is exalted in greatness above all the choirs of angels? Did not Mary confidently call the God and Lord of Angels her Son, saying: "Son, why hast thou done so to us?"[St. Luke ii. 48.] Which of the angels would have presumed thus to speak? It is sufficient for them and something great, that while by nature they are spirits by grace they are made and called angels, as David says: " Who maketh his angels spirits."[ Ps. ciii. 4, and Heb. i. 7.] In confidently calling God her Son, Mary acknowledges herself mother of that Majesty Whom those angels serve with reverential awe. Neither does God disdain to be called what He vouchsafed to be. For the Evangelist adds shortly after, " And he was subject to them."[St. Luke ii. 51.]

Who was subject? God, to man. God to Whom the angels are subject. God, Whom the powers and principalities obey, was subject to Mary. And not only to Mary, but to Joseph also for Mary s sake. Consider, then, and choose which you will most admire, the gracious condescension of the Son, or the surpassing dignity of the mother. Both are amazing; both are miraculous. That a God should obey a woman is humility without example; that a woman should command the Son of God is a dignity without parallel. In the praise of virgins we hear that wonderful verse: "They shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."[Apoc. xiv. 4.] But what praise, think you, is worthy of her who leads the way before Him? Learn, O man, to obey; learn, O earth, to be subject; learn, O dust, to be submissive. The Evangelist, speaking of your Creator, says: "He was subject to them" that is, of course, to Mary and Joseph.

Blush, O dust and ashes, and be ashamed to be proud. God humbles Himself, and do you exalt your self? God submits to man, and do you desire to domineer over your fellow-man? In so doing you prefer yourself to your Creator. Would that when such thoughts assail me, God would vouchsafe to make me the same reproach as to His Apostle: " Get behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that are of God" [St. Matt. xvi. 23.]

As often as I seek distinction among men, so often do I dispute the pre-eminence with my God, and then assuredly I savour not the things that are of God, since of Him it is said: " He was subject to them." If, O man, you disdain to imitate the example of your fellow-man, you cannot find it degrading to follow that of your Maker. If you cannot follow Him "whithersoever he goeth," at least follow Him in the most safe road of humility, for, from this straight path should even virgins deviate they will not "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." The Lamb is followed by the innocent soul and by the once sin-stained but now humble and repentant soul; by the proud virgin, likewise, He is followed, but assuredly not "whithersoever he goeth." The penitent cannot rise to the purity of the Lamb without spot, the proud soul cannot descend to the meekness of Him Who, not before His shearers only, but even before His executioners, was dumb and opened not his mouth. It is safer for the sinner to follow in humility than to be proud in virginity, because the sinner by his humility makes satisfaction for, and purges away his impurity, whereas, the purity of the other is polluted by pride.

Happy was Mary in whom neither humility nor virginity was wanting. O glorious virginity! which fecundity honoured, but did not contaminate. O singular humility! that a fruitful virginity elevated but did not destroy. O incomparable fecundity! in which virginity was associated with humility. Which of them is not wonderful, incomparable, unique? In pondering them, we are at a loss to decide which is the more worthy of admiration: the Virgin's fecundity, the Mother's integrity, or the adorable dignity of her offspring; or, again, that in such sublime elevation she still preserves her humility. Can we be surprised that God, Who is wonderful in His saints, should also show Himself wonderful in His Mother? Admire, ye married, and reverence her integrity in corruptible flesh! Ye sacred virgins, behold with astonishment this fruitful virgin! Let all Christians imitate the humility of the Mother of God! O holy angels, honour the Mother of your King! He is at once our King and yours, the Redeemer of our race, the replenisher of your city. To Him Who with you is so glorious, with us so humble, be rendered for ages without end, both by us and by you, the reverence due to His dignity and the honour and glory worthy of His infinite condescension. Amen. Amen.

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Last Edit: Dec 18, 2019 14:21:15 GMT by Admin