Ember Saturday in Advent
Dec 21, 2019 13:13:43 GMT
Post by Admin on Dec 21, 2019 13:13:43 GMT
SATURDAY IN EMBER WEEK
Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus.
The Lord is now night; come, let us adore.
The lessons from the prophet Isaias are interrupted to-day also; and a homily on the Gospel of the Mass is read in their place. As this Gospel is repeated to-morrow, in the Mass of the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will, for the present, omit it, and be satisfied with mentioning the reason of the same Gospel being assigned to the two days.
The primitive custom, in the Roman Church, was to hold ordinations in the night between Saturday and Sunday, just as Baptism was administered to the catechumens in the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. The ceremony too place towards midnight, and Sunday morning was always far advanced before the termination; so that the Mass of ordination was considered as the Mass of Sunday itself. Later on, discipline relaxed, and these severe vigils were given up; the ordination Mass, like that of Holy Saturday, was anticipated; and, as the fourth Sunday of Advent and the second of Lent had not hitherto had a proper Gospel, since they had not had a proper Mass, it was settled, about the tenth of eleventh century, that the Gospel of the Mass of ordinations should be repeated in the special Mass of the two Sundays in question.
The Station is at St. Peter's on account of the ordinations. This basilica was always one of the largest of the city of Rome, and was therefore the best suited for the great concourse of people.
Let us honour Mary upon this day of the week, which is consecrated to her; let us borrow a canticle from the oriental Church, ever profuse in its praise of the Mother of God.
HYMN TAKEN FROM THE ANTHOLOGY OF THE GREEKS
(December 15)
As a royal throne, thou carriest the Creator; as a living couch, thou encirclest the King, O creature most dear to God:
Branch most vigorous, thou didst bud forth the Christ on whom we lean and are supported; for Aaron's branch, which, of old, budded unplanted, was a type of thee, thou chaste dove, and ever a Virgin.
To sing the more than wonderful manner of thy extraordinary and incomprehensible maternity, is above the power of all the choirs of men: for no mind, no thought, no understanding, no words, can read the mystery.
Isaias, seeing the unspeakable miracle, the ineffable miracle of thy maternity, spoke thus divinely; The holy Spirit hath come upon thee, O Mother of God! preserving thee, as heretofore he kept entire the burning bush: and, therefore, we cry out with the angel: Rejoice, O thou tabernacle of God!
PRAYER FROM THE MOZARABIC MISSAL
(Fifth Sunday of Advent, Illatio)
This text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Gueranger (1841-1875)