Wednesday, December 4, 2013

FIRST FRIDAY and IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (external solemnity)

COMMON TO BOTH FEASTS:

Sung Ordinary of the Mass: same as last weekend (Gloria for the Immaculate Conception will be the chant setting, Worship hymnal, #341)

Alleluia: same as last weekend

FIRST FRIDAY - XII-6-13 at 6 PM
Optional Memorial: ST. NICHOLAS, BISHOP

No, that does not mean we're playing Christmas music before Christmas (bad enough some radio stations have been forcing those commercial jingles that PASS for Christmas music down listeners' throats 24/7 since Halloween).  The Psalm will be that appointed for St. Nicholas (Psalm 40).  Music will be a combination of hymns to the Sacred Heart and music for Advent.

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Entrance hymn: O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine (sheets provided)

Responsorial Psalm: Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will, music by Richard Proulx (antiphon) and Joseph Gelineau (verses).  You may join in the Worship hymnal, #868 (it's under the Second Sunday of Ordered Time, but the Psalm is also appointed for this feast).

Offertory anthem: He shall feed his flock (from Messiah), George Frederick Handel

Communion anthem: Veni, veni, Emmanuel, the Latin, from which the hymn O come. O come, Emmanuel is translated.  The refrain is: Gaude, gaude! Emmanuel nascetur pro te, Israel.  (Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.)

Recessional hymn: To Jesus' Heart, all-burning (sheets provided)

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
External Solemnity for the Weekend

How many remember the term "External Solemnity"?  That's when a Mass for a given feast during the week is not transferred to the Sunday, but celebrated on that day anyway.  Oftentimes, in the extraordinary form of the Mass (the Roman Missals of 1962 and years prior), Corpus Christi (for example) was on a Thursday.  The priest could opt to celebrate that feast on the following Sunday as an "External Solemnity". Such is the case for this weekend.  Normally, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of our great nation is a holy day of obligation, celebrated on December 8.  Since December 8 falls on a Sunday this year, the Solemnity is moved to the calender to the Monday (December 9) and the obligation removed.  So, in order to get the full effect of this important solemnity, we are celebrating it this weekend as an "External Solemnity".  Prayers, Readings, and Psalms (as well as most of the day's hymns) will reflect that.

All numbers given are in the Red Worship hymnal.

Entrance hymn: Immaculate Mary, #708

Responsorial Psalm: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds, music by J. Robert Carroll (antiphon) and Joseph Gelineau (verses), #1060

Offertory hymn: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven came, #695 (Listen)

Communion anthem: Ave Maria
- The setting for 7:30 AM Mass will be that of Charles Gounod (his melody, written over the Prelude in C by Johann Sebastian Bach).  The setting for all other Masses will be that of Lorenzo Perosi, sung as a duet for soprano and alto.

Meditation hymn: Lo! how a Rose e'er blooming, #374 (Listen)
- The text in the listen link is in the original German.  However, rest assured, we will sing this in English, as it appears in the hymnal.

Recessional hymn: O come, divine Messiah, #367 (Listen)
- The original French put the refain in the first lines.  The version in English, which we have puts the refrain at the end of the verse.  The French refrain, which was a big hit at the large French church in Woonsocket that I served from 1989-1997, goes thus:
- - Venez, divin Messie, Sauvez nos jours infortunés;
- - Vous ĂȘtes notre vie; Venez, venez, venez!

Peace,
BMP