OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!

Let me begin this post by proclaiming...

ANNUNTIO VOBIS GAUDIUM MAGNUM!

HABEMUS ORGANUM!

Just in time to end the liturgical year with a bang, our organ has been repaired and is up and running as just before noon today!  David Ogeltree of Rogers Organs of New England replaced two sound boards (read: these are to a digital organ as a motherboard is to a computer).  Upon their arrival to his facility, he came to the church last Tuesday to collect our old boards, program the voices of those boards to the new boards, test them (of course) and today (Friday, November 21) the new boards are installed.  David then took the organ for a test drive and all sounds good.

Thank you to David Ogeltree for getting it done, and thank you to our sexton Paul Boisclair for letting him in on my day off.  :)

Thus endeth the preamble.  Now the post as titled...

Our last Sunday of the Year is affectionately known as Christ the King (sometimes branded as "Christus Rex" or "X-Rex").  The formal title is "Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe", faithful to the Latin title that appears in the Graduale Romanum, "Dominus Noster Jesus Christus Universorum Regis".  Traditionally this Solemnity was celebrated on the last Sunday in October.  In 1969, with the advent of the Novus Ordo, we changed from a one-year liturgical cycle to a three-year liturgical cycle, and a good amount of feasts changed dates.  "X-Rex" is one of those.

One hymn I can never in good conscience do without on Christ the King is To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King.  Sure, there are a number of hymns dedicated to Christ the King, including the ones we're singing this weekend.  But To Jesus Christ... particularly stands out for me.

One of the antiphons still heard in many high churches, whether it be the chant setting, the Roman/Vatican setting or even a more modern setting (including my own) is Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!  Literally translated, that is, Christ conquers, Christ reigns, Christ commands!  In writing the text of To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King, Msgr. Martin B. Hellreigel included a paraphrase of that antiphon: Christ Jesus victor, Christ Jesus ruler, Christ Jesus Lord and Commander.  Of course in just about every hymnal, the ending is now Christ Jesus Lord and Redeemer, however, Msgr. Hellreigel originally wrote "Commander", which literally corresponds with "Christus imperat".  When it got changed to "Redeemer", I don't know, and I couldn't find anything on it in my grasp, but nonetheless, Christ is our victor, ruler, commander and Redeemer!  This will be our recessional hymn this weekend.

That said:

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS
(CUM ORGANUM)

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei: Missa Popolare "Laus Tibi Christe" (Federico Caudana)
Memorial Acclamation (When we eat...) and Amen: adapted from Laus Tibi Christe

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings begin on page 269 in the Pew Missal
Psalm 122: R./ Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord (BMP)
Alleluia: the refrain of the hymn Christ is the King ("Gelobt sei Gott") (Listen)

Hymns, etc.
Entrance hymn: Worship hymnal, #493 Rejoice! the Lord is King ("Darwall's 148th") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: Worship hymnal, #500 Christ is the King ("Gelobt sei Gott")
- The listen link is above with the Alleluia, as the Alleluia also serves as the refrain of the hymn.
Communion responsory: Christus Vincit (BMP) (PDF)
- A 1999 setting by yours truly using somewhat modern harmonies inspired by C. Alexander Peloquin, who served the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul and our diocese as music director for forty years (1950-1990).  Dr. Peloquin was a renowned composer of Catholic liturgical music as well and was excellent at his craft.
Recessional hymn: Pew Missal, #268 To Jesus Christ, our sov'reign King ("Ich Glaub an Gott") (Listen)
- The listen link is played on a five-manual behemoth of a pipe organ in Chicago. :)

CHRISTUS VINCIT!  CHRISTUS REGNAT!  CHRISTUS IMPERAT!

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

OK, A NUMBERED SUNDAY OF THE YEAR (but for only this one time)

Yes, we are almost done Year C, the third of the three years in the liturgical rotation, aka "The Luke Year" (Year A, which begins November 30, the First Sunday of Advent is "The Matthew Year"; Year B, the following year, is "The Mark Year"; John's Gospel pops in and out during all three of the years).  While we're not in the last week of the Year (how the name "Ordinary Time" ever came about in the late 1970s is beyond me), the following Sunday is Christ the King (formally, Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).  However, the six weekdays that follow Christ the King is considered the Thirty-Fourth Week of the Year.  This Sunday is the Thirty-Third (or in shorthand, Sunday XXXIII).

As we approach Christ the King, we also remember the significance of certain months: May for Mary, June for the Sacred Heart, July for the Precious Blood, October for Mary (under the title Our Lady of the Rosary), and November for All Souls.  Our offertory hymn this weekend reflects All Souls, while our entrance and recessional hymns reflect on the coming our Christ, our King.

That said:

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei: Missa Popolare "Laus Tibi Christe" (Federico Caudana)
Memorial Acclamation (When we eat...) and Amen: adapted from Laus Tibi Christe

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings begin on page 267 in the Pew Missal
Psalm 98: R./ The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice (Fr. Samuel F. Weber, OSB)
Alleluia: the refrain of the hymn Christ is the King ("Gelobt sei Gott") (Listen)

Hymns, etc.
Entrance hymn: Maroon hymnal, #5 Lo! he comes with clouds descending (second tune) ("Helmsley") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: Maroon hymnal, #223 Jesus, Son of Mary ("Adoro Te Devote") (Listen)
Communion responsory: Psalm 61, R./ Whatever you ask in your prayers, believe that you shall receive it, and it shall be granted unto you (BMP) (PDF)
- or hymn: Maroon hymnal, #3 Wake, awake, for night is flying ("Wachet Auf") (Listen)
Recessional hymn: Maroon hymnal, #11 The King shall come when morning dawns ("St. Stephen") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

NO, THIS IS NOT SUNDAY XXXII OF THE YEAR!

Indeed, it isn't.  This Sunday, another major feast occurs - The Dedication of the Basilica (formally "Archbasilica") of St. John Lateran in Rome.  This feast always falls on November 9, even when it falls on a Sunday (thus superseding the 32nd Sunday of the Year).  This is the first time November 9 has fallen on a Sunday since 2014.  You'd think it would have had fallen once or twice more in the meantime, but leap years prevented that (we've had three leap years since - 2016, 2020 and 2024).

The significance of this feast is that St. John Lateran is the Pope's Cathedral.  While Papal Masses are held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, the Basilica of St. John Lateran is the seat of the Pope in his capacity as Bishop of Rome.

In today's second reading, Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it," and "No one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely Jesus Christ."  This explains two of today's hymns: Christ is made the sure foundation (entrance) and The Church's one foundation (is Jesus Christ, her Lord) (recessional).

For the offertory I chose Lord, who at thy first Eucharist didst pray (that all thy Church might be for ever one), citing the Communion proper of the day from the Graduale Romanum, "Jerusalem is built as a city, bonded as one together."

For the remainder of "Ordinary Time", we will be using the Latin Ordinary Laus Tibi Christe Mass by Federico Caudana, a Mass written in unison and very congregation-friendly.

Thus...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei: Missa Popolare "Laus Tibi Christe" (Federico Caudana)
Memorial Acclamation (When we eat...) and Amen: adapted from Laus Tibi Christe

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings begin on page 265 in the Pew Missal
Psalm 46: R./ The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High (BMP) (PDF)
Alleluia: the refrain of the hymn Christ is the King ("Gelobt sei Gott") (Listen)

Hymns, etc.
Entrance hymn: Pew Missal, #104 Christ is made the sure foundation ("Westminster Abbey") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: Pew Missal, #190 Lord, who at thy first Eucharist ("Unde et Memores") (Listen)
Communion music:
- Responsory: Psalm 122, R./ Jerusalem is built as a city, bonded as one together (BMP) (PDF)
- or Motet: Jesu, joy of man's desiring (Johann Schop, arr. by J.S. Bach)
Recessional hymn: Pew Missal, #257 The Church's one foundation ("Aurelia") (Listen)

See you at the bazaar! :)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP