I am thrilled to have our organ back and have been able to play it! Sounds great, and I have to say, my heart was racing with excitement playing it this past weekend!
"Stay awake! You'll never know on which day the Lord will come!"
This is the theme of this First Sunday of Advent each year, with each of the first three Evangelists (in biblical order) writing their own take on it. This year we begin Year A in the regular three-year rotation, so we hear Matthew's take.
For myself and many organists/music directors/singers I've talked to, whether online or in person, Advent is my favorite season in terms of hymnody and other liturgical music. So many gorgeous hymns. The First Sunday of Advent alone is chocked full of hymns that speak of that preparedness we need for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but there is only room for so many!!! Here's what we'll be singing this weekend...
MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS
ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei: Mass XVII (as customary for the Sundays of Advent and Lent)
Memorial Acclamation: Mortem tuam annuntiamus, Domine (#19 on page 26 in the Pew Missal)
Amen: single (do do-re, or fa fa-so, or so so-la, whatever you're in the "mode" for)
PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings are in the Pew Missal on page 53.
- As customary, the new 2026 Pew Missal begins with Advent, the beginning of the Liturgical Year, not the calendar year.
Psalm 122: R./ Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord (BMP)
- The same response as last week, but using all five verses instead of just three. The number of verses we sing of the Responsorial Psalm, by the way, is not my choice, but appointed by the Lectionary for Mass. Last weekend (Christ the King, Year C) called for the first three verses. This weekend (I Advent, Year A) calls for all five.
Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (BMP/adapted from "Conditor Alme Siderum", Mode IV)
Hymns, etc.:
Entrance hymn: Pew Missal, #203, O come, O come, Emmanuel ("Veni, Emmanuel")
Offertory hymn: Pew Missal, #186, Lo! he comes with clouds descending ("Helmsley") (Listen)
- This, I believe, was one of Fr. Bucci's favorite Advent hymns. It's certainly become one of mine.
Hymn during Communion: To you I lift my soul ("Love Unknown")
- The hymn was written by a couple of Johns. The text was written by the late John Dunn, who became the second headmastor and music director of St. Paul's Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts and it's Choir School, the only Catholic all-boys choir school in America. At the time Dunn wrote this, he was assistant to the founding director of the Choir School, the late Theodore Marier. The tune, written initially for the hymn "My song is love unknown" was written by the late John Ireland.
Recessional hymn: Maroon hymnal, #4, Rejoice, rejoice, believers ("Greenland") (Listen)
Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP
