Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 9 (O Qui Sedes Super Cherubim)

Three days ago, winter officially began, the longest night of the year. In the days following in the northern hemisphere, the darkness of the world begins to give way to light, as we anticipate the coming of the Savior.

For all the turmoil in the headlines, all the challenges in our lives, nothing will stop us from remembering the coming holyday.

And why? Because ...

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9:2-7)

There are a fair number of flash mob videos on YouTube rendering the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah, but the favorite of yours truly remains this one from 2010, at an unidentified food court of an equally unidentified shopping mall. (I have committed most of the tenor part to memory, and would not have hesitated to join in.)

The plans of men to the contrary are all for naught, for the LORD has come upon the earth. The epicenter of human history is played out again in the next 24 hours. No earthly force can stop that which is beyond earthly means.

And so it goes.

+    +    +

“O You Who Are Seated Upon The Cherubim, Lord God of Hosts: come, show Your face, and we shall be saved.”

+    +    +

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 8 (O Emmanuel)

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel!
    O come, o come, Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel!
    And ransom captive Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio,
    That mourns in lonely exile here,
Privatus Dei Filio.
    Until the Son of God appear.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

+    +    +

“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 7 (O Rex Gentium)

Veni, Veni, Rex gentium,
    O come, Desire of nations, bind,
veni, Redemptor omnium,
    In one the hearts of all mankind;
Ut salvas tuos famulos
    Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
Peccati sibi conscios.
    And be Thyself our King of peace.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4)

+    +    +

“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 6 (O Oriens)

Veni, Veni, O Oriens!
    O come, Thou Dayspring,
        come and cheer,
Solare nos adveniens,
    Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Noctis depelle nebulas,
    Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
    And death's dark shadows
        put to flight.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

+    +    +

“O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 5 (O Clavis David)

Veni, Clavis Davidica,
    O come, thou Key of David, come,
Regna reclude caelica,
    And open wide our heavenly home;
Fac iter tutum superum,
    Make safe the way that leads on high,
Et claude vias inferum.
    And close the path to misery.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

+    +    +

“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 4 (O Radix Jesse)

Veni, O Jesse virgula,
    O come, thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
    From every foe deliver them.
De specu tuos tartari
    That trust thy mighty power to save,
Educ et antro barathri.
    And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and “On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

+    +    +

“O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 3 (O Adonai)

Veni, Veni, Adonai!
    O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Qui populo in Sinai
    Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
Legem dedisti vertice,
    In ancient times didst give the law
In Majestate gloriae.
    In cloud and majesty, and awe.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

+    +    +

“O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 2 (O Sapientia)

Veni, O Sapientia,
    O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Quae hic disponis omnia,
    who orders all things mightily,
Veni, viam prudentiae
    to us the path of knowledge show,
Ut doceas et gloriae.
    and teach us in her ways to go.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

+    +    +

“O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are the work of liturgical artist Todd Pick of Word Made Image. Both commentary and illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2024” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 1 (O Pastor)

VIDEO: The art of making a parol is demonstrated on Filipino-American television based in California (in Tagalog, mostly). A brief documentary follows beginning at 01:38 (in English, mostly).

In a nation where eighty percent of the population is Catholic, Christmas starts early. It has to. After all, you cannot have a feast like Christmas without it being preceded by a novena. That's when you get up to attend Mass just before dawn for nine days before the big day. In the Philippines, it is known as “Simbang Gabi” which is Tagalog for “evening Mass.” It is also known as “Misa de Gallo” which is Spanish for “Rooster’s Mass.”

So why is this series of Masses held in the morning and not the evening, as is customary with Masses for a Christmas novena?

+    +    +

The answer can be traced to the early colonial days, when the people would be exhausted from working in the fields all day for their Spanish overlords. The priests and friars who tended to their spiritual needs availed themselves of the people's desire to start the day early, ahead of the tropical heat, and moved the customary Mass and devotion to the early morning, before dawn.

In recent years, the Archdiocese of Manila saw fit to introduce liturgical norms for this novena, in the form of celebrating Simbang Gabi in the evenings. At first this was due to the limitations imposed by curfews during the years of martial law under President Marcos. It has presently accommodated office professionals who can more easily attend after work than before.

+    +    +

The popular decoration for Christmas in the Philippines is the “parol” (pronounced “pah-ROLL” with a rolling "r", from the Spanish word for lantern, "farol"), which is as common there as the Christmas tree is here in the States. This star-shaped motif is a cross between a Chinese lantern and the Mexican piñata. It is lit from within; traditionally with candlelights mounted inside, but in the last century with electric lights. They are typically two to three feet wide, but if you go to such renowned events as the Fiesta in San Fernando, Pampanga (north of Metro Manila), there is a huge parade to celebrate the beginning -- no, not of Christmas Day, but of the novena!

Traditional parols are made with bamboo sticks and rice paper. The Bayanihan Community Center provides instructions for making your own. You can find what you need at an arts and crafts store. The tutorial runs for just under ten minutes. You could have it done today -- if you hurry.

Closer to home, at Chez Alexandre, there is a very colorful parol gracing the front door, one that Celia brought back from the Philippines. It is of the modern variety, made with wire and a type of seashell known as capiz, and illuminated with elaborate flashing lights.

+    +    +

Now, back to that novena thing.

We here at man with black hat have an annual tradition of honoring the “O Antiphons” the seven chants which introduce the Vesperal Canticle (the “Magnificat”) in the Divine Office. Most people hear paraphrases of them in the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel," but they were originally chanted one verse a day, ending with the day before the Vigil. Over time, our annual feature has evolved into its present form, as a comprehensive aid to daily devotion. The video clips for this unique series are from the Church of the Advent (Western Rite Orthodox) of Atlanta, Georgia.



As an added bonus, we will provide links for each Antiphon to Father John Zuhlsdorf's famous commentaries on the same (without permission or shame; nah, he doesn't care), the link for which will be indicated by the letter “Z” at the bottom of each entry.

They will publish at one in the morning, eastern USA time, beginning tomorrow. Stay tuned.

+    +    +

"O Shepherd, You Who rule over Israel, hear us; You Who lead Joseph like a sheep: come to guide and comfort us."

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 9 (The Vigil)

Three days ago, winter officially began, the longest night of the year. In the days following in the northern hemisphere, the darkness of the world begins to give way to light, as we anticipate the coming of the Savior.

For all the turmoil in the headlines, whatever the challenges in the lives of any of us, nothing will stop us from living our lives and remembering the coming holyday.

And why?

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Mid'ian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(Isaiah 9:2-7)

There are a fair number of flash mob videos on YouTube rendering the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah, but the favorite of yours truly remains this one from 2010, at an unidentified food court of an equally unidentified shopping mall. *

The plans of men to the contrary are all for naught, for the LORD has come upon the earth. The epicenter of human history is played out again in the next 24 hours. No earthly force can stop that which is beyond earthly means.

And so it goes.

* I have committed most of the tenor part to memory, and would not have hesitated to join in.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 8 (O Emmanuel)

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel!
    O come, o come, Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel!
    And ransom captive Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio,
    That mourns in lonely exile here,
Privatus Dei Filio.
    Until the Son of God appear.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

+    +    +

“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag. (Won't be long now ...)

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 7 (O Rex Gentium)

Veni, Veni, Rex gentium,
    O come, Desire of nations, bind,
veni, Redemptor omnium,
    In one the hearts of all mankind;
Ut salvas tuos famulos
    Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
Peccati sibi conscios.
    And be Thyself our King of peace.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4)

+    +    +

“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 6 (O Oriens)

Veni, Veni, O Oriens!
    O come, Thou Dayspring,
        come and cheer,
Solare nos adveniens,
    Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Noctis depelle nebulas,
    Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
Dirasque noctis tenebras.
    And death's dark shadows
        put to flight.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

+    +    +

“O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 5 (O Clavis David)

Veni, Clavis Davidica,
    O come, thou Key of David, come,
Regna reclude caelica,
    And open wide our heavenly home;
Fac iter tutum superum,
    Make safe the way that leads on high,
Et claude vias inferum.
    And close the path to misery.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “I will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

+    +    +

“O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 4 (O Radix Jesse)

Veni, O Jesse virgula,
    O come, thou Rod of Jesse's stem,
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
    From every foe deliver them.
De specu tuos tartari
    That trust thy mighty power to save,
Educ et antro barathri.
    And give them vict'ry o'er the grave.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and “On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

+    +    +

“O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 3 (O Adonai)

Veni, Veni, Adonai!
    O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Qui populo in Sinai
    Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
Legem dedisti vertice,
    In ancient times didst give the law
In Majestate gloriae.
    In cloud and majesty, and awe.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

+    +    +

“O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 2 (O Sapientia)

Veni, O Sapientia,
    O come, O Wisdom from on high,
Quae hic disponis omnia,
    who orders all things mightily,
Veni, viam prudentiae
    to us the path of knowledge show,
Ut doceas et gloriae.
    and teach us in her ways to go.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

+    +    +

“O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.”

+    +    +

(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2023” tag.

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 1 (O Pastor)

VIDEO: The art of making a parol is demonstrated on Filipino-American television based in California (in Tagalog, mostly). A brief documentary follows beginning at 01:38 (in English, mostly).

In a nation where eighty percent of the population is Catholic, Christmas starts early. It has to. After all, you cannot have a feast like Christmas without it being preceded by a novena. That's when you get up to attend Mass just before dawn for nine days before the big day. In the Philippines, it is known as “Simbang Gabi” which is Tagalog for “evening Mass.” It is also known as “Misa de Gallo” which is Spanish for “Rooster’s Mass.”

So why is this series of Masses held in the morning and not the evening, as is customary with Masses for a Christmas novena?

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The answer can be traced to the early colonial days, when the people would be exhausted from working in the fields all day for their Spanish overlords. The priests and friars who tended to their spiritual needs availed themselves of the people's desire to start the day early, ahead of the tropical heat, and moved the customary Mass and devotion to the early morning, before dawn.

And so, it is with a sense of irony that the Archdiocese of Manila saw fit in recent years, to introduce liturgical norms for the novena, in the form of celebrating Simbang Gabi in the evenings. At first this was due to the limitations imposed by curfews during the years of martial law under President Marcos. More recently, it has accommodated office professionals who can more easily attend after work than before.

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The popular decoration for Christmas in the Philippines is the “parol” (pronounced “pah-ROLL” with a rolling "r", from the Spanish word for lantern, "farol"), which is as common there as the Christmas tree is here in the States. This star-shaped motif is a cross between a Chinese lantern and the Mexican piñata. It is lit from within; traditionally with candlelights mounted inside, but in the last century with electric lights. They are typically two to three feet wide, but if you go to such renowned events as the Fiesta in San Fernando, Pampanga (north of Metro Manila), there is a huge parade to celebrate the beginning -- no, not of Christmas Day, but of the novena!

Traditional parols are made with bamboo sticks and rice paper. The Bayanihan Community Center provides instructions for making your own. You can find what you need at an arts and crafts store. You could have it done this weekend. If you hurry.

Closer to home, at Chez Alexandre, there is a very colorful parol gracing the front door, one that Celia brought back from the Philippines. It is of the modern variety, made with wire and a type of seashell known as capiz, and illuminated with elaborate flashing lights.

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Now, back to that novena thing.

We here at man with black hat have an annual tradition of honoring the “O Antiphons” the seven chants which introduce the Vesperal Canticle (the “Magnificat”) in the Divine Office. Most people hear paraphrases of them in the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel," but they were originally chanted one verse a day, ending with the day before the Vigil. Over time, our annual feature has evolved into its present form, as a comprehensive aid to daily devotion. The video clips for this unique series are from the Church of the Advent (Western Rite Orthodox) of Atlanta, Georgia.



As an added bonus, we will provide links for each Antiphon to Father John Zuhlsdorf's famous commentaries on the same (without permission or shame; nah, he doesn't care), the link for which will be indicated by the letter “Z” at the bottom of each entry.

They will publish at one in the morning, eastern USA time, beginning tomorrow. Stay tuned.

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"O Shepherd, You Who rule over Israel, hear us; You Who lead Joseph like a sheep: come to guide and comfort us."

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 8 (O Emmanuel)

Veni, Veni, Emmanuel!
    O come, o come, Emmanuel,
Captivum solve Israel!
    And ransom captive Israel,
Qui gemit in exsilio,
    That mourns in lonely exile here,
Privatus Dei Filio.
    Until the Son of God appear.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Emmanuel, the seventh of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Pablo Rodriguez OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (23.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” (7:14). “Emmanuel” means “God is with us.”

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“O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag. (Won't be long now ...)

Novena for the Christ-Mass: Day 7 (O Rex Gentium)

Veni, Veni, Rex gentium,
    O come, Desire of nations, bind,
veni, Redemptor omnium,
    In one the hearts of all mankind;
Ut salvas tuos famulos
    Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
Peccati sibi conscios.
    And be Thyself our King of peace.

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
    Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.
    Shall come to thee, O Israel.

A reflection on O Rex Gentium, the sixth of the Great O Antiphons, by Br Daniel Rowlands OP, at Blackfriars Oxford (22.12.20).

Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4)

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“O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.”

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(Commentary for this series of the “O Antiphons” is authored by Father William Saunders, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, with copyright 2003 from the Arlington Catholic Herald. Images in the upper right corner are taken from the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendar, a series of posters available by subscription from Sophia Institute Press, and featured at a marvelous internet resource entitled Liturgy of the Home, which we are fortunate to promote here once again. Both commentary and calendar illustrations are used in this series without permission or shame.)

Z

This entire series can be found in progress at the "xmasnovena2022” tag.