People have asked me the source of the text I read at the end of my sermon last Sunday at the 9:30 Solemn Mass. It is the first four verses of a hymn by Charles Wesley, one of the great Christian hymn writers, “Lo! He comes with clouds descending”. We always sing it at St, Mary’s on the First Sunday in Advent as the processional hymn before Mass. I first heard this hymn sung when I was a student in Oxford at an Advent Lessons and Carols at Christ Church Cathedral. The combination of the text and the melody struck me deeply, and I have ever since then associated the beginning of Advent with this hymn. One of my most precious CDs is the Procession and Carols for Advent Sunday sung by the men and boys choir at King’s College, Cambridge. The service ends with an amazing rendition of this hymn that swells the heart and brings tears to one’s eyes. If you can find a copy of the CD or other media source of this service, buy it immediately. It is a wonderful musical way to begin Advent.
Today, Sunday, the seminarians of the Diocese will come to St Mary’s for their Advent Lessons and Carols service at 3 p.m. Please come and support the seminarians in the beauty of holiness of our wonderful church. Today is both the First Sunday in Advent and the first Sunday of the month. Join us for Solemn Vespers and Benediction at 5 p.m. sung by our volunteer chant choir, the Viri Galilei. A lovely start to this lovely season that begins the new the Church Year.
Next Sunday we will celebrate the wonderful Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, with a Sung Mass at 1:15 p.m., followed by a procession through the streets with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The celebration will end with a festive feast in the church hall.
On Friday, December 15, at 7 p.m. our combined choirs will lead us in the annual Lessons and Carols service. This is always one the highlights of the Advent season here at St Mary’s. This is ten days before Christmas and is a prayerful way to prepare for the great feast of Christmas with readings and hymns and anthems sung by our volunteer choirs.
A final note about the Christmas Masses. Because Christmas falls on a Monday this year, the Fourth Sunday in Advent is also Christmas Eve. This means that there will be no 4 p.m. Mass and no 7 p.m. Mass on that Sunday. The first Christmas Mass will be the Midnight Mass. Then on Christmas Day itself Masses will be celebrated at 8 a.m., 9:30 Solemn Mass, 11:30 Sung Mass, and 1:15 Sung Mass in Spanish. I hope you all take advantage of this unusual situation and come to Mass on Christmas Day itself!
