The Liturgical Year

"Rejoice heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God's throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!" - from the Easter Vigil Exultet We are now at the Easter Vigil - the night Mass where the catechumens are welcomed into the Church. Here are some historical and traditional bits of trivia to share [...]

Holy Thursday marks the start of the Triduum - the most solemn time of the liturgical year which culminates in the Easter Vigil. The Matins and Lauds of the last three days of Holy Week used to be known as Tenebrae. A 15-candle candelabra was set near the altar holding yellow candles like those traditionally [...]

Prope est jam Dominus; venite, adoremus. The Lord is now nigh; come let us adore. The Church does not read anything from the prophet Isaias to-day; she merely gives, in the Office of Matins, a sentence of that chapter of St. Luke's Gospel, which relates the mystery of our Lady's Visitation: and to this she [...]

MONDAY Of the Third Week of Advent Prope est jam Dominus: venite, adoremus. De Isaia Propheta. Cap. xxviii. Haec dicit Dominus Dens: Ecce ego mittam in fundamentis Sion lapidem, lapidem probatum, angularem, pretiosum, in fundamento fundatum. Qui crediderit, non festinet. Et ponam in pondere judicium, et justitiam in mensura, et subvertet grando spem mendacii, et [...]