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We are in Epiphanytide, all of which takes place within Christmastide. Today was a second-class feast and so father wore green. Nevertheless, we opted to do Mass II and Credo III to prolong the Christmas spirit a bit.

In recognition of the Epiphany, we sang What Star is This for the processional.

The Offertory antiphon was longish so we only managed two verses of Resonet in Laudibusas the Offertory hymn.

At the Communion, the mixed choir did the classic Victoria piece, O Magnum Mysterium, the fourth responsory from Matins of Christmas.

Finally, for the recessional, we did the rousing Christmas hymn Good Christian Men.

This feast is only a second-class feast, and there were two opportunities to override it. We took neither.

The Feast of the Epiphany had occurred earlier in the week. It is a first-class feast, and we might have solemnized it. And on this day, the men of the Holy Name Society had their Sunday observances, and several men made their solemn professions. The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus had also occurred earlier in the week, and although it, too, is a second-class feast, we might have solemnized it in view of the events of the day. We did neither, opting instead to celebrate the prescribed Feast of the Holy Family and Father gave a beautiful sermon on the role and importance of the family.

The men of the Holy Name Society entered the church behind our banner in the procession of the clergy as we sang the Processional, O Come all ye Faithful.

The propers we sang were for the feast. The Commons, in keeping with the glorious Christmas season were from Mass II and Credo III.

At the Offertory, the Schola sang Ecce Nomen Domini in honor of the Holy Name. At the Communion, the Schola sang 20 verses of the Vespers hymn from the Feast of the Holy Name, Jesu Dulcis Memoria, likewise in honor of the Holy Name.

After the Last Gospel, eight men were received into the Holy Name Society in a solemn ceremony, and as is customary on such occasions, we sang the Veni Creator Spiritus.

The ceremony concluded with the Holy Name Anthem (We Stand for God) as the recessional.

Today’s feast is one of the most important of the year, a first-class feast and a holy day of obligation.

A plenary indulgence is offered for singing (or reciting) the Veni Creator on January 1st, so we sang it as the processional. Father was wearing white, and generally, that will mean Mass II (two) and Credo III.

At the Offertory, we sang the delightful carol, Resonet in Laudibus.

At the Communion, we managed twelve of the fourteen verses of our home-grown harmonization of Puer Natus in Bethlehem, being careful not to omit the doxology.

At the recessional, we sang O Come all ye Faithful, and concluded with a single verse from Corde Natus ex Parentis.

At the stroke of Midnight, in a church lit only by candles and the decorative lighting, the children’s choir began to sing Silent Night. Advent had ended so the singing was accompanied by the organ. Father, wearing gold, carried the figurine of the Infant Jesus in procession and placed Him in the manger.

Even though the Mass started on Sunday, there was no Asperges because this was not the principal Mass of a Sunday morning. Thus, we started immediately with the Introit, Dominus Dixit ad Me, as Father approached the altar.

We sang Mass II, For Solemn Feasts (Kyrie fons Bonitatis) and paired that with Credo III.

At the Offertory, the mixed choir sang a two-part setting of Tota Puchra Es. The piece has a very unique sound, coming, as it does from the repertoire of Corsican chant.

At the Communion, the mixed choir sang O Magnum Mysterium, a 4-part setting by Tomás Luis de Victoria of the responsory that the schola had sung earlier that evening in Matins of Christmas.

The schola followed that with a two-part harmonization of the Gregorian, Puer Natus in Bethlehem.

And finally, we closed with the GLORI-ous Angels we have Heard on High.

Father was wearing violet today. Immediately, you know: no flowers on the altar, no organ, Mass XVII and no Gloria in Excelsis.

We started with the classic, O Come, O Come, Emanuel as the processional.

At the Offertory, we sang the delightful, Advent hymn, Creator Alme Siderum. It is interesting because the melody is very sweet and sing-songy, almost a lullaby, and yet the lyrics speak to the great majesty of Our Lord as Creator of the heavens and Redeemer of the world.

Part of singing the Divine Office is to chant The Magnificat each evening at Vespers. Of course, an antiphon is chanted both before and after. Beginning on December 17th and continuing until December 23rd, seven very particular and very ancient antiphons are used. They are referred to collectively as the Great Antiphons. Each starts with the exclamation, O, and then refers to Our Lord by a particular title (for example, O Wisdom, or O Dawn). For this reason, they are also known as the O Antiphons. (Note that these antiphons form the basis for the popular hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.)

At the Communion, we sang the O Antiphon for this day (O Adonai) both before and after we sang The Magnificat.

O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.

And finally, our last gasp for Advent, observing that once again that John the Baptist is mentioned in the Gospel, we sang Hark, a Herald Voice is Calling as the recessional.

We began Mass with the men of the Holy Name in procession as we sang Hark a Herald Voice is Calling, this in view of the Gospel telling of Saint John the Baptist.

Father was wearing rose vestments for Gaudete Sunday. When father is wearing violet or rose, you should expect to hear Mass XVII (which you did) and you should expect to not hear a Gloria (which you did not). When father is wearing rose, you should expect to hear the organ (which you did), notwithstanding that it is Advent (or Lent, as the case may be). We sang Credo I, a rather arbitrary choice.

After the Credo, Father opened the tabernacle and exposed the Blessed Sacrament so that we, the faithful, could make our consecrations to Jesus through Mary after our 33 days of preparation. We preceded the consecration with the Veni Creator, which is customary on such occasions.

At the Offertory, we again sang the great Advent classic, Rorate Caeli Desuper, being sure to include the last verse, which is so evocative of Good Friday:

Be comforted, be comforted, my people: thy salvation cometh quickly: why art thou consumed with grief: for sorrow hath estranged thee: I will save thee: fear not, for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Redeemer.

At the Communion, the mixed choir sang Alma Redemptoris Mater. This is one of the four Marian hymns sung during compline, according to the season, and is the one that is proper to the season that goes from Advent through the Purification. The setting began with the men of the Schola singing the simple Gregorian version of the chant, after which, the music blossomed into a four-part harmonization of the same lyrics.

The Schola followed that with Jesu Dulcis Memoria in honor of the Holy Name on this, the second Sunday of the month at which, customarily, the men of the Holy Name Society make their Sunday observances.

We concluded with the anthem of the Holy Name Society, We Stand for God.

On this great feast of the Immaculate Conception, we began by singing the Introit (Gáudens gaudébo), rather than a hymn, as the processional. On a Sunday, we would sing the Asperges, and the Introit is sung after the Asperges. But since today was not a Sunday, the Asperges is not sung, and thus we could start right in with the Introit.

During Advent and Lent, normally, Father would wear violet vestments, we would sing Mass XVII, there would not be a Gloria, and the organ would not be used. But today was a feast. Father wore white; We sang Mass IX in honor of the Blessed Mother; We sang the Gloria,and the singing was accompanied by the organ.

We paired Credo III with Mass IX. After the Credo, Father opened the tabernacle and exposed the Blessed Sacrament so that we, the faithful, could make our consecrations to Jesus through Mary after our 33 days of preparation. We preceded this with the Veni Creator, which is customary on such occasions.

At the Offertory, we sang the ancient hymn, O Quam Glorifica.

At the Communion, the mixed choir sang a very beautiful two-part setting of Tota Puchra Es, which is based on the Song of Songs and begins, Tota pulchra es, Maria. Et macula originalis non est in te (Thou art all fair, O Mary, and there is no original stain in thee). These exact words are the versicle in today’s Alleluia. (You can hear a nicely executed recording of this by Harpa Dei at this link.)

The schola followed that with the solemn version of Alma Redemptoris. This is one of the four Marian hymns sung during compline, according to the season, and is the one that is proper to the season that goes from Advent through the Purification.

For the recessional, we sang the very fitting Immaculate Mary.