Prepare the Way of the Lord!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
This a detail from the teak wood door relief of St. Mary’s Church, Serima Mission, Zimbabwe, carved in 1968 by Cornelius Manguma. The upper half shows John the Baptist preaching Christ, and in the bottom half, he is baptizing him. You can see the full door here.
Manguma was a student of the Swiss Catholic missionary, Fr. John Groeber, whose vision for an Africanized Catholicism has shaped, not only the Christian art of that continent, but the direction of the African aesthetic more broadly — and had ripples throughout the world. St. Mary’s is today considered one of the great masterpieces of Zimbabwean art and architecture. Here’s an interesting blog post on the church and the impact of this movement.
The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
— The Prophet Isaiah (Isa 11:9)
Second Sunday of Advent
Texts for this Week
Prayer
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and the comfort of your holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Aspiciens a longe - Advent Matins Responsory
The Gesualdo Six — a UK-based ensemble specializing in English Renaissance music — sing the traditional Matins Responsory, composed by Palestrina and arranged and popularized by Sir David Wilcox in contemporary Anglican celebrations of Advent.
For an expression of Advent that is very different — but powerful in its own way — Sho Bakara’s Maranatha is worth a listen.
Introitus
Populus Sion
This week’s introit comes from Isaiah 30:19 and Psalm 80:1. Here is a translation of the Latin from the antiphoner:
People of Zion, behold! The Lord shall come to save the nations: and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart. Ps. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel: you that lead Joseph like a sheep.
Here it is, sung by the by the Congregation of St. Lazarus Autun; and here is a simple English version of the chant. And while we’re at it, Dutch Renaissance composer Heinrich Isaac (d 1517) composed a polyphonic setting of the introit so popular that it inspired a guitar arrangement by Noel Akchote.
