Thank you all for taking part in praying Vespers these past few weeks! It is wonderful to see some new faces and to share in this joyful preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord. I just wanted to offer a few things before we conclude our time together this season:
- If you are wondering where the reflections have been coming from, they are mostly based on a book by Rev. Oliver Treanor entitled “Seven Bells to Bethlehem: the O Antiphons” …I did my best to pull from sections to make it appropriate for our “brief” reflection, but there are a lot of worthwhile insights that he shares which time did not allow me to present. I highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to prepare their library for next year.
- If you are looking for a little help with the Magnificat, here is a recording of the melody (the first and second verses) and the Latin to practice:
- Ma-gní-ficat * ánima méa Dómi-num.
- Et ex-sultálvit spí-ritus méus * in Déo salutári mé-o.
- Qui-a respéxit humilitátem ancíllae súae: * ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dícent ómnes generatió-nes.
- Qui-a fécit míhi mágna qui pó-tens est : * et sánctum nómen é-jus.
- Et mi-sericórdia éjus a progénie in progénies * timéntibus é-um.
- Fé-cit poténtiam in bráchio suo : * dispérsit supérbos ménte córdis sú-i.
- De-pó-suit poténtes de séde, * et exaltávit húmi-les.
- E-su-riéntes implévit bónis : * et dívites dimísit iná-nes.
- Su-scé-pit Israel púerum súum, * recordátus misericórdiae sú-ae.
- Si-cut locútus est ad pátres nóstros, * Abraham et sémini éjus in saécu-la.
- Gló-ri-a Pátri, et Filio, * et Spirítui Sán-cto.
- Si-cut érat in princípio, et núnc, et sémper, * et in saécula saeculórum. A-men
3. Lastly, the 10:45am Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent at St. Monica’s will be a Chanted Mass. The hymn sung after the Communion Verse will be Veni, Veni Emmanuel. If you are able to attend, I hope that your experience in praying the O Antiphons will add to your sharing in the joy expressed in the hymn.
St. Augustine's Schola 
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