A Lovely Mass

For the fourth Sunday of Advent we had a lovely Mass.  The Introit was from the Liber Usualis, followed by the Hymn "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus", most of the Liturgy was sung, as father learns the new chants fro the Propers and Ordinary, we're moving towards a sung Liturgy.  The Responsorial Psalm was was in Meinrad Tones, with the Response using Noelchabanel B, advent 04.  Lovely, and singable by the congregation.  We had a sung Gospel Acclamation--Mass for St.Francis in D--which I am not really afan of, but there are worse,  I would prefer plainchant for the Alleluia.  At the preparation of the Altar and Offertory we had a motet--"Alma Redemtoris Mater" in a setting by Palestrina.  For the Communion we had "Ye who clam the Faith of Jesus" and then the Magnificat.  That was particularly lovely,  because it was sung by the choir, with the men and women alternating voices, and the choir and people together singing the Antiphon  "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord".  The translation used for the text  was very good, and compatable with the Liturgy.  It was set up in two line stanzas, and sung using the Gelineau Tones, so it was chant, not metrical. 

Father's Homily was excellent too.  One can get a lot from today's reading--the Fulfillment of the David Kingship in the person of Jesus, Mary's Fiat and Mary as the new Eve, the Incarnation (which comes more readily to mind now that we pray "incarnate of the Virgin Mary...") but father preached on none of these.  Instead, he took his starting point in Nathan's message from God to David:  "Who are you to build a house for me?"   We do not really have things to give to God.  Rather, all our acts of Charity, Sacrifice and Virtue are prospered by God--the one who ordered the Universe doesn't need us, we need him, and all we accomplish is actually accomplished by God.  Something I needed to hear.

All in all a lovely mass.