We find ourselves in the second week of a new liturgical season – the 4-week season of Advent. With the change in liturgical season come changes in the liturgy itself. First, the priest begins to wear violet-colored vestments, whereas before he wore green. Second, we don’t sing the “Gloria” at the beginning of Mass until the arrival of Christmas. Finally, those who have been paying close attention will have noticed a change in the post-Communion hymn at our Masses. Over the past several months we have sung the Salve Regina, which is the Latin version of the “Hail, Holy Queen” prayer that we typically pray at the end of the rosary. During Advent we sing a different song honoring the Blessed Virgin Mother, called Alma Redemptoris Mater, in English, “Loving Mother of the Redeemer.” This Latin hymn was composed in the 11th century and may be translated thus: Loving mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea, assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again. To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator yet remained a virgin after as before. You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting, have pity on us poor sinners.
The hymn is a song of praise as well as an appeal for assistance, and it touches on several mysteries that the Church invites us to contemplate during Advent. It refers to the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel brought God’s message to Mary, that He had chosen her to be the Mother of the Redeemer. It also refers to her role in the Incarnation, the moment when the Creator of all things entered creation as part of it, but only with Mary’s consent, revealing the meekness and gentleness of Almighty God. It also speaks of Our Lady’s perpetual virginity. As Catholics, we believe that Mary conceived Our Lord as a virgin, that her bodily integrity was preserved even through the experience of childbirth, and that she remained a virgin forever after the birth of Christ. This might sound like a strange doctrine, but we must remember that having been preserved from the stain of Original Sin from the moment of her conception Mary’s experience of life in the world was different from ours. That would include her experience of childbirth, the pains of which are described in Genesis as an effect of Original Sin (Gen 3:16). The hymn describes her as “Gate of Heaven,” for it was through her that Christ Our Savior came into the world, and “Star of the Sea,” for she provides sure guidance to those who seek safe passage to our eternal home. And so, when we hear this beautiful hymn sung after Communion, or if we find ourselves in proximity to the Church of St. Cecilia at 8pm and hear the bells play its tune, may our hearts swell with love and grateful affection for Mary, the loving Mother of the Redeemer.
Special Collection Next Weekend
Walking around the beautiful Church of St. Cecilia, you might have noticed that some of its masonry is in serious need of repair, including the two sets of stairs that wind around the northeast and southeast corners of the building. Its maintenance has been deferred for many years, and I would like to address it this spring, but we will need some support from parishioners to do so. Next weekend, the third Sunday of Advent, we will take up a second collection to try to raise funds to cover the expense of the project, which will cost several thousands of dollars. Normally, I would not want to have a special collection so close to Christmas, since the parish depends on the Christmas collection for its operations, but fundraising efforts during the first six months of the year are reserved to the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. Therefore, if this work is to be done in the spring, we would have to raise the funds before the end of 2024. If you are in a position to give a little extra this month, in addition to your intended Christmas offering to the parish, this would be a much-appreciated way to help us make some sorely needed repairs to our beautiful church.
posted 12/7/24
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 