Sunday 11 December
Antiphon: Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Mawalan Marika (Rirratjingu/Australian, 1908-67), Nativity, ca. 1960. Natural earth pigments on eucalyptus bark.
The message
"De Boodschap van Maria", tr. from Dutch.
The message came to a maiden young;
The angel stood beside her,
In shining robes and with golden tongue,
He told what should betide her:
The maid was lost in wonder—
Her world was rent asunder—
Ah! how could she
Christ's mother be
By God's most high decree!
No greater news could a messenger bring:
For 'twas from that young mother
He came, who walked on the earth as a king,
And yet was all men's brother:
His truth has spread like leaven,
Twill marry earth to heaven,
Till all agree
In charity
To dwell from sea to sea.
He came, God's Word to the world here below;
And round him there did gather
A band who found that this Teacher to know
Was e'en to know the Father:
He healed the sick who sought him,
Forgave the foes who fought him;
Beside the Sea
Of Galilee
He set the nations free
God of hope, who brought love into this world,
be the love that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought peace into this world,
be the peace that dwells between us.
God of hope, who brought joy into this world,
be the joy that dwells between us.
God of hope, the rock we stand upon,
be the centre, the focus of our lives
always, and particularly this Advent time.
Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 146
1. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2. I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5. Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6. who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith for ever;
7. who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8. the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
9. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10. The Lord will reign for ever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!
James 5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 11:2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Що з Києва тай до Русалима [Shho z Kyyeva taj do Rusalyma] = From Kyiv to Jerusalem, sung by Bozhychi in traditional folk style.
Shcho z Kyieva ta y do Rusalyma Alylui
Shcho z Kyieva ta y do Rusalyma Hospody pomylui
Tudy ishlo azh try chernychenky Alylui
Tudy ishlo azh try chernychenky Hospody pomylui
pervaia yishla-Susa Khrysta nesla Alylui
pervaia yishla-Susa Khrysta nesla Hospody pomylui
druhaia yishla -Mykolaia nesla Alylui
druhaia yishla -Mykolaia nesla Hospody pomylui
tretiaia yishla shche y Mariiu nesla Alylui
tretiaia yishla shche y Mariiu nesla Hospody pomylui
Nad Susom Khrystom try svichi palaiut Alylui
Nad Susom Khrystom try svichi palaiut Hospody pomylui
Nad Mykolaiem knyhy chytaiut Alylui
Nad Mykolaiem knyhy chytaiut Hospody pomylui
Nad Mariieiu roza roztsvilasia Alylui
Nad Mariieiu roza roztsvilasia Hospody pomylui
Shcho z toi rozy ta y vyletiv ptakh Alylui
Shcho z toi rozy ta y vyletiv ptakh Hospody pomylui
Shcho toi ptakh tai siv na nebesakh Alylui
Shcho toi ptakh tai siv na nebesakh Hospody pomylui.
From Kyiv to Jerusalem, Allelujah
From Kyiv to Jerusalem, Lord have mercy
There were walking three nuns, Allelujah
There were walking three nuns, Lord have mercy
The first one carried Jesus Christ, Allelujah
The first one carried Jesus Christ, Lord have mercy
The second one carried St.Nicholas, Allelujah
The second one carried St.Nicholas, Lord have mercy
The third one carried St.Mary, Allelujah
The third one carried St.Mary, Lord have mercy
Above Jesus Christ three candles are burning bright, Allelujah
Above Jesus Christ three candles are burning bright, Lord have mercy
Above St.Nicholas [holy] books are being read, Allelujah
Above St.Nicholas [holy] books are being read, Lord have mercy
Above St. Mercy a rose has bloomed, Allelujah
Above St. Mercy a rose has bloomed, Lord have mercy
From that rose, a bird flew out, Allelujuah
From that rose, a bird flew out, Lord have mercy
And that bird sat on the heavens, Allelujah
And that bird sat on the heavens, Lord have mercy
May the Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting. Amen.