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Rorate Mass {A New Season}

by Filed Under: Advent, Rorate Leave a Comment

There is no exercise which is more pleasing to God, or more meritorious, or which has greater influence in infusing solid piety into the soul, than the assisting at the holy sacrifice of the Mass. If this be true at all the various seasons of the Christian year, it is so, in a very special manner, during the holy time of Advent. The faithful, therefore, should make every effort in order to enjoy this precious blessing, even on those days when they are not obliged to it by the precept of the Church. #domprospergueranger

The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning. As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

The beauty and austerity of the morning can not be put into words. The senses are drawn in more than ever before.

This year, it is my time — no need to stay behind with littles or reserve my energy for pregnancy. I do not squander the opportunity. We rise at 3:30am to prepare to assist at Holy Mass. We must arrive early to get a seat. The extra hour and a half with our Lord is a sweet Advent consolation for me.

We long for the darkness that we will be surrounded with in the Church, the world, and that which is placed before us for this Holy Mass. We impress the necessity for us to trust in the maternal love of Our Lady for all our needs as we prepare for Holy Mass.

Holy Mass begins and all the worries fade. The darkness is almost unnoticeable as all the senses are drawn into the True Light.

It’s all a beautiful preparation for the Christchild.

I give thanks for this glorious gift!

Divine Infant King Jesus, come down into our hearts!

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Have you been blessed to attend a Rorate Mass this Advent or in a past Advent?

Rorate Mass & Gaudete Sunday

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Rorate, The Church’s Year, The Liturgical Year, Third Sunday in Advent Leave a Comment

There is no exercise which is more pleasing to God, or more meritorious, or which has greater influence in infusing solid piety into the soul, than the assisting at the holy sacrifice of the Mass. If this be true at all the various seasons of the Christian year, it is so, in a very special manner, during the holy time of Advent. The faithful, therefore, should make every effort in order to enjoy this precious blessing, even on those days when they are not obliged to it by the precept of the Church. #domprospergueranger

The Rorate Mass offered at our Parish the First Saturday of Advent in 2021

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The beauty and austerity of the morning can not be put into words. The senses are drawn in more than ever before.

Some years we all go and other times one of us stays behind with the littles.

We wake up at 3am to prepare for this Holy Mass and depart at 4:30am, arriving before the gates open.

We remind the children about the darkness that we will be surrounded with in the Church, the world, and that which is placed before us for this Holy Mass. We impress the necessity for us to trust in the maternal love of Our Lady for all our needs as we prepare for Holy Mass.

Holy Mass begins and all the worries fade. The darkness is almost unnoticeable as all the senses are drawn into the true light. It’s all a beautiful preparation for the Christchild.

Divine Infant King Jesus, come down into our hearts! 🙏🏼

The following Advent reflection is one worth reading for all.

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Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father.
—Mt. 10:32

Meditation

Our Lord may be the occasion of fall in different ways and notably by human respect. As the name indicates, human respect is the respect of man, but an exaggerated respect, a respect which leads us to renounce doing good to our neighbor by fear of displeasing him.

This subject is especially pertinent insofar as Catholics today are easily singled out and ridiculed.

The desire which we have of pleasing men and the exaggerated fear which we have of displeasing them can make us not dare to bear witness to our Faith. As Bourdaloue says, “We are ashamed to declare ourselves [Christians] and we do not see that this shame is in itself more shameful than the declaration we would have to make. A word, a mockery troubles us, and we do not consider by what or by whom we are letting ourselves be troubled. By what? Since there is nothing more frivolous than mockery when it is attacking virtue. By whom? Since it is by vain men whose blame or approval ought to matter to us but little.”

Under pretext of not shocking people, we may be leaving them in their mediocrity. Human respect puts a muzzle on us and prevents us from being apostles.

Let us acknowledge that this excessive timidity is unworthy of a Catholic and let us strive to make up for it in the future.

Lord Jesus, give me the grace to overcome human respect when Thy honor is at stake. I wish from now on to defend the Catholic Faith, with humility and prudence but also with strength and constancy.

Prayer

O Jesus, who left the imprint of Thy holy Face on the veil of St. Veronica, deign so to imprint Thy features on my soul that, fortified by the courage of this holy woman, never again may I let myself be drawn down by cowardly human respect.
—Way of the Cross, 6th station
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This meditation is taken from #adventtoepiphany

I pray that your Advent has been fruitful thus far and that you have a blessed Gaudete Sunday. 💜💗

Second Sunday in Advent

Third Sunday in Advent

Let us enter into her spirit, and be glad on this third Sunday of her Advent, because our Lord is now so near unto us. Tomorrow we will resume our attitude of servants mourning for the absence of their Lord and waiting for Him; for every delay, however short, is painful and makes love sad.

The Station is kept in the basilica of St. Peter, at the Vatican. This august temple, which contains the tomb of the prince of the apostles, is the home and refuge of all the faithful of the world; it is but natural that it should be chosen to witness both the joy and the sadness of the Church.

The Night Office commences with a new Invitatory. The voice of the Church no longer invites the faithful to come and adore in fear and trembling the King, our Lord, who is to come. Her language assumes another character; her tone is one of gladness; and now, every day, until the Vigil of Christmas, she begins her Nocturns with these grand words:

The Lord is now nigh; come, let us adore. #domprospergueranger

Advent Tradition

by Filed Under: Advent, Rorate Leave a Comment

The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning.  As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

I usually keep watch at home with littles but this year my husband was ill so I was able to attend this solemn Mass for our Lady.

My girls were ready at 2am and we departed at 4:20am.

The beauty and austerity of the morning can not be put into words. The senses are drawn in more than ever before.

Our Pastor instructs us about the darkness that we are surrounded with in the Church, the world, and that which is placed before us for this Holy Mass. We are reminded to trust in the maternal love of Our Lady for all our needs as we prepare for Holy Mass.

Holy Mass begins and all the worries fade. The darkness is almost unnoticeable as all the senses are drawn into the true light. It’s all a beautiful preparation for the Christchild.

There is no exercise which is more pleasing to God, or more meritorious, or which has greater influence in infusing solid piety into the soul, than the assisting at the holy sacrifice of the Mass. If this be true at all the various seasons of the Christian year, it is so, in a very special manner, during the holy time of Advent. The faithful, therefore, should make every effort in order to enjoy this precious blessing, even on those days when they are not obliged to it by the precept of the Church. ~Dom Gueranger

Divine Infant King Jesus, come down into our hearts!

“Gabriel’s Message,” is the song played in the video of the Rorate Mass from parish in 2012 . It is a traditional Basque Advent carol sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish. My eldest daughter was honored to be a chorister member for the production. The entire album, “The Little Road to Bethlehem” can be purchased from Amazon as a MP3 download. It is a wonderful addition for any family desiring to go deeper into the Advent season.

Rorate {Caeli} Mass

by Filed Under: Advent, Rorate Leave a Comment

Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.” ~ Isaiah 45:8

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.”

The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning.  As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

The Mass takes its title, Rorate Caeli, from the first words of the Introit, which are from Isaiah 45:8:

“Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.”

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.”

The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight. Because it is a votive Mass in Mary’s honor, white vestments are worn instead of Advent violet. In the dimly lit setting, priests and faithful prepare to honor the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the church becomes progressively brighter, illumined by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ.

The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel, and call on all to raise the gates of their hearts and their societies to let Christ the King enter; asking for the grace to receive eternal life by the merits of the Incarnation and saving Resurrection of Our Lord.

 

Here is a video of the Solemn Rorate Mass being celebrated at my parish from years past.


The piece is “Gabriel’s Message,” a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album “The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.

Rorate Caeli Mass in Honor of Our Lady

by Filed Under: 12 December, Advent, Marian, Rorate 1 Comment

The “Rorate Mass,” so called because it begins with the words of Isaiah 45:8, “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum…” (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One…), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn.

As the Mass ends the sky is just starting to glow with the new day and we journey from darkness to light and the coming of the Word Made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mother is upon us.

mass for our lady in advent

Will we be the darkness who receive Him not or will we be children of the light?

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The Rorate Mass is lit only by candlelight. Because it is a votive Mass in Mary’s honor, white vestments are worn instead of Advent violet. In the dimly lit setting, priests and faithful prepare to honor the Light of the world, Who is soon to be born, and offer praise to God for the gift of Our Lady. As the Mass proceeds and sunrise approaches, the church becomes progressively brighter, illumined by the sun as our Faith is illumined by Christ.

The readings and prayers of the Mass foretell the prophecy of the Virgin who would bear a Son called Emmanuel, and call on all to raise the gates of their hearts and their societies to let Christ the King enter; asking for the grace to receive eternal life by the merits of the Incarnation and saving Resurrection of Our Lord.

Solemn Rorate Mass from December 15th, 2012, at St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish. The Rorate Mass is a special votive mass for Our Lady during Advent, traditionally celebrated by candlelight in the early morning. St. Stephen’s is a parish run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.

The piece is “Gabriel’s Message,” a traditional Basque Advent carol, sung by the Choir and Choristers of St. Stephen the First Martyr Parish on the album “The Little Road to Bethlehem.”

This video was created by a talented parishioner, Jennifer Rego.

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Resources:

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Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum, aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.” ~ Isaiah 45:8

“Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Saviour.”

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