Rejoice

Today is the 4th Sunday of Lent, "Laetare Sunday". Live mp3 of today's introit here, from the monks in Sao Paulo. Notation here. Translation:

"Rejoice O Jerusalem and come together, all ye that love her;rejoice for joy, all ye that have mourned: that ye may be glad, and be satisfied with the breasts of your consolation.

I was glad when they said unto me; We will go into the house of the Lord. "

( from Isiaiah 66: 10-11, and Psalm 121(122) )

Rest of today's propers here.

More about Laetare Sunday:

Old Catholic Encyclepedia: Laetare Sunday
What is Laetare Sunday? from About.com
Reflections on today's readings from Salvationhistory.com

From Psalm 119

Today at Midday Prayer (Sext) the last phrase here grabbed me for some reason.

"Be kind to your servant that I may live, that I may keep your word.
Open my eyes to see clearly the wonders of your teachings.
I am a sojourner in the land ......."

http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/psalms/psalm119.htm

The Epiphany

"We have seen his star in the east, and have come with gifts to adore the Lord."
-communion antiphon from the Roman Missal

Despite the previous post, in most places today would have been observed as either the second Sunday after Christmas or, in the U.S., as the Feast of the Epiphany (traditionally observed on January 6). Therefore if you had gone to Mass at a Catholic Church today in the U.S.A, the readings you would have heard would have been for the Epiphany. You can read today's readings below:

Readings for the Epiphany

The readings for this feast are the same for each year of the 3-year cycle of Sunday Readings, so one can read last year's reflection on the readings from Dr. Scott Hahn: Newborn King

Song of Songs

I (attempt to) follow the 2-year cycle of scriptural passages for the Office of Readings. Unless I missed something the Universalis site (link at the right) only uses the 1-year cycle apparently . I use a different translation for the Liturgy of the Hours but a table of readings for the 2-year cycle can be found at the back of Christian Prayer. One thing that fascinates me is that the readings for much of Christmas in year 2 of the cycle are from the Song of Songs. Todays reading (Sg 1:1-10):

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine, Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee. Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions. If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds. To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened thee, O my love. Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels. We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.


(technically the table in "Christian Prayer" only lists verses 1 to 8 but the edition I follow prints verses 1 to 10). There's something very beautiful about reading the Song of Songs at Christmastime!

The translation above is from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Bible.