THE NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS - Kenrick

THE NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS

Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

Saint Louis, Missouri




BACKGROUND

This Novena is traditionally sung in the churches and seminary chapels of the Congre-gation of the Mission (the Vincentians) and in the chapels of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. It has come to mean “Christmas” for the members of the two communities and to the many others who mark these days of prayer and preparation with them.

Father Carlo Antonio Vacchetta (1665-1747), an Italian Vincentian priest living in Tu-rin, is credited with compiling the Novena. Modeled on the liturgy of Matins and Ves-pers, the Novena includes hymns, prophecies, a canticle, and the Magnificat. In the United States, it was often customary for Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to con-clude the Novena.

The first recorded appearance of the Novena took place in 1720 at the Vincentian church in Turin. Since that time, the “Christmas Novena” spread throughout Italy, first through the Vincentians and Daughters of Charity, and later also through the Sale-sians of Don Bosco. It has spread elsewhere in the world through the missionary work of these three communities. Records indicate that is was performed at St. Mary’s of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri as early as 1819—the location of the first seminary of the Diocese of St. Louis. Originally the novena would have been chanted in unison and in Latin according to traditional melodies. In 1920 Matthew P. Becker, a faculty member of Kenrick Semi-nary composed a four-part harmony for men’s voices. Over the years, the Novena has been adapted by various communities, including several translations and musical ele-ments. This present version draws upon various elements from the tradition, further adapted by the current Director of Sacred Music.

It is with great joy and anticipation of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, into the hearts of all people, that we share with you this “Novena in Preparation for Christmas”. The above notes based on the research of John E. Rybolt, C. M. Novena Prepared and adapted by Fr. Jason Schumer, Director of Worship and Jeff Wisniewski, director of Music The Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Choir under the direction of Jeff Wisniewski Program design by Jeff Wisniewski

Emmanuel (God is with us)

Rex Gentium (King of Nations)

Oriens (Morning Star)

Clavis David (Key of David)

Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse)

Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)

BACKGROUND










Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)

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ENTRANCE HYMN

All hymns can be found in the back of this booklet

Day 1: The King Shall Come…………………………………………...pg. 11

Day 2: Wake, O Wake, and Sleep No Longer………………………...pg. 12

Day 3: Comfort, Comfort Ye My People………………………………pg. 13

Day 4: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming………………………………...pg. 14

Day 5: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus……………………………..pg. 15

Day 6: Lift Up Your Heads……………………………………………...pg. 16

Day 7: O Come, Divine Messiah………………………………………..pg. 16

Day 8: Savior of the Nations, Come……………………………………pg. 18

Day 9: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel…………………………………..pg. 19

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INVITATORY

Please be seated

PROPHESIES

Choir, then all:

PROPHESY I

CHOIR: Rejoice, O daughter of Zion, and exult, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold the Lord shall come, and in that day there shall be a great light and the mountain shall bring forth sweetness, and the hills shall flow with milk and honey; for a great prophet is coming, and He will renovate Jerusalem!

ALL: The Lord, our King who is to come, O come let us adore Him!

PROPHESY II

CHOIR: Behold He that is God and man, shall come forth from the house of David, His father, to sit upon His throne, and you shall see Him and your heart will rejoice.


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PROPHESY III

CHOIR: Behold, the Lord shall come, our protector, the Holy One of Israel, bearing on His head the crown of a kingdom; and He will rule from sea unto sea, and from the river to the utmost bounds of the earth.


PROPHESY IV

CHOIR: Behold, the Lord shall appear and He will not deceive; if He delay wait for Him, for He will come and He will not tarry.


PROPHESY V

CHOIR: The Lord will descend as rain on the field; in those days shall arise His justice and abundance of peace; and all the Kings of the earth shall adore Him, all nations shall serve Him.


PROPHESY VI

CHOIR: A Child shall be born to us and He shall be called the God of strength; He will sit on the throne of David His father, and He will rule, in Whose hand is all power.


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PROPHESY VII

CHOIR: Bethlehem, city of the Highest God, out from thee shall go forth the Ruler of Israel; and His going forth will be as from the beginning of the eternal days; and He shall be praised in the midst of the universe and peace will be on earth, when He shall have come.


CANTICLE: LÆTENTUR CŒLI

The Choir will sing the even-numbered verses alone

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2. Let the mountains break forth into gladness and the hills with justice.

4. Drop down dew, you heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just one, let the earth

be opened and bud forth the Savior.

6. Show us, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation.

8. Come to deliver us, O Lord, the God of hosts. Show your countenance and we shall be saved.

10. That on earth, O Lord, we may know your ways, and among all nations, your salvation.

12. Come, O Lord, and do not tarry, do away with the offenses of your people.

14. Come and show unto us your countenance, O Lord, Who sit upon the Cherubim.

16. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

READING

Day 1: Baruch 5: 1-9

Day 2: Isaiah 2: 1-5

Day 3: Micah 5: 1-4

Day 4: Zechariah 8: 4-8, 20-23

Day 5: Jeremiah 33: 10-16


Day 7: Zephaniah 3: 14-18



HOMILY

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HYMN

The choir sings the odd numbered verses alone. Please Stand

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ANTIPHON & MAGNIFICAT

With the exception of the first and last day of the novena, the antiphon is taken from vespers of the final seven days of Advent, known as the ‘Great Antiphons’, or ‘O Antiphons’. In the origi-nal Latin, the first letter of the first word of each antiphon, forms an acrostic, that when read backwards reads, ‘ERO CRAS’, or ‘Tomorrow, I will come.’ Originally this novena was prayed the nine days leading up to Christmas, so the final night would have used the proper antiphon for Christmas Eve. However, it seemed fitting to replace this final antiphon with an additional ‘O antiphon’ (O Virgo virginum), which comes from a medieval English (Sarum) tradition. Accordingly, the O antiphons would begin one day sooner, and the acrostic now becomes , ’VERO CRAS’, or ’Truly, I will come’. The antiphon for the first night of the novena comes from a weekday during the season of Advent and has traditionally been associated with this no-vena. Each night, the choir will sing the antiphon in Latin.

1. Ecce Rex veniet: Behold, our King comes: the Lord of the whole earth, and he shall

take away the yoke of our captivity.

2. O Sapientia: O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.

3. O Adonai: O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

4. O Radix Jesse: O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

5. O Clavis David: O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.

6. O Oriens: O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

7. O Rex Gentium: O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

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8. O Emmanuel: O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

9. O Virgo virginum : O Virgin of virgins, how shall this be? For neither before thee was any like thee, nor shall there be after. Daughters of Jerusalem, why marvel ye at me? The thing which ye behold is a divine mystery.

The Magnificat is sung in Latin alternating verses with the choir.

All are invited to sing the odd verses. The choir will sing the even verses.

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My Soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed:

The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The antiphon is then repeated

LORD’S PRAYER

COLLECT

BLESSING & DISMISSAL

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Kind mother of the Redeemer, who remain the open gate of heaven and the star of the sea: help

your falling people who want to rise, you who bore your holy Parent, while nature marveled: a

Virgin before and after, receiving that ‘Ave’ from Gabriel’s mouth, have mercy on [us] sinners

RECESSIONAL

Please leave this booklet in the chapel

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ENTRANCE HYMNS

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13

14

15

16

17

18

19

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BACKGROUND










Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)

BACKGROUND










Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)







BACKGROUND










Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)

BACKGROUND










Adonai (Lord)

Sapientia (Wisdom)







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THE NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR CHRISTMAS - Kenrick