Saturday, December 31, 2016

Bonus Points on New Year's Eve

What if I told you . . .

On New Year’s Eve, you can win bonus points (indulgences) for admission into Heaven if you sing the Te Deum!

Of course, the usual conditions apply of being in a state of grace and having been to Confession within a month and receiving Holy Communion on Sundays.

Te Deum - Monastic Chant in Latin (Solemn)
Monks of the one of the Abbeys of the Solesmes Congregation sing this beautiful chant. The Te Deum is attributed to two Fathers and Doctors of the Church, St. Ambrose and St. Augustine and is one the most majestic chants in the Liturgy of the Church. It is sung in traditional seminaries and monastic houses at the Divine Office and for Double feasts of the First Class, The Nativity, Easter, Corpus Christi, Epiphany, Pentecost and those which have an Octave. The solemn Te Deum is sung on all occasions of public Church rejoicing (in Traditional Catholic Churches)

Te Deum Laudamus - Catholic Gregorian Chant Hymns

Te Deum – in English


From France (with good pictures):

New Year's Eve Tradition - Psalm 150

What if I told you . . .

It is an old tradition to sing the last Psalm – Psalm 150 – during Vespers (6pm prayers) on the last day of the year.
           
From Aarhus-Denmark - The Choir Of The Catholic Church Our Lady - Olav K. Jepsen

Psalm 150
1Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy sanctuary;*a
give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
2Give praise for his mighty deeds,b
praise him for his great majesty.
3Give praise with blasts upon the horn,c
praise him with harp and lyre.
4Give praise with tambourines and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.d
5Give praise with crashing cymbals,
praise him with sounding cymbals.
6Let everything that has breath
give praise to the LORD!e
Hallelujah!


New Year's Eve Activities - Watch This Movie

Waterloo Bridge – Vivien Leigh & Robert Taylor

This old movie is very popular in China and throughout Asia.  Many Chinese learn to speak the English sentences in this movie.
The singer is Ngoc Lan. She comes from Viet Nam. 

Another version:

A Celtic Christmas Carol @ Inner Splendor

Dec 31:  Happy 7th Day of Christmas – Seven Swans A Swimming

In The Spirit of Peace: An Irish Holiday Celebration - A Celtic Christmas Carol

Full Album available at http://www.celticchristmasmusic.org/ or download at iTunes and Amazon.com, simply search for "Inner Splendor Christmas Music."

Inner Splendor Media's "In The Spirit of Peace" is a stirring, mystical, richly textured collection of classic Christmas melodies and new holiday music, performed by some of the British Isles most accomplished musicians.

This one-of-a-kind song cycle wraps the familiar melodies of Christmas around a Celtic musical foundation, with Ann Malone and Sarah Warwick's vocals augmented by traditional Gaelic instruments like the Uilleann Pipes and the Bodhran. You'll hear classic Christmas music as you never have before, with driving rhythms, hypnotic vocal harmonies and virtuosic instrumental performances.

To create "In The Spirit of Peace," Ann Malone, Alan Reekie and Rob Smith assembled a group of Irish and Scottish musicians with lifelong passions for their homeland's music. The ensemble imbues each song with the weight, power and character of the Celtic musical tradition, which was born in India and traveled through Romania, Eastern Europe and France before blossoming in Ireland and Scotland. Delicate, driving, melodic and spiritual, "In The Spirit of Peace" is a tapestry of sound that will enrich your entire winter.

As a whole, "In The Spirit of Peace" encompasses a wide musical range, drawing upon the full spectrum of the musical tradition from which it springs forth. Among classics like "O Holy Night," "Little Drummer Boy" and "Silent Night," the album includes traditional folk melodies and captivating original songs like lead single "Mahaday," an Ann Malone composition that celebrates the Spanish and Latin side of the Celtic tradition. A rousing rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" recalls an Irish pub session, while a hypnotic, near-reggae "Carol of the Bells" is both meditative and propulsive.

Inner Splendor Media is a recording company that specializes in pure, simple, elemental and beautiful music found all over the world. "In The Spirit of Peace" is the first of two new collections of Christmas music released by the company in late 2009.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Elizabeth Warren - She's Running For President Already!

2020 ALREADY? // 

Massachusetts liberal Senator Liz Warren got a seat on the Armed Services Committee for next year, which people speculate she's doing to get her resume ready for a 2020 presidential run. 

She’s a radical progressive woman from a socialist state.
She falsely claims to be a descendent of Native Americans.  
She has a loud and shrill speaking/shouting tone (just like Hillary). 
She demands that all 50 states embrace socialism.  
She’s perfect for the Democrats.



Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Song of the Day: Coventry Carol

The “Coventry Carol”, a lullaby of mothers to doomed children, dates to the 16th century. It was part of a Mystery Play, “The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors”, about chapter two of the Gospel of Matthew.  The carol is about the Massacre of the Holy Innocents. The carol came to greater popularity after the BBC broadcast it at Christmas of 1940, after the Bombing of Coventry: it was sung in the ruins of the bombed Cathedral.

Sung on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (Dec 28):

Another version:


The Coventry Carol

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child, 
By, by, lully, lullay. 
Lullay, thou little tiny Child, 
By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do, 
For to preserve this day 
This poor youngling for whom we do sing 
By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod, the king, in his raging, 
Charged he hath this day 
His men of might, in his own sight, 
All children young to slay.


Then, woe is me, poor Child for Thee! 
And ever mourn and sigh 
For thy parting neither say nor sing, 
By, by, lully, lullay.


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Who is the Anti-Christ foretold in Apocalypse/Revelations by St. John ?

St. John warned us about Mohammed . . .

Obama is not the anti-Christ after all.  

As you know, the Book of Revelations was written by St. John who may have also been St. John the Evangelist who may have also been St. John the youngest and beloved apostle who rested his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper.  

The Book of Revelations was written after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in the year 70 AD as was foretold by Jesus.   That is why there is no Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to this day.

St. John wrote the Book of Revelations while exiled on the island of Patmos (in modern Turkey) during the Roman persecutions of that growing group of radicals called Christians.

The Book of Revelations predicts the rise of the anti-Christ.

The anti-Christ was not Hitler.  The anti-Christ was not even Obama.  The anti-Christ was Mohammed!   Mohammed created a religion that is anti-Christian.


There will be a final battle between the Mohammedans (Muslims) and the followers of Christ.  Some believe it will be at the Plains of Mogedda in Israel – AKA:  Armaggedon!

Christmas is 12 Days - Not One Day

What if I told you  . . .
·         In the middle ages, Advent lasted for 5 weeks before Christmas and was a period of penance and fasting similar to Lent. 
·         Christmas came at midnight on December 24 with midnight mass called Christ’s Mass or Feast of the Nativity.  
·         The Feast of Christ’s Nativity lasted for 12 days of parties.  It was not customary to give gifts to family and friends.   It was customary for the local lords and dukes to host parties for the villagers and farmers who were expected to provide the food and drink for these parties as gifts to their lordships.   
·         The 12-day festival ended on 12th night which was the night before the Feast of the Epiphany and was also the biggest party of the season with much foolishness.    
·         The Feast of the Epiphany was originally a more important celebration than the Feast of the Nativity and was a time of gift giving to parallel the gifts of the Magi.  
·         Over the generations, Advent has been neglected while the Christmas season has been pushed to start by early December and even late November.   The gift giving of Epiphany has been moved into Christmas, and the observation of Epiphany has faded away as has Advent.

Let's Bring Back The 12 Days Of Christmas

... more

Do you know anyone named John?

DEC 27:  FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

St. John the Evangelist (1st c.)  was one of the original twelve Apostles, the youngest Apostle, and one of the most beloved by Jesus along with his brother, James.
Before he met Jesus, John was friends with fellow fishermen (and fellow apostles) Peter and Peter’s brother, Andrew.   
He was the young disciple who reclined on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper and the only one of the twelve not to forsake Him during His passion.
He stood at the foot of the Cross alongside the holy and faithful women, and he was the disciple to whom Jesus entrusted the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In addition to "The Evangelist" he is also known as the "Beloved Disciple."
St. John lived to a very old age and composed the fourth Gospel that bears his name, three epistles, and the Book of Revelation which he wrote on the island of Patmos in old age.
He is the only one of the twelve Apostles who was not martyred.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus, St. John was an important leader of the Church in Jerusalem.

St. John the Evangelist's feast day is December 27th.

John the Apostle/Evangelist - What a Career!

James and John were brothers and fisherman possibly working with Peter.   Their mother was Salome who may have been a sister of the Virgin Mary which makes James and John cousins of Jesus.
James was the first apostle to be killed, but his younger brother, John, who was most favored by Jesus was not martyred.
Jesus asked John to look after Mary, and they may have left Jerusalem and lived in Ephesus in modern Turkey.  
Legend says that John was almost poisoned by wine, but he cast out the poison which left the goblet as a serpent.
John was an old man exiled on the Island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation about the end of the world.
John returned from exile and lived out his years in Ephesus, Turkey.    
John’s feast day is December 27.
 From www.FishEaters.com . . .

St. John, the Evangelist, who is styled in the Gospel, "the beloved disciple", was a Galilean, son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother to St. James the Greater, both of whom were fishermen. The two were called by Jesus to be disciples as they were mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus showed St. John particular instances of kindness and affection above all the rest. He had the happiness to be present with Peter and James at the Transfiguration of Christ, and was permitted to witness His agony in the Garden. He was allowed to rest on Our Savior's bosom at the Last Supper, and to him Jesus confided the care of His holy Mother as He hung dying on the Cross.
St. John was the only one of the Apostles who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion and Death.
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/pictures/ball3.gifIt seems that St. John remained for a long time in Jerusalem, but that his later years were spent at Ephesus, whence he founded many churches in Asia Minor. St. John wrote his Gospel after the other Evangelists, about sixty-three years after the Ascension of Christ; also three Epistles, and the wonderful and mysterious Book of the Apocalypse or Revelation. He was brought to Rome and, according to tradition, was cast into a caldron of boiling oil by order of Emperor Domitian. Like the Three Children in the fiery furnace of Babylon, he was miraculously preserved unhurt.

He was later exiled to the Island of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse, but afterwards returned to Ephesus.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Do You Know Anyone Named Stephen, Steven, or Steve?

From Wikipedia.com . . .

Stephen (/ˈstiːfən/) or Steven (/ˈstiːvən/) is a first name derived from the Greek name Stéphanos meaning "wreath, crown, honor, reward", literally "that which surrounds or encompasses". The name is significant to Christians: according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, Saint Stephen was a deacon who was stoned to death and is regarded as the first martyr, in Greek "protomartyr", of the Christian Church.

From FishEaters.com . . .


The second day of Christmas is the Feast of St. Stephen, the First Deacon, "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost," whose story is recounted in Acts 6-7. The Apostles laid hands on him and ordained him with six others, and Stephen, "full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people," and went to preach among the Jews, some of whom "were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke" Other Jews, though, "suborned men to say, they had heard him speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the ancients, and the scribes; and running together, they took him, and brought him to the council. And they set up false witnesses, who said: This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place and the law."

He was the very first martyr of the Church Age, stoned to death by the Jews, including Saul -- the future St. Paul. St Fulgentius of Ruspe gives us a beautiful reflection on St. Stephen and on St. Paul, who murdered him when he was still known as Saul:


Song of the Season - Christmas

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas!

During this season, be sure to go wassailing while listening to this song of the season:

The Wassail Song

Toast of the Season
The word “wassail” comes from the Old 

Why You Should Sing "Good King Wenceslas" Today

Which version of “Good King Wenceslas” do you like best?
                       

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.


From Wikipedia . . .

"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of a king braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the day after Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935).

Wenceslas was considered a martyr and a saint immediately after his death in the 10th century, when a cult of Wenceslas grew up in Bohemia and in England.   Within a few decades of Wenceslas's death, four biographies of him were in circulation.   These hagiographies had a powerful influence on the High Middle Ages conceptualization of the rex justus, or "righteous king"—that is, a monarch whose power stems mainly from his great piety, as well as from his princely vigor.

Several centuries later the legend was claimed as fact by Pope Pius II, who himself also walked ten miles barefoot in the ice and snow as an act of pious thanksgiving.



Friday, December 23, 2016

Advent Music - Dec 23: O Emmanuel (O God With Us)

Advent Season Novena - Dec 23:  O Emmanuel (God With Us)

Gregorian Style
The Great Antiphons. Gregorian chant notation from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 341. Latin lyrics sung by the Cantarte Regensburg.

Great Advent - O Emmanuel by Gloriae Dei Cantores

"O Key of David and Sceptre of the house of Israel, Who dost open and no man doth shut, Who dost shut and no man doth open, come and bring forth from his prison house the captive that sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death."

The "O Antiphons" refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.

The importance of "O Antiphons" is twofold: Each one highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David),
O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel.


Also, each one refers to the prophecy from Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.

Song of the Day from Lithuania

Veni, veni Emmanuel performed by the “Dainava” Lithuanian Choral Ensemble




Sunday, December 18, 2016

Christmas Novena - Dec, 18: O Adonai

CHRISTMAS NOVENA - DEC 18: O ADONAI

Gregorian Style
The Great Antiphons. Gregorian chant notation from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 340. Latin lyrics sung by the Cantarte Regensburg.


Saturday, December 17, 2016

Street Hiking - New Orleans, LA

Civil War Musem


General Lee Memorial

New Orleans Riverwalk

Outlet Mall at the Riverwalk


New Orleans Convention Center


Riverwalk




St. Louis Cathedral - New Orleans, LA

Cathedral Basilica of St. Luis, King of France

http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/









Benefactor who funded the building of the cathedral







King Louis of France

Old Ursaline Convent - New Orleans, LA





Song of the Season - Advent

Veni, Veni Emmanuel @ L'Accorche-Choeur, Ensemble vocal Fribourg



Dec. 17: O Wisdom

Be sure to sing this at your 6pm vespers today . . .

The "O Antiphons" of Advent
Today begins the “O Antiphons” of Advent. The Roman Church has been singing the "O Antiphons” since at least the eighth century. They are the antiphons that accompany the Magnificat canticle of Evening Prayer (Vespers) from December 17-23. They are a magnificent theology that uses ancient biblical imagery drawn from the messianic hopes of the Old Testament to proclaim the coming Christ as the fulfillment not only of Old Testament hopes, but present ones as well. Their repeated use of the imperative "Come!" embodies the longing of all for the Divine Messiah.
—From "Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers"

December 17
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!

O Wisdom,
coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from end to end,
mightily and sweetly ordering all things:
come and teach us the way of prudence.

(Traditional O Antiphon)