Gaudete, which means Rejoice in Latin, is a late 16th century Christmas carol, thought to have originated in Scandinavia. Being removed from the rest of Europe, Scandinavia was a bit behind the times culturally, and this carol is more characteristic of medieval music from the main continent, but has had staying power since it was published in 1582. The third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday.
Make of My Heart a Stable was written by Amanda Udis-Kessler, who specializes in writing inclusive, social-justice-minded hymns. This hymn speaks to the nature of Advent and echoes the exhortation from the first verse of Joy to the World: “Let every heart prepare him room.”
Women are not commonly the protagonists in scripture, but they are at the most pivotal moments – from today’s scripture to the discovery of the empty tomb. Like other songs written by women in scripture, the Magnificat is a radical text. It echoes songs by Hannah and Miriam, and is a prophetic, revolutionary expression of joy, justice, and concern for the oppressed: the proud are scattered, the lowly are lifted, the powerful are overthrown, the hungry are filled, the rich are sent away empty.
Rory Cooney paraphrased the text in the hymn Canticle of the Turning, and set the music to an Irish tune, Star of the County Down. He explains, “I decided that I wanted to use music that suggested the revolutionary spirit of the canticle, that cosmic tables are being turned over, as it were. And who has better songs of uprising than the Irish?”
The O Antiphons are a set of seven liturgical antiphons chanted or recited during Advent in the Christian tradition. Each antiphon focuses on a different title of the Messiah, drawn from the prophecies of the Old Testament. Each verse of the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is one of the antiphons. We finish our exploration of this hymn with two verses today, as we sing the entire set of O Antiphons:
O Sapientia (O Wisdom):
In this antiphon, the plea for Wisdom reflects the deep desire for divine guidance. The title draws from the “wisdom literature” of the Old Testament, connecting Christ to the continued revelation of God on Earth.
Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse):
Rooted in the imagery of the prophetic vision of Jesse, the father of King David, this antiphon underscores Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Isaiah 11:1) This is also reflected in the hymn Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.