Merry Christmas, Dear Readers!

Ero Cras

And so we have completed the O Antiphons and it is Christmas Eve. But the Antiphons leave us with yet one more message for today....

But first, we must make an acrostic of the first letter of each Latin word in the order in which the Antiphons are given, as follows:

Sapientia

Adonai

Radix Jesse

Clavis David

Oriens

Rex Gentium

Emmanuel

And then, we spell that word backwards: Erocras, or

Ero Cras.

And then we translate...

"I will be (here) tomorrow."

And He will!

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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel!

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!

Schedule of Christmas Masses

The Traditional Latin Mass will be celebrated by Father Gregory Lockwood at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church on the following days during the upcoming Christmas season:

Friday, December 24
"Midnight" Mass - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, December 26
Sunday in the Octave of Christmas - 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 1, 2011
Circumcision of Our Lord - 12:00 noon

Sunday, January 2, 2011
Holy Name of Jesus - 1:30 p.m.

All Masses held at:

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church
1420 Sappington Road
Crestwood, MO 63126

**Please note: There will be no Traditional Latin Mass for Epiphany, Thursday, January 6, nor will there be the usual First Friday Latin Mass on January 7 at St. Elizabeth's as Father Lockwood will be away on retreat.

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Merry Christmas one and all!

O King of the Gentiles

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!

O Dayspring

O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, et sol justitiæ: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

O Key of David

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

O Root of Jesse

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.

O Lord of Israel

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Lord of Israel, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!

O Wisdom

O Sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.

O Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!

St. Andrew Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment

in which the Son of God was born

of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem,

in piercing cold.

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!

to hear my prayer and grant my desires,

through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ,

and of His Blessed Mother.

Amen.

* * *

It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day from the feast of St. Andrew (30th November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.

Imprimatur
+MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897

Schedule of Traditional Latin Masses at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church

Father Gregory Lockwood will celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass on the following days in the Advent and Christmas Seasons (in addition to the regularly scheduled Sunday TLM at 1:30 p.m.):

First Friday
Friday, December 3, 6:30 a.m.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Wednesday, December 8, 12:00 noon

"Midnight" Mass
Friday, December 24, 8:00 p.m.

Octave of Christmas, Circumcision of Our Lord
Saturday, January 1, 2011, 12:00 noon

All Masses held at:

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church
1420 Sappington Road
Crestwood, MO 63126

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May all my dear readers have a blessed and holy Advent!