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Liturgy

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1970

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MARCH 1974

L I T U R G YVol ume 8, Number l / March1974EDITORS PAGE1THE ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY3Brendan FREEMANA NEW HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD29Chr.vsogonus WADDELLTHE GRACE BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS AS FOUND IN THE IRISH TRADITION37Ui nseann 6 MAIDl NA MEETI NG FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE LITURGY47Frenc h Benedi cti ne Subi aco Li turgy Commi ssionTOWARDS THE SPIRIT OF CELEBRATION:A FEW CONDITIONS FOR CELEBRA-TING THE LITURGY53Benol't SEBIRECOMMUNAL CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE IN PREPARATIONFOR CHRISTMAS: SAINT JOSEPH'S ABBEY59THE MYSTERY OF LENT : SAINT AELRED'S SERMON ON THE LENTEN FAST73Transl ated by Chrysostom CASTELDOSSI ER OF LITURGICA FOR THE GENERAL CHAPTER, MAY - JUNE, 197483

LITURGYbulletin serves to share with others whatever thoughts and ex periences may contribute towards the development of a living monastic liturgy for today.

Manuscripts should be forwarded to:

Fr. Chrysogonus Gethsemani Abbey

Trappist, Kentucky 40073 (U.S.A.)

Material for the next issue (hopefully June, 1974)should be received no later than mid-May.

E D I T 0 R 1 SP A G E

Senility has overtaken me.At least, I think it might be senility.

A few years ago I might have thought hopefully that my present imperturb ability was a form of that apatheia the Desert Fathers used to talk about. Just a few days ago, I received from our Procurator General, Fr. Vincent Hermans, news about recent developments touching on the status quaestionis of our Order's Liturgy of the Hours.Since there's a great deal that's

still uncertain and subject to a change of wind, I don't dare be more ex plicit at the present moment.But, at any rate, so encouraging was the news that, a few years ago, I'm sure I'd have been in a state of heightened euphoria, able to think of almost nothing else.As it is, I'm presently able to think of plenty of other things; and when I occasionally do turn my attention to the current happy developments, I'm only peacefully happy. It could, of course, be a bad case of accedia. But since I've just turned

forty-fourin early March, I suspect it's probably an initial symptom of

the onslaughts of old-age.Quid hoc ad aetePnitatem?

On the other hand, possibly this unwonted calm has something to do with a different kind of experience.During the past several days I've been busy with tasks which occasionally left me free to listen to tape-re cordingswhile simultaneously engaged in other chores.So I've been lis tening to our ancient tapes of the retreat conferences given us in iZZo

tempore (November, 1951) by the great and good Prior of Mount Saviour,

Dom Damasus Winzen.I shall always count it as one of God's kindest gifts that He sent us Dom Damasus as retreat master during the time I was trying to learn what it means to be a monk.During his conferences, I jotted down occasional notes on the back of used envelopes;and these notes I've re read and reflected on rather often during the past two decades. But now I'm hearing his voice againif only through poor-quality tapes recorded al most a quarter-century ago.There's nothing poor in quality about those conferences. however; nor is there anything the least bit dated about the spiritual doctrine and monastic wisdom shared with us by Dom Damasus. In fact, his teaching rings such a note of timeliness, that I almost suspect that what he says is even more exciting and relevant than the most recent

2

Roman news concerning our Cistercian Liturgy of the Hours.Here I have

no intention of spelling out this doctrine in detail; because, if all goes well, I hope that the next issue ofLiturgy will be devoted chiefly to articles concerning the great Maria Laach tradition which Dom Damasus so wonderfully well incarnated and radiated.But, in the meantime, I find myself wondering how I can get so excited about developments which, though welcome and potentially helpful for our life in Christ, are relatively mi nor when compared with the riches of Christ already accessible to us in all their inexhaustible fecundity. The purpose of liturgical reform is to ren

der these riches evenaccessible for us all. But accessible they are. NOv

Listening to Dom Damasus share his monastic experience with us inev itably is something of a retrospectiveexperience.Back in those distant times, many of us who were then young had to exert more than a little ef fort to enter beneath the surface of tre liturgy.It was a question of a different type of culture; a different type of music; evenin large measurea different language.But I know monks who made that effort, and who never would have made that effort if they hadn't met those material

obstacles with faith and determination.In some sense, the very "obstacles" to deep participati on in the liturgy became the occasion for their interior izing the liturgy and coming into deeper contact with Christ present and acting in our monastic liturgy.I suspect that the brethren who are most helped by the post-Vatican II changes of liturgical formsare the ones

who were the most grateful and aware of all we already had in the days be

fore Vatican II. I suspect, too, that the chronic complainers about the horrors of the present liturgical forms are chiefly the ones who, before Vatican IT, were chronic complainers about the horrors of pre-Vatican II liturgical forms, or whose liturgical life was too exclusively bound up with particular forms of expression.We can find plenty to complain about if we want to; but God knows hIre to the Graeco-Ranan world and its influence on the feasts

of Christmas and Epiphany there is a wealth of material. 3'When the early Church entered the arena of Hellenistic culture, one of the most powerful influences she had to contend with was the practice of sun-cults. This was a highly-developed religion in the third and fourth centuries. Even as late as the time of Saint Leo the Great (400-461) we see the Christians

tempted to combine worship of the sun with their worship of God. 4

The Origins of Christmas and Epiphany5

The vast majority of authors dealing with the feasts of Christmas and Epiphany situate the origins of these feasts in this period of re newed heliolatry.

In the second section of this paper, I have su:rrmarized the rrore pertinent material on the sun-cults as a background for studying the ori gin and evolution of Christmas and Epiphany in the third and fourth cen turies. A.A.MacArthur, in his book The Evolution of the Christian Year, gives a comprehensive acoount of the contributions made by various scholars to the present state of their problems. MacArthur 's book was published in 1953. Since then, material on our subject has been scarce. Whatever I could find, havever, has been added to the body of this work.

It is interesting to note that each writer dealing with the topic of Christmas and Epiphany, before launching into their theories, warn.s us that the history of these feasts is very canplex and for the most part,

because of the lack of historical data, all they can offer are hypo'!=heses.

Prescinding from the obscurity of the material, I have found this study of the origin, object and evolution of these feast days a rewarding experience. The Church has always been true to the myster_1 of the Incarna tion.The liturgical life of the Church is a witness to this and forms a true locus theoZogicusfor this dogma of faith . The principle oflex orandi lex credendi is navhere more true than in the liturgical celebration of Christmas and Epiphany.

I. JEWISH BA,CKGRCUND

Introduction

Most authors situate the origins of the feasts of Epiphany and Christmas in the context of pagan Mediterranean culture. Especially in the cult of the sun-"WOrship com:ron to this area. Only a few scholars make conjectures about the possible Jewish influence on the feast in question. This first chapter will deal with sane hypotheses regarding the Jsvish roots of our feast.

6

The Jewish Calendar

A ver:y general survey of the Jewish liturgical year will suffice for our purpose of attempting to establish a relationship between the Jewish festal year and the primitive Christian calendar.

Exodus 23: 10-19 gives us the main lines of the Jewish liturgical year. First the days of rest are mentioned: ever:y seventh year and ever:y seventh day (vv. 10-12). Secondly, the calendar of feasts proper, which indicates three great annual festivals: Passover, Pentecost (or Weeks) and Tabernacles(or Ingathering)(vv . 14-17) It is an accepted fact that the Hebrews were pagan nanads before they received Yahweh 's special revela tion, and that they honored their gods with feast days similar to those of their neighbors. Havever, after they became Yahweh 's chosen people, these

pagan feasts took on a new meaning and content. 5This process of histori

cizing or spiritualizing went sarething like this: When the nanadic Hebrews

:rroved into the promised land, they adopted sorre of the agrarian feasts of their neighbors which they eventually referred to historical events of Yahweh 's intervention on their behalf in past times. They transfonred what

had been simply a nature feast into an historical cami.emoration.6This

process will be examined rrore closely when we look at the feast of Tabernacles, although it can be seen working in the other Jewish festivals.

At the ti111e of Christ, the three great annual feasts were kept with solemnity. The question arises as to hav their feasts passed over into the Christian era. With Passover and Pentecost there are no problans. They be carre the Christian feasts of Easter and Pentecost. But what about Tabernacles, which has been called by Josephus, the greatest and the holiest? ?

The Feast of Tabernacles

The feast of Tabernacles was originally a pagan haIVest festival as described in the book of Judges. 8The Hebrews gradually spiritualized this feast by associating the main agricultural elements, superstitious in them

selves, to historical events in their past. The three key-notes of the festi

val were subjected to this process. The water-pouring, symbolizing the

'l'he Origins of Christmas and Epiphany7

bmmtiful rains needed for a good crop, was referred to Moses' action of bringing water fran the rock; 9illumination, associated with the pc:Mers of darkness and the autumnal equinox when the days becane short

er, has becane as the pillar of light that led the Israelites through the desert. Finally, the tents or booths, originallya ti:rre-saving device whereby the grape-pickers lived in small huts in the fields to expedite the harvest, carre. to represent the tents or huts used by the chosen peo ple during their wanderings in the desert. lO

The feast lasted for eight days , from 15th to 22nd Tishri, which w::>uld be our :rronth of September. The festival encx:mpassed the end of the

old year and the beginning of the new year.11On each day of the feast,

water was taken from Siloam and brought through the water-gate to the blare

of trurrpets. The water was then mixed with wine and poured into silver basins which overflowed around the altar. The water drained off into the

Kedron valley and so theoretically to the Jordan .1 2As this was being

done, the people chanted the hymns of the Hallel.13

Following the water-

drawing cererrony, each day there was a procession of lights and torch dan rers together with the illumination of the womens' oourt in the temple

by huge branched candlesticks burning throughout the night.1 4

The enacting of this ritual year by year along with the lessons read at this feast, provided Jesus with an ideal setting for procaliming him self the true light of the world and the living water of salvation. After examining C.' hapter 7 of John's Gospel in the oontext of the triennial cycle of Je.vish readings, Aileen Guilding ooncludes: "The lectionary readings

of the regular cycle that would fall to Tabernacles are thoroughly suited

to the theme of the Incarnation". 15

However, other scholars see a oonnection with a primitive fonn of the feast of Epiphany rather than the Nativity. The themes contained in the ritual and lectionary of the Je.vish feast of Tabernacles are well suited to the Christian celebration of Epiphany.

16

E. C. Selwyn, in an article in the Journal of Theological Studies,

after examining the Benediction of the Waters perforrred at Petersburg on

8

January 6th, sees eight characteristic features of the Jewish f east re presented therein. 17Can the historical evolution of our m::xlem feast

of Epiphany be traced to the ancient f east of Tabernacles?

Tabernacles and Epiphany

In an analysis of the Gospel of Mark , Philip Carrington believes

he has traced the outline of the primitive Christian calendar . 18The Gospel of Mark ronstitutes-a one-year cycle of readings based on the Je.N

ish year which runs f ran September to Septemberi.e. Tishri to Tishri.19

Leaving aside the Passion and Resurrection narratives , which were read at Paschal time, we are lef t with chapters one to fourteen for the cycle of the liturgical year.Chapter one, the preaching of John and the Baptism of Jesus, would corre at the end of Septeroberthe beginning of the ne.N

year ,and c.l.-iapters eleven through fourteen, the palm entry into Jerusalem and the eschatological disrourses , would f all et the beginning of Septem ber.Since the feast of Tabernacles embraced the ending and beginning

of the year, we have no problem in situating chapters one and f ourteen within the space of a week.Thus the Judea-Christianconmunity f ollowed a liturgical year based on the order of Jewish f easts .Following this hy pothesis, the Baptism of Jesus would be read inthe primitive Christian liturgy during the time of Tabernacles.This organization of feast ds became impossible to maintain when Christianity spread to the Graero-Ranan world which used a dif ferent solar calendar.For the Greeks and Ran.ans,

the year beg-an on January f irst and ended in December .'lb adopt this calen dar, the cycle of liturgical readings would have to begin on January f irst , thus shif ting the whole cycle ahead three months.This rould be done with the readings based on the f east of Tabernacleswhich were not f ixed to any specif ic historical date in the life of Christ.But the cycle of readings

based on the Jewish feast of Passover , which inf luenced Easter oould hardly be changed. 20One of the f irst witnesses we have roncerning a f east of

the Baptism of Jesus in January is Clement of Alexandria. 21Writing in

the early third century , Clement mentions the gnostic sect , led by Basilides , celebrating the day of Christ 's BaptiSrn. as a f estival.Many scholars be-


lieve this is tre first reference of historical value made concerning the feast of Epiphany. Yet because the celebration is gnostic in character, it does not include all the elements of the feast. Certainly the Baptsim of Christ was an .important part, but what of the birth or manifestation of God in the Incarnation? Does our discussion of the relationship of Tabernacles to the feast of 1be Epiphany give us any clues to the inclu sion of Christ's birth as a part or even the main part of the feast of Epiphany?

In an article dealing with the Greek 'WOrd'!fl r/let Vlfd.... and its use

in designating the feast of January 6th, Jean Danilou traces two separate

usages in the te:rm which clarifies somewhat the diverse meanings of the feast. 22Used as a noun, "epiphany" appears only in the book of Maccha

bees. In the rest of Scripture, the verbal form is used. This fonn ap pears often in the psalms and is accurately translated: "Let your face shine upon us": or the oft repeated petition -"ShCM us your face, O IDrd" .

This sense of the 'WOrd has passed into the liturgical structure of our prayers. It is, as Danielou points out, the biblical use of the term. God appears as mmifesting himself on behalf of his people.

Our main concern will be with the use of the term in Psalm 117,

listed in the Jerusalem Bible as a "processional hyrm for the feast of Taber nacles". Ver'".':.es 24 through 27 play an important role in Luke's infancy narrative. A close semantic parallel exists between this psalm and Luke 1s

presentation of Christ's caning in the flesh .23To this is added the

fact that Psalm 117 was used e:xt.ensively at the Feast of Tabernacles. Since the time of Christ's birth was unknown, the date chosen by the early Church would seem to be fixed solely on theological grounds . Could we not conclude that the date chosen 'WOuld be on the basis of a Jew'ish festival in which the thought of God's cxxning to dwell with his people was prominent? This would

seem to fit the feast of Tabernacles which in late Judaism took on an eschato logical character. 24

)

In the Greek tradition, the 'WOrd t::-Tr(..nplexity, we see the gnostic tendency to understand this f east in tenns of supernatural manifestations rather than the simple biblical acoount of Christ 's birth at Bethlehem.Various new thenes such as the miracle at Ca na , the adoration of the.agi and, above all, Christ 's Baptism in the Jor dan were stressed.

Finally we can say that f ollCMing the hypopthesis of Tabernacles/Epi phany, we shoul have to look at the Jewish milieu rather than the Hellenistic sun-cults for the themes of our feasts of Chrisbnas and Epiphany.Hoewever ,

since the Hellenistic culture played such an :important role in the develop ment of our two feasts /especially in the third and fourth centuries , the semnd part of thispaper will deal with this question .

The 0Pigins of ChPistmas and Epiphany11

II. HELLENISTIC INFLUENCES

Introduction

The third and fourth centuries have been described as the creative period of liturgical growth. The Christian ccmmunity has with the Peace of Constantine becorre an accepted part of society.The Church must now adjust to her new privileged position.

According to Dam Gregory Dix, the liturgical calendar was affected by this sociological change.27The Christian conception of tlire was radi

cally altered, according to Dix. As the Church began to feel at hane in

the world, she lost sauething of her eschatological outlook.The historical

process of the mystery of redemption was emphasized.It is during this period that the feast of the Nativity came to be celebrated in Rorre . 28

When this Western feast gained in popularity and spread to the East, we wit ness a further disassociation of the Easte:rnfeast of Epiphany.

In this section of our paper, after giving a very brief outline of the Hellenistic sun-cults, influential in the developnent of our two feasts,

I will try to trace the origin and evolution of Chrisbnas in the West and its influence on Epiphany in the East.

He11eni. sti. c sun Worsh"ip29

It is very easy to over-simplify any outline of heliolatry in the an cient world.As a matter of fact, the history of the sun-cults can be as canplex and confusing as the history of our own Christian liturgy.J ODif ferent geographical areas, sometirres short distances from each other, had widely different practices for the same feast . Often times a given divinity had several different names depending on the locality.Nevertheless, it is safe to say that the sun was a universal symbol of religions in ancient Greece and Rorre.

Two centers are of special interest to us; the cities of Alexandria and Rorte.J:n Alexandria, a pagan festival of the sun was celebrated . each year on the eve of January 5th-6th. The night was spent in the Koreion tern-

12

ple awaiting the birth of Aion, the stm god, fran the virgin Kore. 31

Acoording to the calendar of Amenemhet of Thebes , the winter solstice

was January 6th.When the inf ant statue of Aion was taken fran the crypt of the temple at dawn on January 6th , the days began to lengthen.Va rious other Egyptian custans f or this celebration are knONil.In sane

places the water f ran the Nile, believed to acxp.l.ire miraculous qualities on

this night, was collected in jars f or Iredicinal use throughout the coming year.Others believed that certain springs manged f ran water to wine

on this ni.ght. 32

In Rane we see the stm-cults ccnibined with the state religion of enq;>eror worship.Tlis was the f inal form of Roman paganism.It seerred

to have enjoyed a short-lived popularity in the third and fourth centuries before f inally f lickering out. 33In 274 A.D. , Emperor Aurelian built a

magnif icent tenple dedicated to the invincible stm.He decreed a public holiday on December 25th as the nata Zi s Solis invicti .This date marks the winter solstice acoording to the Julian calendar.This holiday enjoyed great :EXJPUlarity in cosrropolitan Rone.

Elements of these pagan festivals have, without a doubt , passed into our Christian liturgy.No one, h&ever , would say that they are the origins of our feast of Christmas and Epiphany.Rorre and Alexandria , the seat of these pagan feasts becarre in the third and fourth centuries , great centers of Christianity.Scholars believe that the feast of Christmas originated in Rare, while Alexandria gives us the rrost information concerning Epiphany.

No doubt the great popularity of these two feasts at this time is due to the fact that they were put f o:rward as the Christian counterpart to the pa gan festivals of the sun.

We will n& study the develonent of these two feasts and the results of their interaction with each other:f irst Christmas in the West , then Epiphany in the East.


Christmas in Rare

The Philocalian Calendar of 354 A .D. is given by most scholars as the first real historical evidence of the feast of Chrisbn . 34The date

given for the origin of Chrisbnas based on this calendar is sanetime between

336 A .D.and 243 A.D. The historical document De Pascha computus of 243 makes no reference to our feast. 35We have seen that December 25th was

a sacred day for pagan Rare.In choosing this date for the birth of Christ, the Church has consecrated a universal msmic event, the winter

(i.)solstice, and in so doing effectively counteracted a popular pagan festiva36 The liturgical prayers and readings, the place chosen for the celebration

and the date direct our attention to the fact that Christ is the true Sol invictus for the Christian people.37 Another oontributing factor for the

necessity of a feast recalling the birth of Christ at this time is the Christological controversy brought about by Arianism.The Church of RoITe played an irrportant role in the dogmatic decisions of the Council of Nicaea in 325.38

The problem cnncerning the feast of the Nativity in Fare is not one

of dates, although sane Fathers of the Church have tried to prove the histo ricity of December 25th as the date of Christ's birth.39P-a.ther it is a

question of the oontent or object of the original feast. Did the feast of Christmas, at its inception, simply ca:mrerrorate the historical birth of Christ, and thus distinguish itself from the ideological canrremoration of the Eastern feast, or did it have a multiplicity of object united under the general theme of God's appearance arrong nen . Along with this question is

added the problem of provenance. defend both positions.

On both these issues reno..vn.ed scholars

We have to go outside Rane for historical data on this subject. Often

time ecclesiastical centers dependent on Rome for liturgical usage, offer us rrore reliable information on Rane's original liturgy than are obtainable

in the city of Rcrre itself. This is especially true for the Church in North Africa.Rane and North Africa fonn a unit as far as liturgical traditions go. Gaul, Spain, North Italy form another grouping which has been influenced to a great extent by the Orient.

14

Fran NorthAfrica we have the wibless of Optatus of Milevis. In a senoon preached around the year 360 on the feast of the Nativity, he

makes reference to the adoration of the Magi as well as the murder of the Innocents. 40The number of therrEs mentioned in this sennon leads one

to believe that originally the feast of the Nativity encanpassed a large nUTiber of episodes in the lif e of Christ.Dan Bernard Potte and Christine

Mohnnann think otherwise. 41Mohrmann gives the f ollCMing argument :Even

though Optatus speaks of the Magi, it is not in the sense of a manifestation of Christ to the gentile nations.Only af ter the introduction of the feast of the Epiphany in the West, with its basic theme of manifestation , does the adoration of the Magi take on this rreaning.To prove this point , Mohrmann

uses a sernon of Saint Augustine given shortly af ter Optatus , i.e. af ter Epiphany was celebrated in North Af rica , which applies the acloration of the Magi in this new sense.

This gives us the curious phenarenon of the disassociation of the original feast of the Nativity when the Eastern feast of Epiphany was intro duced into the West.Do we have a liturgical principle involved here?It seems that a liturgical usage introdured to a foreign territory tends to

keep its original meaning, whereas in the hareland it evolves into new fonns . When Christmas was introduced to the East , it kept its original fo:r:m, while Epiphany was disassociated by the introduction of Chrisbnas.Again , the

Gallican celebration of Epiphany , with its plurality of meanings,oould well

:represent

an anci.ent

stage of

ori.enta1 l"1

turgi.ca1usage. 4 2

With regard to the provenance of the f east of the Nativity, we have a

general oonsensus in f avor of Rane .

witness of two historical docunents,

Lietzmann ,however , arguing from the believes that Epiphany p:rereded the

feast of the nativity at Romeand so determined it to a large extent. 43

He uses f irst the pref ace and corrmunicantes f or the f east of the Epiphany, and seoonda homily attributed to Pope Liberius (352-358) .This homily

has many themes pertaining rrore to the feast of the Epiphany rather than to tbe Nativity.This has led Lietzmann to oonclude that the Epiphany prereded the f east of the Nativity in Rane.HCMever , Bette has proved that the hanily


is falsely attributed to Pope Liberius, and represents a Milanese tradi tion around 380, rather than a Ranan tradition of the 350's. 44

With regard to the prayers for the Epiphany found in the Gelasian sacrairenta:ry and believed by Lietzmann to reflect an ancient usage of the Eastern Church rather than that of, and hence have been inoorporated into the Roman Sacramentary as a result of Epiphany being celebrated in Rane before the Nativity, Mohnnann gives the follc:Ming argument : The word apparere appearing in these prayers does not originally apply to the Epi phany. It referred first of all to the Ran.an feast of the Nativity;it

was later interpreted in a Gallican sense, and only then applied to the feast of the Epiphany. 45

We can ronclude that the feast of the Nativity appeared first in Rare.The birth of Christ in an historical sense, was the object of the feast, and episodes relevant to this appearance of God am:mg men, such as the adoration of the Magi, played only a seoondary role.

Before going into the serond geaJraphical zone of influence .,.._ Gaul, Spain and North Italywe would do well first to look at the origin of Epiphany in the Eastern Empire.

Epiphany in the East

The first mention of a celebration in early January ooncerning the

feast of Epiphany comes to us fran Clement of Alexandria. 46Speaking of the gnostic sect, followers of BaS.lides, Clement describes hCM they cele brate a feast of the Baptism of Christ on January 6th or 10th. This docu ment dates fran the early 3rd century, and is accepted by many scholars as evidence of an early date for the feast of the Epiphany.The first unmis- takable evidence, however, canes from the Westerner John Cassian. He had visited the monasteries in Egypt between the years 380 and 400, and later wrote acoounts of this visit in his Conferences and Institutes.In the oonferences we find a very interesting passage for our study:

16

In the rount:ry of :Egypt, this custan is by an cient tradition observedthat when Epiphany is past, which the priests of that province regard as the time both of the Lord s Baptism and also of his birth in the f lesh ,and so celebrate the

CCITIIll2IIlOration of eith.er myste:ry not separately as in the Western provincesbut on the single festi val of this day . .4 7

This is an important textbecause it makes clear that in :Egypt ,

Epiphany was a unitive feast , plus giving inf o:rmation on the two feasts in the West. 4 8Added to Cassian is an Egyptian papyrus rontaining a liturgical fonnula:ry of readings and responses . 49These deal alrrost

exclusively in tenns of a Nativity feast,which leads one to the con

clusion that Epiphany in the East was primarily a celebration of Christ ' s birth. 50

Turning our attention to Palestine, we have the dia:ry of Etheria and the witness of Jerome. 51Etheria, a Spanish nun , visited the Holy

Land about 385.The dia:ry of that journey has been a great source of litur gical histo:ry.Unfortunately, a great deal of her description of the Epipha ny celebration in Jerusalem has been lost.Hcmever , Bette and MacArthur a

gree on what evidence remains. 52Etheria 's description of Epiphany is

dated in the last quarter of the 4th centu:ry.The celebration lasted f or eight days, with se:rvices being held in the various holy sanctuaries. Since there is no ref erence to a ceremony at Jordan recalling Christ 's baptism, Bette concludes that in Palestine at this tine only the Nativity was cele

brated on Janua:ry 6th. 5 2Ho;vever , when Bette applies this as typical for

the East, MacArthur uses the senrons of Saint Jereme to sho;v that Jerusalem was an exception to the rest of the Eastern celebrations of Epiphany.

I have rrentioned just a f ew of the sources that indicate a f east in the Eastern Fropire before the introduction of the Western f east of Christ mas .The major question here roncerns the content of this primitive cele bration of Epiphany.I will t:ry to outline three arguments:that of Ber nard Bette, who is in f avor of a single major theme;that of Christine

}lbhnnann , who comes to a diff erent conclusion af ter using the same source

material as Botte;f inally, that of A. A. MacArthur.

The Origina of Christmas and Epiphany17

With regardto the primitive celebration of Epiphany , Botte re lies heavily on the inf luence of pagan festivals celebrated in Alexandria

on January 6th.Af ter giving a resume of the festivals, based on the an cient text of Epiphanius , the 4th oentw:y Syrian Father , he draws two con

clusions; 53the primary ooncern of the festivals was the birth of a so

lar deity , and to this were added various cererronies dealing with water

and light symbolism. The water symbolism especially was popular anong the people. The sanctif ication of the water is now put in the context of the Bapts.im of Christ. Along with this, the miracle at Cana naturally f inds a place. This is not a slavish repetition of a pagan feast, but rather the oontinuation of a practice dear to the hearts of the people , but no.-1 with

a new and rrore profound meaning.

The birth of the solar deity which fanned the heart of the f estival, was replaced in the Christian mind with the birth of Christ , the true Sun. Bette views this transf onnation as a doublet of the evolution of the Chris tian Nativity feast at Rane.He poses the question whether the Eastern

f east canm::m::>rated two events, Nativity and Baptism, on the same day, or was this the result of a fusion of two dif ferent f easts or even two dif f erent traditions caning together.First of all, none of the sources leads us to believe that the feast was exclusively ooncerned with the Baptism of Christ. On the oontrary, they do indicate that the theme of the Nativity is primary. The feast originated in Alexandria or possibly Syria or Palestine , and oould even have been the inspiration for our Western feast of Christmas .Bette explains the i.nportant role of the Baptism of Christ possibly as a consecra tion of the popular pagan practice, or even as a reaction to the gnostic in terpretation of Christ s Baptism.In certain countries the Baptism of

Christ was joined to the Nativity theire , and when the Western feast of the Nativity was introduced , became the sole content of the feast.It is at

this tirre that the sanctif ication of the water takes on such importance.La ter , added to the Baptism of Christ, the Christians' avn baptism on this day beoorres a CXImOn practice.Bette ooncludes his argurrent by explaining that the nativity theire has always been the stable element inthe Eastern Epipha ny, whereas the Baptism ref lects a practice which grew up before any theolo gical ref lection gave it aoonsistent meaning .The water symbolism present

18

in the pagan festivals passed into the Christian feast at dif f erent times and in dif ferent ways.This explains the certain instability surrrn.mding

this aspect of our f east. 5 4

Christine Molmnann, following up the argurrent of Batte, cares to a little diff erent conclusion.She agrees with Batte on the scarcity of source material.Because Christmas was introduced in the East at such an

early date, and transfod the Eastern feast in sudl a radical way , the sources of a pre-christmas Epiphany in the East are extrerrely rare. 55 Be

cause Cassian 's account f alls into this categm::y , Molmnann believes it should receive rcore attention.Cassian speaks of a double d>ject celebrat ed in the Egyptian Epiphany litu.:rgy:"vel Danini baptismi, vel secundum cai:nem nativitatis esse " ,whereas in the West he speaks of two feasts:

"et idcirco utriusque sacramenti non bif arie ut in occidiis provinciis . . II

Analyzing this passage she points out that Cassian unites the two objects of the Eastern feast by the conjunctions vel-vel. This does not indicate two separate traditions united nav into one feast, but rather an ancient

fonn of latin style which was used not so much to separate but to unite two

equal realities.Added to this argurrent is the further f act that the ancient use of the tenn im9'7.oe..llhad a vecy broad meaning , and was applied by

rcost writers in the general sense of "manifestation" .lt>hnnann believes that the earliest fonn of Epiphnay was understcod in this sense , and it was applied in this broad sense of the tenn by theearly Fathers:anideolo- gical f east not inspired by historical considerations.It celebrated the manifestation of Christ to the world as the f irst phase of the myste:ry of

Red!11?tion.. of course the birth of Christ is an important part of the manif estation, but so are the various other manifestations surrounding the early part of Christ 's life.Perhaps the Gallican feast of the Epiphany , uniting as it does the miracles of the adoration of the Magi, the Baptism,

and Cana -the Three Miracles - is the nost ancient fonn of the Eastern feast of Epiphany. 56

A. A. MacArthur, whose work on Christmas and Epiphany seems to be based on Bette's research, ;finds dif f iculty with Botte 's theory on the priroi-

The Origina of Christmas and Epiphany19

tive Epiphany.MacArthur believes that originally Epiphany was a uni-

tive feast c::x:mTaPOrating the Incarnation and Christ 's Baptism. 57He

uses ancient sources f rom Constantinople, Asia Minor , Antioch , along with the hynns of Ephraim the Syrian, to back up his arguments.Havever , he approaches the problem f rom the standpoint ofevidence provided by these sources after Christmas was introduced into the East.Thus , Saint Grego ry Nazianzen, preaching in Constantinople in 380 or 381, mmtions f irst

the Theophany or Birthday of Christ,then a short time later the Holy Day of Lightswhidt recalls his Baptism,and a day later the feast of the Olristian baptism.This is the f irst witness of Christmas in the East , and MacArthur reasons that at its introduction, the unitive cxmnerroration

of Incarnation/Baptismresolves itself into distinct elements.The Church of Constantinople C'C)Uld celebrate January 6th as the Baptism of Christ only if this celebration had been known to them previously.The nativity ele ment of theirfeast was put at December 25th , thus leaving the Baptism f or January 6th.

Evidence from Asia Minor canes f rom Grego:ry of Nyssa in an Epiphany sennon identical in thought to that of the Church of Constantinople.Grego ry speaks of January 6th as carmarorating the Baptism of Christ.The only new addi.tion here is the Baptism of Christians on the same day.For the region of Antioch, the semen of John Clu:ysostan and the Apostolic Constitu tion provide similar conclusions.

The last piece of infonnation is provided by the hynns of EI:hraim the Syrian.In his hymns for Christmas and Epiphany , canposed in the last part

of the 4th century, we f ind an intenninglingof thetres which appear to con fuse one feast with the other.MacArthur explains this by saying that we are so close to the time when Christmas was introduced to the Eastthat the festivals were not yet so distinct;also, Ephraim canes f ran a milieu where distinctions between festivals is not always clearly drawn.

MacArthur cx:mcludes by saying that before an evolutionary process between the Western Nativity and the Eastern Epiphany began , there Im.1st surely have existed in the East a unitive.cx:mrerroration -a primitive

Epiphany celebrating both the Nativity and Baptism of Christ. 58

20

In MacArthur 's thesis we begin to seethe results of a reciprocal influence between the East and West.This will becnne clearer

as we study the two feasts as they appeared in Gaul, Sapin and North Italy.

Gaul, Spain, North Italy: Reciprocal Influence of East and West

M:>st scholars think that the feast of Epiphany was celebrated in Gaul before the Pan.an feast of the Nativity.They trace this to a direct Eastern influence.It is curious to note that the earliest rrention of

the feast of Epiphany either in the East or West cunes fran the pagan Arnni anus Marcellinus, who travelled with Emperor Julian in Gaul in 360 or 361. He records haN Julian entered the. Christians' church on the feast of the Epiphany: "Feriarum die, quern celebrantes mense Ianuario Christiani Epipha

nia dictitant". 59Although we have this witness of 360, we find nothing

concerning the content of the Gallican Epiphany until 431 with Paulinus of Nola. 60He mentions the three miracles typical of the Eastern feast.The

adoration of the Magi and the miracle of Cana eventually give way to the Baptismal OOI11reITOration under the later influence of the Eastern Epiphany.

North Italy presents a type of intenrediary zone: influenced by

Rare and Gaul and the East. 61

Botte supplies us with historical data fran

Filastrius of Brescia (383), Saint Ambrose (d.397} and Saint Peter Chry sologus (d. 450). These three witness to an evolution in the content or object of the North Italian feast of the Epiphany.First Filastrius rren tions Epiphany as the adoration of the Magi as prirnru::y and the Baptism along with the Transfiguration as particular local ad.ditions. Ambrose and Chryso logus, on the other hand, speak in terms of the ''three miracles", similar

to Gaul .Botte sees in this a gradual evolution fran the ancient tradition

6')

of Filastrius to that of Saints 1\nhrose and Peter Chrysologus. '-'

Finally, in Spain, representing the traditions of Gaul and Rare/Africa,

we see both feasts established by 3BO A,D.The Council of Saragossa (380) xrentionsin fact, a.threeperiod of preparation for Epiphany. 63

Botte does not think this preparation was the forerunner of our Advent sea

$011, but rather a way of carbatting the pagan practice of beginning the

The 01>igins of Christmas and Epiphany21

New Year celebration on Decerrber 17th. 64The content of the Epiphany feast here is f irst of all the adoration of the Magi, probably of RaTian inf luence,and the the Baptism of Christprobably of Eastern inf lu ence.

If '\Ne turn our attention once nnre to the Eastwe see that the period between the origins of Epiphany and the introduction of Christmas

was relatively brief .Eotte gives the following dates for the introduction of Christmas in the East:380 or 381 in Constantinople and Asia Mi

nar i386 in Antioch,and 430 in Egypt and Palestine. 6 5The historical

carrmerroration of the Nativity became ve:ry popular and was , f or the most part , accepted readily into the East.This is probably due to a strong novement in the East against Christological heresies.There was a strong

reaction against Arianism in Constantinople around the time Christmas was introduced there.The same is true of Nestorianism in Egypt in 432 . 66 The whole struggle against these movements greatly encouraged a type of

feast which shed light on the Incarnation.

Conclusion

It appears that the period af ter the Peace of Constantine in 313 was a tbre of creative liturgical developnent.The two f easts of Christmas and Epiphany either originated or took their f inal fonn at this time.Within the brief space of f if ty years, there was an exchange of fea..c.:;ts between

the East and the West.As we have seen,this could have been f acilitated

by the Christological controversies then current.At this exchange r the original contents of the two feasts became sanewhat displaced ..In the East, the 25th of December o:mrrerrorated the Birth of Christ, and Januar:y 6th his Baptism;two mysteries originally contained in the one f east of January 6th. In the West , January 6th celebrates the adoration of the Magi r and Decerrber 25th, the Nativity.Likewise, the Greek tenn for "epiphany" is understcxxl

in the West as "manifestation" .Thus, the adoration of the Maqi beca.rre the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles.It is interesting to note

that two dif f erent world views are ref lected in these two f easts.The West ern view, nore concerned with historical data, surrounds the feast of the Nativity with those historical elements related in the C.,ospels and tra(l.i.ticin.

22

The Eastern view, however, ooncemed with a :rrore global view, sees the Nativity as the first phase of the total myste:ry of Redemption. Everything that manifests the Divinity of Christ plays an ilrportant role.

The intermingling of these two world views has left its mark on our present celebration of Chrisbnas and Epiphany.It is important to note that nothing of the original beauty of these feasts was lost in the

exchange.If we were to go through the texts that make up our present day Chrisbnas and Epiphany liturgy, we would find all the ancient theires. Wheth er we can trace these theires to Jewish or Hellenistic origins makes no essen tial difference. The liturgy of these days fonns a bond of unity, gathering all peoples into its worship of Christ, the true Sun of Justice.

Brendan FREEMAN New Melleray

1Jean Danielou, The First Six Hundred Years (Darton, I.ongman and Todd} I.ondon 1964, p.39.

2Theodor Klauser, A Short History of the Western Liturgy , Oxford Press 1969. Sane of the eleirents mentioned by Klauser are:Jewish origin, structure of the liturgy of the word, the essential struc ture of the Eucharistic prayer, the seven day week, the festivals of Easter and Pentecost, sane of the liturgical Hours of the Of fice, etc.Of Hellenistic influence is the keeping of vigils, turning East for prayers, innumerable liturgical technical te:rros, arrong them the word "liturgy" itself, litany-fonn of prayers, etc. Cf.op.cit., pp .6-7.

3See especially Greek Myths and Christian Mystery, by Hugo Rahner,

S.J. Chapter Four is an excellent study of the Hellenistic influ ence on the Christian liturgy.Also of interest is Jean Danielou's Gospel Message and Hellenistic Culture. However, this bcx:>k deals with the articulation of Christian thought resulting fran the Church's encounter with Hellenistic culture rrore than with the litur gy.

4Sermo 22 in Nativitate Domini, 2,6, in PL 54:198.


5 For the study of the e'VOlution of the Jewish feasts, see Worship in Israel, by Hans--0oachim Kraus (John Knox Press)Virginia 1966. For the relationship of Jer.vish feasts to Christian feasts, see

A Feast in Honor of Yahweh, by Thierry Maertens, O.S.B. (Fides Press) Notre Darre {Indiana]1965.

6 Thierry Maertens, op. cit., p.69 ff.

7 Josephus, Ant. Iud. 8. IV. 1. 8Judges 9:25-49.

9 !Duis Bouyer, The Fourth Gospe l (Newman Press) Westminster [Md .]1964, p .128.

10 Aileen Guilding, The Fourth Gospel and Jewish Worship (Clarendon Press) Oxford 1960, p .93.

11 Fouyer, op. cit., p .123. Kraus contests the exactness of this staterrent, havever, in his book Worship in Israe l, p .62 ff.

12 E.c. Selwyn, "The Feast of Tabernacles, Epiphany, and Baptism",

in Journal of Theological Studies (1912), pp .225-236.

13 Fouyer, op. cit., p .128. 14Ibid., p.131.

15 Guilding, op. cit., p . 100.

16 Selwyn, op. cit.

17 Ibid., p.235. Arrong the c::ormon features are: the use of light pro cessions, drawing water, the use of fig-boughs, readings fran Psalm 12:3, blare of trumpets, singing of the great Halle .

18 Philip Carrington, The Primitive Christian Calendar (University Press} Cambridge 1952.

19Ibid., pp .22-23.

20 Jean Danielou, "les Quatre-temps de septembre et la f des Taber nacles", in La Maison-Dieu 46 (1956), p .126. Danilou states that the Johannine ccmnun.ity knew only one feast, that of Easter, and that the primitive Christian calendar for the asiatic ro:rrmunities

dependent on John, began in April. The Alexandrian-Ranan corrmunities dependent on Mark, where the liturgical year began in relation to Tabernacles, opened the cycle of readings in September and then la ter in January. See pp124-125, art. cit.

21 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Bk. I, ch. 21, in PG 8:885-888.

22 Jean Danilou, "Les origines de ltEpiphanie et les Testirronia", in

Recherches de sciences religieuses52(1964), pp . 538-553.

23 Ibid., pp . 546-547. Verse 27 of the psalm in relation to Luke 1:79, the "Benedi:ctus ' in Luke to the opening verses of the psalm; and the "Gloria" of the angels is close to the develorent of the "Hosanna"

24

in Psalm 117:26Danilou concludes that Psalm 117:27 is the rrost ilrportant text in the Old Test.anent as a foundation for the biblical meaning of the word "epiphany" .

24 Guilding, op. cit., p.100. Guilding adds nore evidence to this ar gument by shaving hCM the New Test.anent acrounts of the birth of Christ in Luke and Matthew, and the reference in Rev. 12, shCM evi dence of being influenced by the lessons read during the feast of Tabernacles.Also the references in Jn 1:14, "The Word became flesh, and tabemacled ( stle Peter .The area around the Vati can was before this a sanctuary of Mithras, the Persian sun-god.

38 Oscar CUllmann, Not!Z dans V EgZise ancienne (Delachaux et Niestle) Paris 1949, p.24.

39 Botte, op. cit,1 pp.59-60.

40 run A.Wilm.art, "Un sernnn de s.Optat pour la fete de Nl", in

Revue des Sciences ReZigieuses 2 (1922), p.282.

41 See Mohrmann, op. cit., p.662. 42Ibid., pp.662-663.

43Botte, op. cit. pp.34-39. 44Ibid., pp.34-36.

45 Mohnnann, op. cit., p.661.

46 Clement of Alexandria, op. cit., Bk . 1, 21. 47PL 49:820-821.

48 MacArthur, op. cit., p.45.

49 Oscar CUllmann quotes this source on page 19 of his book, Nof!Z dans Z 'EgZise ancienne.

50 Oscar Cullmann, op. cit., p.22. Cullmann believes that even if the feast of Epiphany was bound up with the Magi, baptism and Cana, it still was predaninantly a Nativity feast, and that the introduction of the Western feast of Christmas added nothing essentially new to the East.

51 Etherie, Journal de voyage (Sources chretiennes 21), ed .Helene Petre, Paris 1948.

52 Botte, op. cit., pp.14-18. A. A. MacArthur does not agree canpletely when Botte applies Jerusalemts practice to the entire East. Cp. pp.52-57, MacArthur .

53 The acrount of Epiphanius is used by :rrost authors as the source for the sun-cults of AJ.exandria.I have reproduced :rrost of it at the beginning of this section of the paper. See Botte, pp .68-69.

54 The argument is found in Botte, op. cit., pp .67-83.

55 MohnTiann , op. cit., p.654.

56 This argurrent is found in Mohrmann, op. cit., pp.653-659.

57 MacArthur, op. cit., p.51.

26

58 This argument of MacArthur 's is famd on pp. 45-55.

59 Ammianus Marcellinus, Bk. XXI , Ch. ii, as qooted in MacArthur ,

op. cit ., p.55.

60 lt>lmnann, op. cit ., p.664.

61 Lemarie, op. cit ., p.48.

62 Botte, op. cit . , p.44 . 63Ibid ., pp.49 50.

64 For m::>re infonnation on the Council of Saragossa and our Advent sea son, see Dorn Jean Hild, ''L 'Avent" , in La Maison-Dieu 59 (1959 ,

pp. 10-24 .

65 Botte, op. cit., p.30.

66 MacArthur , op. cit ., p.48.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOITE, Bernard, O.S.B., Les Origines de Za Noel et de l 'Epiphanie .

Louvain1932 .

ro.JYER, Louis, The Fourth Gospel . Translated by Rev. Patrick Byrne.

Newman Press, 1964.

CARRINGI'ON , Philip, The Primitve Christian Calendar.Canbrid::Je University Press1952.

CDEBEffiH , C., "L tEpiphanie a Pane avant S.en" , in Revue bnefdictine 75

U965l .

OJLI.MANN, Oscar, NoTl dans l 'EgUse ancienne .Delac:haux et Nistle1949 . DANIELCU , Jean, S.J., The First Six Hundred Years .Translated by Vincent

Cronin.Darton, Longman and Todd1964 .

(_,,_.....,.,..--,-),''Les Quatre-terrps de sptembre et la fete des Taber- nacles'' , in La Maison-Dieu 46 (1956}

,"Les origines de l'Epiphanie et les Testim:mia" , in

...., ..,._..,. ...,,..._

Recherches de science religieuse 52 (1964) .

DENIS-ro.JLET, No le,The Christ-ian Calendar .(Burns and Oates} London 1960 .

DIX , Gregory, The Shape ofthe Liturg y .Dacre Press1945.

GJILDING , Aileen, The Fourth Gospe l and Jewish Worship .Oxford University Press1960 .

HILD, Jean, O.S.B., ''L t.Avent'' , in La Maison Dieu 59 (1959) .


CIJS'IONE , John,Ch:l'istmas and Epi phany .The Faith Press 1967.

KLAUSER, Theodor,A Short Historoy of the Westem Liturgy .Translated by Jolm Halliburton.Oxford University Press1969.

KRAUS, H. J.,Worship in-I srae l .(John Knox Press) Virginia 1965.

LEMARIE , Joseph,La Mani fe station du Seigneur.(Lex Orandi 23: Editions

du Cerf } Paris 1957.

MacArthur, A. A., The Evolution ofthe Christian Year.1953.

MAERI'ENS , Thien:y, O.S.B., A Feast in Honor of Yahweh.Translated by M:>ther Kathryn Sullivan.(Fides) Notre1965.

IDHANN , Christine,

thologiques .

1'Epiphania" , in Revue de Saienae s phi losophique s et

1953.

RAHNER, Hugo, S.J. ,Greek Myths and Christian My steroy .Translated by

Brian Buttershaw.Harper and RCM1963.

SELWYN , E. c.,"The Feast of Tabernacles, Epiphany and Baptism" , in

Journa l of Theological Studies .1912 .

29

A NEW HYMN FOR THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD

What follows is offered as sarething of a pastoral footnote to Father Brendan Freeman 's fine study an the origins of Christmas and Epiph any, pp .3-27 of this issue of Li tur gy .The reader of that article rould hardly fail to be struck by the fact that, in any discussion of Epiphany, the therre of the Baptism of the lDrd necessarily loans large.The recently refolltled Roman Breviary respects tradition in this regard, though on the Solemnity itself, references to the Baptism of our lDrd are ronsiderably reduced, if we take as our point of reference the Epiphany texts of the

pre-Vatican II Breviary . The baptism-therre bec:x:mes explicit only with the classic Benedictus antiphon, "Rodie caelesti sponso"; in the third stanza of the Second Vespers hymn, "Hostis Herodes impie"; and in the Magnificat antiphon for the same Vespers, "Tr.ibus miraculis". But between Epiphany and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, celebrated on the following Sun

day, a number of the patristic readings and responso:ry texts deal at length with the particular manifestation of the IDrd at the Jordan.When the feast itself arrives, however, the Baptism becx::mes THE myste:ry celebrated, to the alnost total exclusion of other aspects of the Epiphany .

Both our Latin hymn tradition and its English counterpart provide us with a number of fine hymns, all of mich can be divided into b.u main groupings: 1 - hymns mich deal exclusively with the Magi-theme;

2 - hymns which deal with the t h r e e manifestations

of the Lord -to the Magi, at the Jordan, and at the wedding feast of Cana.

It's a bit unfortunate that therets precious little available by way of hymns that treat exclusively of the Jordan-baptism theme. The new Latin Breviary has done its best to rerredy this defect so far as the Latin Of fice is concerned. Three proper hymns have been purloined (with rather ma.ssive adaptations) from 10th centu:ry sources: "A Patre Unigenite" -an

30

acrostic hyrm by an Anonymous; "Implente nrunus debitl.m"and "Iesus . reful sit arm.ium". Only the first of these has had a place in a living liturgy during the past many centuries, in the breviaries of the Canrelites and Dominicans. One caustic critic has regretted that these three hymns, along with numerous others included in the new Latin Breviary, were not allowed

to rest undisturbed under their 10th century dust. Granted that none of these three texts can aspire to run cnnpetition with the ''Vexilla regis" or "Crux fidelis", the texts are far from being doggerel verse. For most of us, however, interest will focus on what the translators do with these Latin hyrms.

Feeling keenly the need for an English hyrm suitable for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and being unwilling to wait patiently for the ICEL people to provide translations of the Latin originals, I decided to do a bit of sleuth-work in hopes of turn.ing up sanething usable for this year's celebration of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lonl, here at Geth sernani .

I'm afraid it was a case of the tail wagging the dog. I had already decided what I was going to use as the organ prelude inrnediately before the Mass of the Feast -an utterly mind-blowing .chorale prelude by J.S.Badl.. "Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam" -"To Jordan's Stream Carre Christ OUr Lord". This piece is included in one of the rare oollections of clavier rmsic published by Bach during his lifetime. This particular collection, which was printed in 1739, had been preceded in 1731 by six keyboard parti

tas, and again in 1735 by the "Italian 'Concerto and the French Overture in

II

B Minor. This third collection bore the title CLAVIERUBUNG. THIRD PART. Chorale Preludes and Duets, with the considerably more ambitious sub-title: Third Part of the Keyboard Pi0actice, consisting of Various Preludes on the Catechism and Other Hymns for the Organ: For the Pleasure of Music Lovers and Especially of Connoisseurs of Work of This Kind Composed by Johann Se

bastian Bach, Royal Polish and Electoral Saxon Court Composer, Capellmeister, and Director Chari Musici in Leipzig.blished by the Author. The central section of this collection consists of 21 organ settings of hymn tunes - "large" settings calling for both manuals and pedal, and "small" settings

A New Hyrrm for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord31

for a single manual. The middle section of these chorale settings are provided by Luther s six hynns for the chief items of the Lutheran Cate chism - the Ten Camtandrnents, the Creed, the lord s Prayer, the Baptism, the Confession of Sins, and the Eucharist. Preceding these we find a series of settings of the Kyrie - Christe - Kyrie and Gloria; follg them, a series of four Duets (or 2-part Inventions) All this material

is preceded by the nonumental Prelude in E Flat; and the canpanion triple

Fugue in E flat (which serves as a musical expression of the Mystery of the Trinity) brings the whole to its proper oonsurrunation. The musical and theo logical density of this rronumental collection is such that musicians and men of prayer will probably never finish exhausting the incredible riches con tained in these pages. The particular organ prelude I had settled on for

the Feast of the Baptism of the lord- was the larger of the two settings of "Christ, tmser Herr, zum Jordan kam". In the bass, which is played on one manual, an incessantflow of sixteenth notes portrays the rolling of the Jordan River (interpreted in the last stanza of the Gennan hymn as a symbol of the Blood of Christ}; the upper two parts, played on a different manual, rise and fall in sequence, and beccme intertwined with one another -Bach's way of depicting Jesus and the Baptist clasping hands, rising and stepping da'1n into the Jordan . Finally, at regular intervals, the hyrnn-rrelody played by the pedal soars through the contraptmtal parts assigned to the manuals.

Per.haps a few readers of this article would like to see a few measures of this deep and lirrpressive musical setting of the hymn:

32

Now that I had an organ prelude for the Mass, the next problem was that of finding a suitable processional hymn which would relate well to the prelude. This is "Why I wrote in a preceding paragraph that it was a case of the tail wagging the dog. Usually I have a good idea of what the

processional hymn will be, and this helps detennine the choice of the pre lude.But, having reversed my priorities, I could find nothing that really fitted well with the prelude -probably because it was quite obvious that the ideal solution would be a version of the same chorale used by Bach for the prelude I was to play. I scanned the indices of my Lutheran and Mennon ite hymnals in vain; I hopefully consulted the huge Oxford Hymnal and a dozen or nore Anglican and American Episcopalian couterparts, but without success. So far as I know, neither the melody nor the text has passed in to any English h:Yffill repertory in current use.

Bach wrote a fine cantata based on this h:Yffill -Cantata 18; and YJe have a recording of it here at Gethsemani.So I consulted the record-jacket in the hope of finding a translation of the hymn. No luck. The best I could do was to find a very p::x:>r translation of the first stanza in Hennann Keller s The Organ Tv'orks of Bach: A Contribution to Their History _, Fomi, Interpretation and Performance;equally disappointing was a doxology-stan za for a text using the sarre melody, but inserted in Bach's Cantata 176, Ee ist ein tiotzig und verzag-t Ding, and translated by Albert Riemenschneider. I sus:pect that I might have found an excellent translation in one or another of the collections authoredby the utterly admirable Catherine Winkworth, who was not only a leader in the 19th century equivalent of Wanen's Lib,

but also a prolific hymn-translator. Before her sudden death at Monnetier, in Savoy, in 1878, she managed to turn out four useful collections of trans lations from the German .Her Lyra Germanica of 1855 went into 23 editions; and t.1.e second series of the same title (1858) went into 12. In 1863 she published her Chorale Book for Engla:nd; and, finally, in 1869, her transla tion, Christian Singers of Germany.In spite of the multitudinous editions of her translations, however, copies on this side of the Atlantic seem to

be about as rare as hen's teeth.

To compound my sense of frustration, I was unable even to find a c::orrplete copy of the original German text by Martin Luther, who has rightly been called the "Ambrose of Ger:man hyrrnody" . So there was nothing I could

A New Hyrrm for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord33

do other than forget about using the hyrrn-tune "Christ , unser Herr" , or else provide my CMl. hyrrn-text:\\hi.ch is what I finally did.

There 's nothing very pretentious about the text -apart f rom a line cribbed f ran T.S, Eliot: "The Dove descending clef t the skies " The stanzas are lll1-rhymed, and in one instance a musical accent misplaces the true accent of ''bapTIZE".The structure is simple enough.Stanzas one and tMJ simply paraphrase the Gospel acrounts of the Baptism of Je-

sus by the Baptist;then the third stanza prolongs and develops the the

olCXJical content of this particular mystery in tennsborrowed fran Chapter 6 of Saint Paul 's Letter to the Ranans .I was a bit caref ul to conclude Stanza 3 with a trinitarian doxology, belonging, as I do, to the old schcol which likes to have hyrrn-texts follow through their thrust by rising to a trinitarian dimension at the end.

Before reproducing the hyrrn , perhaps I should sey a word about the f ine melody, mich is in the dorian node.So f ar as I knCM, it appeared first linked with a quite dif ferent hyrrn by Luther - "Es "WOllt U".1S Gott genM.dig sein" , in Johann Walther 's Geystliahe gesangk Buahleyn, printed

at Wittenberg in 1524 .In 1543, ha-JeVer, Joseph Klug used the rrelody with

Luther 's baptismal hymn, ''Christ , unser Herr , zum Jordan kam" , in the col lection Geistliahe Lieder, also printed at Wittenberg.Since 1543, the rrelody has always been chief ly linked with this hyrrn (even though Bach used a diff erent text for this rrelody in his Cantata 7) .

Since I still have space before the page-tum, I 'll use it to suggest that many of us might prof it by a study of Luther 's approach to hymn-writing. He loved poetry; he loved song; and he was thoroughly imbued both with the Bible and with the traditional Latin liturgy . Moreover , no matter how dis aste?:OUS his doctrinal innovations were, he had a keen pastoral sense.At least 11 of his hyrrns are translations based directly on the Latin texts of hyrms, antiphons, and responsories.A small number - four -are re-workings of pre-existing popular German hyrrns. Seven hymls are paraphrases of psalms; and six others are paraphrases of other portions of the Bible.But even the remaining eight or rrore hyrrns, though classif ied as "mainly original" , have their roots in Scripture and the traditional liturgy.

NOTE : Due to a printing error, the pagination for pages 34-72 will appear on the inside margin of the page.

34

TEM F-1

Baptism of the Lord

FROM GALILEE TO JORDAN 1 S STREAM

Gethsemani 197 4CHRIST, UNSER HERR 87.87.87.87.7

Johann Wa Uher 's "Geyst liche gesangk Buchle yn"1524

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(Stanza 3 on next page.)1- inGod's King- dom !"

2- find mypleas-ure."

A New Hymn f or the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord35

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Should anyone wish to use this hyrm, a copy of the accx:ropaniJrent (Bach s harrroni.zation o;f the stanza "Auf dass wir also allzugleich" 1 f ran Cantata 1761 follows on the next page, and might prove useful.

Incidentally, John Julian s A Dictionary of Hymnolog y , Vol. I(2nd edition , Doyer re-print , 19571 ,p.226, rolUllll 2 , lists a number of trans lations ranging f rom the 1568 version "Christ baptist was be Johne in Jor dan f lude" Cin Gude and God ly BaU atesl to an 1867 version by G. Macdonald , published in his Exotics (!) But all these versions are currently inaccess ible.

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Gethsemani

36

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37

THE GRACE BEFORE AND AFTER MEALS AS FOUND IN THE IRISH TRADITION

Many ccm:nunities have found great dif f iculty in f inding suitable prayers f or use before and af ter meals.This prompted me to research a nong the Irish traditional prayers to see if same suitable ones might be found .The following collection is the result.

It will be seen that they cane f rom many parts of Ireland; and for Arrerican readers Ihave included a map showing the areas f rom which the prayers came in relation to sare of the larger centers of population.

The prayers contain many ideas whidl even in this era of modern theolo;nr are relevant.We f ind great emphasis placed on fellowship or ccmnunity.Another ve:ry cx::mron note is that of thanks ,not only f or the present,but also for all the good things which we have ever received and f or which we have not given thanks.We also see in these prayers how

our people realized the necessity of bodily f ood if we are to live a spiritual life.Indeed, it ITil.lst be stressed that the lif e of the soul is closely linked with that of the body in the minds of the old people of Ireland.

It is well nigh impossible to put a date on these prayers.They are , as I have said, prayers of the people,were widely used, and are to be

f ound all over the cotm.try.Sane of them, as will be noticed, are so Ilil.lch alike as to suggest a cormon origin.In sare cases I have been able to give the year of collection , but this is no indication of the date of cx:m position.Variations of prayers of , presumably , cc:mnon origin (cf . n. 5)

are to be fotm.d in places f arapart.This would be explained by ascribing their spread to wandering bards or even priests in troubled times .One would then have to allCM sane time for the prayer to becx:me popular.It is

38

because of this that I suggest that the majority of the prayers in this oollectian are 200.....300 years old.The style of language in the originals is 'What is called "modern Irish" , and so we cannot go f arther back when dating the prayers.

It must be said of the translations that they do not do justice

to the original.I have tried to give as f aithf ul a rendering as possible without being too literal.On the other hand , 'Where modern thought and expression do not do justi ce to the original, I have satisf ied myself with a rrore literal version.

I would like to thank Fr. Diannuid O Laoghaire , S .J. , the greatest living authority on Irish spirituality, for pe:rmission to use not only his o;vn. collection of prayers , but also those published in An Timire, of whidl he is current editor.My thanks also go to Mr. J. MO:arthy and Mr. B.

O Braoin, not to mention members of my oornmunity, who have advised me on the translations.

I have not given the originals for publication in Liturgy, but if any reader wishes to have them I will be only too glad to oblige.

Uinseann 0 MAIDIN

Mount Melleray

The Grace before and after Meals in Irish Tradition39

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40

1 Bless us, O Lord, bless our food and drink;you have purdlased us at a great price,f ree us f ran evil.

Authorship is unknown, but was published in An Timi.re, edited by the Irish Jesuit Province, in 1911.

In translation I have omitted the word "aU" (uiZeJ ; ZiteraUy it should read: "free us from au evil".

2 Bless us, O Lord, bless our food and drink ;you purchased us at great price and protected us f ran all evil.You havegiven us this food, grant us also our share in the lif e of heaven.

This version, collected in County Donegal and which I found in

nanta Diadha Uladh , is very Zike the precedin g prayer .

3 Bless, 0 Lord, this food which we are about to eat for our bodily welfare.May we be strengthened thereby to do your holy will.

This is taken from a coUection Leabhar Urnaighthe , first published in 1904 by Dom MauY'Us 0 Phelan, Abbot of Mount Melleray 1908-1931 . It is not possibl e to say whether or not Dom Maurus himself composed the prayer, or got it from his mother.

4 Glory, praise and thanks to you, 0 God, for this food and our good health.We also thank you for all the food and health for which we have not thanked you.

(tI I I )This has been taken from a coUection by Una Ni. Ogai.n. Authorship and date of composition are uncertain.

5 iThe Lord shared the blessing of the f ive loaves and two f ishes with the f ive thousand.May his blessing be upon us and upon our sharing of this food.

iiThe Lord shared the blessing of the f ive loaves and 0..0 f ishes with the f ive thousand.May the blessing of the Lord who so shared his gif ts ,be upon our meal and upon our sharing of this food.Lord Jesus , since you redeemed us , bless us , our food and our fellCMship.

The original is in verse foY'trl.It is a typical example of a prayer being brought from one place to another, and thence finding its way into the oral tradition. You wiZZ notice the adoption of the Gospel

The Grace before and after Meals in Irish Tradition41

account and the emphasis placed on corrrnunity.

i. This version comes from Ranna Feirste in north-west Donegal.

ii. I got this in Dcfnta Diadha Uladh, published in 1936. It was also taken down from Padraig 0 Domhnaill in County Mayo, and published in An Timi.re, 1911.

6 May the nost generous I.Drd be praised , may he always be praised. Praise and thanksgiving to Jesus for what we have eaten and will in the future eat.

There are numerous versions of the prayer to be found in places as far apart as Ballingeary in County Cork, and Gweedore in Donegal. I have chosen the fuller Cork variant for translation.

7 i All praise to you , O King of Heaven , all praise be always yours . All praise be yours for what we eat and leave of this food.

This is another version of what was probably the same prayer as the preceding one the difference being that thanks is given for what has been left untouched. It comes from Rannafast in Donegal.

iiAll praise to you, o King of Heaven ,may God be always praised.

Praised be Jesus Olrist for the food we eat.

Another version of fhe same prayer , again from Donegal.

8 All praise to the King of Heaven, all praise be yours, O God , all praise to Jesus Christ for this meal. He has granted us this food on earth; may he also grant us eternal food in heaven.

Another of the same type, though with a slight addition. It comes from County Clare, and was passed on to me by Diarmuid d Laoghaire,

S.J.

9 iMay he who has given us this f ood and the wisdan to partakeof it, grant mercy and eternal glo:ry to us.

ii May he who has granted us this food and the wisdom to partake of it, grant us his grace and eternal rest to our souls.

iii All glo:ry to you, bright God of Heaven:you have given us this

food and the wisdom to partake of it. Grant us a life without shane to ourselves or scandal to the poor , and in the end mercy and glo:ry to our souls.

42

iThis comes from Cahiraiveen in County Kerry.Note the peti tion for mercy and eternal, glory.

ii I took this from Paidreadla na nDaoie, a coZZection pubZished by the people of Ring, County Waterford. It is very like the preceding, except that the prayer is for grace and eternal rest.

An identical, version, to be found in An Seanchai Muimhneach, was taken downin 1909 from Diarmuid Cf Siochain, a native of Kerry, then Ziving in Brocton, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

iii This probably derived from the same original, as the other two. The "Glory to God" seems to have appeaZed more to the users of this prayer . Note the beautiful appendix, which is missing in the other two.

It was coZlected in Lismore, County Waterford, and is among those in the collection of Diarmuid 6 Laoghaire.

10 I ask for unstinted help,a life with.out shame or disgrace , and a Christian's share in the life of heaven as eternal food for my soul .

This prayer, in the originaZ, is singular in number, but may without harm be rendered in the pluraZ.It was collected in BaZZingeary, County Cork, and published in An Tiroire about 1911.

11 In the name of the Father who conquered, and of the Son who was cru cified;Holy Spirit , be our strength,glorious Virgin , be our guide.

I took this from the Irish FoZkZore Commission 's publicationaloideas , June 1933.No indication was given as to its pZace of origin. Its un usual feature is that the three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned individuaUy, together with Our Lady.

12 O Virgin Mary and Son of God , bless this food, bless this drink .

This very simpZe prayer is taken from the colZection of Diarmuid

6 Laoghaire, S,J.

13 iA thousand thanks to you, Lord God, for your goodness in giving us this food:may it bring life to our souls.Grant food to those Who are in want.If today we show :inq;>rovement , may we , our f amily and friends be better sevenfold one year frcm today.

ii A thousand thanks to you, Lord God , who have given us this food.

Grant us life of soul . If today we show improvement , may we be bet ter sevenfold a year frcm today. May we , our family and friends , be safe in love of God and neighbor , in mercy, grace , life and health.

The GPaae before and after Meals in Irish Tradition43

I decided to give a rather literal translation to ''m{le bu{o ahas" -"a thousand thanks " in this case. The expression is found in both Shakespeare and Wordsworth, and is sufficiently common in English to justify its adoption here.The alterna tive ''sincere thanks", 11UJe thank you from our heart", eta., do not do justice to the original.

Notice the difference in the seaond half of the two versions.

i This was aolleated in the Aran Islands, Inis Mdr, and is from the collection of Diarmuid d Laoghaire, S.J.

ii This UJas taken from the periodical Heatherstane.

14 May he who has granted us this food, grant eternal life to our souls and to the souls of the seven generations who have gone before us.

Taken down from Siubhan Maa an tSagairt, Ballingeary, County Cork, and published in An Ti.mire about 1911 .

Note the unusual expression in the prayer for the departed.

15 Eternal Father, bless us as we rise f ran table, and grant us your grace.Give to our f and.ly and f riends and all who follcm us the alms of mercy as the eternal food of the soul, and to all who are here and are to rome a share in Paradise.

This prayer was frequently used by the old people of Ireland as a prayer after Communion. I aannot trace its origin.

16 Eternal glorious Father of heaven, you have given us this food: grant us also the alms of mercy and the glory of eternity to our souls and to everyone who seeks it.Grant it especially to our CMI1 souls and to the souls of the dead.

This prayer> aornes from Uibh Rat;_haah in Kerary, and is to be found in the aolleation of DiaY'!mlid 0 Laoghare, S.J.

17 We give yoo thanks, O Lord God, for this food.In your !lErcy grant that we may spend our lives, health and strength for your glozy.

From Dom Mauraus 0 Phelan. See note to n.3.

18 !\ thouswid thanks to you, O God , ;for this food of the body.Grant us the etemal ;food of the soul.

Tak.en from the aoUeaUon of rfna N{, cfgcfin. Onae again I have pre ferred a more literal translation.

44

19 Praise and glo:ry to God for all thefood he has ever given us.

Taken from An Tiroire, October 1913.

20We give thanks to God who has given us this food.May he also give us eternal life.

Taken from An Timi.re, October 1913.

21A thousand thanks to you, O God , who have given us this food for the body.Grant us , we ask you, who are so generous , eternal lif e.

From An Tiroire, 1958. "Eternal life" -literally this should read: "tne eternal food for our souls".

22i May the blessing of him who has given us this food be upon us and up on our meal.You, O God, created, redeemed and gave us this bodily ca:nfort.Grant us the canforting mercy of glory and peace;and may your na:rre be blessed by us in Paradise.

iiMay the God of bounteous mercy, glo:ry and peace, who has created , re de.e:nedand given us this foodbeblessed by us.May he also give us eternal life.

i Another taken from An Timire, 1911, and collected somewhere in County Cork.

ii This one is so Zike the preceding that I have placed them side

by side.This version comes from Coachford, County Cork, and was among those in the collection of Diarrrruid 6 Laoghaire, S.J. It will be noted that it blesses God for the food, unlike the former, which asks God 's blessing.

23 We give (blessed) thanks for this food, and for what we have eaten without thanksgiving.o lord who created us ,o God who gave us this food, grant us the eternal food of our souls.

Taken from An Timire, from an undated volume of about the year 1911. The prayer was collected in County Donegal, but no other information is given.

24 A thousand thanks to you, o King of the tmiverse, a thousand thanks to you, O Lord of grace, for what you have given us since our birth, and ;for what you will give us until the day of our death.

Taken from tne undated volume of An Ti.mire indicated in the preceding note. Tne prayer tJas coUected in County Mayo , sometime before 1911.

The Grace before and after Meals in IPish TPadition45

25 We give you a hundred thousand thanks , O great , all-paverful God, for these gifts you have given us .May Jesus and the glorious God of Heaven protect us against him who would hann us in health of

soul or body'.May he who has given us this food for the body grant us a fine day, a life without sharre or dishonor, the holy oil , a good death, and in heaven the eternal food of the soul.

This rather long pPayer was collected from Se&:n 6 Dubhda, Baile na nGall, County Kerry, and published in An Ti.mire , 1936.The request

(')for "a fine day 1

would indicate that it was a moPning prayer .

26 We give thanks to the King of Heaven , we give continual thanks to God;we give thanks for what we have eaten and shall eat .Praise and thanks to God who has given us this food and the wisdan to par take of it.May he give grace to the living , and mercy to the dead.

The original of this grace is in metPical foffll, and was taken down from Se6.n r while we provide good things for ourselves?

- been evil in our thoughtsin regard to one another?

As Scripture Reader> 1 takes up the reading af ter> a br>ief pause , the Techni cian bring s out another lighted cand le .

66

Sl -But you , Bethlehem Ephrathah , the least of the clans of Judah , out of you will be born for rre the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past , to the days of old.The Lord is therefore going to abandon them till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.Then the remnant of his brothers will cane back to the sons of Israel.He will stand and f eed his f lock with the power of the Lord , withthe majesty of the name of his God .

They will live secure, f or f ran then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land.He himself will be peace.

-Micah 5:1-4

S2 -In the f if teenth year of Tiberius Caesar 's reign , when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, . during the pontif icate of Annas and Caiaphas , the wordof God came to John , son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.He went through the whole Jordan re gion proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

. . . Whenall the people asked him, 'What must we do , then? 'He answered, 'If anyone has two tunics, he must share with the man who has none,and the one with sanething to eat TIRISt do the same . Exact no more than your due . . . No extortion.Don 't accuse anyone of what he didn ' t do.Be oontent with what you receive ' .

-Lk 3: 13,, 10-11,, 13-14

Scripture Reader 2 retires,, leaving the lectern free for the Litany-reader.

C -Have we

shared with those who have none?

demanded more than is our due?

been oontent with what we have received?

As Scripture Reader 1 takes up the reading_, T brings out another lighted candle, more significant than any of the others so far.

Sl - John declared beforethem all, ' I baptize yru with water , but sane one is caning , someone who is more powerf ul than I am, and I am un

f it to undo the strap of his sandals;he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire ' .p a u s e

-Lk 3:16

This is hc:M Jesus Christ came to be born .. . The angel of the Lord appeared to Jospeh in a dream and said to him,'Joseph , son of David, do not be af raid to take Mary hane as your wife , because she has oon ceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus , because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins ' .NON all this took place to fulf ill the words spoken by the Lord through the Prophet : 'The virgin will oon ceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Errmanuel' -a name which means 'God-is-with-us ' .

-. - Mt 1:18,, 2-23

Advent Penance Service67

While Scripture Reader 1 is reading the final section of the text, the Technician brings out a tall white lighted cande l which represents Christ

it might be the Paschal Candle.Scripture Reader 1 places the small white candle he has been holding on the table and retires.

C -Jesus , the Light, who is a:me to save his people fran their sins, now stands in our midst.Let us humbly confess our sins and ask his pardon.

LITANY OF REPENTANCE

The Reader of the Litany goes to the lectern vacated by Scripture Reader 2.

L -We have listened to the serpent , we have f requented the occasions of sin, we have not trusted the Lord, we have disobeyed him.

ALL -I.ORD I WE HAVE SINNED,I.ORD HAVE MERCY.

This Response is repeated after each part of the Litany.

L -We have not wept over our sins as we ought, we have not appreciated the rnercy of God and the saving waters of Baptism and Penance. R.

L - We have turned to the things of tre f lesh, we have misused God 's good creation, we have not heeded the call to greater things, we have looked back to the tltlngs of the world. R.

L -We have complained against the Lord s ways , we have not responded

to our leaders , we have f ailed to hold f i:r.mly to the promises of the Lord. R.

L -We have been weak in f aith, unf aithf ul to the Lord;we have tried

his patience and e.x. pected too little f rom him.R.

L - We have not fasted for the Lord , but we have eaten and drunk for our own pleasure; we have given little thought to the poor , and we have thought evil of one another. R.

L -Let us confess in our hearts or aloud any other sins that we are con scious of .

Pause to allow others to confess.

In all these ways and so many others . .R.

The priest who is going to give the absolution now comes forward and takes the white Christ-candle.

P -Receive the Light of Christ 's grace;receive his pardon and absolu tion.May our Lord Jesus Christ absolve you , and I , by his authority, absolve you f ran your sins (making the sign of the cross with the Christ-candle] in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Care, receive the Light of Clrristls grace.

68

Each of the participants now comes forward and lights a candle which he had received when he entered, from the Christ-candle held by the Priest . While this is taking place, a Cantor or Schola might sing the Canticle of Zachariah .

REFRAIN

Free rhythmFr . Robert Morhaus

Cantor LOOK UP , JE-RU - SA-LEM,ANDSEE THE POW'-ER OFYOUR KING :YOOR

(I)6-Fltm &A.

rj: ' '?vlJj ,

SAV-IOR CCMES TO SET YOUFREE .Repeat

CANTICLE OF ZACHARY

(ICET)

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J. Randall 1940 Hymnal

Schola Blessed be the Lord, the god of Is-ra-el;he has cane to his peo

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ho-ly oov-e-nant . (Blessed be the Lord, the God of Is-ra-el.)

(fl)Advent Penance Ser>Vice69

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(-.)AU This was the oath he swore to our fa-ther A-bra-ham,to set us free

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