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Now it is the turn of St Mark.



Mark is our guide during the Sundays of Ordinary Time in Year B and during the winter and spring weekdays of Ordinary Time. We usually celebrate his feast on 25 April, though it will be ignored in 2011 as we shall be celebrating Easter Monday on that date. So I have an excuse to give below the hymn proper to his feast day!

The Saint who first found grace to pen
The Life which was the Life of men,
And shed abroad the Gospel’s ray,
His fame we celebrate today.

Lo, drawn by Pentecostal fire,
His heart conceived its great desire,
When pure of mind, inspired, he heard
And with his hand set forth the Word.

Then, clearly writ, the Godhead shone
Serene and fair to look upon;
And through that record still comes power
To lighten souls in death’s dark hour.

O holy mind, for wisdom fit
Wherein that Life of lives stood writ,
May we through minds of like accord
Show forth the patterns of our Lord.

And so may all whose minds are dark
Be led to truth by good Saint Mark,
And after this our earthly strife
Stand written in the Book of Life.

Praise God Who made the world so fair,
And sent His Son our Saviour there,
And by His Holy Spirit wist
To teach the first Evangelist.

Laurence Houseman (1906)

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My favourite paintings in the Italian Chapel are those depicting the four Evangelists. This is most appropriate, because many of us like to keep the Second Sunday of Advent as Bible Sunday.



Here we see St Matthew - whose Gospel we are reading on Sundays in this Year A. In fact many of our weekday readings during Advent are also taken from Matthew. He is always our guide during the summer months of Ordinary Time.

I love the Book of Common Prayer collect for this week:

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now we have a special hymn for this Second Week of Advent.

Lord, thy Word abideth,
and our footsteps guideth;
who its truth believeth
light and joy receiveth.

When our foes are near us,
then thy Word doth cheer us,
Word of consolation,
message of salvation.

When the storms are o'er us,
and dark clouds before us,
then its light directeth,
and our way protecteth.

Who can tell the pleasure,
who recount the treasure,
by thy Word imparted
to the simple-hearted?

Word of mercy, giving
succor to the living;
word of life, supplying
comfort to the dying!

O that we, discerning,
its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear thee,
evermore be near thee!

Henry Williams Baker, 1861



Praise the Lord! Alleluia!

2nd Sunday of Advent

During this season of Advent we think about Christ's first coming in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago; his coming into our lives today; and his second coming in glory. He comes to us today in a special way when we receive Holy Communion. We approach the altar this Advent with the message of John the Baptist ringing in our ears: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.'



Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

Liturgy of St. James, 4th Century (Σιγησάτο παρα σὰρξ βροτεία); trans lat ed from Greek to English by Gerard Moultrie, 1864.



Happy Sunday!

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What a surprise! Here we see the magnificent interior of the Italian Chapel.



Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the Church in one;
holy Zion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.

All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.

To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, today;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls alway.

Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee of gain;
what they gain from thee, for ever
with the blessèd to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with thee to reign.

Laud and honour to the Father,
laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three, and ever One,
consubstantial, co-eternal,
while unending ages run. Amen.

Words: Latin, seventh century;
Trans. John Mason Neale, 1851
Tune: Westminster Abbey by Henry Purcell



The Holy Father appears to like this hymn!

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Here we see the north side of the Italian Chapel - showing clearly the basic Nissan hut construction.



The exterior of the east end of the Chapel is very ugly - very different to the beautiful west end.



Sadly, most of us are rather two-faced! There is the pleasant side that we like people to see and admire, but there is also an unpleasant side to most of our characters. God can see both sides. Let us pray that during this season of Advent we will hear the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, and repent.

Advent is a good time to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Have mercy, Lord, on me,
As Thou wert ever kind;
Let me, oppressed with loads of guilt,
Thy wonted mercy find.

Wash off my foul offense,
And cleanse me from my sin;
For I confess my crimes, and see
How great my guilt has been.

The joy Thy favour gives
Let me again obtain,
And Thy free Spirit’s firm support
My fainting soul sustain.

To God the Father, Son,
And Spirit glory be,
As ’twas, and is, and shall be so
To all eternity.

N Tate and N Brady (1698)

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This bell, located above the head of Christ crowned with thorns, is rung at the moment of consecration whenever Mass is celebrated in the Chapel.



The following hymn is most suitable at the celebration of Mass during this season of Advent. Indeed, it refers to golden bells announcing Christ's coming.

Thou art coming, O my Saviour,
Thou art coming, O my King,
In Thy beauty all resplendent,
In Thy glory all transcendent;
Well may we rejoice and sing:
Coming! in the opening east
Herald brightness slowly swells;
Coming! O my glorious Priest,
Hear we not Thy golden bells?

Thou art coming, Thou art coming;
We shall meet Thee on Thy way,
We shall see Thee, we shall know Thee,
We shall bless Thee, we shall show Thee
All our hearts could ever say:
What an anthem that will be,
Ringing out our love to Thee,
Pouring out our rapture sweet
At Thine own all glorious feet.

Thou art coming; at Thy altar
We are witnesses for this;
While remembering hearts Thou meetest
In communion clearest, sweetest,
Earnest of our coming bliss,
Showing not Thy death alone,
And Thy love exceeding great;
But Thy coming and Thy throne,
All for which we long and wait.

O the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, my own belovèd Lord!
Every tongue Thy Name confessing,
Worship, honour, glory, blessing
Brought to Thee with glad accord;
Thee, my Master and my Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned;
Unto earth’s remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned!

Frances Havergal - 1873

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The Italian Chapel is a highly ornate Catholic chapel on Lamb Holm in Orkney, Scotland. It was built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II, who were housed on the previously uninhabited island while they constructed the Churchill Barriers to the east of Scapa Flow. Only the concrete foundations of the other buildings of the prisoner-of-war camp survive. It was not completed until after the end of the war, and was restored in the 1960s and again in the 1990s. It is now a popular tourist attraction, and a category A listed building.