TE gestientem gaudiis,
te sauciam doloribus,
te iugi amictam gloria,
o Virgo Mater, pangimus.

Ave, redundans gaudio
dum concipis, dum visitas;
et edis, offers, invenis,
Mater beata, Filium.

Ave, dolens, et intimo
in corde agonem, verbera,
spinas crucemque Filii
perpessa, princeps martyrum.

Ave, in triumphis Filii,
in ignibus Paracliti,
in regni honore et lumine,
Regina fulgens gloria.

Venite, gentes, carpite
ex his rosas mysteriis,
et pulchri amoris inclitae
Matri coronas nectite.

Iesu, tibi sit gloria,
qui natus es de Virgine,
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
in sempiterna saecula.

TE, Iesu, verum Deum et Hominem hic in sancta Eucharistia praesentem, in genua humillime provolutus, cum fidelibus terrae et Sanctis caeli mente coniunctus, adoro; ac pro tanto beneficio intime gratus, te, Iesu, infinite perfectum atque infinite amabilem ex toto corde diligo.

DA mihi gratiam ne ullo modo te unquam offendam, atque ut, tua hac in terra eucharistica praesentia recreatus, ad tua aeterna ac beata in caelis praesentia¹ una cum Maria perfruendum merear pervenire. Amen.

TE, Ioseph, celebrent agmina caelitum,
te cuncti resonent Christiadum chori,
qui, clarus meritis, iunctus es inclitae,
casto foedere Virgini.

Almo cum tumidam germine coniugem
admirans dubio tangeris anxius,
afflatu superi Flaminis, Angelus
conceptum puerum docet.

Tu natum Dominum stringis, ad exteras
Aegypti profugum tu sequeris plagas;
amissum Solymis quaeris et invenis,
miscens gaudia fletibus.

Electos reliquos mors pia consecrat¹
palmamque emeritos gloria suscipit;
tu vivens, Superis par, frueris Deo,
mira sorte beatior.

Nobis, summa Trias, parce precantibus;
da Ioseph meritis sidera scandere,
ut tandem liceat nos tibi perpetim
gratum promere canticum.
Amen.

TE lucis ante terminum,
rerum Creator, poscimus
ut pro tua clementia
sis praesul et custodia.

Procul recedant somnia
et noctium phantasmata;
hostemque nostrum comprime,
ne polluantur corpora.

Praesta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
cum Spiritu Paraclito
regnans per omne saeculum.
Amen.

TE splendor et virtus Patris
Te vita, Iesu, cordium,
ab ore qui pendent tuo,
laudamus inter Angelos.

TIBI mille densa milium
ducum corona militat;
sed explicat victor Crucem
Michael salutis Signifer.

DRACONIS hic dirum caput
in ima pellit tartara,
ducemque cum rebellibus
caelesti ab arce fulminat.

CONTRA ducem superbiae
sequamur hunc nos Principem,
ut detur ex Agni throno
nobis corona gloriae.

PATRI, simulque Filio,
tibique, Sancte Spiritus,
sicut fuit, sit iugiter
saeculum per omne gloria. Amen.

Princeps gloriosissime Michael Archangele, esto memor nostri; hic et ubique semper precare pro nobis Filium Dei.

V. In conspectu Angelorum psallam tibi, Deus meus:

R. Adorabo ad templum sanctum tuum, et confitebor nomini tuo.

Oremus
Deus, qui miro ordine Angelorum ministeria hominumque dispensas, concede propitius, ut a quibus tibi ministrantibus in caelo semper assistitur, ab his in terra vita nostra muniatur. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

TELLURIS ingens¹ Conditor,
mundi solum qui eruens²,
pulsis aquae molestiis,
terram dedisti immobilem,

Ut germen aptum proferens,
fulvis decora floribus,
fecunda fructu sisteret
pastumque gratum redderet:

Mentis perustae vulnera
munda virore gratiae,
ut facta fletu diluat,
motusque pravos atterat,

Iussis tuis obtemperet,
nullis malis approximet,
bonis repleri gaudeat,
et mortis actum³ nesciat.

Praesta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
cum Spiritu Paraclito
regnans per omne saeculum. Amen.

TELLURIS ingens¹ Conditor,
mundi solum qui eruens²,
pulsis aquae molestiis,
terram dedisti immobilem,

Ut germen aptum proferens,
fulvis decora floribus,
fecunda fructu sisteret
pastumque gratum redderet:

Mentis perustae vulnera
munda virore gratiae,
ut facta fletu diluat,
motusque pravos atterat,

Iussis tuis obtemperet,
nullis malis approximet,
bonis repleri gaudeat,
et mortis actum³ nesciat.

Praesta, Pater piissime,
Patrique compar Unice,
cum Spiritu Paraclito
regnans per omne saeculum. Amen.

The word Advent comes from the Latin words, advenire (to come to) & adventus (an arrival), and refers to Christ's coming into this world. The Advent season is a time of joyful expectation and preparation for Christmas, the day upon which Christ's birth is celebrated and His first coming into this world. The focus of Advent is upon the centuries of waiting and preparation by God's chosen people which preceded the coming of the Messiah. As such, it is a time marked by expectation, hope, preparedness and penance. The later being mindful of John the Baptist's cry to prepare for the coming of the Lord with repentance. ( Matt. 3:3, 11:10; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 1:17, 1:76, 3:4).

Also, while Advent is the season before Christmas, the focus of Advent is by no means limited to just Christ's first coming. An equal, if not more important, theme found in the Advent Liturgy is the Second Coming of Christ when He comes again to judge the world. The Advent Liturgy looks to both the past and future. In the past Christ came amongst us as one of our own. He was born of a woman into this world and of humble means. In the future He will come again, not as a defenseless infant, but as the Judge of all the living and the dead. Thus the Liturgy looks back over thousands of years to when the human race waited for its Redeemer and then to the future when this world will end and He will come then as our Judge. This dual theme, the first and second coming, is easily observed in the hymns for Advent given below. Also, while it is not part if the Advent Liturgy today, it is useful to note that Dies Irae was originally not a hymn associated with death and burial, but a hymn that was composed as a sequence for the first Sunday in Advent. Its sober tone was designed to remind us of both Christ's first coming and His Second Coming at the end of the world.

Lastly, it should be mentioned that long standing traditions hold that there are four comings of Christ. The first two of these have already been mentioned. His first coming was when He came to us in the flesh. His Second Coming is when He will come at the end of world to judge the living and the dead. However, between these two are two more; Christ's coming into our hearts, and Christ's coming to us at our death. While the Advent Liturgy explicitly stresses the first two, by implication the later two are present as well.

It is difficult to pinpoint in time exactly when Advent was first celebrated by the Church. Advent itself is the season prior to Christmas and is thus intimately acquainted with the celebration of Christ's birth. Since the celebration of Christ's birth has evolved over time, so too has the season of Advent. The earliest documentation we have on the season comes to us from the fourth century and the earliest Advent hymns we have come from roughly that period as well (Prudentius). It is thus clear that at least the roots of the Advent season go back to sometime around the later part of the fourth century. By the late sixth century the season is well established, at least in the Latin West. St. Caesarius, Bishop of Arles (502-542) mentions a time of preparation before the celebration of Christ's birth in his homilies. A sermon given by Pope St. Gregory the Great on the Second Sunday of Advent has come down to us as well. Advent was evidentially a western tradition before it became an eastern tradition. It is not until the eighth century that we have the first record of the season being celebrated in the East.

Today Advent signals the beginning of the Church year and begins on the Sunday closest to the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30). This Sunday is the fourth Sunday before Christmas and falls between November 27 and December 3. The Advent season will thus have between 21 and 28 days, depending upon where this Sunday falls.

1. Litaniae ad Christum ex Scriptura Sacra in Adventu

1. Angelus ad Virginem

Ante Diem 16 Decembris

1. Conditor Alme Siderum
Creator of the Stars of Night

2. Creator alme siderum
Bright Builder of the Heavenly Poles

1. Verbum supernum prodiens
Celestial Word, to This Our Earth

1. Vox clara intonat
A Thrilling Voice by Jordan Rings

2. En clara vox redarguit

Veni, redemptor gentium
O Come, Redeemer of the Earth

Veni, Veni Emmanuel
O come, o come, Emmanuel

1. Officium parvum Conceptionis Immaculatae
    Little Office of the Immaculate Conception

Some items for the Christmas season.

1. Christe, redemptor omnium
Christ, Redeemer of All

2. Iesu, Redemptor omnium
Jesu, the Father's only Son

1. A solis ortus cardine
From Lands That See the Sun Arise

1. Audit tyrannus anxius
With Terror Doth the Tyrant Hear

2. Salvete, flores martyrum
All hail! ye infant Martyr flowers

1. Iesu, dulcis memoria
Jesus, Sweet Memory

2. Iesu, Rex admirabilis
O Jesus, King Most Wonderful

3. Iesu, decus angelicum
O Jesus, Thou the Beauty Art

1. O Lux beata caelitum
O Highest Hope of Mortals

2. Sacra iam splendent
A Thousand Lights Their Glory Shed

3. O gente felix hospita
O House of Nazareth the Blest

4. Adeste Fideles
O Come, all ye faithfull

5. Stabat Mater Speciosa

6. Iesu Infans Dulcissime
Jesu, Sweetest Child

7. Sancta Familia
Holy Family

1. Exsultet

2. Victimae Paschali

1. O filii et filiae (Ye sons and daughters of the Lord)

Dominica Paschae in Resurrectione Domini (Easter)

1. Victimae Paschali (Sequence for Easter)

1. Ad cenam Agni providi (The Lamb's High Banquet We Await)

1. Aurora lucis rutilat (Light's Glittering Morn Bedecks the Sky)

2. Angelus

3. Corona Divinae Misericordiae (Chaplet of Divine Mercy)

4. Regina Caeli

1. Veni, Creator Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest)

2. Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit)

Homo? Humus.
Fama? Fumus.
Finis? Cinis!

1. Litaniae in Quadragesima

2. Litaniae de Sancta Cruce, ex Sanctis Patribus

1. Psalter of St. Jerome

2. Prex Manasse (The Prayer of Manasseh)

3. Libera me (Deliver me, Lord Jesus Christ)

4. Attende Domine (Hearken, O Lord)

5. Septem Psalmi poenitentiales (Seven Penitential Psalms)

6. Actus Contritionis (Act of Contrition)