RORATE SUNDAY at EIGHT O'CLOCK, Oh, and "O!"

OK, so the Fourth Sunday of Advent doesn't quite have a name like "Gaudete" on the Third Sunday of Advent, or "Laetare" on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, but if the Fourth Sunday of Advent was to have a name, "Rorate" would be it, as, like the other two, it's the first word of the Introit of the day in Latin.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant justum.

Let the heavens drop down dew, and the clouds rain down the Just One.

For this Fourth Sunday, we will once again be singing O come, O come, Emmanuel, which is based on the "O" Antiphons.  There are seven "O" Antiphons, and while they're not specifically used at Holy Mass, they are used at Vespers (Evening Prayer) along with the Magnificat from December 17-23, with a different antiphon assigned for each date.

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Entrance hymn: #39 O come, O come, Emmanuel ("Veni, Emmanuel")

Kyrie (if sung): #840 Mass XVI

Psalm 80: R./ Lord, make us turn to you, let us see your face, and we shall be saved. (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)

Alleluia "Conditor Alme" (music by yours truly, based on the Advent chant Conditor Alme Siderum, or Creator of the Stars of Night) (PDF)

Offertory: #59 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates ("Truro") (Listen)

Sanctus: #842 Mass XVIII

Memorial Acclamation: #875 Heritage Mass

Amen: #878 Heritage Mass

Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

Communion Responsory: Psalm 19, R./ Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and his Name shall be called Emmanuel. (BMP) (PDF)

- - The text is that assigned for Communion by the Graduale Romanum.  The melody given is based on the hymntune "O Heiland, Reiss", the German translation of the Rorate caeli mentioned at the top of this post.

Meditation hymn: #42 Come, thou long-expected Jesus ("Stuttgart") (Listen)

Recessional hymn: #44 O come, divine Messiah ("Venez, Divin Messie") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP