Dear Fellow Parishioners,

We’re now half way through Advent. So hard to believe! Christmas will be here in no time! I hope you’re all more ready than I am. The music this week should be familiar, most of it is very traditional. The only one that’s newer is ‘Waiting in Silence’ https://youtu.be/bg8XCxUtKec. The choirs have sung it for the last three years, but you may have missed it. It’s lovely and this version is beautiful. The words for this song and all the others for this week can be found in this attachment.

This week’s Gospel is once again about John the Baptist, so I’m sharing the following bluegrass song: ‘John the Baptist’ by the Christian Troubadours.  https://youtu.be/8GEAbpVY3z4 and another carrying John’s message, ‘Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding’  https://youtu.be/dZnabxcayqc

Interestingly, this week, in place of a psalm, the responsorial is based on verses from the first chapter in St. Luke’s Gospel when Mary is visiting her cousin Elizabeth and she offers the prayer that we call the Magnificat. I’m including here a few musical versions of that prayer. The first is ‘Magnificat’ by Lori True https://youtu.be/kzQJxC-3XIw.  The next is ‘Magnificat– Mary’s Prayer’ by Donna Cori https://youtu.be/h-Hrrw_FAyU . The last of these is this very traditional, ‘Magnificat Gregoriano’ https://youtu.be/SLUZM3nJ4sg

The last two songs I want to share with you this week are like bridges between Advent and Christmas, reminding us what we are waiting for:

‘The People Who Walked in Darkness’ https://youtu.be/2kKBf_4EHvU
‘One Still Night’ sung by Sovereign Grace https://youtu.be/gHEXlSQRFCo

I hope you enjoy them all. God bless you and keep you safe,

Janis Cantú