8th December: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Alma Redemptoris Mater
performed by The King's Singers
Today we celebrate Mary, who, from the first moment of her existence in the womb of her mother was by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved free from all stain of original sin.
Today’s musical extract is a beautiful setting by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina of the text Alma Redemptoris Mater, ('Loving Mother of our Saviour'), one of four seasonal Marian liturgical antiphons sung at the end of the Office of Compline. It is usually sung from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas) on 2 February.
Alma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo: tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.
Loving Mother of the Redeemer,
Open door to heaven and Star of the Sea,
Come quickly to the aid of your people,
Fallen indeed but striving to stand again;
To nature’s astonishment, you became the mother
Of our holy Creator, without ceasing to be a virgin,
And heard from Gabriel that greeting, “Hail!”
Have pity on us sinners.
Click on the image to listen.
performed by The King's Singers
Today we celebrate Mary, who, from the first moment of her existence in the womb of her mother was by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the human race, preserved free from all stain of original sin.
Today’s musical extract is a beautiful setting by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina of the text Alma Redemptoris Mater, ('Loving Mother of our Saviour'), one of four seasonal Marian liturgical antiphons sung at the end of the Office of Compline. It is usually sung from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas) on 2 February.
Alma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli
Porta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti,
Súrgere qui curat pópulo: tu quæ genuísti,
Natúra miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem
Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore
Sumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.
Loving Mother of the Redeemer,
Open door to heaven and Star of the Sea,
Come quickly to the aid of your people,
Fallen indeed but striving to stand again;
To nature’s astonishment, you became the mother
Of our holy Creator, without ceasing to be a virgin,
And heard from Gabriel that greeting, “Hail!”
Have pity on us sinners.
Click on the image to listen.
Daily prayer from the Taizé Community, an ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity in Taizé, France renowned for its meditative chant. It is composed of more than one hundred brothers, from Catholic and Protestant traditions, who originate from about thirty countries across the world.