Father Nickolai has a special invitation to all for our weekday Masses during the upcoming Advent season. Please take a few moments to watch the video below to learn more about a new way to begin Mass by signing the propers.  Each day's Entrance Antiphon (a.k.a. introit) text is provided on a handout attached below, and printed copies will be available in church.

"The Advent Calendar is a way to dress up the Advent season easily. Copies may be freely made for parish use and left at a convenient place in the church. At the beginning of daily Mass, when the Entrance Antiphon is normally sung, the priest or music director or designated layperson simply begins singing the antiphon to any familiar hymn tune that would match the words. The tune for All People That on Earth Do Dwell would work, for example, or Creator of the Stars of Night. Everyone can join in, and behold, the first barrier to singing propers has been painlessly overcome. Now the people have in their hands and in their voices the words of the Liturgy that are usually kept from them."  -- Kathleen Pluth

Father Nickolai prepared the document linked below, with the introit text for each day, along with the doxology used daily, which will be sung to the same tune as "Creator of the Stars of Night."  Beginning Monday, November 29, during the entrance for each weekday Mass we will sing the specific introit for that day, then the doxology, and then that day's introit once again, all to the same tune. You can listen and practice that tune using the video linked below.

What a wonderful Advent practice for our parish community to help prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus.