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Vespers, evening prayer of thanksgiving and praise in Roman Catholic and certain other Christian liturgies. Vespers and lauds (morning prayer) are the oldest and most important of the traditional liturgy of the hours. Many scholars believe vespers is based on Judaic forms of prayer and point to a daily evening celebration observed among Jews in the 1st century BCE.By the 3rd century CE the writings of Tertullian show clear evidence of an evening prayer. During the 4th, 5th, and 6th centuries, cathedral choirs and monastic orders developed the vespers service, as it was known for centuries thereafter. Following the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the Roman Catholic service was translated into the vernacular and simplified, but it continues to revolve around the Magnificat canticle, various psalms and antiphons, and readings that vary according to liturgical season.
The Lutheran and Anglican churches both include an evening prayer service in their liturgies. In the Anglican church, evening prayer traditionally is called evensong and can be found in the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Both Protestant churches revised their rite for evening prayer during the 1970s, and both rites are patterned closely after the traditional Roman Catholic evening prayer. In the Anglican church the revised prayers offer alternative choices for greater individual choice among congregations.
Les vespres són una part de l'ofici diví -previ a les completes-, que constitueixen la pregària del vespre, i que s'acostuma a celebrar cap al capvespre. En la litúrgia romana, tenen una estructura semblant a la de les laudes i té les parts següents:
el versicle inicial Deus in adjutorium meum intende, i l'himne.
la salmòdia, actualment consistent en dos salms i un càntic del Nou Testament.
la lectura i el responsori amb el cant del Magníficat.
la pregària que acaba amb el rés del Parenostre.
l'oració i els versicle o el diàleg finals.
Tant la salmòdia gregoriana com el magníficat s'interpreten de forma antifonal.
Tal com va passar amb altres parts de la litúrgia, les vespres de les grans solemnitats, ja fos de les festes assenyalades de l'any litúrgic, ja fossin les festes principals d'una determinada localitat o territori, a partir del segle xvi els textos de les vespres van rebre musicalitzacions polifòniques per part d'un bon nombre de compositors, especialment d'aquells que servien a l'església i rebien aquesta mena d'encàrrecs per dotar la litúrgia de l'esplendor adient.
Posteriorment, i d'acord amb els estils més de moda en cada època, a partir de primer Barroc molts compositors van optar per un estil concertant. Tal és el cas de les Vespres (Vespro della beate Vergine) de Claudio Monteverdi, i les diverses que va compondre Mozart (vesperae de Dominica i Vesperae solemnes de confessore). Entre les més destacades del segle xx hi ha les de Serguei Rakhmàninov (que responen als cànons de la litúrgia de l'església ortodoxa russa, i les que el compositor txec Petr Eben va escriure sobre un text en català i que s'estrenaren a Montserrat l'any 1968.
Entre els compositors catalans que han escrit vespres o, en tot cas, salms de vespres, hi ha Francesc Valls i Joan Cererols; i entre els valencians, Joan Genís Peres.
Dranske/Ruegen (1980s) - 5.Block, 7.Aufgang, 4.Stock
* * * * * * *
it`s alright
if words fail you
those empty shells,
shattered in endless storms,
have become meaningless
wait for the silence to embrace you
and if you listen
she will give you peace
and new language
* * * * * * *
i often listen to music, and there is often also a kind of synaesthetic link between the music i hear and the pictures i am working on.
however, there is not so very much music that reaches the depths that i wish to explore.
this piece - a prayer - sounds almost exactly how i remember parts of my early childhood. if you listen, you can hear the walls' sad grey litany, the sound of motors, high-voltage lines and the sirens.
--> Arvo Pärt
- Seven Magnificat Antiphons: II. O Adonai
Un antifonario (da antiphona, «antifona», ripetizione di un salmo) è un libro liturgico cattolico usato per le ore canoniche. A differenza del breviario, l'antifonario contiene le parti cantate della liturgia, in notazione neumatica, e non contiene le letture (Noterete come gli antichi cantori non si lavassero spesso le mani) Esposto in una recente mostra presso la Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia
An antiphonary (from antiphona, "antiphon", repetition of a psalm) is a Catholic liturgical book used for the canonical hours. Unlike the breviary, the antiphonary contains the song parts of the liturgy, in neumatic notation, and does not contain the readings. (You will notice how the ancient singers did not often bury their hands). Exposed in a recent exhibition at the Umbria National Gallery in Perugia
Press "L" for a better view
Die Kapelle (Brüdersaal) wird heute von der evangelischen Kirche für Gottesdienste genutzt.
The chapel (Brothers' Hall) is now used by the Protestant church for services.
Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz: Antiphon "In Paradisum" et Psalmus 121 (122)
I went down on my knees and wondered, my eyes broke. I wandered the streets and felt through their walls the prisons I had established to my mind. Out there is a night of promises ….
-- Antiphon --
www.flickr.com/photos/94078868@N08/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6ZxOHI_RJM
Music by Arkdae, Lyrics by Marquise Ermia
Antiphon Three of the Holy Transfiguration
Verse: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;
-Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God;
showing to Thy disciples Thy glory as each one could endure.
Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all, Thy light ever-unending;
through the prayers of the Theotokos; Light-bestower, glory be to Thee.
.
photo:
Mănăstirea Cernica, Biserica "Sf. Gheorghe"-"Sfânta Schimbare la Faţă", Bucuresti
Cernica Monastery, St. George - The Holy Transfiguration Church, near Bucharest, Romania
built between 1831-1842
www.monumenteromania.ro/index.php/monumente/detalii/en/Ma...
www.monumenteromania.ro/index.php/monumente/detalii/en/Bi...
andate a vedere il suo magnifico lavoro
www.flickr.com/photos/94078868@N08/49680326633
” Quando l’amore ti chiama, seguilo. Anche se le sue vie sono dure e scoscese.
E quando le sue ali ti avvolgono, affidati a lui.
Anche se la sua lama nascosta tra le piume potrebbe ferirti.
Quando ti parla, abbi fiducia in lui.
Anche se la sua voce può infrangere i tuoi sogni come il vento del nord devasta un giardino.
Perché l’amore come ti incorona, allo stesso modo può crocifiggerti.
E come ti fa fiorire, allo stesso modo ti recide.
Allo stesso modo in cui ascende alle tue sommità
e accarezza i tuoi rami più teneri che fremono nel sole,
così può scendere fino alle tue radici e scuoterle fin dove si aggrappano alla terra.
Come covoni di grano ti raccoglie intorno a sè.
Ti batte fino a spogliarti.
Ti setaccia per liberarti dai tuoi gusci.
Ti macina fino a ridurti in farina.
Ti impasta rendendoti malleabile.
Poi ti affida alla sua sacra fiamma,
per renderti pane sacro per il sacro banchetto di Dio.
Tutto questo ti farà l’amore perché tu conosca i segreti del tuo cuore,
e perché in quella conoscenza diventi un frammento del cuore della vita.
Ma se nella tua paura dell’amore cercherai solo il piacere e la pace,
allora farai meglio a coprire la tua nudità e ad abbandonare l’aia dell’amore
per il mondo senza stagioni dove potrai ridere, ma non tutte le tue risate,
e piangere, ma non tutte le tue lacrime.
L’amore non dà nulla se non se stesso, e non prende che da se stesso.
L’amore non possiede, né può essere posseduto.
Perché l’amore basta all’amore.
E non puoi pensare di comandare il cammino dell’amore: se ti trova degno, è lui a dirigere il tuo cammino.
L’amore non ha altro desiderio che realizzare se stesso “.
(Khalil Gibran)
As I looked upon this statue bathed in the morning sunlight, outside the Immaculate Conception Basilica in Lourdes, the words of this antiphon came to mind:
"Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?"
"St Paul, apostle, preacher of the truth and teacher of the nations, pray for us to God who chose you." - Magnificat antiphon for the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, 25 January.
There are two trappist monasteries at Rogersville in the heart of New Brunswick, Canada, one of monks and one of nuns. Trappists belong to the larger Cistercian family. Cistercian monasteries are above all places dedicated to prayer. Not that the prayer is any better quality than anywhere else, but the lifestyle of the monks and nuns is entirely orientated towards the search for God and union with him in continuous prayer. Our Lady of Calvary is a community of monks founded in 1902 and situated between the villages of Rogersville and Colette about 100 km North of Moncton on route 126.
At the Cistercian – Trappist Monastery of Our Lady of Calvary we live a peaceful life with God here in Rogersville New Brunswick and provide a spiritual retreat for men who are searching for God.
The presence of such a shrine of Our Lady on the monastery grounds is a link with the special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Cistercian Order since its beginnings in the 12th century. If you assist at any of the hours of prayer with the monks in their chapel when you come to visit the grotto you will hear them sing an antiphon in honour of Mary at the end of each service; sung in the original latin and plainchant some of these are texts that were already in use in the Christmas Office at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome in the 5th century.
From the Abbey’s website a message about their Grotto area. Our grotto is a pretty good reminder of the grotto at Lourdes in the South West of France where Mary appeared to Bernadette in 1858 and which is now one of the Catholic Church’s major pilgrim centres. Why is our grotto such a good reproduction. Well, because it is built into the natural rock of the hillside and the river runs in front of it in the right direction, just like the Gave in Lourdes. It is a place to pray to the Mother of God, to ask her intercession for your needs, above all to ask her to show you the way to her Son, Jesus. The Lourdes Grotto at Calvary Abbey was erected in 1968. The grounds around the grotto are currently kept in trim by a volunteer group, Les Amis des Trappistes. A Mass is normally celebrated at the Grotto on a Sunday in July, enabling people to make their pilgrimage in union with the pilgrims of Lourdes.
The presence of such a shrine of Our Lady on the monastery grounds is a link with the special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Cistercian Order since its beginnings in the 12th century. If you assist at any of the hours of prayer with the monks in their chapel when you come to visit the grotto you will hear them sing an antiphon in honour of Mary at the end of each service; sung in the original latin and plainchant some of these are texts that were already in use in the Christmas Office at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome in the 5th century.
"The Baptism of Jesus at the Jordan is the anticipation of his baptism of blood on the Cross, and it is the symbol of the entire sacramental activity by which the Redeemer will bring about the salvation of humanity.
This is why the Patristic tradition has dedicated great interest to this Feast, which is the most ancient after Easter. "Christ is baptized and the whole world is made holy", sings today's liturgy; "he wipes out the debt of our sins; we will all be purified by water and the Holy Spirit" (Antiphon to the Benedictus, Office of Lauds)." - Pope Benedict XVI
This altar and its reredos is in St Mary's church, Nottingham.
The existence of a theatre at Syracuse is attested by the end of the fifth century BC by the mime author, Sophron, who names the architect as Damokopos, called "Myrilla" because he made heavy use of perfume ("myrrha") at the inauguration. It has not been proven, however, that the passage records this monument and some think that it refers to another theatre in another location. However it is certain that a theatre was used in Syracuse from the early classical period and in it, it seems, the theatrical activities of the playwrights Epicharmus, Phormis and Deinolocus took place. At Syracuse, Aeschylus put on "The Aitnans" (a tragedy written to celebrate the re-foundation of Catania with the name Aitna, or of a centre with the name of Aitna where the Catanian exiles had found refuge after the destruction of Chalcidean Katane at the hands of Hieron I), probably in 456 BC. Also The Persians, which had already been performed at Athens in 472 BC, may have been performed at Syracuse. This latter work survives to this day, while the former has been lost. At the end of the fifth century or the beginning of the fourth, the plays of Dionysius I were probably performed here, along with those of the playwrights hosted at his court, such as Antiphon.
An antiphonary (from antiphona, "antiphon", repetition of a psalm) is a Catholic liturgical book used for the canonical hours. Unlike the breviary, the antiphonary contains the song parts of the liturgy, in neumatic notation, and does not contain the readings. (You will notice how the ancient singers did not often bury their hands). Exposed in a recent exhibition at the Umbria National Gallery in Perugia
Un antifonario (da antiphona, «antifona», ripetizione di un salmo) è un libro liturgico cattolico usato per le ore canoniche. A differenza del breviario, l'antifonario contiene le parti cantate della liturgia, in notazione neumatica, e non contiene le letture (Noterete come gli antichi cantori non si lavassero spesso le mani) Esposto in una recente mostra presso la Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria in Perugia
The summer's throbbing chant is done
And mute the choral antiphon;
The birds have left the shivering pines
To flit among the trellised vines,
Or fan the air with scented plumes
Amid the love-sick orange blooms,
And thou art here alone--alone--
Sing, little bird! the rest have flown.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Antiphon Three of the Holy Transfiguration
The Conservation of the Mosaic of the Transfiguration in the Monastery of Saint Catherine Sinai
Transfiguration - Μεταμόρφωσις
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfiguration_of_Jesus
orthodoxwiki.org/Transfiguration
.
.
.
photo:
Transfiguration [August 6 or 19] fresco at
Church of the Holy Saviour, Nesebar, Bulgaria
Sveti Spas, Свети Спас (Несебър), България
finished in 1609
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Saviour,_Nesebar
www.ancient-nessebar.com/html/main_en.php?menu=sights_svspas
Nessebar - UNESCO World Heritage site
original painting by: Bill Rogers
source images:
Si rien ne bouge by -- Antiphon --
Please visit Here We Are Again and all my recent works.
The existence of a theatre at Syracuse is attested by the end of the fifth century BC by the mime author, Sophron, who names the architect as Damokopos, called "Myrilla" because he made heavy use of perfume ("myrrha") at the inauguration. It has not been proven, however, that the passage records this monument and some think that it refers to another theatre in another location. However it is certain that a theatre was used in Syracuse from the early classical period and in it, it seems, the theatrical activities of the playwrights Epicharmus, Phormis and Deinolocus took place. At Syracuse, Aeschylus put on "The Aitnans" (a tragedy written to celebrate the re-foundation of Catania with the name Aitna, or of a centre with the name of Aitna where the Catanian exiles had found refuge after the destruction of Chalcidean Katane at the hands of Hieron I), probably in 456 BC. Also The Persians, which had already been performed at Athens in 472 BC, may have been performed at Syracuse. This latter work survives to this day, while the former has been lost. At the end of the fifth century or the beginning of the fourth, the plays of Dionysius I were probably performed here, along with those of the playwrights hosted at his court, such as Antiphon.
“No sun - no moon!
No morn - no noon -
No dawn - no dusk -
no proper time of day -”
- Thomas Hood
"Time is not a reality, but a concept or a measure …"
- Antiphon the Sophist
Thanks a lot for visits and comments, my friends. Have a nice week...!
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without
my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
In a beautiful location surrounded by forest and with an excellent view to the sea, near Saint Amvrosios in the province of Kyrenia, there is the monastery of Antiphonitis. Some Byzantine scholars speak of the temple of the Antiphon Christ, since as it is well-known, many icons present Christ as the "Antiphon".
"O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Saviour:
Come and save us, O Lord our God."
– the Magnificat antiphon for 23 December.
Mosaic tympanum above one of the exquisitely-carved side entrances of Florence Cathedral.
"Customarily the Advent Wreath is constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which are inserted four candles. According to tradition, three of the candles are violet and the fourth is rose. However, four violet or white candles may also be used” (Book of Blessings 1510).
The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose color vestments are permitted.
The Advent Wreath represents the long time when people lived in spiritual darkness, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the world. Each year in Advent people wait once again in darkness for the coming of the Lord, His historical coming in the mystery of Bethlehem, His final coming at the end of time, and His special coming in every moment of grace."
A Triple Tribute Pipedreams Episode #2046 (Nov. 16, 2020)
. . . to Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music, to composer Benjamin Britten, and to the memory of Stephen Cleobury.
www.pipedreams.org/episode/2020/11/16/a-triple-tribute
November 22 turns out to have much musical significance. First, it is the Feast of Saint Cecilia, patron of music and musicians. It also was the birthday of composer Benjamin Britten (b. 1913),and the day on which conductor and organist Stephen Cleobury died last year (d. 2019).
PROGRAM:
Hour One
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Prelude & Fugue on a Theme of Vittoria –Stephen Cleobury (1968 Harrison/King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, England) Priory 005
GEORGE BAKER: Procession Royale (premiere) –Stephen Cleobury (2016 Harrison/King’s College Chapel) KGS 020
OLIVIER LATRY: St. Cecilia Improvisations –Cathedral Schola/Marie Rubis Bauer; Olivier Latry (2003 Pasi/St. Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha, NE) PD Archive (r. 3/24/04)
BRITTEN: Antiphon (Praised be the God of love) –King’s College Choir/Stephen Cleobury; Henry Websdale (Skinner & Aeolian-Skinner/Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul, MN) PD Archive (r. 3/28/19)
ANTON BRUCKNER: Ecce sacerdos magnus –Choir of King’s College Chapel/Stephen Cleobury; Becky Smith, Andrew Cole & Joe Arnold, trombones; Henry Websdale (2016 Harrison/King’s College Chapel) KGS 035
STEPHEN PAULUS: The Road Home –Marcus McDevitt, treble; Choir of King’s College/Stephen Cleobury. KGS 034
Hour Two
SIMON PRESTON: Alleluyas –Stephen Cleobury (King’s College Chapel) KGS 020
ROBERT PRIZEMAN: Toccata –Stephen Cleobury (1968 Harrison/King’s College Chapel) Collins 14012
BRITTEN: Village Organist’s Piece (1940) –Eric Plutz (1968 Aeolian-Skinner/Church of the Epiphany, Washington, DC) Raven 945
BRITTEN: Rejoice in the Lamb –Dale Warland Singers/Dale Warland; Dean Billmeyer (1987 Kney/St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN) American Choral Catalog 123
HERBERT HOWELLS: A Hymn to St. Cecilia –Wells Cathedral Choir/Malcolm Archer; Rupert Gough (1974 Harrison/Wells Cathedral, England) Hyperion 67494
WILLIAMS HARRIS: O what their joy and their glory must be –King’s College Choir/Stephen Cleobury; Benjamin Bayl (1968 Harrison/King’s College Chapel) EMI 57026
BRUCKNER: Tota pulchra es –Choir of King’s College Chapel/Stephen Cleobury; Donal McCann (2016 Harrison/King’s College Chapel) KGS 035
"The Lord has lifted us up and drawn us to his heart, for he has remembered his promise of mercy, alleluia."
– Magnificat antiphon for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
Painting from the Lateran Basilica.
Performed by
Mikhail Mishchenko
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, St.Petersburg,
live rec. 01.12.2018
I was surprised to find these spare, austere organ pieces by Muhly, whom I had only known for his operas, including "The Little Match Girl", a fine performance of which we enjoyed at Santa Fe Opera a few years ago.
"All authority and dominion are yours on the day of your strength; you are resplendent in holiness. From the womb before the dawn I begot you."
– Vespers antiphon for Christmas.
Detail from a painting in the Wallace Collection, London: Philippe de Champaigne, The Adoration of the Shepherds, c.1645.
"O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison."
– the Magnificat antiphon for 20 December.
Fresco from the Chapter House (aka 'The Spanish Chapel') of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella in Florence. This was painted by Andrea di Bonaiuto da Firenze, between 1365 to 1367.
Homily120323_1SundayAdvent
How can I ever forget…as an adult in my thirties…when I first came to understand who Jesus was and is. It was an awe ha moment that changed the trajectory of my life forever.
It started with a short passage of scripture from Philippians chapter 2:6-7 and I quote:
“Who, though he was in the form of God,
Did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself… coming in human likeness?…
he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”
This is not what I was taught in my previous faith. The incarnation was a strange and new word to me and meant that God truly emptied himself (out of pure love for us) to walk and suffer with us. When I celebrated my first Advent season, I was embarking on a rich and deep journey into church tradition, which included beautiful support symbols; advent wreaths with five candles, manger scenes without the baby Jesus, and more importantly church services with supporting scriptures and preaching about this season and its rich and deep meanings.
What is this Advent season and what is its purpose? A google search provides a simple definition “the arrival of a noble person, thing or event.” Surely, there is nothing more important than the birth of Jesus-our messiah. It is a pivotal event in our salvation history.
Our Psalm antiphon captures our anticipation and goal- “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” Google says more about Advent and this is very important… “it’s about the second coming of Christ.” Why is this important? Because we should be anticipating HIS return like the Israelites were awaiting their messiah.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us to be ready! He says in our Gospel reading today:
“Be watchful and alert”
“ you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,
whether in the evening, or at midnight,
or at cockcrow, or in the morning.
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping.
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!”
Our Gospel acclamation for today tells us what we are anticipating:
“Show us Lord your love; and grant us your salvation.”
As generations of Israelites anticipated a messiah, and so many generations of Christians have anticipated the second coming of Christ-and have made the mistake of pinpointing the time. Scripture tells us that not even the angels know when.
Today, many people do not worry or think about these sacred events-this time of year. Let us not be or join in the “collective sleep”, the Christmas zombies…who only see this season as what’s in it for them as presented by modern culture. They have hijacked Christmas and have unlinked it from its central message-this is the true war on Christmas. It is so easy for us to be distracted as soon as we leave through the Church doors. It’s like clicking on an interesting article on Facebook….and being bombarded with big pop ups and glitzy advertising between small snippets of the story we are reading. Often, through the constant noise, we seldom get to the end of the story.
Advent gives us the opportunity to combat the commercial distractions on Christmas that started in October, if not sooner. Let us take up the challenge to be “awake.” Let us stay on the narrow path, where our Advent liturgies guide and encourage us to gaze higher into the spiritual realities that are directly challenged by those who are singularly focused on living in a material world. My wife shared with me related quote “We take our children to the mall to meet Santa…why not take them to church to meet Jesus.” They have left Jesus behind…and sometimes we push back with catchy phrases like “Jesus is the reason for the season.” We are called to do more!
On this first day of Advent, I challenge you and myself to keep our eyes on the two key events of this season, the birth of our Savior and His promised return. I have often said that going to Mass once a week is not enough. Being a practicing Catholic is a way of life. Each week, we receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Where do we take him and what affect does He have on us? Part of our answer should be that we take HIM into our broken world, and in our ordinary lives, we let Him be seen in us and in everything we do or say.
The decoration painted by the Triptolemos Painter features five nude figures, Komasts; three, including a woman, are on this krater side. Our characters are dancing, and their dance is rendered with archaizing gestures and postures. On one side, they call to mind the figurative repertoire, attitudes and themes recurring in more or less contemporary artists - such as the Brygos Painter and the ceramographers near to him, Makron or the Painter of Antiphon, but, on the outer side, the not excessively agitated postures of the komasts portrayed with the feet always adhering to the ground, the monumentality and solemnity with which their naked bodies emerge from the black surface of the vase derive from the masters of the large vases of the late Archaic period.
CAV / CAVI @ www.beazley.ox.ac.uk
Attic red-figured column krater
BC 480 ca.
Attributed to The Triptolemos Painter
Rome, Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia, inv No. 50532
"Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed that all those things which were said to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." - Benedictus antiphon for today's feast of Our Lady's Presentation.
Detail from the choir stalls, from 1568, in St Mary's Basilica in Krakow.
Synopsis-
In the Khandaqi Desert, a group of Rogue Mercenaries known as the Onslaught, led by ‘Antiphon’, break open a tomb and unearth a device of absolute power known as a ‘Mother Box’. The device imbues Antiphon and two other mercenaries with Superhuman abilities, while also drawing the attention of the Government agency ARGUS. Because deploying American soldiers into Khandaq would lead to a diplomatic incident, ARGUS director Amanda Waller deploys Task Force X: A squad of convicted and highly skilled criminals, to retrieve the mother box and stop the Onslaught before they awaken an ancient terror…
Cast-
Alfre Woodard as Amanda Waller: A high ranking, ruthless government agent who spearheads the Task Force X project and oversees all missions. She is cold, calculating and willing to go to any extreme to complete a mission.
Main Squad-
JR Ramirez as Rick Flagg II: a black ops soldier who acts as the leader of the squad, keeping them in line and making sure they don’t go rogue, having the authority to activate their neck-implanted bombs if necessarry, with Waller’s permission of course.
Adrien Brody as Floyd Laughton/Deadshot: An assassin with impeccable aim who joins the squad as their sharpshooter. After a small role in ‘The Batman’ his backstory would be expanded upon, introducing his daughter Zoey.
Bex Taylor Klaus as Mary Scudder/Mirror Master: A tech thief for hire who weilds technology that allows her to access a pocket dimension through mirrors, and uses her work to fund her attempts to free her father who was lost in the ‘mirror realm’. After being arrested in ‘The Flash: Terminal Velocity’ she acts as the tech expert for the team.
Jai Courtney as Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang: A petty villain and thief from Central City, with an expertese in the use of ‘trick boomerangs’. Waller placed him onto the team as a ‘decoy’, there simply to distract from the possibility the squad is government run, with very little likelihood of survival. He would act as the audience’s perspective on the film.
Lennie James as William Tockman/Clock King: An anarchist, computer hacker and master planner who acts as the team’s strategist. Unlike other members, he stays at ARGUS headquaters, monitoring the team under strict supervision from ARGUS soldiers. He is gunned down by Waller when it’s discovered he has been leaking files on Task Force X to the press during the mission.
Ruta Gedmintas as Bette Sans Souci/Plastique: A demolition expert and former ARGUS agent who was framed and imprisoned by ARGUS after she displayed moral objection to certain actions. She would sacrifice herself in the final act but be remembered as a hero due to Tockman leaking the details of her framing.
Ving Rhames as Nanaue/King Shark: A monstrous half shark/half human of unknown origin. He acts as the team powerhouse, only being deployed when things get extremely dire. As a result of this, with the exception of character intros, he would only join the fight in the final fight. (Not pictured because I cant make anything that'd work)
Kevin Smith (voice) and some extra (body) as Slipknot: Another decoy who can ‘climb anything’. He would be killed early on via Neck Bomb. (Not pictured because he's not worth the time)
Villains
Jason Flemyng as Antiphon- The cunning, leader of the Onslaught, a rogue group of mercenaries, trying to steal an alien artifact in Khandaq, known simply as a ‘mother box’. Upon exposure to the box, he gains the ability to move at superspeed.
Common as Mark Richards/Tattoo Man- A member of the Onslaught and Antiphon’s right hand man. His many Tattoos begin to come alive upon his exposure to the Mother Box, becoming deadly weapons.
Odette Annable as Eva Eden/Nightshade- A member of the Onslaught and a trained killer. She gains the ability to manipulate shadows upon exposure to the Mother Box.
Lots of computers as Brimstone- A fiery, hulking, destructive monster, quested with guarding the mother box, who is awoken from thousands of years asleep by the intervention of the squad and the Onslaught, before going on a destructive rampage.
The Mass in honour of Our Lady is called a ‘Rorate Mass’, so called because of the Entrance antiphon which begins with these words from Isaiah: “Drop down ye heavens dew from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One.”
Traditionally, the Mass is said before dawn, entirely in candlelight. This photo shows the Rosary Altar in the Rosary Shrine church in London prepared for the Rorate Mass on Saturday 14th December 2019.
"O Morning Star,
splendour of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death."
– Magnificat antiphon for 21st December.
Detail from a triptych by Blessed Fra Angelico in the Barberini Palace in Rome.
"O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth."
– Magnificat antiphon for 22 December.
Stained glass window from Salisbury Cathedral.
"Let us praise Joachim and Anne, to whom, in their generation, the Lord gave him who was a blessing for all the nations."
– Entrance antiphon for the feast of Saint Joachim and Anne (26 July).
Fresco in the church of Santa Maria dell'orto in Trastevere, Rome.
"O Adonai, and leader of the House of Israel,
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm."
the Magnificat antiphon for 18 December.
Mosaic from the Latin Calvary Chapel in the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Amanda Waller would be the first to admit she didn’t enjoy taking a boat to work every day. She had to give it to Lawton, Harkness, and even Patten, taking up bunks in the guardrooms had been a wise decision. Like firemen in a firehouse, it was better to sleep on-site, in case any emergency arises.
But, despite her predilection for putting out fires, Amanda Waller was not a fireman, and her desk chair was not nearly comfortable enough to get a full nights sleep in. She could probably claim one of the bunks for her own to little protestation of the twenty-four-hour staff, she just didn’t want to feel any more like an inmate herself.
Maybe Doctor Quinzel was on to something about her. Psychologically speaking, that is.
Amanda Waller steps off the boat, and greets the dock crew a curt good morning, striding up the shallow steps, plugging and scanning and swiping past all the security measures, then grabbing the coffee from a passing, and soon disgruntled, Digger Harkness, and marches directly to the main courtyard.
It was transfer day.
Waller: Morning, Murph.
Murph: Gooood morning, boss. Feeling friendly today?
Waller sighs: Not particularly.
Murph smiles: Perfect! Here’s the clipboard. The boys are bringing the new blood through now.
Waller: Well don’t let me stand in their way. Let’s start the parade.
Murph: You heard the lady, roll em out!
One by one, shackled and bolted, twelve new prisoners, led by dour looking guards, are led out of the containment room and into the courtyard.
Waller: Cheval, Johnathan.
Murph: Present.
Waller: Black, Danton.
Murph: Present.
Waller: Walker, Norbert.
A furtive man, looking bewildered and distant, glances once at Waller, then is shoved past.
Murph: Present.
Waller: Bhatia, Shauzia.
Murph: Arrived two days ago, boss. Doc Quinn already checked her out.
Waller rubs her eyes. It’s been a long few weeks: Right, right.
In his cell, Don Conway, Armageddon, is sweating profusely. Partially because of his exercises. For the past few hours, he’s been executing push-ups and crunches. He’s propped his mattress against the wall, laying into it like a railways worker lays nails. He would bench if he had anything at hand, but the cells of Alcatraz are spartan at best. He hums halfheartedly. He recites football scores in his head. Anything to stave off the anxiety.
It’s the same anxious feeling he had when his brother handed him the smoldering torch.
Waller: Barrera, Guillermo.
Murph: Aaannd present.
Waller: That’s it then, all the new kids here at school.
Murph points back to the transfer center: Dunno, Boss, looks to me like we missed a few.
Waller turns: There weren’t any more than that on the report.
Murph: Well, somebody shoulda told them that.
From the transfer, center, two guards, flanking three prisoners, bags over their heads, emerge. Waller’s eyes narrow. This wasn’t how transfers were done, and only high-ranking prisoners; political prisoners, prisoners of war, got the blindfold treatment. Those prisoners went to Guantanamo, and there was no chance of a layover.
Waller stays rooted, but withdraws a pistol from it’s hidden holster under her blouse.
Waller: Identify. Now.
The guard to the left grins. There’s something familiar about his smile. The way his beard is trimmed. The chord he withdraws from his pocket.
Armageddon’s heart skips a beat as the alarms begin to blare. His door swings open, and over the loudspeakers, above even the wail of the alarms, The Answer is shouting:
ALRIGHT YOU TRAINED MONKEYS THIS IS A CODE RED AND I SURE AS HELL MEAN RED! IF YOUR DOOR IS OPEN YOU’VE GOT TEMP ACCESS TO YOUR GEAR AND THE FRONT YARD AND NOTHING ELSE! NOT EVEN THE GIFT SHOP! THERE’S ANOTHER TRIBE OF MONKEYS OUT THERE THAT YOU NEED TO KILL DEAD! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT A DRILL! I REPREAT! FOR SERIOUS!
Armageddon rushes to the gear room, where Angelo Bend, Mike Aparo, and Bito Wladon are already rushing on their outfits, and powering up their gear. Quick as he can, Conway stumbles into his costume, heaves his axe, and lumbers off after them.
In the courtyard, Onslaught has already left their mark. Ravan and Manticore, freshly cloned, have carved a bloody swath through the guards. In one corner, Murph scrambles to evade the flames of Agni, his face a torn, ragged mess from his encounter with Jack Ryder’s alter ego. Murph shouts continuously for backup, that thanks to Djinn creeping through the electronics systems, won’t arrive very soon. Rustam, his sword ablaze, gleefully stands in the carnage, before his eyes lock with Waller's, and he steps forward.
Sonar, Angle-Man, Agent Orange, and Armageddon burst into the courtyard.
Sonar: Agent, you will take the one of fire, Bend, the one in white. Armageddon shall handle the monster. Leave the one with the blade to me.
Agent Orange: Hhhh not the field leader. Do not have to listen to you.
Sonar, icily: You are here to take orders from your superiors and I am nothing if not your superior! Now fight!
Agni raises his hands, sparks crackling at his palms. Murph raises his chin defiantly. His wife always told him he’d die smoking, he just had no idea it would be so literal. At the last second, a smoking cannister, rocketing through the air, pops Agni in the side of the head, knocking him unconscious. Murph scrambles to his feet, breathless, as Agent Orange sprints up and gleefully begins to kick Agni’s inert body.
Agent-Orange: Ah, just like in Saigon.
Angelo Bend was hoping he’d never see these faces again. He was just glad The Creeper wasn’t alongside them. He couldn’t bear to lose any more body parts. There was no hiding this time though, and no purple-clad, stepford-smiling superheroine to hid behind. This time Bend would have to solve his own problems.
Ravan: So many little lives. All so insignificant until this moment; in their sacrifice to Kali.
Bend doesn’t even try to speak. He just ‘ports forward, and hopes his luck will hold out.
Rustam smiles through the carnage. He had missed the last confrontation in Bialya, and regretted that fact sorely. At the time, he was attending to the Queen of Bialya herself when the last Ravan had come limping into his chambers, gasped out the word “Squad,” and collapsed to the floor, dead of a hemorrhage. It was that incident that got him banned from Bialya personally, and led to his taking up residence with the government of Kabul. Which led to this delicious assignment.
Amanda Waller stands defiant against the wall, staring Rustam down as he walks steadily forward. Step by step. Their eyes lock, as Rustam raises his sword, blazing and crackling, and spears it into the wall directly next to her unflinching head. The flame is cool.
Waller, flatly: Hello Rustam. Long time no see. Might I ask how you and your little gang of Superfriends managed to get in?
Rustam: Where is the girl.
Waller: Ah, ah, I asked first.
Rustam: We have no time for childish games, woman. Where is the girl?
Waller: Rustam, even if I did know what girl you were talking about, we both know I wouldn’t tell you.
Rustam: We both know that my blade will make you say otherwise.
Waller: We both know that’s not the case. Now, how did you get in.
From behind Rustam, a voice, timid and southern, coughs out:
I’m . . . I’m sorry ma’am, it was me.
Waller glances behind Rustam, to where Armageddon stands, Manticore’s head in his hand.
Rustam: Ah, that must be our “Don Conway.”
Waller: Dammit, Conway, why?
Armageddon: Well uh, see they offered me a way out. Their electronic fellah came to me and uh—
Rustam sighs: Your “Don Conway” is a deep cover agent. A blank slate from one of our “Antiphon” gene models. After our respective teams altercation, I decided we needed a more direct source to you in case we were to track you down. We grew him rapidly, implanted him with false memories, and had him sent to you at your original location. Everything about him was a facsimile from day one.
Armageddon: Wait . . . I ain’t a real person?
Rustam: Jarring, isn’t it.
Rustam tears his sword from the wall: Now say good bye, Mrs. Waller.
Amanda Waller braces for the impact. Your life can only flash before your eyes so many times before you get bored, she thinks.
There is the sound of metal hitting flesh, then a moment of stillness. Amanda Waller watches as the fire goes out of Rustam’s eyes, and he drops bodily to the ground, a great Axe in his back. Armageddon stands, looking at his own hands. Amanda Waller steps over Rustam’s bleeding body, and places a hand on Armageddon’s shoulder.
Waller: It may not seem like it, but you did good, Don.
Armageddon removes his mask. He’s breathing heavily. Tears stream down his face.
Conway: But I’m . . . I’m not real, Mrs. Waller . . . My Ma and Pa, my brother, damn him, the little holler down by the creek . . . Ms. Maisy and the town fair . . . none of it’s real. I . . I’m glad you think I done good but, I can’t stomach the thought of my own not-being . . .
He breaks away from her hand and takes a few steps backward. To his left, Agent Orange stands admiring a roaring fire. Desperately, guards swarm about trying to put it out. Murph is calling for someone to drag Cameron Mahkent’s ass out of bed and get him down there.
Don Conway takes a deep breath, whispers Caroline’s name one last time, then before anyone can stop him, flings himself into Aparo’s flames.
Amanda Waller surveys the damage, and rests her face in her hands.
The third prisoner, watching this all unfold from the shadows of the transfer-room doors, slinks off unseen.
----------------------------
All Moth-related things were Moth approved by the Moth Master himself.
The Magnificat antiphon for 17 December: "O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence."
This painting of Christ, the eternal Word proceeding from the Father into Our Lady's womb at the Annunciation is in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
My sermon for today can be read here.
"Throughout his many years in Krakow, our philosopher Pontiff, St. John Paul II drew much inspiration at the grave of his patron saint of learning. It was no surprise, therefore, that during his 1997 pilgrimage to Poland, he once more prayed at the saint’s tomb. There, during a special gathering with professors from the Jagiellonian University (both his and St. John’s alma mater), he alluded to the Master from Kenty when he stated the saint’s life exemplified what emerges when “knowledge and wisdom seek a covenant with holiness.”"
The traditional date of St John Cantius's feast is 20 October, but in the new calendar it is on 23 December, the day before his death in 1473. However, as my posts in the final week of Advent are concentrated on the O antiphons, I have decided to share this photo of St John Cantius's shrine in Krakow on this day (20 Oct) instead.
"O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms."
Mosaic of Moses and the Burning Bush in the National Shrine in Washington DC. The Lord, with outstretched arms on the Cross, comes to redeem us.
"Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity who created all things and governs all things, now and for ever and through all the infinite ages." - Benedictus antiphon for Trinity Sunday.
My sermon for Trinity Sunday can be found here.
Detail from the altar of St Ignatius Loyola by Andrea Pozzo in the church of Il Gesù in Rome.
"O most worthy spouse of Christ, the light of prophecy illumined you, apostolic zeal inflamed you, the laurel of virgins crowned you, and the fire of divine love consumed you, alleluia."
– Magnificat antiphon for the feast of St Catherine of Siena.
Fresco in the Museum of San Marco in Florence.
"Christ is baptized and the whole world is made holy; he wipes out the debt of our sins; we will all be purified by water and the Holy Spirit."
– Benedictus antiphon for today's feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
Detail of an oil painting by El Greco, painted around 1596-1600 in Madrid. It is currently housed in the Barberini Palace museum in Rome.