There are many important ways to enter into Advent and prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. In previous years, we have recommended various acts of penance (prayer, fasting and almsgiving) and these remain so important!
This year, I want to make another recommendation - singing Advent hymns in your home! In this sermon, we look at the importance of hymns in the Church's Liturgy (especially in the Breviary) and consider how two hymns can help us meditate on the way that Advent prepares us for the Day of Judgement and the Second Coming of Christ -- Hark, the Herald's Voice Is Calling (Vox Clara Ecce Intonat, the hymn for Lauds/Morning prayer during Advent) and Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending (written by the protestant Charles Wesley). [text of hymns below]
Listen online, [here]!
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Hark, A Herald's Voice Is Calling
1. Hark! a herald voice is calling:'Christ is nigh,' it seems to say;
'Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!'
2. Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3. Lo! the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven;
4. So when next he comes with glory,
Wrapping all the earth in fear,
May he then as our defender
Of the clouds of heaven appear.
5. Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
While unending ages run. Amen.
1 Lo he comes in clouds descending,
Once for helpless sinner slain!
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
All the Angels cry amen.
2 Ev'ry eye shall now behold him,
Rob'd in dreadful majesty,
Those who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierc'd and nail'd gim to the tree.
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.
3 Ev'ry island, sea, and mountain,
Heav'n and earth, shall flee away;
All who hate him, must confounded,
Hear the trump proclaim the day;
Come to judgment, come to judgment, come to judgment,
Come to judgment come away.
4 Now redemption long expected,
See, in solemn pomp appear!
All his saints by man rejected,
Now shall meet him in the air!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
See the day of God appear.
5 Answer thine own bride and Spirit,
Hasten Lord, the gen'ral doom,
The new heav'n and earth t' inherit,
Take thy pining exiles home,
All creation, all creation, all creation,
Travails! groans! and bids thee come.
6 Yea, amen let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne!
Saviour, take the pow'r and glory;
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
O come quickly, O come quickly, O come quickly,
Hallelujah! come Lord, come.
