The Propers and Gospel for this Sunday situate us between Easter and the Ascension/Pentecost events that we will celebrate soon. The Introit — with its phrases from Psalm 98 — celebrates the salvation-victory of God, a victory made certain by the Resurrection: O sing unto the Lord a new song, alleluia: for the Lord hath done marvelous things, alleluia: in the sight of the nation hath he shewed his righteous judgments, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. With his own right hand and with his holy arm: hath he gotten himself the victory. Derek Kidner points out that the term translated “marvelous things” stresses the supernatural aspect of God’s victory; the term is “more…

This Sunday is known as “Jubilate Sunday,” because the first word in the Introit (when sung in Latin) is Jubilate, “Be joyful.” (By the way, if you’re explaining this to your kids, remember that the initial “J” in the word is silent.) In English, the first phrase of the Introit (from Psalm 66) is: “O be joyful in God, all ye lands, alleluia: sing praises unto the honor of his Name, alleluia: make his praise to be glorious, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.” The persistent presence of alleluias reminds us that we are still in Eastertide. Our opening hymn is also replete with Paschal alleluias. “Alleluia! Alleluia! Hearts and voices” was written…

On every Sunday between Easter and Ascension Day, the Psalm texts chosen for use in the Introit (and often on other propers) refer to singing God’s praises. Last week the Introit enjoined us: “Sing we merrily unto God our helper!” Next week: “Sing praises unto the honor of his name!” The following week: “O sing unto the Lord a new song!” On the fifth Sunday after Easter: “With a voice of singing declare ye this and let it be heard . . .” And on Ascension Day: “O sing unto God with the voice of melody.” Today’s Introit is not quite as explicit as those others, but we are enjoined to…

The first Sunday after Easter has many “aliases.” Within the Anglican Communion, this day is traditionally called Low Sunday; the origins of that name are at best obscure. It is often suggested that the name suggests the inferiority of this Sunday to the Great Sunday that we celebrated last week, the Sunday our Prayerbook designates “Easter Day.” The term “Octave of Easter” is used to designate the eight-day period that starts on Easter Sunday, so the “Octave Day of Easter” can also be used to name Easter’s eighth day. Among Eastern Christians, it is sometimes called St. Thomas Sunday, with reference to the appearance of Jesus to his doubting —…

Our processional hymn on Easter Sunday — “Christ the Lord is risen today” — has been sung in one form or another for many centuries. The original Latin carol (Christmas is not the only feast with carols) comes to us from a 14th-century manuscript. It was first published in an English translation in 1708, a time when churches in England were just beginning to break away from the practice of only singing Psalms during worship. The tune to which we sing the hymn — known variously as EASTER HYMN, EASTER MORN, or SALISBURY — has been linked with this text since it first appeared in English in 1708. The plentiful…

On this dark day, our service begins with a triumphant Processional hymn: “Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle.” This hymn reminds us that the Victim on the Cross was finally triumphant. Tongues and battles are both referenced in the Tract proper for this day, which is taken from Psalm 140. The psalmist is acutely aware of threats from evil and wicked men: “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent: adder’s poison is under their lips.” They are described as those who “imagine mischief in their hearts.” The word “mischief” has lost much of its power today, suggesting childish waywardness. The word’s etymology suggests things that end very badly, like…

This service’s Processional hymn — “Go to dark Gethsemane” — invites us to meditate on, vicariously experience, and so learn from the physical and emotional sufferings that Christ endured in the hours culminating on the cross. The point-of-view enjoined in the hymn moves from that of an observer  (“Your Redeemer’s conflict see,” “View the Lord of life arraigned,” “Mark the miracle of time”) to that of an imitator (“Learn of Jesus Christ to pray,” etc.). 1. Go to dark Gethsemane, ye that feel the tempter’s power; your Redeemer’s conflict see, watch with him one bitter hour; turn not from his griefs away, learn of Jesus Christ to pray. 2. Follow…

In singing the text to our processional hymn — “All glory, laud, and honor” — we re-enact the honoring of the Son of David that accompanied Christ’s entry into Jerusalem. But we do so with an awareness of the drama of the week that was to come — an awareness of an agonizing death followed by the triumphant death of death at the Resurrection. The text to this hymn dates to the ninth century; you may read more about the text and the tune here. The Introit for Palm Sunday is from Psalm 22: O Lord, remove not thy succour afar from me; have respect to my defense, and hear…

The term “Passiontide” traditionally refers to the two weeks preceding Easter, so the fifth Sunday in Lent has commonly been known as Passion Sunday. During the coming days, our meditation on the redemptive passion (that is, the suffering) of Christ becomes even more focused, aided by many allusive elements in today’s service. The Epistle reading from the letter to the Hebrews explains the superiority of the blood of Christ to that of bulls and goats used in Temple sacrifices; the shedding of his blood has the power to “purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” The final verse in the Gospel reading depicts an outright attempt to…