The “Great O” antiphon for December 19 is “O Branch of Jesse” (or O Root). (See an explanation of the Great O’s in the blog post for December 16.) From Isaiah 11: 1 – 4a
The “Great O” antiphon for December 18 is “O Lord.” (See an explanation of the Great O’s in the blog post for December 16.) From Exodus 3: 1 – 6: Moses was keeping
The Great O antiphon for December 17 is “O Wisdom.” (See an explanation of the Great O’s in the blog post for December 16.) From Ecclesiasticus 24: 3 – 9 I came forth from the
This past Sunday, on December 10, the Sisters and Companions led an Advent Lessons and Carols service based on the “Great O’s.” The Great O’s are a series of antiphons to the Magnificat sung at
Reading the gospel for the first Sunday of Advent (Mark 13.24-37) with its emphasis on “Beware, keep alert, stay awake!” brought to mind a secular song on that theme: You better watch out, You better
One of my favourite pieces of music is Smetana’s “The Moldau.” Smetana uses tones to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia’s great rivers. He said “the composition describes the course of the Moldau, starting
When it comes to God you can always expect the unexpected. For Sister Doreen McGuff, a young impressionable self-proclaimed dreamer, the 60s was a pivotal decade for her. “I had just started university in 1960
A Homily based on the readings for Thanksgiving Day: Deuteronomy 8.7-18, Psalm 65, 2 Corinthians 9.6-15, Luke 17.11-19 One of my favourite Peanuts comic strips has Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the gang waiting in
Frances Drolet Smith preached the following homily for the ending of the Women at a Crossroads program at St. John’s Convent on Sunday, July 23. It was the prophet Mark Twain who said, “There are
By Matt Gardner Reprinted with permission of the Anglican Church of Canada More than 10 months after a group of young women began living with members of the Sisterhood of St. John the
