New archbishop and bishop

After being sed vacante for just about a week longer than a year, my "home" diocese, the Archdiocese of Pretoria, South Africa has a new archbishop, William Slattery O.F.M.

Until now Archbishop elect Slattery has been the bishop of Kokstad, and the bio below comes from the website of that diocese.

Bishop William Slattery OFM was born in Tipperary , Ireland, 6 Sept 1943. He Studied secondary school with the Franciscans and then joined that Order in 1962 and made final vows in 1966. Studied for a B.A. at the National University of Ireland in Galway. Studied theology and got licence in S Th in Rome 1970. Came to South Africa in 1971. He worked in Sebokeng, Sharpeville, Boipatong in the Vaal Triangle of Johanessburg diocese.

Appointed novice master of the Franciscans and parish priest Besters 1975-1983, in the diocese of Dundee. Set up formation program in Malawi. Superior of the Franciscans in the Transvaal and then appointed by the Bishops' Conference as Rector of St John Vianney Seminary 1984-1991. General visitator of the Franciscans in East Africa. Postulant Master and parish priest in Amatikhulu\Gingindlovu in the diocese of Eshowe.

Returned to Besters 1993 and appointed Bishop of Kokstad Nov 1993, consecrated bishop Feb 19, 1994. On the Board of the SACBC 1997-2006 as Chair of the department of Seminaries and now 2006-2009 Head of Department of Evangelisation. Have published religious and spiritual books in Sotho, Zulu, Xhosa and Sepedi.

The Holy Father has also announced a new bishop for the Diocese of Kimberley, our old parish priest, Mgr Abel Gabuza, who has served as the Apostolic Administrator for Pretoria for the last year.

An Advent hymn

This is most beautifully sung. It's well worth listening to.

O come Emmanuel

In our Evening Prayer today we use the last of the 7 great O Antiphons, O Emmanuel.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,
exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

O Immanuel, you are our king and judge,
the One whom the peoples await and their Saviour.
O come and save us, Lord, our God.

Isaiah prophesied:

"The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and shall give birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

The King of the Nations

O Rex Gentium, theKing of the Nations - the sixth of the great O Antiphons.

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,

lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:

veni, et salva hominem,

quem de limo formasti.

O King whom all the peoples desire,

you are the cornerstone which makes all one.

O come and save man

whom you made from clay. 

Isaiah tells us:

"For there is a child been born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace." (Isaiah 9:5)

"He will wield authority over the nations, and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war." Isaiah 2:4

O Rising Sun

The fifth of the great O Antiphons - O Oriens

O Oriens,

splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Rising Sun,

you are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice.

O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.  

Enough already

O Clavis David

The fourth of the great O Antiphons, O Clavis David - O key of David

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel;

qui aperis, et nemo claudit;

claudis, et nemo aperit:

veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,

sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O key of David and sceptre of Israel;

what you open no one else can close again;

what you close no one can open.

O come to lead the captive from prison:

free those those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Isaiah's prophesy says:

"I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, and no one shall open." Isaiah 22:22

"His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore." Isaiah 9:7

"...To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."Isaiah 42:7.

O Radix Jesse

The third O Antiphons, O Radix Jesse - O stock of Jesse

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

O stock of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations;
kings fall silent before you
whom the peoples acclaim.
O come to deliver us, and do not delay.

Isaiah says:

"A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots." (Isaiah 11:1)

and

"That day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples. It will be sought by the nations and its home will be glorious." (Isaiah 11:10)

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of David's line and be born in David's city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1)

O Adonai

The second of the great O Antiphons - O Adonai

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,

et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Adonai, and leader of Israel,

you appeared to Moses in a burning bush

and you gave him the law on Sinai.

O come and save us with your mighty power.

Isaiah says:

"... but [He] judges the wretched with integrity, and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked. Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips." (Isaiah 11:4-5)

"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king and our saviour." (Isaiah 33:22)

Just another dead blog and the "O" Antiphons

OK, I know what you're thinking - 5 weeks and no new post, obviously this is just another dead blog!

Sorry to disappoint but it's not (dead that is). St Malachy has had a very busy end to 2010, Deo gratias, and blogging has fallen by the wayside.

As from 17 December we enter the second "part" of advent. Each evening from today until 23 December we use the one of the great "O" Antiphons before and after the Magnificat during Vespers (Evening Prayer).

Each of the "O" Antiphons is a name of Christ, one of His attributes from Scripture and each contains a prophecy from Isaiah concerning the coming of the Messiah. The well known hymn "O come, O come, Emmanuel" is a paraphrase of the "O" Antiphons.

Today we start with O sapienta - O wisdom:

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

In English:

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High.
You fill the universe and hold all things together
in a strong yet gentle manner.
O come to teach us the way of truth.