Celebrating St Scholastica For many of the special feasts and solemnities in our calendar we are blessed with hymns written by members of our community. I often reflect that in these hymns we sing the theology of what it means to belong to the Benedictine Communities at Turvey. The feast of St Scholastica provides a …
Author Archives: Turvey Nuns
Candlemas
Luke 2:22-40 Throughout the liturgical year there are some hymns which seem to draw together all that I hold dear in biblical imagery and incarnational theology. Hail to the Lord who comes is one of those hymns. This hymn helps me make an immediate connection between the Gospel scene of the presentation and my own …
With the Gospel for our guide…
‘Clothed then with faith and the performance of good works, let us set out on this way, with the Gospel for our guide, that we may deserve to see him who has called us to his kingdom.’ ( Prologue, Rule of St Benedict) I entered the monastery in 1993 and so have consciously lived the …
O Emmanuel
December 23rd Liturgy of the Word Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24Luke 1:57-66 O Emmanuel, king and lawgiverdesire of the nations, Saviour of all people.Come and set us free, Lord our God. O Emmanuel O come, O come, and be our God-with-usO long-sought With-ness for a world without,O secret seed, O hidden spring of light.Come to us Wisdom, …
O Rex Gentium
December 22nd Liturgy of the Word 1 Sam 1:24-28Luke 1:46-56 O King of all the nations,the only joy of every human heart;O keystone of the mighty arch of man,come and save the creatureyou fashioned out of dust. O Rex Gentium O King of our desire whom we despise,King of the nations never on the throne,Unfound …
O Oriens
December 21st Song of Songs 2:8-14Luke 1:39-45 O Radiant Dawn, splendour of eternal light,sun of justice;come, shine on thosewho dwell in darknessand the shadow of death. O Oriens First light and then first lines along the eastTo touch and brush a sheen of light on waterAs though behind the sky itself they tracedThe shift and …
Promise
Advent Sunday 4 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a,16Romans 16:25-27Luke 1:26-38 My heart leapt when I saw the readings for this last Sunday in Advent. I have always looked forward to Advent for the prominence given to Old Testament texts. I think I would describe myself as having an Old Testament heart. Today’s first reading from …
O Radix Jesse
December 19th Judges 13:2-7, 24-25Luke 1:5-25 O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;kings stand silent in your presence;the nations bow down in worship before you.Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid. O Radix Jesse All of us sprung from one deep-hidden seed,Rose from …
O Adonai
December 18th Jeremiah 23:5-8Matthew 1:18-24 O Lord of ancient Israel,who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain;come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. O Adonai Unsayable, you chose to speak one tongue,Unseeable, you gave yourself away,The Adonai, the TetragramatonGrew by a wayside in …
O Sapientia
December 17th Liturgy of the WordGen 49:2, 8-10Mat 1:1-17 O Sapientia I cannot think unless I have been thought,Nor can I speak unless I have been spoken.I cannot teach except as I am taught,Or break the bread except as I am broken.O Mind behind the mind through which I seek,O Light within the light by …