Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel lesson from Mark reminds us that Advent is approaching. The Church, in her wisdom, has arranged various patterns in the church calendar that not only take us through seasonal changes and movements, but they actually prepare us for those shifts in advance!

This is a marvelous opportunity to hear this Gospel text with 16th-century ears, and from no less a composer than William Byrd (c. 1549-1623). Byrd served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and it’s organist, and he shared with contemporary Thomas Tallis a special patent to publish music (and even ruled music paper) for 21 years.

In spite of being in this peculiar position in Queen Elizabeth’s court, Byrd was a devout Roman Catholic, and many of his Latin-language motets from this period show traces of his recusant status and attitude. (‘Recusants’ were those who refused to attend the state-mandated Anglican services, and who, by virtue of their Catholic allegiances, might be considered seditious.) This reading from Mark thus takes on a certain political overtones in Byrd’s music.

‘Beware’, ‘Keep watch’, ‘keep alert’ — the message and its double meaning is clear. Christ may return at any hour, and in the current geo-political situation, would faithful Catholics be found asleep?

I wonder what contemporary resonances this text might have for us now, possibly as a group, but also as individuals, as we approach another anticipation of Christ’s coming?

Yours in Christ,
Justin

Vigilate, nescitis enim quando dominus domus veniat,
sero, an media nocte, an gallicantu, an mane.
Vigilate ergo, ne cum venerit repente, inveniat vos dormientes.
Quod autem dico vobis, omnibus dico: vigilate.


Watch ye therefore (for you know not when the lord of the house cometh,
at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning):
Watch therefore, lest coming on a sudden, he find you sleeping.
And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch.

- Mark 13:35-37