This evening I attended an Advent carol service at a local Anglo-Catholic parish. It was a many-splendoured thing. One of the readings was one which I had not heard, or at least not noted, before. I found it quite beautiful and (as one would expect, given the context in which I heard it,) fitting for the Advent season. It was this:
For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
All Manner of Thing 
November 30, 2009 at 9:43 am
Craig, of course you’ve heard it before. It’s one of the songs from Handel’s Messiah.
November 30, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Well, the first part anyway. There’s so much sha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-king going on that they don’t get to the last bit.
AMDG
November 30, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Why don’t you attend the Sunday night solemn vespers at the Oratory (Holy Family parish on King Street W.) They are *Roman* Catholic, and I am sure you would find the service incredibly uplifting and motivating. They are at 5:00 pm every Sunday. Here is the website:
http://www.oratory-toronto.org/spn_holy_family_church.html
–GF
November 30, 2009 at 3:09 pm
That’s a good idea, Giovanni, and I would do so if it were more convenient. The parish I went to is just a few minutes away on foot. No driving, no fighting traffic, less time away from home. All these things make a big difference with a baby. And since the service is just the singing of psalms and carols, a little ecumenism doesn’t hurt. (And, not entirely incidentally, no choir in the city can best this particular group of Anglicans.)
You are right, Adam, and so is Janet. The shaking bit is part of Messiah (although I didn’t think of it at the time — a bass solo, isn’t it?), but the entire passage is not included.