The Messianic imprint of that “puer” in fact invites us to expand our understanding of it toward the much broader perspective of the Nativity scene. It is again Isaiah 9 that offers the text for this introit, where the prophet proclaims the birth of a “child”: this is a correct translation of the term “puer,” which immediately resounds with all of its power, but its meaning needs to be further explored. The second Mass of Christmas begins with a reference to a prophecy in Isaiah 9 and immediately places the accent on the substantive “lux,” a clear allusion to the Mass “in aurora,” which sees in the birth of Christ the long-awaited new light: “Lux fulgebit hodie super nos, quia natus est nobis Dominus” (The light will shine upon us today, because to us is born the Lord).Īnd finally, in the Mass of the day, the Son begotten by the Father, the new light that shines on us, takes shape in the “Puer natus.” The introit of the first nocturnal Mass makes resound a Messianic verse of Psalm 2 that, in the sparse and spare Gregorian acoustic translation in the second mode, contemplates the event of the incarnation of the Son by bringing into focus the divine relationship with the Father: “Dominus dixit ad me: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te” (The Lord said to me: You are my Son, today I have begotten you). It is useful to review the itinerary traced by the introits of the seasons of Advent and Christmas also in the light of the historical evolution just recalled.Īfter the introits of Advent, which proclaim the “great mystery” - as Paul would say - of a salvation for all peoples and invoke the “rain” of the Just One and the “sprout” of the Savior, there come the texts of the three Christmas liturgies, skillfully arranged in a crescendo of rare expressive density, precisely in preparation for that “Puer natus” which represents its culminating moment. While for Easter the central liturgy - which is in turn the center of the entire liturgical year - is that of the nocturnal vigil, while the Mass of the day is a subsequent completion. At Christmas the main Mass is that of the day, and the nocturnal and morning celebrations were added later. It is therefore interesting to observe that, for Christmas, the level of importance of the liturgical celebrations is inverted with respect to Easter. The Mass "in aurora" was later inserted between the two because the pope, on the return journey to Saint Peter's, introduced the practice of celebrating a Mass for the Greeks in the church of Sant'Anastasia. The first Mass "in nocte" takes its origin from the development of the nocturnal vigil that - under the impulse of the Council of Ephesus in 431 that attributed to Mary the title of "theotòkos," mother of God - concluded with a papal Mass at the Roman basilica of Saint Mary Major. Nonetheless, in the beginning the Church of Rome had only one Eucharist for Christmas - celebrated at the basilica of Saint Peter - and precisely that became afterward the third Mass "in die." According to a tradition that dates back to the 6th century, in fact, Christmas has three different liturgical formulations: the Mass on the night of Christmas Eve, at the following dawn, and of the day itself. The "Graduale Romanum" places it at the opening of the Mass of the day, the third of the three Masses of Christmas. The introit "Puer natus" is without a doubt one of the best-known pieces of the Gregorian repertoire and has become a symbol of the ancient Christmas monodic tradition. To the eyes of the peoples he has revealed his justice. In a brand-new performance presented by the "Cantori Gregoriani" and their MaestroĪnd he will be called angel of great counsel. Masterpieces of Gregorian Chant / "Puer natus"
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