The season of Advent is a wonderful time of preparation – not just for the great festival of the Incarnation, but also for the awe-inspiring Second Coming itself. The responsorial psalms really help to capture the “already but not yet” essence of the season.

The Word became flesh and already dwells in our midst, yet we await and long for his coming in glory and the fullness of his presence with us.

As we proclaim in the Creed each Sunday, we believe Jesus will “come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead“. We say it almost without thinking, yet it is a profound – if slightly unnerving – reality of our faith.

Singing (rather than absent mindedly reciting!) the responsorial psalms is always a powerful way to meditate on the Word.  During this season of Advent, it is a great way to nurture our sense of longing, anticipation and expectation.

These accessible, contemporary settings for Year C have been tried and tested by our team over the years. (click links below)

• 1st Sunday of Advent, Year C ~ “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul” (Psalm 24)
• 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C ~ “What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad” (Psalm 125:1-6)
• 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C ~ “Sing and shout for joy for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12)
• 4th Sunday of Advent, Year C ~ “Lord of Hosts, bring us back; let you face shine on us and we shall be saved” (Psalm 79)

Our hope is that singing and praying these psalms of Advent will help to “confirm our hearts in holiness, so that we may be blameless in the sight of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus Christ comes with all all his saints.” {1 Thessalonians 3:13}

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