Kyrie ha-ha-ha-ha -ha -haa -a -ha

Mass XVII is the Advent (and Lent) Mass, we sang it this morning.
I love the beautiful simplicity but I find it impossible to sing this Kyrie without smiling. It is plainsong laughter set to music. I just can't imagine Mother Abbess ever remaining poe-faced singing this. For me it is the sound of the Church chuckling at the Coming of Christ, it would be so easy to to replace eleisons with "ha-ha-ha-ha -ha -haaa -ha". It seems to sum up Christian hope - call on the Lord, then laugh in the face of old Nick.
I can so easily imagine Our Lady looking at her swelling womb and giggling at the though that the long awaited is on his way, that Redemption is at hand, that God has dealt so kindly with his handmaid..


The Sanctus is more sober, it is the voice of Christians in the presence of Angels and Archangels reaching out to the Holy but there is a bit more than a wry smile on those Hosannas. The Agnus Dei is just so simple, but it is hardly joyless, it doesn't giggle, but it retains the memory of laughter, there is no sorrow about it, just delight, exultation, in the Lamb.
It is fine for Advent but I think it is a little frivolous for Lent, but then maybe the Church is telling us to delight a bit more in Lent penances and lighten up.