Three Masses, one sacrifice.....one great video

Who could fail to be moved by the video clip below?

It represents, the Mass, of course, but also the universality of our Faith and our liturgy.

Unchanged and unchanging; wherever you are in the world, the Tridentine Latin Mass is there.

A fitting reflection for the Feast of Ss Peter and Paul tomorrow 29th June.

Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

Thanks to Fr JJ 

The Feast of Corpus Christi in Wales

Last night, at St Joseph's Cathedral, Swansea, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, Sung Mass was celebrated by Father Jason Jones together with the Newcastle Emlyn Schola.


Some forty souls attended, a small number in Cathedral terms but very large when compared with how things were five years ago before Summorum Pontificum.


Then we would have been fortunate to have five in the congregation.


In another five years, I hope that we will have 100 plus attending Mass and fulfilling their obligation on this great feast.


The following clip is Byrd's Agnus Dei from last night's Mass.


It is pleading and plaintive:


"Have mercy on us O Lord and speed  support for the Holy Father in restoring tradition to our liturgy and Faith"

Posted by: Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

Every priest's nightmare

                                          

I don’t suppose that it happens at an Ordinary Form Mass.

That moment when, horror of horrors, the priest drops the consecrated host just as he was about to place it on the tongue of one of the faithful.

I posted some months ago, about how, whilst serving Mass in a side chapel at St Maria Maggiore in Rome, such an accident occurred, through no fault of the celebrant, Fr Adrian Wiltshire.

I knew (or, so I thought) that the correct course of action was for me as server,  to place the communion plate over the host so that it could be retrieved reverently after Mass but, on this occasion it was the last fragment in the ciborium and there was a communicant waiting.

“Pick it up” Whispered Fr W.

I made a move to do so and then froze. I had never in my life touched a consecrated host other than on my tongue and to do so now seemed a sacrilege somehow.

“Pick it up” whispered the good priest yet again. My hand moved another foot closer before I froze yet again.

I knew the priests suffered from bad arthritis and could not possibly undertake the action himself and it was common sense for me to step into the breach but I was still playing the part of a statue.

It could only have been a few seconds but it seemed like ten minutes had passed before I forced myself to pick up the host and hand it to the priest.

When I posted on this previously, some kind soul left a comment to the effect: “Just get over it and if you can’t get over it go and see a psychiatrist”. I felt like giving the Dorothy Day response: “I’m a Catholic, I don’t need a psychiatrist” but didn’t.

So what is the correct procedure? 

The reason I ask is that I had a report of this happening in a prominent parish in London recently. The priest had hesitated and then picked up the host and placed it on the tongue of the communicant.

Under those circumstances I do not believe that was the correct course of action.

Some think that the priest, himself, should consume it on the spot.

I am not so sure; I think the communion plate as a temporary cover is correct.

Photo: WDTPRS Blog

                                       A Sacrarium - every sacristy should have one

Then, the host would be retrieved and placed in a sacrarium.

Now, I had never heard of a sacrarium until reading Fr Z’s blog a few days ago.

A sacrarium is a covered sink with an outlet pipe running into the earth externally. Any consecrated hosts that require to be disposed of (for very legitimate reasons) are placed in water in the sacrarium until such time as they have dissolved and may be allowed to drain outside into the ground.

It is worth noting the correct procedure (if, indeed, I am correct) as this sort of accident can happen occasionally.

Of course, if the altar server is doing his stuff, the damage is limited in most cases. He must be adept at shadowing the priest’s hand as he removes the host from the ciborium to place it on the tongue, not always easy.

Then there is the account of St Richard of Chichester, when, at the moment of consecration of the Precious Blood, a large and hirsute spider fell into the chalice.

The saint did not hesitate for one second before consuming the contents of the chalice, spider and all.

But then, he was a saint.


Posted by Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

Feast of St Philip Neri

The soul derives from God her being high,
In one keen instant out of nothing brought,
Not painfully through second causes wrought;
How should she, then, submit to things that die?

To hope, desire, to joy, to enmity;
To her confusion by these guides mistaught,
Of One confronting her she knoweth naught,
One glimpse of Whom would lift her to the sky.

How should the baser nature dare rebel
Against the higher, nor, as meet, consent
To do its bidding, but essay to quell?

Why prison bars the aspiring soul prevent
From leaving earth, above the stars to dwell,
To die to self, to live to God, intent.

I love, and loving must love ceaselessly,
So whole a conquest in me love hath won;
My love to Thee, Thy love to me doth run,
In Thee I live, and Thou dost live in me.

Surely the day is nigh when I may flee
From this dark gaol, for ever to have done
With vanity and blind oblivion,
Where, exiled from myself, I used to be.

Earth laughs and sky, green branches and soft air,
The winds are quiet, and the water still,
No sun before has shed so bright a day;

The gay birds sing, love's joy is everywhere;
My heart alone has no responsive thrill,
My powers flag and shrink from joy away.

                      St Philip Neri


Posted by Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

Priests as Instruments of Grace

Fr Daniel Seward, of the Oxford Oratory, preached a wonderful sermon on the priesthood last Sunday, following the ordination of Fr Nicholas Edmonds-Smith on Saturday 1st October. He reflected on the role of priests as servants and instruments of God, and commented that a vocation to the priesthood is not found by demonstrating certain abilities, as though anyone were properly ‘qualified’ to act as Christ himself. It is all done by the grace of God. This is clear when one reflects on the liturgy, and how the priest must submit himself entirely and faithfully to it, with no room for imposing his own personality on what God has instituted in the Holy Mass:

‘We should not come away from Mass conscious of the personality of the priest who celebrates, rather, it is the person of Christ in whose person the priest acts that is the only important factor. This is why, as Pope Benedict says, there is no room whatever for creativity in the liturgy. Every word, every gesture, should come from the Roman Missal.’

I had already been reflecting on this following my visit to Blackfen for the 1st October meeting of the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma. It was my first experience of High Mass in the Old Rite, and I was very struck by the beauty of the vestments worn by the celebrants. For those who do not understand that the priest is Alter Christus, it might seem that these splendid robes are an arrogant affectation, a sign that the priest considers himself somehow more holy or more spiritual than the laity. But of course, the more splendid the robes, the less focus there is on the priest as personality, and the more clear is his role as an instrument of Divine Grace. And this is especially true when one is looking at his back!

This applies to the Sacrament of Confession as well. It is so helpful not to be able to see the priest. At the Oxford Oratory there is a screen, and a crucifix to look at as one kneels to make confession. All of this reminds one that the priest is acting as an instrument of Grace, a channel which God has chosen.

It seems to me that in these times when so few people have any real understanding of the sacred, it is more important than ever for priests to take every opportunity to show to the faithful the fullness of the truth about what ordination means, especially by their administration of the Sacraments. Ordination is an astonishing work of God, whereby he demonstrates that he can take useless human materials and transfigure them, so that they can do infinite good.

And of course it is also possible for priests to do infinite harm, which is why we so urgently need to pray for holy priests. Fr Daniel quoted Therese of Lisieux: "Alas! how many bad priests there are, priests who are not holy enough...Let us pray, let us suffer for them." He also mentioned the comment of St John Bosco, that the walls of hell are lined with birettas.

But in many ways this infinite capacity and great responsibility applies to every one of us. When we make ourselves into a living sacrifice, offering everything up through the Immaculate Heart of Mary and united with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, then we too become channels of God’s grace, mysteriously participating in the divine plan of redemption. When we submit to God’s plan by praying the devotions given to us by the Church, and particularly by Our Blessed Mother, and by receiving the Sacraments instituted by Christ, then we too can leave behind our personalities, instead becoming the person that God made us to be.

Posted by Anthony Radice (A Tiny Son of Mary).

The full text of Fr Daniel's sermon can be found here.

Photo by Mac McLernon (see her Flickr site).

Will Pope Benedict XVI ever publicly celebrate an EF Mass?

I cannot believe that any Catholic would not welcome the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of Mass by the Holy Father. In fact, the balance of Church life seems out of kilter because it has not yet taken place. We have the Ordinary Form which, of course, Pope Benedict celebrates and then we have the Extraordinary Form which he doesn't.

Photo: Orbis Catholicus
We wait and pray, Holy Father!

Would it be too banal to liken this situation to a man who has two cars? He drives one regularly but the other remains unused in the garage. Need I say more?

But there may be sound reasons why this momentous event has not taken place; there are groups within the Church who actually would be most.......upset? ....not quite the word......very angry? - more like it, if the Pope said the Tridentine Latin Mass. In fact, it is rumoured that some French Bishops (and possibly a few  German and Dutch ones) would be so angry that they would cut the ties with Rome. I do not know if this is true or not but it may account for the fact that the 'Mass of all Time' has not featured on the Holy Father's busy schedule.

He has to do all within his power to stop any fragmentation of the faithful, yet he cannot be held a hostage to fortune, or, in this case, Providence! A difficult road to walk and one that may not satisfy the traditional wing of the faith - prayers are needed and, with that thought in mind, I turn to the unfailing wisdom and grace of Thomas a Kempis.

This is a chapter for those who want for something that appears unnattainable:-

The Voice of the Lord:

My son, on every such occasion this is what you should say: Lord, if this is Your will, let it happen like this. Lord, if this brings you honour, let it be done in your name. Lord, if You see that this will help me and do me good, then grant that I may use it to the honour of Your name. But if you know that it will harm me, and not advance my soul's salvation, then take the desire away.

The Holy Spirit is not the author of every desire that seems good and proper to you. It is not easy to decide whether it is a good spirit or an evil one that generates any particular desire, or even if it originates in your own spirit. Many find themselves deceived in the end, although they thought at first that some good spirit led them.

So whatever desirable scheme presents itself to you, you must be governed by humility and the fear of God as you work towards it; above all, you must commit it entirely to Me, abandoning your own will, and saying: Lord, You know what is best. May Your will decide what shall be done. Give what You will, how much You will, and when you will. Do what you know is best for me, do what pleases you and brings your name most honour. Put me where You will, and deal with me in all things as You please. I am in Your hand - turn me backwards and forwards, turn me upside down.
Here I am, Your servant, ready for anything, for I have no desire to live for myself, but only to live perfectly and worthily for You.

A prayer that God's will be done

Most kind Jesus, grant Me Your grace to be at my side and share my labours, and remain with me right to the end. Grant that it may always be my longing and desire to do whatever is acceptable and pleasing to You.

May Your will become mine, and my will always follow Yours in perfect harmony. Grant that I may be one with You in choosing and rejecting, that I may be unable to choose or reject except as You would do.

Grant that I may die to the claims of everything in this world, and that for Your sake, I may aim at being unknown and unvalued among men.

Grant that beyond all my desires I may find my rest in You, and in You discover peace for my heart. You are the true peace of the heart, its only rest.

All that is outside You is rough and restless. I rest in You, the highest, the everlasting God, and even as I lie down, sleep comes, and with sleep tranquility.

The Imitation of Christ

Posted by Richard Collins - Linen on the Hedgerow

The Sistine Chapel - in the depths of Wales!

             

Beautiful frescoes adorn the walls and ceiling, stone communion rails define the sanctuary, marble pillars line the sides of the chapel and a fine array of brass candlesticks furnish the altar.

All is still, all is quiet but all is not real. In fact it is all false or, to use the language of the art world it is all “faux”.

This chapel is set in what, from 1942 until 1945, was an Italian Prisoner of War camp. It is housed, in fact, in a rusting and ancient Nissan hut, surrounded by others of the same kind that once housed up to 1,000 prisoners far from their Tuscan, Umbrian and Calabrian homes and far from their loved ones.

Most of these men were Catholics and many of them had the innate Italian sense of art and sacred art especially. Once a hut had been assigned to them as a chapel they set about creating a real chapel such as they might have worshipped in at home.

Paper was pulped into papiere mache and moulded into columns that were then painted and marbling introduced with the aid of a large feather, corned beef cans were saved and cleaned before being hammered out flat and then fashioned into ‘flat’ candlesticks, painted yellow for a brass effect and given a strut at the back, from three feet away you would swear you were looking at antique brass candle holders.

Concrete was poured into crude moulds and, before setting completely was released and then ‘distressed’ so that it looked like 17^th century carved stonework. These were the altar rails.

Then, these resourceful men saved up and harvested whatever vegetable and vegetation scraps they could find and made dyes of all shades. These were to be the paints used on the plasterwork of the ceiling and walls; the masterpiece being the fresco of The Last Supper above the altar.

All of this was carried out with love and concern for what was to take place in this very humble hut. It was accomplished to the glory of God and their reward was the Mass in Latin as if they were back home with wives, sweethearts and parents.

Today, the chapel still stands on the site of the original camp in the small Ceredigionshire village of Henllan; a mile or two outside the market town of Newcastle Emlyn. Time and the Welsh elements are taking their toll. The owner of the site has done his best to preserve what is there but, slowly rust is taking hold and damp is penetrating the plaster. The hut is now shrouded in plastic sheeting to keep out the worst of the weather but, unless urgent steps are taken this splendid piece of Catholic history will crumble into oblivion.

What can be done? In Wales the organisation for the preservation of historic buildings is called Cadw but it would be fruitless to pour cash into restoring the chapel in its present location, it is just too isolated.

All beautiful within - the Italian PoW Chapel

I would like to see the Welsh Folk Museum at St Fagan’s near Cardiff, in conjunction with Cadw, take this chapel on board and, in their normal fashion, remove it in sections and re-build it on what is one of the best museum sites in Great Britain. It would not cost much (compared with some of the relocations St Fagan’s has tackled). But it does require the will to make it happen.

Posted by Richard Collins of Linen on the Hedgerow.