The Catholic News Agency has picked up the thesis I'm presenting at Sacra Liturgia in June. I try to show that before the 20th century, Gregorian chant flourished in the same way that open-source software does today, through sharing and the creation of derivative works.
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The Development of Chant in an Open Source Environment
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Fr. Reginald Foster in North Carolina for Latin Intensive Program
Veterum Sapientia is an intensive week-long ecclesiastical Latin program largely for, but not exclusive to, priests, religious, and seminarians. It will take place at Belmont Abbey College outside Charlotte, NC this August 4-10. It will offer a unique, guided exploration of the most important categories of writing that make up the Church’s Latin patrimony, with exercises ordered toward helping participants grow in their understanding of the mechanics of the language and internalize new vocabulary through active use. Classes and related activities (e.g. meals, games, walks) will be conducted in Latin and in a combination of Latin and English, as appropriate to participants’ level of experience. Plenary class sessions and some small-group work will be devoted to reading and discussion of texts representing the major genera of Latin writing in the life of the Church: scriptural Latin, patristic Latin, liturgical Latin, scholastic Latin, ecclesiastical (curial) Latin, and Gregorian chant (hymns). In other small-group sessions, participants will be guided through active exercises in speaking and in simple writing, based on material from these representative texts.
Participants will experience a series of plenary and small-group classes for a minimum total of six hours of instruction daily. Common lunches, dinners, and evening recreational activities will also be provided, offering opportunities for informal conversation in Latin to those who wish to participate. All class sessions, common meals and recreational activities will be conducted on the Belmont Abbey College campus; participants’ lodging will be off-campus (see area hotel information below).
We've been blessed with an extraordinary staff. Fr. Reginald Foster will be the head instructor. He was the chief Vatican Latinist for nearly 40 years and is arguably the best Latinist in the world. Assisting him we have his successor in the Vatican Latin office, Msgr. Dan Gallagher, Dr. Nancy Llewellyn of Wyoming Catholic College who's quite well-known in the spoken Latin circuit, and Dr. Gerald Malsbary at Belmont Abbey College.
Veterum Sapientia was an Apostolic Constitution signed on the high altar of St. Peter's by Blessed John XXIII. Its goal was to restore and revitalize the Latin language in the Church. Since it was signed a mere six months before Vatican II, it has been largely ignored for the past 50 years. Now more attention is being given to the document and this program hopes to respond to it.
Register now. Deadline for registration is June 1st.
http://www.latin.org/programs/veterumsapientia/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Veterum-Sapientia-2013/152961158211806
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New Book Sale Listing: Missals, Archdale King, Liturgical Journals, Schuster, etc.
All of these titles are hardcovers unless specified otherwise as "SC". Where a dustjacket is included, I have noted it by "DJ". Prices do not include shipping. Bulk/lot purchases and offers are more than welcome -- and actually encouraged. For more information, email: stribe@newliturgicalmovement.org]
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Liturgical History, Commentary, Texts
The Mass of the Roman Rite, Joseph Jungmann (2 vols), $125.00 USD
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CIEL Colloquium Proceedings (English translations) 1996-2006, (9 volumes) -- Here's a treat as these aren't easy to get any longer. These are all of the extant papers from the reknowned CIEL colloquia over the years. I'd prefer to sell these as a set. They'd be great for a university or seminary library collection. $300.00 USD
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The Liturgical Year, Dom Prosper Gueranger (15 vols.), $225.00 USD
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Liturgica Historica, Edmund Bishop, $80.00 USD
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The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis) (SC), $22.00 -- a great source book of information for early Christian Rome.
Ordo Romanus Primus (English trans. by Atchley), $75.00 -- I am rather surprised no one has scooped this yet. It's absolutely invaluable as a reference to the liturgy of Rome from earlier times.
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The Roman Pontifical: A History and Commentary, Dom P. de Puniet, $65.00
Altar Missals
Missale S.O.P. (Dominican Rite Missal), 1933, $325.00 USD
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Missale S.O.P. (Dominican Rite Missal), 1965, $250.00 USD
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Missale Hispano-Mozarabicum, 1991 (Latin edition of modern Mozarabic rite Missal), $350.00 USD
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Missale Cisterciense (Cistercian Rite), 1910, $300.00 USD
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Missale Romano-Lugdunense (Lyonese rite), 1866, $250.00 USD
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Missale Cartusiense (Carthusian rite), 1883, $300.00 USD -- This is a bit of an oddity and I haven't had a chance to fully study what is going on here. It is a 19th century Carthusian rite missal, but then sometime around the post-conciliar period, the various revisions and deletions have been noticed. It would be interesting for study purposes, allowing an insight into some of the precise revisions that were going on in this period.
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Missale Ambrosianum (Ambrosian Rite), 1831, $650.00 USD -- a glorious over-sized leather binding of the venerable Ambrosian rite.
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Alcuin Club Titles
Studies in Early Roman Liturgy, W.H. Frere (3 volumes), $200.00 USD
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Other
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Read by John Cleese. Unabridged, 4 cd's) - very difficult to acquire. $90.00 USD.
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Orate Fratres/Worship bound journals (50 vols. including index volume to whole set), $750.00 USD -- Absolutely invaluable and packed with great liturgical articles spanning from 1926-1969. If you want to track the thought of the 20th century liturgical movement, this is about one of the best ways I can think to do it.
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Henry Bradshaw Society titles:
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The Royal Patronage of Liturgy in Frankish Gaul (Henry Bradshaw Society) - $50.00
The Liturgy of the Late Anglo-Saxon Church (Henry Bradshaw Society) - $50.00
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Liturgical History, Commentary, Texts
The Mass of the Roman Rite, Joseph Jungmann (2 vols), $125.00 USD
CIEL Colloquium Proceedings (English translations) 1996-2006, (9 volumes) -- Here's a treat as these aren't easy to get any longer. These are all of the extant papers from the reknowned CIEL colloquia over the years. I'd prefer to sell these as a set. They'd be great for a university or seminary library collection. $300.00 USD
The Liturgical Year, Dom Prosper Gueranger (15 vols.), $225.00 USD
Liturgica Historica, Edmund Bishop, $80.00 USD
The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis) (SC), $22.00 -- a great source book of information for early Christian Rome.
Ordo Romanus Primus (English trans. by Atchley), $75.00 -- I am rather surprised no one has scooped this yet. It's absolutely invaluable as a reference to the liturgy of Rome from earlier times.
The Roman Pontifical: A History and Commentary, Dom P. de Puniet, $65.00
Altar Missals
Missale S.O.P. (Dominican Rite Missal), 1933, $325.00 USD
Missale S.O.P. (Dominican Rite Missal), 1965, $250.00 USD
Missale Hispano-Mozarabicum, 1991 (Latin edition of modern Mozarabic rite Missal), $350.00 USD
Missale Cisterciense (Cistercian Rite), 1910, $300.00 USD
Missale Romano-Lugdunense (Lyonese rite), 1866, $250.00 USD
Missale Cartusiense (Carthusian rite), 1883, $300.00 USD -- This is a bit of an oddity and I haven't had a chance to fully study what is going on here. It is a 19th century Carthusian rite missal, but then sometime around the post-conciliar period, the various revisions and deletions have been noticed. It would be interesting for study purposes, allowing an insight into some of the precise revisions that were going on in this period.
Missale Ambrosianum (Ambrosian Rite), 1831, $650.00 USD -- a glorious over-sized leather binding of the venerable Ambrosian rite.
Alcuin Club Titles
Studies in Early Roman Liturgy, W.H. Frere (3 volumes), $200.00 USD
Other
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (Read by John Cleese. Unabridged, 4 cd's) - very difficult to acquire. $90.00 USD.
Orate Fratres/Worship bound journals (50 vols. including index volume to whole set), $750.00 USD -- Absolutely invaluable and packed with great liturgical articles spanning from 1926-1969. If you want to track the thought of the 20th century liturgical movement, this is about one of the best ways I can think to do it.
Henry Bradshaw Society titles:
The Royal Patronage of Liturgy in Frankish Gaul (Henry Bradshaw Society) - $50.00
The Liturgy of the Late Anglo-Saxon Church (Henry Bradshaw Society) - $50.00
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Solemn EF in Sydney Cathedral
Solemn Mass for the 25th Anniversary Ordination of
Fr Terence Mary Naughtin, OFM Conv
Friday, 10th May, 2013
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
Celebrant: Fr Terence Mary Naughtin, OFM Conv
Assistant Priest: Fr Glen Tattersall
Deacon: Fr Michael Rowe
Subdeacon: Fr Andrew Benton
Homilist: Fr John Walshe
Master of Ceremonies: Mr Alan Shearer
Choir Masters: Mr Hugh Henry and Mr Stephen Smith
Organist: Mr Thomas Wilson
Photo Source: Newman Community of Melbourne
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Mgr. Dominque Rey on Sacra Liturgia
Within this video, Mgr. Dominique Rey speaks about the upcoming Sacra Liturgia conference in Rome, later in June. If you go to the 15:10 mark (or just click here), you will see his portion within this video:
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Watts and Co. Blog
I'm certain a number of our readers will be interested to know that the English vestments makers, Watts & Co., now have their own blog up here: www.wattsandco.com/blog.
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How to Choose a Painting for Catechesis
The following article is written by Dr Caroline Farey and John Casey and of the Maryvale Institute and first appeared in The Sower, which is published by the Maryvale Institute and distributed in both the UK and the UK. It is available online at www.thesowerreview.com.
This is written about paintings of the Annunciation, but through it they describe very clearly the principles by which one can choose a painting for catachetical purposes. This is something that is very important, but additional to its appropriateness for a liturgical setting or for devotional prayer.
Caroline and myself will be teaching the summer residential weekends for the diploma offered by the Maryvale Institute, Art Beauty and Inspiration from a Catholic Perspective. The goal of this course is to understanding of the place of beauty in Catholic culture with a special focus on visual art; by this we hope to contribute to the formation of future artists and patrons who serve the church. The course is offered in the US through the Maryvale Mid-America Center at the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas . It is design with for working adults (and that means stay-at-home mums as well) living in any location, provided they can get to the first residential weekend. The dates of the first residential weekend are July 12-15 (Friday-Monday). Even if you don't wish to do the written work for the diploma, you would learn a lot if you chose to audit the course - attending the residential weekend and then working through the accompanying material at home at your leisure.
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A picture of the annunciation is a resource par excellence for catechesis because it can illustrate so many interconnecting doctrines of the faith. Having said this, not all artists have the same degree of ecclesial depth and so some pictures will be of greater catechetical value than others. At this point it is also good to be aware that one might look at a painting of a great artist,r a very beautiful painting, or one that speaks very personally, or one helpful for prayer or meditation – none of these criteria, however, makes the painting necessarily the most appropriate to use catechetically. What, then, do we need to look for as catechists in order to choose the best art of the annunciation for our purposes?
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The Blessed Trinity Where there is nothing at all to indicate the Trinity, the value of the painting for catechesis is greatly reduced because, as we know, the Trinity is the ‘light that enlightens’ every dogma, every mystery of the faith (CCC 234). Most annunciation scenes, however, will depict the presence of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity in some way. The icon by Aidan Hart reproduced here gives us an explicit indication. Many older scenes show God the Father and the dove of the Holy Spirit very explicitly, with these and the lamp; angel Gabriel all oriented or pointing towards Our Lady to indicate the presence of the divine Son. Other versions work more subtly but equally effectively. Nicolas Poussin, uses light sources, one from off the painting indicating God the Father, the light shining around the Holy Spirit and the light of the angel as the messenger of the Word. Fra Angelico uses triple rounded arches to embrace the whole scene as though holding it in the stillness of eternity, so great is this moment.
Heaven and angels Scenes that show nothing of heaven would tend to be less useful catechetically. Heaven unites with the earth at this moment and the way this is portrayed can provide important catechetical opportunities. Many icons will have a gold background indicating the heavenly nature of the event. Others have the sky bursting open surrounded by angels. Sometimes the angel Gabriel is part of the heavenly aspect, since Gabriel is a messenger from heaven, while in other pictures the heavenly scene surrounds the Holy Spirit portrayed as a dove. Catechetically, it is important to be clear with people that angels are creatures, they are not divine; but they do ‘come and go’ Christ tells us, to and from the Father’s presence, from beholding the face of the Father (see Matt 18:10-11). They can indicate the vibrancy of life in heaven.
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Mary The figure of Mary is portrayed in various ways. In the middle ages five ‘stages’ of the story in the Gospel of Luke, or ‘conditions’ of Our Lady, were outlined with changing hand gestures for each stage: conturbatio (surprise at the arrival of the angel Gabriel: Mary ‘was deeply disturbed’;cogitatio (Mary ‘wondered what this greeting could mean’; interrogatio (‘How can this be?’); humiliatio (humble acceptance and faithful submission to God’s will); meritatio (internal bliss, joy at the miraculous conception of Jesus, the Son of God).
The first two conditions lasted only a moment in Mary’s life and are probably the least helpful catechetically. That Mary dialogued with the angel (interrogatio) is of value, and this is normally portrayed as one hand raised and the other resting on an open book, as catechesis needs the same kind of questions of meaning and questions of embodiment that Mary raised - such as, how can this truth of the faith be lived out in my life? Best of all, however, are the two final moments. Mary’s humility and humble acceptance (humiliatio) is typically portrayed as hands crossed on her chest. The final moment of the joy of union with the Holy Spirit as the incarnation of the Son of God takes place (meritatio), is often painted with arms extended and hands completely open. Poussin’s annunciation is a perfect example of this with Mary’s yellow cloak indicating the golden acceptance of grace flowing down from her mind and pouring onto the wood of the platform, like the step of an altar, on which she sits. These scenes would be a constant reminder in a catechetical session of the joy that comes from acceptance of the grace of God and the teaching of the Church. Mary should portray, too, the exquisite dignity of the human person when humble and obedient, when listening and open, when joyful and freely accepting, longing for and fulfilling, the will of God.
The Archangel Gabriel
How the angel is portrayed can indicate more about Our Lady. It was a custom amongst some artists to ensure that the angel was portrayed lower than Mary as an indication that she, as mother of God, would be their superior, their queen. Amongst other artists, since Gabriel was ‘from God’, he was portrayed floating or flying down from a heavenly realm. As long as the majestic angelic nature is in evidence, the position can be informative wherever placed. The angel Gabriel, as the messenger of the Word of God, embodies certain signs of the message. Pointing upwards and pointing to Our Lady’s womb are typical gestures. Sometimes, as in the icon here, the wings tell the same story, with one pointing to God from where the Word has come,and one pointing to earth, an indication of the Word to be made flesh. The lilies carried by Gabriel in some pictures remind us of Mary’s purity because she was conceived without sin. This dogma of the Immaculate Conception depends partly on this Scripture passage and particularly on Gabriel’s greeting, not calling her by her expected name, ‘Mary’, but using a special Greek word approximately translated ‘full of grace’ but carrying so much more meaning.
Buildings and curtains
Buildings indicate the temple and the Church, the old order and the new with Mary often on the threshold. Mary is the model of the Church, the ‘house of God’. It is good if there is a building in the picture for these reasons. Sometimes the building is actually a portrayal of church architecture, sometimes it is more figurative. Sometimes it is in the architecture that stonework or woodwork is seen in the form of a cross. Where the building structure is very ornate, it might be an exaggerated form with excessive structural focus,such as in the painting by Crivelli. Curtains are important for many of the same reasons but the artist doesn’t always portray these with the significance that they deserve.
The original tabernacle, following the designs given directly by God in the desert, was a tent with curtains embroidered with ‘blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen’, a refrain repeated throughout the book of Exodus (see Ex 36:8ff). Frequently, the background of the scene is not a building but a bedroom. The curtains are not only the tabernacle curtains, those of the ‘tent of meeting’ or the temple curtains – often in two parts to remind us that it will be ‘torn in two’ at the crucifixion (Matt 27:51) – the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart (Lk 2:35).
The veil, drawn back indicates the fullness of revelation, the fullness of God to be conceived in Mary. A curtain is also reminiscent of the curtains around a medieval altar. If the painting is from Northern Europe or England, the curtain drawn up as a hanging bag directly over the space between Gabriel and Our Lady – the space into which the word is spoken – bears a strong resemblance to the hanging tabernacle in medieval churches before the Council of Trent prescribed a lockable container. At this point the annunciation scene is carried forward to the Eucharist and the paschal mystery.
Garden and landscape
Finally, it is helpful to examine the garden or landscape in the picture for our catechesis. The Song of Songs is the source of the early idea of the enclosed garden symbolising Mary’s virginity (4:12). Landscapes turn our thoughts to land, and in biblical terms this is the promised land flowing with milk and honey, indicating our eternal homeland of God’s life of joyful love, the destiny for which the Father prepares us through the redemptive grace and adoption that comes from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God made man.
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This is written about paintings of the Annunciation, but through it they describe very clearly the principles by which one can choose a painting for catachetical purposes. This is something that is very important, but additional to its appropriateness for a liturgical setting or for devotional prayer.
Caroline and myself will be teaching the summer residential weekends for the diploma offered by the Maryvale Institute, Art Beauty and Inspiration from a Catholic Perspective. The goal of this course is to understanding of the place of beauty in Catholic culture with a special focus on visual art; by this we hope to contribute to the formation of future artists and patrons who serve the church. The course is offered in the US through the Maryvale Mid-America Center at the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas . It is design with for working adults (and that means stay-at-home mums as well) living in any location, provided they can get to the first residential weekend. The dates of the first residential weekend are July 12-15 (Friday-Monday). Even if you don't wish to do the written work for the diploma, you would learn a lot if you chose to audit the course - attending the residential weekend and then working through the accompanying material at home at your leisure.
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| Poussin |
Heaven and angels Scenes that show nothing of heaven would tend to be less useful catechetically. Heaven unites with the earth at this moment and the way this is portrayed can provide important catechetical opportunities. Many icons will have a gold background indicating the heavenly nature of the event. Others have the sky bursting open surrounded by angels. Sometimes the angel Gabriel is part of the heavenly aspect, since Gabriel is a messenger from heaven, while in other pictures the heavenly scene surrounds the Holy Spirit portrayed as a dove. Catechetically, it is important to be clear with people that angels are creatures, they are not divine; but they do ‘come and go’ Christ tells us, to and from the Father’s presence, from beholding the face of the Father (see Matt 18:10-11). They can indicate the vibrancy of life in heaven.
The first two conditions lasted only a moment in Mary’s life and are probably the least helpful catechetically. That Mary dialogued with the angel (interrogatio) is of value, and this is normally portrayed as one hand raised and the other resting on an open book, as catechesis needs the same kind of questions of meaning and questions of embodiment that Mary raised - such as, how can this truth of the faith be lived out in my life? Best of all, however, are the two final moments. Mary’s humility and humble acceptance (humiliatio) is typically portrayed as hands crossed on her chest. The final moment of the joy of union with the Holy Spirit as the incarnation of the Son of God takes place (meritatio), is often painted with arms extended and hands completely open. Poussin’s annunciation is a perfect example of this with Mary’s yellow cloak indicating the golden acceptance of grace flowing down from her mind and pouring onto the wood of the platform, like the step of an altar, on which she sits. These scenes would be a constant reminder in a catechetical session of the joy that comes from acceptance of the grace of God and the teaching of the Church. Mary should portray, too, the exquisite dignity of the human person when humble and obedient, when listening and open, when joyful and freely accepting, longing for and fulfilling, the will of God.
The Archangel Gabriel
How the angel is portrayed can indicate more about Our Lady. It was a custom amongst some artists to ensure that the angel was portrayed lower than Mary as an indication that she, as mother of God, would be their superior, their queen. Amongst other artists, since Gabriel was ‘from God’, he was portrayed floating or flying down from a heavenly realm. As long as the majestic angelic nature is in evidence, the position can be informative wherever placed. The angel Gabriel, as the messenger of the Word of God, embodies certain signs of the message. Pointing upwards and pointing to Our Lady’s womb are typical gestures. Sometimes, as in the icon here, the wings tell the same story, with one pointing to God from where the Word has come,and one pointing to earth, an indication of the Word to be made flesh. The lilies carried by Gabriel in some pictures remind us of Mary’s purity because she was conceived without sin. This dogma of the Immaculate Conception depends partly on this Scripture passage and particularly on Gabriel’s greeting, not calling her by her expected name, ‘Mary’, but using a special Greek word approximately translated ‘full of grace’ but carrying so much more meaning.
Buildings and curtains
Buildings indicate the temple and the Church, the old order and the new with Mary often on the threshold. Mary is the model of the Church, the ‘house of God’. It is good if there is a building in the picture for these reasons. Sometimes the building is actually a portrayal of church architecture, sometimes it is more figurative. Sometimes it is in the architecture that stonework or woodwork is seen in the form of a cross. Where the building structure is very ornate, it might be an exaggerated form with excessive structural focus,such as in the painting by Crivelli. Curtains are important for many of the same reasons but the artist doesn’t always portray these with the significance that they deserve.
The original tabernacle, following the designs given directly by God in the desert, was a tent with curtains embroidered with ‘blue and purple and scarlet stuff and fine twined linen’, a refrain repeated throughout the book of Exodus (see Ex 36:8ff). Frequently, the background of the scene is not a building but a bedroom. The curtains are not only the tabernacle curtains, those of the ‘tent of meeting’ or the temple curtains – often in two parts to remind us that it will be ‘torn in two’ at the crucifixion (Matt 27:51) – the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart (Lk 2:35).
The veil, drawn back indicates the fullness of revelation, the fullness of God to be conceived in Mary. A curtain is also reminiscent of the curtains around a medieval altar. If the painting is from Northern Europe or England, the curtain drawn up as a hanging bag directly over the space between Gabriel and Our Lady – the space into which the word is spoken – bears a strong resemblance to the hanging tabernacle in medieval churches before the Council of Trent prescribed a lockable container. At this point the annunciation scene is carried forward to the Eucharist and the paschal mystery.
Garden and landscape
Finally, it is helpful to examine the garden or landscape in the picture for our catechesis. The Song of Songs is the source of the early idea of the enclosed garden symbolising Mary’s virginity (4:12). Landscapes turn our thoughts to land, and in biblical terms this is the promised land flowing with milk and honey, indicating our eternal homeland of God’s life of joyful love, the destiny for which the Father prepares us through the redemptive grace and adoption that comes from the work of the Holy Spirit and the Son of God made man.
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Vestment Commissions
Over the years, one of our goals has been to promote the liturgical arts, which is an essential aspect of the new liturgical movement. In that vein, the EF chaplaincy of Dublin, Ireland recently commissioned a new set of vestments, made possible by the donations of their benefactors and here are the results:
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The work here reminds me of some of the work commissioned by the late Abbé Quoëx -- specifically, this set.
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The work here reminds me of some of the work commissioned by the late Abbé Quoëx -- specifically, this set.
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Noble Simplicity Needn't Mean Plain
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Compendium of the 1961 Revision of the Pontificale Romanum - Part 8: The Blessing of Linens (1595 & 1961)
In the Pontifical of 1595, the blessings of vestments is followed by the blessings of altar cloths and corporals. Both of these begin with the bishop saying “Adjutorium nostrum” and “Dominus vobiscum”, and the prayers noted below, each of which is preceded by “Oremus”. At the places marked, the bishop makes the sign of the cross over them with his hand; after the prayers, he sprinkles them with holy water.
For altar cloths, two prayers are said.
For corporals, three prayers are said in the Pontifical of 1595.
The revision of 1961 also adds to the Pontifical three other blessings of various kinds of altar linens. Each of these follows the same pattern as the blessings noted above. The first is that of an antimension, as it is called in the Byzantine Rite, a cloth to be used in place of a table for the celebration of the Mass; permission to do so must be given by an indult of the Apostolic See. The rubric specifies that after the bishop has officially recognized the authenticity of some Martyrs’ relics, he places them in a small sack of cloth, which is then sewn into the right hand corner of the antimension. The prayer of blessing is as follows.
For altar cloths, two prayers are said.
Hear our prayers, o Lord, and deign to bless + and sancti+fy these linen cloths prepared for the use of Thy sacred altar. Through Christ, our Lord. R. Amen.In the 1961 revision, the first prayer is suppressed, and the words “sanctify and consecrate” are removed from the second prayer, which ends with the short conclusion.
Lord, God almighty, Who for forty days taught Thy servant Moses to make ornaments and linen cloths, which Mary (Miriam) wove and made to be used in service to the tabernacle of the covenant; deign to bless +, sancti+fy and conse+crate these linen cloths (made) to cover and enshroud the altar of Thy most glorious Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with Thee etc. (long conclusion).
For corporals, three prayers are said in the Pontifical of 1595.
Most clement Lord, Whose might is beyond all telling, Whose mysteries are celebrated with wondrous secrets, grant, we beseech Thee, that this linen cloth may be sanctified by the blessing + of Thy mercy, that there may be consecrated upon it the Body and Blood of our God and Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son etc. (long conclusion)In the 1961 revision, the second and third prayers are suppressed; the remaining prayer ends with the short conclusion.
Almighty and eternal God, deign to bless +, sancti+fy and conse+crate this linen cloth (made) to cover and enshroud the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ Thy most Son, Who with Thee etc. (long conclusion)
Almighty God, by our hands pour forth the wealth of Thy blessing, that by our bless+ing this linen cloth may be sanctified, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit become a new shroud for the Body and Blood of our Redeemer. Through the same our Lord etc. (long conclusion)
The revision of 1961 also adds to the Pontifical three other blessings of various kinds of altar linens. Each of these follows the same pattern as the blessings noted above. The first is that of an antimension, as it is called in the Byzantine Rite, a cloth to be used in place of a table for the celebration of the Mass; permission to do so must be given by an indult of the Apostolic See. The rubric specifies that after the bishop has officially recognized the authenticity of some Martyrs’ relics, he places them in a small sack of cloth, which is then sewn into the right hand corner of the antimension. The prayer of blessing is as follows.
We humbly implore Thy majesty, o Lord, that through our humble service Thou may deign to bless + this linen cloth, made to receive the gifts of Thy people; that upon it we may be able to offer to Thee the Holy Sacrifice, to the honor of the Virgin Mary, and of Saints N. and N., whose relics we have laid within it, and all the Saints, and grant that through these most holy Mysteries, the bonds of our sins may be loosed, the stains (thereof) cancelled, forgiveness obtained, graces received; that together with Thy holy Elect, we may merit to receive eternal life. (short conclusion)The second is the blessing of a pall; the prayer is a modified version of the second prayer for the blessing of a corporal in the Pontifical of 1595, omitting the words “sanctify and consecrate” and “enshroud”, and changing “linen cloth” to “pall”.
Almighty and eternal God, deign to bless +, sancti+fy and conse+crate this linen cloth (made) to cover and enshroud the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ Thy most Son, Who with Thee etc. (short conclusion)The third is the blessing of a purificator; the prayer is a modified version of the first prayer for the blessing of sacred vessels and ornaments in the Pontifical of 1595, (to be described in a later article.) The original version said “deign Thou to purify, bless and sanctify”.
Hear our prayers, o Lord, most clement Father, and deign Thou to bless + this linen cloth that has been prepared for the use of the sacred chalice. (short conclusion)
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| A Greek antimension of the early 18th century |
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EF at Saint Francis Xavier, Chicago
The following was sent it to us by a reader. It shows an event which was awhile ago now, but nonetheless seems worth mentioning:
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Photos: Copyright of Saint Xavier University![]()
...there was a EF Mass celebrated in the McDonough Chapel of Saint Xavier University (located in Oaklawn neighborhood of Chicago), on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at noon. The celebrant was Fr. Anthony Brankin, Pastor of St. Odilo in Berwyn, IL, and formerly of St. Thomas More in Chicago.
The Mass was part of the SXU's, Vatican II: Legacy Unfolding conference that ended that Friday with an OF Mass in English and Benediction in Latin.
Photos: Copyright of Saint Xavier University
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Interior of the Russian Church in Florence
I was moved by Shawn's recent posting of some photos of the exterior of the Russian church in Florence to post some photos of the interior. I shared the pleasure of the readers who commented! When I was studying in Florence I used to walk out to this church and attend Vespers there quite regularly. It is a small church, and when you go inside it feels very high for small area. I can remember my sense of wonder at the frescoes painted floor to ceiling. It did occur to me that some purists might within the Orthodox Church might find these a little too naturalistic - they are typical I think of what one might have seen painted in Russia at the turn of the last century before the traditional iconographic style was reestablished as the norm. Perhaps any Orthodox readers who know this church might like to comment? However, I certainly loved going there. No cream or magnolia walls here!
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(Non-Liturgical) Book Notice: The Gentlemen's Clubs of London
While this admittedly isn't liturgical, I am going to make a rare exception to that rule for I know this is likely of interest to many of our readers -- and I also happen to know that some events which have taken place within the context of traditional liturgical societies have occurred within some of these very places (the Traveller's Club particularly comes to mind) and further that some of our readers are members of these same London clubs (I seem to recall that one reader once very kindly offered to take me to his club, the Athenaeum, whenever I was next in London).
The matter of which I speak is a book which is an updated edition of Anthony LeJeune's classic account of The Gentlemen's Clubs of London. (American readers should know that the connotation which is sometimes held with regard to a so-called "gentleman's club" within the North American context is not at all what is meant here suffice it to say. One might instead think of an association more akin with a private country club, but set within the context of urban London, England.)
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(Here is the cover to the original edition:)
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This particular edition is now updated with full colour plates of "Clubland" -- which is to say, the famed clubs of London, England -- alongside the classic text of LeJeune around the clubs themselves -- 29 are covered within this new edition.
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LeJeune's commentary (which is by no means dry and is filled with wonderful snippets and accounts from the London club scene and culture) itself makes the book worthwhile; but it is the addition of the colour photos of the clubs that makes this updated work especially interesting. (In fact, if you already own the original edition of LeJeune's work, my recommendation is this: keep that edition but also acquire this new one and set them on your bookshelf side by side. There are some variations and they will make a wonderful compliment to one another.) If there was one bit of text which I think might be representative of the book and give you a sense of what you could expect, it is this, taken from the introduction:
Here are a few views from within the book which will show you what else you might expect:
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For whatever reason, it seems prohibitively expensive to presently order this book on North American sites, and so I might recommend you use the Amazon.co.uk where it is priced at £32.07 (approximately $49.00 USD).
Product details:
Hardcover, 252 pages
Stacey International
ISBN-10: 190676820X
ISBN-13: 978-1906768201
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The matter of which I speak is a book which is an updated edition of Anthony LeJeune's classic account of The Gentlemen's Clubs of London. (American readers should know that the connotation which is sometimes held with regard to a so-called "gentleman's club" within the North American context is not at all what is meant here suffice it to say. One might instead think of an association more akin with a private country club, but set within the context of urban London, England.)
(Here is the cover to the original edition:)
This particular edition is now updated with full colour plates of "Clubland" -- which is to say, the famed clubs of London, England -- alongside the classic text of LeJeune around the clubs themselves -- 29 are covered within this new edition.
LeJeune's commentary (which is by no means dry and is filled with wonderful snippets and accounts from the London club scene and culture) itself makes the book worthwhile; but it is the addition of the colour photos of the clubs that makes this updated work especially interesting. (In fact, if you already own the original edition of LeJeune's work, my recommendation is this: keep that edition but also acquire this new one and set them on your bookshelf side by side. There are some variations and they will make a wonderful compliment to one another.) If there was one bit of text which I think might be representative of the book and give you a sense of what you could expect, it is this, taken from the introduction:
A good club is much more than a mere catering establishment. It should be a refuge from the vulgarity of the outside world, a reassuringly fixed point, the echo of a more civilised way of living, a place where (as was once said of an Oxford college) people still prefer a silver salt-cellar which doesn't pour to a plastic one which does.
Here are a few views from within the book which will show you what else you might expect:
For whatever reason, it seems prohibitively expensive to presently order this book on North American sites, and so I might recommend you use the Amazon.co.uk where it is priced at £32.07 (approximately $49.00 USD).
Product details:
Hardcover, 252 pages
Stacey International
ISBN-10: 190676820X
ISBN-13: 978-1906768201
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Andrew Cusack on the Lady Altar of the London Oratory
Speaking of London, as I did in the previous post, I noticed that Andrew Cusack recently published a brief piece on the Lady Altar of the London Oratory. Here is an excerpt:
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Read the rest on Andrew Cusack's site.![]()
In the south transept of the Brompton Oratory is the altar dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, perhaps the finest altar in the entire church. It is a favourite place for getting in a few prayers and offering a candle or two or three or four. At the end of Solemn Vespers & Benediction on Sunday afternoon (above) it is where the Prayer for England is said and the Marian antiphon sung.
The Lady Altar was designed and built in 1693 by Francesco Corbarelli of Florence and his sons Domenico and Antonio and for nearly two centuries stood in the Chapel of the Rosary in the Church of St Dominic in Brescia. That church was demolished in 1883, and the London Congregation of the Oratory purchased the altar two years beforehand for £1,550.
Read the rest on Andrew Cusack's site.
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Photos of St Andrews Church in Newcastle, Maine - An Unusual Neo-gothic Style
I love Victorian neo-gothic and do not think of it as a pale imitation of something that existed earlier. To my mind, the architects of this period, starting with figures such as Pugin, are a model of how to look back at the past work and study the principles that define it and then create original work that both evokes that period and is an authentic architectural style in its own right. As such, I always think, they provide an example of how Catholic culture could be re-established today.
(Before I go any further I must say that I am very grateful to the Rev Conner of the church who very generously took the time met me and show me around when I traveled up to Maine and for Anna Shaw a parishioner who took most of these photographs just for us.)
Detail of the exterior wall, above and below is the church in Suffolk that inspired Vaughan in his design
The recently restored reredos, above
Looking towards the back of the church
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NLM Reprint: Pentecost - The Grandest Octave?
[The following was sent in to us by Fr. Guy Nicholls of the Oratory.]
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“…consider the breviary offices for Pentecost and its Octave, the grandest, perhaps in the whole year…”
(Blessed John Henry Newman)
Last year I read with great interest Gregory Dipippo’s article on the Octave of Pentecost.
In the light of that, and in view of the current liturgical season, your readers may be interested to know of a new initiative taking place this Pentecost at Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, a church which has featured several times on the NLM website. To this account I have added my own reflections on the importance of restoring the liturgical observance of the Octave of Pentecost.
Whitsunday (i.e. Pentecost Day) was celebrated at Dorchester with a magnificent High Mass in the Novus Ordo, preceded by the solemn singing of Terce in Latin from the pre-1970 breviary (comprising principally the Veni Creator and sections III-V of psalm 118). While the Mass began in the vernacular and was mostly sung, Latin took over from the Pater noster until the end. The Celebrant was assisted by a Deacon and an Acolyte wearing the tunicle. The ordinary of the Mass, Morales’s Missa L’Homme Arme’, was sung by the Newman Consort of Oxford, a group connected with the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, who also sang Byrd’s Confirma hoc Deus.
Most fittingly and movingly, two young adults, recently baptized, were confirmed by special indult after the homily. They wore the white robes of the newly baptized, thus illustrating the origin of the familiar English name of this feast, “Whitsunday”, since it was the usual time for the celebration of adult baptism in ancient times in our cold northern climate. After the chrismation, the entire congregation, having renewed their baptismal faith with the candidates in place of the Creed, was sprinkled with baptismal water accompanied by the singing of the Vidi aquam.
Since it seems that such a great feast of the “Birthday of the Church” is more fittingly celebrated over an extended period than is allowed for in the single day of the 1970 Missal, the Octave of Pentecost is currently being celebrated at Dorchester as a series of votive Masses of the Holy Spirit, but with some important differences.
In accordance with the Holy Father’s mind expressed in Summorum Pontificum, that the two forms of the Roman Rite should be mutually enriching, the Octave is being celebrated largely in the Ordinary Form, though using significant elements drawn from the Masses of the pre-1970 Octave. The Proper chants of the Masses of the pre 1970 Graduale, and particularly the Alleluia and its Sequence Veni sancte Spiritus are sung in Latin. Each day’s readings are those provided in the old Missal, especially extended on the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday. In place of the Graduals, for weekday Masses Responsorial psalms have been provided from the current Lectionary to match the particular character of each day.
For instance, Tuesday’s Gospel of the “Door of the sheepfold”, has psalm 22 as a fitting prelude, while Saturday’s long series of Old Testament Readings takes up one of the ancient pre-Christian themes of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the offering to God of the first fruits of the harvest, for which psalms 64, 106 and 125 are provided in the Novus Ordo lectionary, and so are selected here.
Reflections on the Recovery of the Pentecost Octave
The transition to Ordinary time on the Monday after Pentecost is disjunctive. It is not simply the return to Ordinary time per se that jars, since that must happen at some time anyway. No, the problem that several of your correspondents share with me is the sense that the first green Monday after Pentecost has come from nowhere. In addition to the abruptness of this transition, the ferial days which now follow Pentecost belong to an entirely disconnected sequence that was broken off before Lent and so has no token of continuity with what has immediately preceded it. The transition was formerly more intelligible since the Octave of Pentecost came quietly to an end on Ember Saturday, emerging easily in First Vespers of Trinity Sunday, the beginning of a new week and season, and a feast, indeed, which celebrated and contemplated the mysteries which were fulfilled in the descent of the Holy Spirit "leading the Church into all truth".
What is the effective result of the loss of the Pentecost Octave?
First, it has the most unfortunate effect of reducing Pentecost to a mere end point. Because it is now simply a single day at the conclusion of Paschaltide from which all that follows is discontinuous, Ordinary Time does not seem to succeed Pentecost, but to supplant it. Thus Pentecost now seems only to look backwards to Easter of which it is the concluding celebration, rather than both back to Easter and forwards towards “green time” representing the post-Pentecostal life of the Church until the Second Coming.
Secondly, this rupture and discontinuity is further increased by the nomenclature of "Ordinary Time". While from the designation of "Time after Pentecost" alone the Church might have posited a relationship to that feast (albeit in a different way from "Time after Easter" to Easter Day itself), there was indeed a more than merely nominal connection. Of course Paschaltide is more organically and thematically linked to Easter than is the whole "post Pentecosten" period to Pentecost. Nevertheless the correspondence between Time after Pentecost on the one hand and the entire era of the Church, endowed with the Spirit and awaiting the Parousia on the other, was formerly more manifest in this long "green" period of the Church Year. This was especially clear both at the outset of the season with the Mystery-contemplative feasts of Trinity and Corpus Christi, and at the very end on account of its eschatological Sunday Gospels.
Thirdly, the greatly reduced presence of Pentecost as a one-day wonder leaves a vacuum which the charismatic pentecostalists would seek to fill. Although historically there are many reasons why this movement has grown up within the Church, it cannot be without significance that their non-liturgical character as the would-be standard bearers of a pneumatologically-based devotional life in the Latin Church has coincided with that Church's now very reduced celebration of the Spirit's coming and His role in the Church until the Parousia.
With regard to a pneumatological focus to the liturgy, I find it difficult to see how the pre-Pentecost Novena (as argued by Mgr Bugnini) can adequately replace the weight of the post-Pentecost Octave. Let me admit immediately that I believe that the Masses of the OF for the period from Ascension to Pentecost are admirable in providing that focus on the prayerful preparation for the descent of the Spirit, and is a good example of the ways in which certain aspects of the OF do represent an enrichment from which the EF might well benefit (as does the euchology and lectionary for the entire Paschal season). Still, it has to be granted that a period of preparation is just that: a preparation and not the fulfilment thereof. The Pentecost Octave represents the fulfilment of the outpouring of the Spirit as manifested in the Church's post-Pentecostal life.
To those who suggest that the Church should simply "get on with it" and go straight from Pentecost Sunday to Ordinary Time without any delay, I say that the Octave of Pentecost, far from being a delay in "getting on", is setting the scene for Ordinary Time which follows. Any careful reader of the Masses and Offices of the Octave notes immediately that they are not simply historical reminiscences of aspects of the descent of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Spirit is not explicitly mentioned in the Gospels of any of the Masses throughout the Octave! The Votive Masses in the Paul VI Lectionary do indeed contain an exhaustive collection of Gospel pericopes which mention the Holy Spirit explicitly, but that is not what the Church was aiming to do in the Masses of the Octave of Pentecost: It is the effects of the Spirit's outpouring that are celebrated in those Gospel passages. Why then did the Church use Gospel passages without reference to the Coming of the Spirit during the Octave of Pentecost? This is, of course, a consequence of the baptismal nature of the Octave, beginning of course with its Vigil. It is that baptismal character which has formed the shape and catechetical matter of the Octave and given it its peculiarly solemn rank, equal to that of Easter alone.
Fourthly, if the character and solemnity of the Pentecost Octave are ultimately connected to the baptismal celebrations of Pentecost, should the Octave continue to exist in the same form as it did until 1970 and should there be two celebrations of Baptism of like solemnity at either end of the same season? If not, then should Pentecost continue to be marked by such a solemn Octave as that which used to give it such splendour?
Regarding the first point, it is arguable that the "doublet" of the Pentecost Vigil as a celebration of baptism is redundant. It can be seen as simply postponing the baptismal ceremony from Easter to a later and warmer time of the year. Yet the Church felt no incongruity for centuries in celebrating both Vigils, even if baptism was celebrated at only one of them in any place at any time. I would argue thence that this “doublet” is not simply a reduplication. As the Latin Church has celebrated the liturgy for most of her history, Easter and Pentecost are both understood as fontal feasts. Both of them in complementary ways are a celebration of sacramental fecundity. The Resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit should not be treated as reducible to one and the same event, but as successive stages in the one Paschal Mystery in which the Second and Third Persons of the Godhead act specifically according to the salvific will of the Heavenly Father.
To take the second point, viz. If baptism ought not to be celebrated with the same kind of outward solemnity at Pentecost as it is at Easter, then should Pentecost be endowed with an octave of the same rank and character as the avowedly baptismal octave of Easter? This in turn raises the question of the character of the Easter Octave precisely as baptismal. All the Easter Octave Masses have Gospel pericopes drawn from the accounts of the Resurrection appearances. In this respect the character of the Easter Octave, though clearly a Baptismal one from its Introits, prayers and epistles, is more closely allied to the historical event which it celebrates than is the Octave of Pentecost. In fact, from the point of view of the Gospel pericopes, Pentecost has the more clearly post-baptismal liturgical character. Looking carefully at both Octaves it becomes clear that they are united by their baptismal character, but in complementary ways: the first based on the historical event of the resurrection as the originating cause of our salvation, and the second celebrating the outpouring of the Spirit as the means of continually accomplishing this salvation in the Church's sacraments.
Moreover, if all the gifts of the Spirit which are given at Baptism are explicitly celebrated at Easter, why should the Church recognise a need liturgically to celebrate Pentecost at all, and why prepare for it with a Novena following the Ascension?
Fifthly, Pentecost is a feast which demands “resonance” for its importance in the Church's life to be made clear. An octave provides a feast with room to resonate. It is the counterpart to Pope Paul VI's image of the Church bell which rings out before Mass, thereby preparing the faithful psychologically to take part in the liturgy. To extend the image we may say that the earlier the bell rings and the greater the number of bells which are rung, the greater the celebration they announce and prepare the way for. Similarly, just as a great sound needs time to unfold so that its timbre may be appreciated, so too does a great feast. That which is over in one day has little room to resound and gives the impression that it has not much to say to us needing to be heard at leisure. I would argue that a great octave lends proportionate splendour in advance to the feast and to the character of its celebration.
Fimally, it is important also not to forget the Breviary Offices of Pentecost and its Octave, which Blessed John Henry Newman called “the grandest, perhaps, of the whole year” (v. An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent, ch. 5, section 2, “Belief in the Holy Trinity”). These reflections from the Fathers upon the Gospel readings of each day invite us to deepen our assimilation of the mystery of the Life of the Church whose soul is the Holy Spirit (v. Catechism of the Catholic church no. 797).
In summary, the character of Pentecost as a consummation and fulfilment of the Paschal Mystery suggests that it is fitting to celebrate it with an Octave similar in character and rank to that of Easter. Easter looks both backwards to Our Lord's Passion as His “passing to the Father” and forwards to Eastertide as the season in which the resurrection and its meaning for our eternal life is unfolded for us. In a parallel way Pentecost looks both backwards to the promise of the gift of the Paraclete made at Easter and forwards to “Tempus post Pentecosten”, representing the life of the Church under the Holy Spirit's constant guidance and enriched with His lifegiving sacraments.
Guy Nicholls
Cong Orat
June 25th 2011 and 29th May 2012![]()
Pentecost: The Grandest Octave?
“…consider the breviary offices for Pentecost and its Octave, the grandest, perhaps in the whole year…”
(Blessed John Henry Newman)
Last year I read with great interest Gregory Dipippo’s article on the Octave of Pentecost.
In the light of that, and in view of the current liturgical season, your readers may be interested to know of a new initiative taking place this Pentecost at Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, a church which has featured several times on the NLM website. To this account I have added my own reflections on the importance of restoring the liturgical observance of the Octave of Pentecost.
Whitsunday (i.e. Pentecost Day) was celebrated at Dorchester with a magnificent High Mass in the Novus Ordo, preceded by the solemn singing of Terce in Latin from the pre-1970 breviary (comprising principally the Veni Creator and sections III-V of psalm 118). While the Mass began in the vernacular and was mostly sung, Latin took over from the Pater noster until the end. The Celebrant was assisted by a Deacon and an Acolyte wearing the tunicle. The ordinary of the Mass, Morales’s Missa L’Homme Arme’, was sung by the Newman Consort of Oxford, a group connected with the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, who also sang Byrd’s Confirma hoc Deus.
Most fittingly and movingly, two young adults, recently baptized, were confirmed by special indult after the homily. They wore the white robes of the newly baptized, thus illustrating the origin of the familiar English name of this feast, “Whitsunday”, since it was the usual time for the celebration of adult baptism in ancient times in our cold northern climate. After the chrismation, the entire congregation, having renewed their baptismal faith with the candidates in place of the Creed, was sprinkled with baptismal water accompanied by the singing of the Vidi aquam.
Since it seems that such a great feast of the “Birthday of the Church” is more fittingly celebrated over an extended period than is allowed for in the single day of the 1970 Missal, the Octave of Pentecost is currently being celebrated at Dorchester as a series of votive Masses of the Holy Spirit, but with some important differences.
In accordance with the Holy Father’s mind expressed in Summorum Pontificum, that the two forms of the Roman Rite should be mutually enriching, the Octave is being celebrated largely in the Ordinary Form, though using significant elements drawn from the Masses of the pre-1970 Octave. The Proper chants of the Masses of the pre 1970 Graduale, and particularly the Alleluia and its Sequence Veni sancte Spiritus are sung in Latin. Each day’s readings are those provided in the old Missal, especially extended on the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday. In place of the Graduals, for weekday Masses Responsorial psalms have been provided from the current Lectionary to match the particular character of each day.
For instance, Tuesday’s Gospel of the “Door of the sheepfold”, has psalm 22 as a fitting prelude, while Saturday’s long series of Old Testament Readings takes up one of the ancient pre-Christian themes of the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the offering to God of the first fruits of the harvest, for which psalms 64, 106 and 125 are provided in the Novus Ordo lectionary, and so are selected here.
Reflections on the Recovery of the Pentecost Octave
The transition to Ordinary time on the Monday after Pentecost is disjunctive. It is not simply the return to Ordinary time per se that jars, since that must happen at some time anyway. No, the problem that several of your correspondents share with me is the sense that the first green Monday after Pentecost has come from nowhere. In addition to the abruptness of this transition, the ferial days which now follow Pentecost belong to an entirely disconnected sequence that was broken off before Lent and so has no token of continuity with what has immediately preceded it. The transition was formerly more intelligible since the Octave of Pentecost came quietly to an end on Ember Saturday, emerging easily in First Vespers of Trinity Sunday, the beginning of a new week and season, and a feast, indeed, which celebrated and contemplated the mysteries which were fulfilled in the descent of the Holy Spirit "leading the Church into all truth".
What is the effective result of the loss of the Pentecost Octave?
First, it has the most unfortunate effect of reducing Pentecost to a mere end point. Because it is now simply a single day at the conclusion of Paschaltide from which all that follows is discontinuous, Ordinary Time does not seem to succeed Pentecost, but to supplant it. Thus Pentecost now seems only to look backwards to Easter of which it is the concluding celebration, rather than both back to Easter and forwards towards “green time” representing the post-Pentecostal life of the Church until the Second Coming.
Secondly, this rupture and discontinuity is further increased by the nomenclature of "Ordinary Time". While from the designation of "Time after Pentecost" alone the Church might have posited a relationship to that feast (albeit in a different way from "Time after Easter" to Easter Day itself), there was indeed a more than merely nominal connection. Of course Paschaltide is more organically and thematically linked to Easter than is the whole "post Pentecosten" period to Pentecost. Nevertheless the correspondence between Time after Pentecost on the one hand and the entire era of the Church, endowed with the Spirit and awaiting the Parousia on the other, was formerly more manifest in this long "green" period of the Church Year. This was especially clear both at the outset of the season with the Mystery-contemplative feasts of Trinity and Corpus Christi, and at the very end on account of its eschatological Sunday Gospels.
Thirdly, the greatly reduced presence of Pentecost as a one-day wonder leaves a vacuum which the charismatic pentecostalists would seek to fill. Although historically there are many reasons why this movement has grown up within the Church, it cannot be without significance that their non-liturgical character as the would-be standard bearers of a pneumatologically-based devotional life in the Latin Church has coincided with that Church's now very reduced celebration of the Spirit's coming and His role in the Church until the Parousia.
With regard to a pneumatological focus to the liturgy, I find it difficult to see how the pre-Pentecost Novena (as argued by Mgr Bugnini) can adequately replace the weight of the post-Pentecost Octave. Let me admit immediately that I believe that the Masses of the OF for the period from Ascension to Pentecost are admirable in providing that focus on the prayerful preparation for the descent of the Spirit, and is a good example of the ways in which certain aspects of the OF do represent an enrichment from which the EF might well benefit (as does the euchology and lectionary for the entire Paschal season). Still, it has to be granted that a period of preparation is just that: a preparation and not the fulfilment thereof. The Pentecost Octave represents the fulfilment of the outpouring of the Spirit as manifested in the Church's post-Pentecostal life.
To those who suggest that the Church should simply "get on with it" and go straight from Pentecost Sunday to Ordinary Time without any delay, I say that the Octave of Pentecost, far from being a delay in "getting on", is setting the scene for Ordinary Time which follows. Any careful reader of the Masses and Offices of the Octave notes immediately that they are not simply historical reminiscences of aspects of the descent of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Spirit is not explicitly mentioned in the Gospels of any of the Masses throughout the Octave! The Votive Masses in the Paul VI Lectionary do indeed contain an exhaustive collection of Gospel pericopes which mention the Holy Spirit explicitly, but that is not what the Church was aiming to do in the Masses of the Octave of Pentecost: It is the effects of the Spirit's outpouring that are celebrated in those Gospel passages. Why then did the Church use Gospel passages without reference to the Coming of the Spirit during the Octave of Pentecost? This is, of course, a consequence of the baptismal nature of the Octave, beginning of course with its Vigil. It is that baptismal character which has formed the shape and catechetical matter of the Octave and given it its peculiarly solemn rank, equal to that of Easter alone.
Fourthly, if the character and solemnity of the Pentecost Octave are ultimately connected to the baptismal celebrations of Pentecost, should the Octave continue to exist in the same form as it did until 1970 and should there be two celebrations of Baptism of like solemnity at either end of the same season? If not, then should Pentecost continue to be marked by such a solemn Octave as that which used to give it such splendour?
Regarding the first point, it is arguable that the "doublet" of the Pentecost Vigil as a celebration of baptism is redundant. It can be seen as simply postponing the baptismal ceremony from Easter to a later and warmer time of the year. Yet the Church felt no incongruity for centuries in celebrating both Vigils, even if baptism was celebrated at only one of them in any place at any time. I would argue thence that this “doublet” is not simply a reduplication. As the Latin Church has celebrated the liturgy for most of her history, Easter and Pentecost are both understood as fontal feasts. Both of them in complementary ways are a celebration of sacramental fecundity. The Resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit should not be treated as reducible to one and the same event, but as successive stages in the one Paschal Mystery in which the Second and Third Persons of the Godhead act specifically according to the salvific will of the Heavenly Father.
To take the second point, viz. If baptism ought not to be celebrated with the same kind of outward solemnity at Pentecost as it is at Easter, then should Pentecost be endowed with an octave of the same rank and character as the avowedly baptismal octave of Easter? This in turn raises the question of the character of the Easter Octave precisely as baptismal. All the Easter Octave Masses have Gospel pericopes drawn from the accounts of the Resurrection appearances. In this respect the character of the Easter Octave, though clearly a Baptismal one from its Introits, prayers and epistles, is more closely allied to the historical event which it celebrates than is the Octave of Pentecost. In fact, from the point of view of the Gospel pericopes, Pentecost has the more clearly post-baptismal liturgical character. Looking carefully at both Octaves it becomes clear that they are united by their baptismal character, but in complementary ways: the first based on the historical event of the resurrection as the originating cause of our salvation, and the second celebrating the outpouring of the Spirit as the means of continually accomplishing this salvation in the Church's sacraments.
Moreover, if all the gifts of the Spirit which are given at Baptism are explicitly celebrated at Easter, why should the Church recognise a need liturgically to celebrate Pentecost at all, and why prepare for it with a Novena following the Ascension?
Fifthly, Pentecost is a feast which demands “resonance” for its importance in the Church's life to be made clear. An octave provides a feast with room to resonate. It is the counterpart to Pope Paul VI's image of the Church bell which rings out before Mass, thereby preparing the faithful psychologically to take part in the liturgy. To extend the image we may say that the earlier the bell rings and the greater the number of bells which are rung, the greater the celebration they announce and prepare the way for. Similarly, just as a great sound needs time to unfold so that its timbre may be appreciated, so too does a great feast. That which is over in one day has little room to resound and gives the impression that it has not much to say to us needing to be heard at leisure. I would argue that a great octave lends proportionate splendour in advance to the feast and to the character of its celebration.
Fimally, it is important also not to forget the Breviary Offices of Pentecost and its Octave, which Blessed John Henry Newman called “the grandest, perhaps, of the whole year” (v. An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent, ch. 5, section 2, “Belief in the Holy Trinity”). These reflections from the Fathers upon the Gospel readings of each day invite us to deepen our assimilation of the mystery of the Life of the Church whose soul is the Holy Spirit (v. Catechism of the Catholic church no. 797).
In summary, the character of Pentecost as a consummation and fulfilment of the Paschal Mystery suggests that it is fitting to celebrate it with an Octave similar in character and rank to that of Easter. Easter looks both backwards to Our Lord's Passion as His “passing to the Father” and forwards to Eastertide as the season in which the resurrection and its meaning for our eternal life is unfolded for us. In a parallel way Pentecost looks both backwards to the promise of the gift of the Paraclete made at Easter and forwards to “Tempus post Pentecosten”, representing the life of the Church under the Holy Spirit's constant guidance and enriched with His lifegiving sacraments.
Guy Nicholls
Cong Orat
June 25th 2011 and 29th May 2012
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Chartres Pilgrimage: This Weekend
Over the years NLM has always particularly enjoyed covering this particular event, the annual Chartres pilgrimage organized by Notre Dame de Chrétienté. It is upon us this weekend again. (Readers who are participating are certainly more than welcome to send in their photos as the pilgrimage progresses, or thereafter.) Here is a little news coverage from last year to whet your appetite.
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Chartres Pilgrimage: First Images and News from the 'Péle"
Each year, NLM has always enjoyed reporting on the famed Chartres Pilgrimage (affectionately known locally as the "péle") which begins in Paris and proceeds over three days to the famed medieval pilgrimage site of Chartres cathedral.
The first day (Saturday) of the pilgrimage began, as always, in Paris at Notre Dame with Mass (usus antiquior) at 7:00am in the cathedral. Mgr. Jérôme Beau, the auxiliary bishop of Paris, was present and preached the sermon and gave his blessing to the pilgrims.
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With Mass concluded, the pilgrims assemble and line up outside.
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Here are a few views of the pilgrimage route on day 1:
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(Time for the Divine Office)
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Day Two (Sunday)
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At 12:30pm, the Solemn Mass of Pentecost is celebrated in a meadow -- easily one of the most iconic sights of the pilgrimage -- by one of the priests of the Italian congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate:
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Day three, the arrival at Chartres, happens today. We will show you more from today's pilgrimage events tomorrow.
Photo source: Notre Dame de Chrétienté![]()
The first day (Saturday) of the pilgrimage began, as always, in Paris at Notre Dame with Mass (usus antiquior) at 7:00am in the cathedral. Mgr. Jérôme Beau, the auxiliary bishop of Paris, was present and preached the sermon and gave his blessing to the pilgrims.
With Mass concluded, the pilgrims assemble and line up outside.
Here are a few views of the pilgrimage route on day 1:
(Time for the Divine Office)
At 12:30pm, the Solemn Mass of Pentecost is celebrated in a meadow -- easily one of the most iconic sights of the pilgrimage -- by one of the priests of the Italian congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate:
Day three, the arrival at Chartres, happens today. We will show you more from today's pilgrimage events tomorrow.
Photo source: Notre Dame de Chrétienté
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Announcement of My Forthcoming Retirement From Blogging and an Exciting New Chapter for NLM
NLM was founded nearly eight years ago in 2005, a few months after the election of Benedict XVI -- a period when many blogs were founded in point of fact. For eight years this blog has been a day to day part of my life, involving thousands and thousands of hours managing the site, coming up with contents each day, managing comboxes, email correspondence and so on. To say that it has been a lot of work would almost be an understatement! That said, it has also been very rewarding and has resulted in many interesting experiences, friendships, opportunities, etc. For that I am grateful.
My purpose in mentioning this is to announce that the time has now come for me to retire from NLM and from blogging generally so that I might focus on other projects and pursuits.
(Now, before anyone is tempted to suggest this has something to do with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, let me just clearly dispel that false notion right now: it has absolutely nothing to do with that in any way whatever. No, the reality is this was close to happening last year but for certain practicalities that prevented such a decision from being taken by me at that time. This is an entirely personal decision that has been on my mind for some while now and the opportunity has now finally presented itself.)
So then, naturally this leads to the question of what will happen to NLM itself? I personally believe that NLM has a good many years yet ahead for it particularly as the new liturgical movement itself continues to grow and to spread -- as it indeed is; so to do the other NLM writers.
I am therefore pleased to inform our readers that NLM will itself continue to operate, operating under the sponsorship of the CMAA (Church Music Association of America). Jeffrey Tucker will be the Editor and Publisher, and the day to day operation and management of NLM will fall to Gregory DiPippo, who will be the new Managing Editor.
The expected transition date will be Monday, June 3rd.
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My purpose in mentioning this is to announce that the time has now come for me to retire from NLM and from blogging generally so that I might focus on other projects and pursuits.
(Now, before anyone is tempted to suggest this has something to do with the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, let me just clearly dispel that false notion right now: it has absolutely nothing to do with that in any way whatever. No, the reality is this was close to happening last year but for certain practicalities that prevented such a decision from being taken by me at that time. This is an entirely personal decision that has been on my mind for some while now and the opportunity has now finally presented itself.)
So then, naturally this leads to the question of what will happen to NLM itself? I personally believe that NLM has a good many years yet ahead for it particularly as the new liturgical movement itself continues to grow and to spread -- as it indeed is; so to do the other NLM writers.
I am therefore pleased to inform our readers that NLM will itself continue to operate, operating under the sponsorship of the CMAA (Church Music Association of America). Jeffrey Tucker will be the Editor and Publisher, and the day to day operation and management of NLM will fall to Gregory DiPippo, who will be the new Managing Editor.
The expected transition date will be Monday, June 3rd.
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Colloquium Deadline Upon Us
If you're coming to the Sacred Music Colloquium and you've been putting off booking your room, don't wait. Today (Friday, May 17) is the last day you will be able to receive the guaranteed low, CMAA rates. If you stayed at the Little America Hotel last year, you'll know that it is a spectacular place. Incredible quality and service. At $72, $97, or $117 a night, these rooms are a steal. Reserve your room directly with this link. Register for the Colloquium here.
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More Pages to Explore .....
