Yesterday was the patronal feast day of our Parish. The Union of Catholic Mothers excelled themselves in decorating the Church with with floral displays and dressing the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary. Our principal Mass was sung in Latin, eastward-facing, with the usus antiquior "helping to inform" the celebration of the newer form.In the afternoon we had the Rosary, procession of the statue of Our Lady (with both the Lourdes and Fatima hymns), Litany of Loreto and Benediction.
I preached on the various intentions that we should bring to Our Lady: those who have lapsed from the practice of the faith, our families, our young people: those who are called to the priesthood or the religious life and those who are called to marriage, and our own deepening of faith, and especially our preparation and thanksgiving for Holy Communion. I made the point that it is never a question of "either or"; either praying to Mary or to Jesus. Whenever we pray to our Lady, she brings us straight to the heart of Christ. Par Marie a Jesus!
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What I find particularly lovely about this feast day is to meditate on the crown of flowers - "chaplets" crowning Our Lady - the meaning of "Rosary", the 3-fold crown of flowers, a tradition begun by the Romans for people of distinction, perpetuated through medieval times, with the crown now symbolised on the EU flag - the 27 stars representing EU27 Member States. Robert Schumann, a committed Catholic and visionary behind the notion of a common European market, took the circular star symbol from Our Lady's chaplet. There is nothing new under the sun.
A belated happy feastday to the parish.
I was delighted to read about the celebration of Mass in the novus ordo "ad orientem".
That seems to be very much in the spirit of the "reform of the reform".
I wonder if the "metamorphose d'un autel", which we saw in the photos taken by Vernon Quaintance on 14 September, might become a regular feature at Our Lady of Lourdes, Blackfen.
Of course, I don't know how long it took to set it all up, and then to take it all down again.
I only know it looked smashing.
Our Lady will have been very pleased with the celebrations in her honour.
Very well done, everybody.
There is another chance to honour Our Blessed Lady next Saturday at the Rosary Crusade procession from Westminster Cathedral to Brompton Oratory.
This will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady at Fatima.
Assemble in the Cathedral piazza for a 2pm start to the procession - the biggest Catholic procession in London these days.
Prayers, sermon and Benediction at the Oratory.
Fr. Tim,
The 12-star EU flag is Our Lady's great act of surreptious inclusion in the affairs of Europe. It was of course inspired by the "Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and adorned with a crown of 12 stars."
Not that you'd know that from the EU official website, which gives the following explanation - a complete load of secularist garbage, consistent with the godless EU constitution:
"The European flag...is the symbol not only of the European Union but also of Europe's unity and identity in a wider sense. The circle of gold stars represents solidarity and harmony between the peoples of Europe.
The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of Member States. There are twelve stars because the number twelve is traditionally the symbol of perfection, completeness and unity. The flag therefore remains unchanged regardless of EU enlargements.
The history of the flag goes back to 1955...The Council of Europe was considering what symbol to adopt for its own use. After much discussion, the present design was adopted - a circle of twelve gold stars on a blue background. In various traditions, twelve is a symbolic number representing perfection. It is also, of course, the number of months in a year and the number of hours shown on a clock face. The circle is, among other things, a symbol of unity. So the European flag was born, representing the ideal of unity among the peoples of Europe."
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners...
The feast is no longer titled 'Feast of the Holy Rosary' in the 1962 missal, it was renamed 'Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary' - Beatae Mariae Virginis a Rosario in the typical edition.
Commenting on the change Mgr. McManus wrote:
"This indicates that the feast is to honor [sic] the Blessed Virgin Mary under a specific title and not to celebrate the devotional practice of the rosary."
McManus, F., Handbook for the New Rubrics, Geoffrey Chapman, 1961, p41
I think we should reclaim this feast back again!
I fail to understand "Ottaviani"'s point. Why would we want to "reclaim" the Feast from Our Lady? It is hers, as is the Rosary, and as we should be too. We should rejoice in the chance to celebrate her under all her titles.
I do not think his eminent namesake would be able follow his argument either.
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