... has been going very well, Deo Gratias. On the evening of Maundy Thursday, I washed the feet of twelve good men and true, and celebrated Mass ad orientem with the choir singing some beautiful pieces in both Latin and English. For the procession to the altar of repose (beautifully decorated by the sacristy team), we had two thurifers walking backwards, incensing the Blessed Sacrament. My alert deacon prevented one of them from hitting a pillar on the way round. Some young people asked me whether we could have watching before the Blessed Sacrament late at night on another occasion in the year. (Erm, let me think. Yes!)
Children's Stations of the Cross were well attended this morning and I hope that lots of indulgences were gained there - I explained about indulgences in a short homily at the end. Traditional Stations also well attended and lots of confessions afterwards - as there were during the watching last night. I was delighted that the queues were probably at least half composed of young people under 21.
Looking forward to the Easter Vigil...
7 comments:
This is all magnificent news! I am sure that reading accounts of the Triduum like yours will inspire other young men to priestly service. Surely I am not the only one whose soul leaps for joy at the though of bringing Christ's Sacraments to His flock, and seeing their use of them increase.
A group of us watched until 6am on Good Friday morning this year. We're getting into a rhythm of having Vigils twice a year - Maundy Thursday/Good Friday and on the eve of the Assumption.
It went by so fast!
Fr., of your charity, please pray for my friend Emilio who committed suicide last Wednesday morning. Kyrie eleison.
A blsesed Easter to you, Father.
Karen
You are either going to have to increase your confession slots, or invest in another priest to help out. The only place I've ever seen longer queues is Westminster Cathedral... and it's not as if you take a particularly long time for each penitent either...
;-)
Every blessing for Easter to you as well, Karen.
Mac - I think we probably could do with some more time for confessions. Perhaps at a good time during the week suitable for workers and scholars.
Fr Tim,
We found that the confessions before and after the Good Friday Mass of the pre-sanctified or whatever it is called this week was the busiest of the periods. We have not heard confessions at that point of the Triduum before, it is certainly going to be a regular part of the timetable. Mercifully I had two visiting priests (a Kenyan and a Pole) and so we could hear confessions in the confessional, parish room, and lady chapel. And yes, all three of us were kept busy.
Fr Steven Fisher, Ramsgate, Kent, UK
Thanks so much for being a priest, Father. What a huge benefit to the whole body of Christ.
Mutatis mutandis, "For many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband, saith the Lord."
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