I did celebrate three Masses today, though not one after the other. In the morning we had our usual English Mass; in the afternoon I was at the school for Mass with the children of Year 3 (2nd grade in US currency) and in the evening it was Missa Cantata with absolutions at the catafalque.
It was good to have the opportunity to talk to the children and their parents about praying for the Holy Souls. I always point out that although November can be a sad for us, as we remember our loved ones who have died, it must be a great time of rejoicing in purgatory because many people suddenly remember again to pray for the dead.
The above picture of a catafalque is from the Church of Santissima Trinita in Rome, the home of the FSSP. (H/T NLM.) I post it here as a model for my senior servers who are always finding ways to improve the Church, the sanctuary, and the vestments. One or two of them (particularly Zephyrinus) buy tickets for the Euro Lottery each week in the hope that a win of 50 million euro or whatever it is this week, will provide us with the means to build a minor basilica at Blackfen. The above photo is a good example of the sort of thing we have in mind.
4 comments:
Go for it, Father.
I had the privilege of going to Mass in very ordinary, workaday parishes in Poland in the early 80s. Priest and people sang the all the Common with gusto. It was magnificent.
Without any embarrassment, I admit that I was deeply moved by the intelligent beauty and faith of those Masses. The music, based on the Latin, was what made it so.
The children's Masses may possibly have had children's hymns. But otherwise, they had the "full works" - thurible, candle bearers, the lot!
I've wondered ever since why the English speaking world is not the same. We're far too cerebal.
If a Sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace, then the Mass should have colour, movement, smell, beauty - not just words occasionally relieved by the first four verses of some hymns.
Why don't you set up a donate button on your blog for such things?
The very best of good luck Father, what a joy it would be to see your Minor Basilica!!
Dear Fr Finigan.
Noted.
(Extra Euro Lottery tickets purchased this evening.)
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