Just arrived back from the Christus Rex Pilgrimage: stupendous!
All glory be to God.
The sacred ministers, keeping dry, discuss the expected arrival of the servers for the Missa multarum aquarum on Saturday. Over the weekend, the environs received two inches of rain.
A marvellous spiritual recharge: an experience, in a very humble manner, of the Triduum, of Death and Resurrection, coming through suffering closer to the Lord - for, after beginning with great eagerness, and having assisted at our first Solemn High Mass, by Friday night, having through stupid pride pushed myself to walk all 35 km of the first day, I was so tired and miserable I could have crawled into a ditch; come Saturday, with its rain, and my exhaustion, I couldn't keep up past our mid-morning break, and took the bus for the weary pilgrims, joining the main party for our second Solemn High Mass in the pouring rain (the altar alone under shelter), a very Missa multarum aquarum, and then wisely resolving to join the two busloads' unable to proceed further in the wet and cold; yet, Sunday dawned and I arose and walked and prayed, and all ended gloriously.
His Lordship Bishop Elliott met us at the doors of Bendigo Cathedral, after we had sung in procession and consecrated ourselves to Christ the King: there then unfolded Pontifical Mass at the faldstool, with Palestrina's Missa brevis and sundry motets and organ voluntaries. The occasion was magnificent, as was the hard-hitting sermon; I suspect the NLM may well cover it...
Sunday evening we feasted at the Queen's Arms Hotel, and, further refreshed, we kept All Saints' holy with our third Solemn High Mass, followed by brunch. "O blest communion, fellowship divine!"
Other highlights: hearing most of Fr Rowe's Low Mass on Friday, and serving it on Sunday morning, on both occasions using the amazing portable chapel that the indefatigable Corboys have made out of a ute-drawn horse float!
No comments:
Post a Comment