Our Lady of Fatima

Having heard Mass of Our Lady of Fatima at Carmel this morning, it was good to gather with our little schola twelve hours later at St Francis and first practice, then sing Compline followed by Benediction; it seemed fitting to begin the latter with Jesu dulcis memoria, then to chant the Litany of Loreto, before proceeding to the usual Tantum ergo &c. We closed with the Sub tuum, concluding this Marian feast by flying to her patronage, that the Blessed Virgin defend us by her all-powerful intercession in all dangers.

Compline and Honours

Though unfortunately our priest was unable to attend, and so we didn't have Benediction last night – at which I served at the city church on Monday night in any case, since the weekly Rosary devotions include Benediction this Lent – we did keep the feast of the Annunciation with special care, by singing the Litany of Loreto after Compline, and ending with the hymn "The Angel Gabriel from heaven came".

In other good news, the pre-eminent rank of Knight and Dame in the Order of Australia has been restored by our Prime Minister, just as the title of Queen's Counsel for senior lawyers is in process of being restored in certain State jurisdictions when it had been replaced with "Senior Counsel". We are a monarchy after all...

Compline and Benediction

Evening devotions and Benediction for the second day in a row – it reminds me of Hobart, or happy days in Melbourne; I could get used to this.

To-night, we had the last celebration for this year for our Gregorian chant choir, which was also a chance to fondly farewell Fr Allan, our devoted and good priest, who first established the choir at St Francis and ever since has nurtured it until now. Fr Allan is retiring in early January; we are quietly confident that the good work he has done in building up our parish, especially as regards the proper celebration of the sacred liturgy and fit music therefor, will continue to flourish and abound, given that our Archbishop is sending us a new priest.

But this evening – before the lengthy fraternal supper afterward – we first practised, then sung Compline, followed by a particularly elaborate Benediction, with the Christus vincit in procession beforehand, and, looking towards Advent, the Rorate cæli at exposition, and also another favourite, Jesu Redemptor omnium (verses extracted from the Christmas Vespers hymn) before reposition. Having left home at twenty past seven, I got back at twenty to eleven! God bless our priest, and our choir.

Rosary and Benediction

To mark the end of the Year of Faith, and to pay special homage to Christ the King – for, both here in Tasmania, and also overseas, the customary Eucharistic devotions of Corpus Christi were and are oft transferred to this time of year, given the weather – one of our priests, Fr Kene, kindly offered to give us Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament after the usual Monday night Rosary.

I was pressed into service as a server for Father, and managed to acquit myself without too much bumbling about (always a problem when serving in an unfamiliar sanctuary). We were and are all very grateful to Fr Kene, and he seemed pleased also. Deo volente, we hope that perhaps the weekly Rosary may occasionally be blessed with Benediction again...

Monday Benediction and Mass

I stayed in Hobart till Monday; and thought to go to St Joseph's – the city church, run by the Passionist Fathers – for Benediction at noon, and then Mass. It was great to be there, and by a nice parallel good Fr Quinn was the celebrant: for yester-day I'd M.C.'d for him at the Latin Mass, and at lunch afterwards he'd told us some of the "good news" for which he is famous: in the past week or so, he has received five into the Church, as part of his ministry to the sick and dying.

I had forgotten what a blessing this church is: daily, from Monday to Friday, there is Mass at 8 am, then Exposition until Benediction at noon, followed by two lunchtime Masses, at 12:10 pm and 1:10 pm respectively; and Confession is available after both Masses (and also from 5 to 5:45 pm on Fridays).

Unsurprisingly, with this ministry to the good people of Hobart, many come to weekday Mass and avail themselves of confession also. And in how few parishes these days is there ever either Benediction or Exposition? When I was at University in Hobart, I would often catch the bus or walk into town to come to this church for all these blessings. Ite ad Joseph! and God bless the Passionists.

If only every city had such: my own, for example...

Mass in Hobart, Holy Hour in Launceston

After a good sleep-in, I M.C.'d our Missa cantata – and well attended it was too, with fifty in the congregation; we also celebrated one young fellow's First Holy Communion, and welcomed a new server into the altar party. Since the choir had prepared for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, Father celebrated that Mass, rather than the external solemnity of Corpus Christi (and as a commenter noted on the last post, this Sunday's Proper is actually very apposite indeed); unfortunately the family who made and bring with them the vestments had thought we would do Corpus Christi, so Father wore white... ah well, call it very pale green...

Mass, which began late owing to many coming for confessions beforehand, finished just before one o'clock; I quickly changed out of cassock and surplice and jumped behind the wheel, so as to return to Launceston in time for our parish's special four o'clock Holy Hour in union with the Holy Father in Rome – a few stops later, I arrived with ten minutes to spare, and ended up serving as thurifer. Unfortunately my right knee (injured years ago) played up rather – thank you, Lord, for this penance!

Less is more: Exposition began in the usual manner with O salutaris hostia (in English), then Father led us in a few short prayers, before forty minutes of silent adoration. (I decided 'twere best to employ myself in the day hours, and managed to get from Lauds up to half-way through Vespers...) We then concluded in the usual manner with Tantum ergo (in English) &c., Benediction itself, the Divine Praises, and two favourite hymns to end: "Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all" at reposition, and "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" as recessional. We concluded at five o'clock.

Off on Pilgrimage

Thanks be that the Christus Rex Pilgrimage here in Australia is a great deal easier than the Paris to Chartres Pilgrimage!  I depart on Thursday evening for Ballarat via Melbourne, in order to be ready to begin at the Cathedral in Ballarat at 6:30 am on Friday... God willing, matters conclude in Bendigo with High Mass on Sunday afternoon; then we celebrate that evening, and depart the next morning (after Mass and brunch). I return home on Monday evening.

Last night, our little schola met as usual for practice, followed by Compline and Benediction: but, very appropriately, we interposed a Procession within the church, singing Christus vincit, that marvellous litanic prayer of petition and praise, which by coincidence, or rather, by Providence, is just such as we sing while on the Christus Rex Pilgrimage. Viva Christo Rey!

Easter Tuesday Compline and Benediction

It was good to be at church last night, to sing and worship and share Easter cheer.  Just a small flock gathered (some singers being away), but that included our priest of course, and also Bp Robarts of the TAC, waiting on the doorstep of the Church as it were (no offence intended!) as he awaits news from Rome of the establishment of the Australian Ordinariate.  The good bishop was edifying as always, when, during our time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, he set us an example of prayerful intercession extempore, or rather ex abundantia cordis tui, as Fr Allan put it when asking him to do so beforehand.  For the record, it being Easter week, the Sanctissimum was brought forth while we sang Victimæ paschali laudes (I was assisting Fr as thurifer meanwhile), and after It had been returned to the tabernacle at the end, we concluded with O filii et filiæ.  It is good to gaze upon the Risen Christ.

Compline and Benediction for Christian Unity

To-night, our parish Compline and Benediction was graced by the attendance of Bp Robarts of the TAC, together with his wife and one of his parishioners.  My parish priest had very kindly invited him to attend, in the cause of promoting Christian Unity and more particularly the success in Australia of Anglicanorum cœtibus.

After Compline (sung in Gregorian chant), Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed, while we sang Ave verum, and Gaudeamus omnes in honour of St Cecilia, patroness of music, whose feast it is this day.  Bp Robarts then led us all in prayer before Our Lord truly present in the Eucharist, concluding very feelingly with the Prayer for Christian Unity.  Benediction was given by our priest with the usual Tantum ergo &c., then the Sacrament was reposed in the tabernacle while we chanted Jesu Redemptor omnium.  Our worship concluded with that most ecumenical hymn "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" – translated by an Anglican from an Eastern liturgy, set to a French tune.

After our foretaste of the joys of full communion in Eucharistic worship, we had a little agape - wine, savouries, cake...

It was a very blessed occasion in every respect.  Forward the Australian Ordinariate!

Compline, Benediction, and Supper

For the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, Patroness of Australia, we celebrated with our fortnightly Compline and Benediction, followed by a special supper with good food and good wine.

There was about the best attendance yet, and all were in good voice - even with the rather tricky choice of Gaudeamus omnes in Domino (the Marian version of this Introit) sung as the exposition chant (for indeed we ought all rejoice in the Lord in honour of the Blessed Virgin, at whose solemnity the angels rejoice and together praise the Son of God).

Yours truly, as well as singing, also served as thurifer (thanks, Len, for saying I managed this well, as I am anything but confident wielding the thurible, or "swinging the pot" as you put it!).

Father has just bought a handsome new lamp for Our Lady's statue, which we saw lit for the first time to-night.  De Maria numquam satis...

Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui Domine

This verse of Psalm 4 – just sung by us at Compline – came powerfully to mind when Father proceeeded to give us Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament:

Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine: dedisti lætitiam in corde meo.

"The light of Thy countenance is signed upon us, Lord: Thou hast given joy to my heart."

Truly God has listened, has heeded the voice of my prayer, has not turned His face away from me, but blesses me by His priest, signing us with the Sacrament of His love, giving joy to my heart: "for God is potent in redonating a greater consolation", as the Imitatio Christi avers.

St Augustine comments upon this very verse in his Confessions, writing against the Manichees from following whose falsities he had been delivered, angry at them or rather pitying them for being madly hostile to the medicine of the sacraments (cf. IX, iv, 8):

'The light of your countenance, Lord, is signed upon us' (Ps 4:7).  For we are not 'the light that enlightens every man' (John 1:9).  We derive our light from you, so that we 'who were once darkness are light in you' (Eph 5:8).  If only they [the Manichees] could see the eternal to be inward!  I had tasted this...  

...there you began to be my delight, and 'you gave gladness in my heart' (Ps 4:7).  And I cried out loud when I acknowledged inwardly what I read in external words.

— Confessions, IX, iv, 10

Our small schola, with Father and some parishioners, had gathered on a rainy night to sing God's praises in the immemorial Latin plainchant, and then gone on to worship Emmanuel, God present with us in His Sacrament.  We few, we happy few...

We had supper after, and a good long discussion touching on many of the ills and worries of contemporary society.  It is indeed sad, as it was for Augustine, to think of the wider world's peoples heedless of or even actively spurning the celestial remedies at hand to the fears and dangers of our transient life, the free offer of salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Compline & Benediction

What a good idea, what a blessing, and a spiritual consolation: singing Compline and then singing at Benediction.  Our fortnightly Gregorian chant session at St Francis was, as always, most beneficial to weary body and soul.

Vespers at St Mary's Cathedral

Solemn Vespers with Benediction at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, was most grand, sung by a male choir of about fourteen singers, with several servers assisting a priest in cope - and biretta!

The Vespers were those of Sunday in the 4th week of the Psalter, being according to the modern Divine Office, but were expertly and movingly sung in Latin, but for the Short Reading, and the concluding Intercessions, Lord's Prayer and Collect, being done in English as was quite reasonable.  The choir sang all parts in plainchant, but for a glorious polyphonic Magnificat.

After Vespers, the choir sang Palestrina's exquisite O sacrum convivium; then choir – who had relocated to kneel at the altar rails – and people sang the O salutaris Hostia, the Sacrament was exposed in the monstrance, and the usual Prayer for Christian Unity, then Tantum ergo, versicle and prayer followed, all still in Latin; Benediction having been given, the choir sang the Divine Praises in English, before, at Reposition, the Adoremus in æternum with Psalm 116, Laudate Dominum.  The simple Salve concluded a devout period of prayer.

The whole service took just over 40 minutes, what with beautiful organ music before and after, ending with a Bach toccata.  As Dylan Thomas had a character say in Welsh, Ahh, Bach vach!

Spiritual Recharge: Compline and Benediction

We few, we happy few: just the nucleus of our Gregorian chant choir, our priest and a faithful parishioner, coming together to practise, to learn and then to offer our sacrifice of praise to God, singing Compline and then Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

We sang a chant new to us, one in honour of the Immaculate Conception, and customarily sung by Franciscans on Saturdays: Tota pulchra es.

V/. Tota pulchra es, Maria.
R/. Tota pulchra es, Maria.
V/. Et macula originalis non est in te.
R/. Et macula originalis non est in te.
V/. Tu gloria Jerusalem.
R/. Tu laetitia Israel.
V/. Tu honorificentia populi nostri.
R/. Tu advocata peccatorum.
V/. O Maria.
R/. O Maria.
V/. Virgo prudentissima.
R/. Mater clementissima.
V/. Ora pro nobis.
R/. Intercede pro nobis ad Dominum Jesum Christum.

V/. Thou art all fair, O Mary.
R/. Thou art all fair, O Mary.
V/. And the original stain is not in thee.
R/. And the original stain is not in thee.
V/. Thou glory of Jerusalem.
R/. Thou joy of Israel.
V/. Thou honour of our people.
R/. Thou advocate of sinners.
V/. O Mary.
R/. O Mary.
V/. Virgin most prudent.
R/. Mother most tender.
V/. Pray for us.
R/. Intercede for us with the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I worshipped the Lord present in His true Flesh, while Father censed the Host, it struck me how this is a true act of latria, offering the incense of adoration to Jesus Christ our God – it is only short of the perfect act of latria that is the Mass, when we offer not but earthly incense, but the Divine Victim, Christ Himself, to His Father.

Last night, that was our hour's pastime; as I remarked to Father, it was a spiritual recharge; he smiled and said it was that for him, too.

Back to Benediction

Some practice of the Christus factus est for Holy Thursday, then straight into Compline followed by Benediction: it was good to get to St Francis, Riverside, for this (having missed going in February and earlier in March for various reasons).  On Holy Thursday – just over a fortnight away – we will sing Compline at the altar of repose at 9 pm.  

I had had a long and stressful day, and thanks be I felt better after worship, having felt quite wretched earlier.  It was good, too, to help bring some blessings by our music, helping Father celebrate Benediction: one of the older men who came along remarked to me that it was the first time he'd been to Benediction since high school.  C'est la vie in benighted Tasmania.

Transeamus usque Bethlehem

Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum, quod factum est, quod Dominus ostendit nobis.  Et venerunt festinantes : et invenerunt Mariam, et Joseph, et infantem positum in præsepio.

Let us pass over unto Bethlehem, and let us see this Word, which was made, which the Lord hath shewn unto us.  And they went hastening: and they found Mary, and Joseph, and the Child placed in the manger.

— St Luke ii, 15b-16

This post is a plea for solemn Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction during Christmastide, by which we may intensify as at this time (as is most appropriate) our desire for and spiritual communion with Christ, Who became Man for us, that He might give His Flesh for us, to be our Bread, so we could become partakers of the Divine Nature:

But as from the Highest Place Thou didst for us humble Thyself, submit now to my humility, and as Thou didst consent to lie in the cave and in the manger of dumb beasts, so now consent also to enter in to the manger of my dumb soul and into my defiled body.

— Byzantine Rite, Prayers of Preparation before Holy Communion, 3rd Prayer "by St John Chrysostom"

It ought ever be remembered that one of the English-speaking world's favourite carols, "O come, all ye faithful" was originally written by an eighteenth-century Englishman, a Catholic recusant, written in Latin (only done into English in the nineteenth century), and intended for singing, not at Mass (as was unheard of then) but at Benediction at the chapel of the one of the London embassies of Catholic countries.

This hymn, then, was sung in Latin ere ever it was sung in the vernacular.  Proving this, I have a copy of A Companion to the Altar, or Compact Pocket Missal, for all the Sundays, Festivals of Obligation & Devotion &c. &c. in the Year (2nd edition, London: 1796), which gives this hymn as follows in four stanzas  - I copy out the English only, from the left-hand column (the Latin is given on the right):

The Prose, ADESTE FIDELES, sung from Christmas to the Octave of the Epiphany.

Ye faithful souls rejoice and sing,
To Bethlehem your trophies bring:
Before the new-born Angels' King,
Come let us him adore.
Come, &c.

True God of God, true light of light,
Borne in womb of Virgin bright:
Begot, not made, true God of might,
Come let us him adore.
Come, &c.

Angelic Choirs with joy now sing,
Th' heav'nly Courts with echoes ring,
Glory on high to God our King,
Come let us him adore.
Come, &c.

Jesus, whose Life this day begun,
The Father's co-eternal Son,
Glory to him be ever sung:
Come let us him adore.
Come, &c.

Adeste fideles is therefore addressed to Catholic worshippers, and the triple refrain, Venite adoremus Dominum, is an exhortation to adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance on the altar.

Is not Bethlehem "the House of Bread"?  Let us go over to Bethlehem, that is, to the church - the House of Bread - and to the holy altar thereof, whose tabernacle is the holy of holies wherein God rests under the sacramental signs, to behold the Word made flesh for us, concealed in form of bread, nay, not so much veiled as revealed therein by the outward sign: for bread is the staff of life, and the True Bread come down from heaven, better than the ancient manna, feeds us unto life eternal.

After all, what is a cratch or manger but the feeding trough for lowly animals?  Christ laid therein shews forth His extreme kenotic self-giving sacrifice, making Himself food for us debased and fallen creatures.

The Lord has shewn this unto us, that His Onlybegotten Son, Christ, is incarnate for us, having taken our nature upon Him: and He is not far from us, but even in His sacred humanity He is present on our altars, as He has willed.  We can go to Bethlehem!

In our Bethlehem, we will find the Child, God's Eternal Son, reposing in great humility, not displaying His Divine Majesty but rather manifesting His great goodness and desire to nourish us.  And going to Bethlehem, to our church, we shall not find Christ alone - no pretended religion bereft of the communion of saints - but we shall find Him, and His Holy Mother Mary, our Mother also, and St Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church.

Consider now the stanzas of Adeste fideles: we who believe are called urgently to come to Bethlehem, to behold Him Who is born the King of Angels; for He is God from God, Light from Light, true God, begotten not created - as the Nicene Creed sings - and yet (taking flesh) carried in the Virgin's womb.

The shepherds, being called, left their flocks abiding "in tempest, storm and wind" (as another carol exaggerates), and humbly ran to the cradle; so we too should hasten our footsteps, praising.  Likewise come the Magi, wise men, led by the star to Him; they fall down and worship, offering gold, incense and myrrh; so therefore we should offer our hearts to the Christ-Child, God our Jesus, the Eternal Word born a tiny Babe and speechless.

For He is the Splendour Eternal of the Everlasting Father: veiled in the flesh we shall behold Him, God an Infant, wrapt in swaddling bands!  (We may add, in unparalleled humility sacramentally present under the form of bread.)  For us He is born poor and needy, cradled in a manger - in a feeding-trough - and so we ought wish to embrace Him in all piety, loving Him Who so greatly first loved us: what ought we not do for Him as some poor recompense?

The choirs of the angels now sing in jubilation, now sings all heaven, Glory to God in the highest!  (Such is the ceaseless worship of the Godhead by all angels and saints; such is their worship of Christ Incarnate, of Christ's Real Presence.)  Therefore to Thee, O Jesu, born for us this day, be all glory, Thou the Eternal Father's Word made flesh.

What an act of faith to sing this in presence of the Blessed Sacrament!

"O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord."

Compline & Benediction

It being the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we had a larger turn-out than usual for our fortnightly chant practice and devotions at St Francis, Riverside. Compline and then Benediction were sung as usual, but in honour of the feast we added two Marian chants at the end: the Ave Maria and the Ave Regina cælorum.

After church, supper: Fr Allan very kindly put on a get-together at the friary for us all, to farewell us for the time being - the schola goes into recess over the Christmas break, from now until February. Many thanks are due him for all his patience, skill and kindness.

Compline and Benediction

To-night, our little new schola met again for its usual Tuesday session: first, practice; secondly, Compline chanted, then Benediction.

Tomight, we learnt the Introits for All Saints (Gaudeamus omnes in Domino) and All Souls (Requiem æternam), together with the Kyrie for Requiems; we sang them in the course of our Eucharistic Adoration.

After it all, I had a chat outside with some of my fellow chanters, telling them about the great experience of the Christus Rex Pilgrimage; I promised that next year I will try and organize to promote it, so it won't be just one man from Launceston going to it...

Compline and Benediction

Last night our new Gregorian schola met again at 7.30 pm, for practice, then sung Compline and Benediction at 8 pm - which is now advertised to all and sundry in the parish bulletin. As always, it was an uplifting occasion, and afterward several of us had a good conversation, despite the cold, rainy weather. (I came early, and took the opportunity of asking Fr to hear my confession: always a good thing to do.)

To Revive My Drooping Spirit

I don't know why the Lord is always sending me consolations...

Having returned to earth with a bump, so to speak, it was a real grace to go along to St Francis for our Gregorian chant group - and to find that we were to first practice, and then sing Compline and Benediction. I love the smell of incense in the evening!

Two English prayers were added at Benediction to the usual: a short litany of the Blessed Sacrament, and an excellent choice for reposition hymn - "Let all mortal flesh keep silence".

Afterward, Fr Allan invited us to join him for supper at the friary, and asked me to tell all about my trip (not realizing just how garrulous I can be). Supper over, he solemnly blessed my new crucifix for me. A good priest.