SS Peter and Paul

May the Princes of the Apostles ever intercede for us all, that Peter's Barque may ride out the storm, and the preaching of Paul convert all nations.

(Though I didn't make it to Mass this morning - it being a Monday, the sacrosanct day off for priests, the only available Mass would have been the early one at Carmel - I did at least do something: I donated blood plasma, as I am trying to be more regular about doing.  Think of it as practice in shedding one's blood for the Lord...)

Two Masses for SS Peter and Paul

Originally the Pope sang two Masses on this day, one at St Peter's, the other at St Paul's, but because of the distance between them the custom grew up of postponing the second Mass till the next day - hence tomorrow's Commemoration of St Paul. The Mass and Office of the 29th of June is, therefore, almost wholly devoted to St Peter, except for the Collect and the marvellous hymn (split between Lauds and Vespers), and the Magnificat Antiphon at Second Vespers:

Hodie Simon Petrus ascendit crucis patibulum, alleluja:
hodie clavicularius regni gaudens migravit ad Christum:
hodie Paulus Apostolus, lumen orbis terræ, inclinato capite,
pro Christi nomine martyrio coronatus est, alleluja.

But today I at least had two sung Masses to attend: I came to my usual, the 9.15am, at which Quartessence were singing polyphony, but after I'd caught up with folks afterward I had to drive Fr Rowe over to Kelmscott for the 2pm Mass there, which was being sung by their choir - and ended up having to serve as an acolyte!

Now, the last few days have had their accidents: yesterday, my spectacle frames snapped and needed emergency repairs. Similarly, sadly, at the Kelmscott Mass, the thurifer managed to tip the coals out of the thurible onto the carpet in front of the altar, during the Introit; Fr decided to abandon the use of incense for the rest of Mass, feeling incensed enough already, no doubt. I counted seven holes burnt into the carpet! In any case, incense other than by indult at a Missa cantata is actually a very late pre-Conciliar development.

Further bloopers: I felt ridiculous in a tiny child's surplice over a cassock that only came half-way down my calves; and when I coughed during the Canon, I managed to blow out my candle, causing some fuss to get it relighted. Serving with decorum is not my strong point - at least I avoided thurible duty, though on second thoughts I may have been the better choice...

I then had to drive Fr to the airport (he's off to the funeral of a friend), drop stuff off at the sacristan's home, visit the ongoing works at St Anne's to pass on Fr's latest messages, and finally get home, there to return to my housemate James the surplice that he had given Rosemary to fix for him, before cooking dinner, and then heading over to George's to watch the latest Doctor Who episode (since we don't own a TV). Yes, I am a confirmed Dr Who fan!

Why is it that Australian TV never shows Christmas specials at Christmas? It happens for every sitcom or drama or whatever the same, with rare exceptions: Christmas specials are televised at random intervals through the year. So this first episode of Series 4 of the revamped Dr Who was the - 2007 Christmas special: only 6 months and 4 days late. Welcome to that strange Southern Hemisphere invention, "Christmas in July".

What a runaround day.

A Prayer to SS Peter and Paul

This is taken from a medieval book of Hours, but is in fact the Magnificat antiphon, a versicle, and the Collect (with its pleasant nautical theme) for the Octave Day of SS Peter and Paul, eight days' hence:

Aña. Petrus apostolus et Paulus doctor gentium ipsi nos docuerunt legem tuam domine.

V/. In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum.
R/. Et in fines orbis terrae verba eorum.

Oremus.

Deus, cujus dextera beatum Petrum, ambulantem in fluctibus, ne mergeretur, erexit, et coapostolum ejus Paulum, tertio naufragantem, de profundo pelagi liberavit: exaudi nos propitius, et concede; ut, amborum meritis, æternitatis gloriam consequamur. Per...

Ant. Peter, the Apostle, and Paul, the Doctor of the Gentiles, they taught us Thy law, O Lord.

V/. In all the earth their voice has gone forth.
R/. And their words unto the ends of the earth.

Let us pray.

O God, Whose right hand raised up blessed Peter when he was walking on the waves, lest he be submerged, and saved his fellow apostle Paul from the depth of the sea when he was shipwrecked for the third time, hear us graciously and grant that we may pursue the glory of eternity by the favors of both. Through...

It used to be the custom that when Dominicans and Franciscans got together, they would sing a version of this antiphon, interlarded with Ps 116 and the doxology: Seraphicus Pater Franciscus, et Apostolicus Pater Dominicus, ipsi nos docuerunt legem tuam, Domine. (Seraphic Father Francis and Apostolic Father Dominic, they taught us Thy law, O Lord.) If it were Franciscans hosting Dominicans, out of politeness to their guests they would name St Dominic first, and vice versa.