Novo cedat ritui

The Marylebone Ordinariate Group blog has a very interesting account of the new form of Mass for use in the Ordinariates for Anglicans that have come into full communion with the Catholic Church; the full text thereof is not yet available (doubtless to prevent manic bloggers dissecting it ruthlessly and impiously), but here at least are some pursuant extracts about it:

The full form of the Ordinariate Use is not yet freely available. However, we do know that... it is heavily based on an hieratic English translation of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. Elements that have been retained include the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, consisting notably of the psalm, Judica me Deus, and the Confiteor; the fuller Offertory prayers taken from the Missal of John XXIII; traditional gestures and liturgical action during the Canon including most importantly the genuflection of the celebrant both before and after the elevation of the Host and the Precious Chalice; the triple Domine non sum dignus; and finally the Last Gospel taken from the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John. 

... the Ordinariate Use has taken a number of prayers and actions from the Ordinary Form, such as the General Intercessions (though heavily regulated), the option of using the Second Eucharistic Prayer (translated into hieratic English – bonkers, we know!) and the inclusion of the last blessing within the Mass as opposed to after the Ite, Missa est. 

Crucially the Ordinariate Use incorporates some elements of the Book of Common Prayer. Whether it be the 'Humble Crumble' [the Prayer of Humble Access] or the Collect for Purity, it is essential that the Ordinariate Use preserve the linguistic and spiritual treasures written originally in English by the Christian communities of England that succeeded the Catholic Church as the dominant religion in the land. These prayers are indisputably part of what Anglican Patrimony in any physical sense must consist of. 

Despite the many issues the problem of optionality has created since the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI, the Ordinariate Use has retained a substantial amount of choice over which aspects are used at each celebration of Mass. Many of those distinctive elements drawn from the Extraordinary Form are optional, from the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar before Mass through to the reading of the Last Gospel after its conclusion.

It is not surprising that the new form of the Ordinariate Mass (its original form being that in the Book of Divine Worship, drawn up in the 1980's for groups of Anglicans coming into full communion in the U.S.A.) is based in large part on the immemorial forms of the Roman Rite as expressed in the traditional Latin Mass, done into Cranmerian English – for Anglo-Catholics have used various English versions of the Roman Missal ever since the nineteenth century.  Just as at a TAC service here in Launceston that I attended years ago (when Anglicanorum cœtibus was first announced), so at the Ordinariate Mass I attended in Sydney the prayers at the foot of the altar were used: it is part of Anglo-Catholic worship. Would that such adjuncts to Divine service might be more widely restored throughout Holy Church!

Liturgical Ethos of the Ordinariate

The Mater et caput of all the Personal Ordinariates is surely that of Our Lady of Walsingham for England and Wales (and Scotland): its Ordinary, Monsignor Keith Newton, has recently issued Guidelines for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, which, inasmuch as they well promote the liturgical ethos of the groups of Anglicans that have come into full communion with the Catholic Church, may with profit be studied and emulated, not just in the other two Ordinariates, mutatis mutandis, but throughout the wider Latin Rite of the Universal Church.

Some of the more notable points in the Introduction and Norms of these Guidelines are:

1. Without excluding liturgical celebrations according to the Roman Rite, the Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Book of Divine Worship [Rite One only – cf. 2.] are the current liturgical texts, for the Office and for Holy Mass, proper to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, as indicated by the faculty given (cf. AC III). 

3. Liturgical celebrations should always take into account the desire of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, for the maintenance of the traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church (cf. AC III). This should be evident in all aspects of liturgical celebration, whether according to the Book of Divine Worship or the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, not least in the choice of sacred music and vesture. 

5. Where the dynamic of the building allows it, the ancient practice of ad orientem celebration is commended. 

6. Where versus populum celebration of the sacred liturgy is necessary, the placing of a standing crucifix with the corpus turned towards the celebrant, in the centre of the altar, is commended. 

9. Where it is possible, Sundays, solemnities, and some feasts (e.g. Candlemas, Ash Wednesday, Annunciation, Visitation, Transfiguration, Holy Cross, Blessed John Henry Newman, All Souls) should be celebrated in a more solemn form, with the use of incense and music. 

10. The Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) is highly commended for use, not simply on Sundays or solemnities. This prayer is a particular sign of continuity with the Uses in force in the Church in England before the Reformation.

Whether, at Mass, either the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, or the Book of Divine Worship is used, the Anglican Patrimony, that treasure to be preserved and indeed shared with the wider Church (as Benedict XVI put it), ought be evident in the liturgical ethos and atmosphere, in all aspects, "not least in the choice of sacred music and vesture": and by "vesture" I daresay the use of beautiful and dignified vestments, not cheap polyester ponchos, but those of a higher quality, as favoured by Benedict XVI of happy memory, is suggested, as also the use of cassock and surplice by servers, not sacklike albs for all and sundry.

Furthermore, on all Sundays, solemnities and some feasts, incense and music ought be employed where possible. The eastward position is recommended to be used, if the physical layout of the church building allow it; however, as happens, if this is not possible (here in Australia, the church of the Ordinariate parish in Melbourne has an altar that has been moved forward, so that it is impossible to say Mass ad orientem), then the so-called Benedictine arrangement ought be used.  The use of the Roman Canon is highly encouraged, not merely on Sundays and solemnities, but on all occasions.

Quite frankly, if only ordinary Masses across the wider Roman Rite were conducted in such a manner! There would indeed be a hermeneutic of continuity employed. The Roman canon, incense, music, celebration ad orientem... this would gladden the hearts of the New Liturgical Movement.

The Guidelines then detail recommendations about Sacred Music:

15. The use of sacred music is integral to the celebration of the sacred liturgy. As such priority should be given to the liturgical texts as found in the liturgical books (cf. GIRM §48) and to the use of plainchant (cf. GIRM §41). 

16. The priest or deacon should sing those parts of the rite indicated by the rubrics to a varying degree dependent on the solemnity of the occasion. 

17. Well-chosen hymns have a particular role in Anglican liturgical patrimony and in recent years have almost displaced the singing of the Propers. The Anglican Use Gradual, successor to the English Gradual, is a simple tool for the recovery of the singing of the Propers and is highly commended. 

18. The sung proclamation of the gospel is commended when the prayers of the Mass are sung and especially at celebrations of particular solemnity. 

19. It is desirable that the faithful know how to sing together at least some parts of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, especially the Profession of Faith and the Lord’s Prayer, as a sign of our unity with the wider Church (cf. GIRM §41). 

20. Each Ordinariate Group should be well-versed with the plainchant setting of the Ordinary of the Mass found in the English translation of the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal. Where this is employed in celebrations according to the Book of Divine Worship, the Greek/Latin is used. 

21. Mass VIII (Missa de Angelis) in Latin, Credo I and Credo III, and the Lord’s Prayer set by John Merbecke are highly commended for use. In celebrations according to the Book of Divine Worship where a congregational setting of the Ordinary of the Mass is used, John Merbecke’s setting and the Anglican Folk Mass by Martin Shaw are highly commended. 

22. Certain plainchant hymns, proses, and anthems in English should be known by the faithful of the Personal Ordinariate (e.g. the seasonal Office Hymns, Advent and Lent Prose). It is good that the seasonal Marian antiphons are known in Latin as well as to vernacular, metrical settings (e.g. Joy to thee, O Queen of Heaven).

Aside from a few references particular to the Anglican Patrimony, if only the standard of sacred music aimed at here were the norm throughout the Western Church! Note particularly the encouragement of the singing of the Gospel at sung Mass (once the norm, now exceedingly rare), the singing of the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin as well as English, and the use of sung Propers.

As for the readings from Scripture, only the Revised Standard Version (Catholic, 2nd edition) is permitted for use at Mass (n. 23) – but, when members of the Ordinariate worship with a congregation made up mainly of diocesan Catholics, for "pastoral reasons" the Jerusalem Bible may be used, lest a change cause wonderment. (As an aside, be it noted that, sometime in the next decade, the Lectionary will be brought out in a new version, employing the English Standard Version.)

When the Book of Divine Worship – the preferred form of the Eucharistic Liturgy in the Ordinariate – is to be used for Mass, further rules apply:

27. The Propers are taken from the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal if they are to be used. If they are to be sung, the equivalent texts (together with the accompanying chant) from the Graduale Romanum, Graduale Simplex, or the Anglican Use Gradual are used. 

28. The Collect for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist may be taken from either the Book of Divine Worship or the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal in English. If the latter is used, it should not be adapted (i.e. by the adopting the conventions of ‘traditional language’). 

29. The Traditional [BCP] Psalter as found in the Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham and the Psalter as found in the RSV Lectionary may be used for the psalm in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours. 

30. The Psalter as found in the Book of Divine Worship [being the Episcopalian revision of the original BCP Psalter] is not permitted for use. 

31. Penitential Rite B [after the Intercession and before the Preparation of the Offerings] is to be preferred. 

32. The Preparation of the Offerings is taken from the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal. 

33. The Prayer over the Offerings is taken from the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal. 

34. The Roman Canon as found in the Book of Divine Worship is used with the following words of consecration inserted in place of those found in the Book of Divine Worship: 

Who, the day before he suffered, took bread into his holy and venerable hands, and with eyes lifted up to heaven, unto thee, God, his almighty Father, giving thanks to thee, he blessed, broke and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

TAKE THIS ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY BODY,

WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. 

Likewise, after supper taking also this goodly chalice into his holy and venerable hands, again giving thanks to thee, he blessed, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK FROM IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD,

THE BLOOD OF THE NEW

AND ETERNAL COVENANT,

WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU AND FOR MANY

FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME. 

35. The response to ‘Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith’, is one of the acclamations taken from the Third Typical Edition of the Roman Missal.

These modifications fall into two categories: firstly, updating the Book of Divine Worship to conform to the latest edition of the Roman Missal (in other words, removing the obsolete ICEL paraphrases and inserting the far more acceptable new ICEL translations – the sudden change from Cranmerian prose to ICEL vernacular and back again for the Offertory and Consecration was one of the most jarring aspects of the Book of Divine Worship); and secondly giving directions for the use of the sung Propers, even in Latin – so Graduals and the like may be sung.

Finally, the Guidelines provide very pertinent directions about "The Distribution of Holy Communion" in conformity with the restoration of Catholic tradition (as exemplified by the practice of Benedict XVI) and the maintenance of the orthodox Anglican Patrimony:

36. In keeping with the Anglican tradition, it is highly commended that Holy Communion be distributed at a communion rail (or in a similar manner) to kneeling communicants. 

37. Where Holy Communion is received in the hand, due reverence and the patristic and Anglican practice of ‘making a throne’ and taking the Sacred Host to the mouth are highly commended, as is the practice of receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue. 

38. In keeping with the Anglican tradition, it is highly commended that the chalice is always retained by the Minister of Holy Communion, whether Ordinary or Extraordinary, and not passed into the hands of the communicant. Holy Communion under both kinds is part of the patrimony and remains normal practice in the Personal Ordinariate.

Anglicans of whatever variety have always knelt for communion, and when I have occasionally glanced into Anglican churches I have very often noted the altar rail and kneeler still in place for regular use, whether the locals be High or Low in their churchmanship. The near-universal rejection of kneeling in favour of standing is a Catholic innovation of the last fifty years, after centuries of kneeling. As to reception on the hand, it seems more reverent to convey the Host to one's mouth in that manner, by bearing It gently to the mouth upon the "throne" of the hands, rather than to seize It with the fingers as if It were a potato crisp! But of course to receive directly upon the tongue is also most commended, as the normative Catholic practice even today, whatever of widespread contrary custom.

(I would guess that the employment of extraordinary ministers of holy communion is not so common in the Ordinariate, and that any such are male servers, vested in cassock and surplice, as is most fitting.)

In sum, these Guidelines are a marvellous programme for noble and dignified Eucharistic worship (and also when the Divine Office is celebrated, though I have omitted to comment on that in this post). Aside from the particular use of elements proper to the Anglican Patrimony (the Customary, the Anglican Use Gradual, the Book of Divine Worship), if these Guidelines were widely disseminated and employed, how greatly would worship, liturgy and true piety profit throughout the wider Church!

Imagine, for a moment, how this would look in a parish, and not one part of the Ordinariate, but where these sane principles were embraced by priest and people as a timely reminder of the true Catholic ethos, "which I have loved long since and lost a while":

• worship ad orientem (n. 5);
• incense and sacred music used on all Sundays and solemnities, and on many feasts (n. 9);
• the Roman Canon employed not merely on Sundays and solemnities, but more often (n. 10);
• "silence and due reverence before the tabernacle, and in the Church before and after liturgical worship" (n. 11);
• "public and sung celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours" (n. 12) – e.g. Vespers, which ought to be celebrated in all parish churches at least on Sundays;
• "The celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation... before Mass... as a means of bringing the sacrament to the renewed awareness of the faithful" (n. 13);
• priority given to singing the liturgical texts and to plainchant (n. 15), to the singing by the priest or deacon of their parts of the Mass (n. 16) – e.g. the Preface and even the Gospel (n. 18) – to the singing of the Propers (n. 17), and to the singing by all of well-known settings of the Mass in both English and Latin (nn. 19-21);
• Holy Communion distributed to kneeling communicants at the altar rail, where they may receive either on the tongue or in the hand in a reverent manner; and the administration of the chalice in a like and seemly manner (nn. 36-38).

These remind me of the famous "six points" of Anglo-Catholic or ritualist worship: the mixed chalice, wafer bread (unleavened hosts), lights (candles),  Eucharistic vestments, the eastward position, incense – the first four of these are and have always been universal Roman Catholic practices, but the last two have sadly dropped away, and ought be restored.

I pray that we have here, not one last fruit "out of season" of the Pontificate of Benedict XVI, but the first blossoming of the ongoing rediscovery and repristination of divine worship which is the fundamental duty of the whole Church.

My only regret is that Monsignor Newton did not see fit to employ that famously witty Anglican sense of humour, and give us thirty-nine of these Guidelines!

Propers for Bl John Henry Newman

The Feast of Blessed John Henry Newman.

9^th October.

[The following Propers are derived from the 2012 Ordo of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham; mutatis mutandis, one assumes they apply also to the other Ordinariates; and to their friends, pro pia devotione. The Ordo proposes Psalms 21 and 92 as optional additional psalms at Morning Prayer, but that seems to make that Hour too long, so I have – completely without authority – moved them to Evening Prayer, which otherwise seemed to have too short a quantity of psalmody. Similarly, the Ordo gave the citation for the New Testament Lesson at Evening Prayer as Romans 8:28-30, but that seemed a ridiculously short passage, so I assumed it was a misprint for 8:18-30...]

At Morning Prayer.

Proper Psalms.

Psalm 63. 1-9. Deus, Deus meus.

O

 GOD, thou art my God; * early will I seek thee.

2 My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, * in a barren and dry land where no water is.

3 Thus have I looked for thee in the sanctuary, * that I might behold thy power and glory.

4 For thy loving-kindness is better than the life itself: * my lips shall praise thee.

5 As long as I live will I magnify thee in this manner, * and lift up my hands in thy Name.

6 My soul shall be satisfied, even as it were with marrow and fatness, * when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.

7 Have I not remembered thee in my bed, * and thought upon thee when I was waking?

8 Because thou hast been my helper; * therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

9 My soul hangeth upon thee; * thy right hand hath upholden me.

Psalm 148. Laudate Dominum.

O

 PRAISE the Lord from the heavens: * praise him in the heights.

2 Praise him, all ye angels of his: * praise him, all his host.

3 Praise him, sun and moon: * praise him, all ye stars and light.

4 Praise him, all ye heavens, * and ye waters that are above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord: * for he spake the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.

6 He hath made them fast for ever and ever: * he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, * ye dragons and all deeps;

8 Fire and hail, snow and vapours, * wind and storm, fulfilling his word;

9 Mountains and all hills; * fruitful trees and all cedars;

10 Beasts and all cattle; * creeping things and flying fowls;

11 Kings of the earth, and all peoples; * princes, and all judges of the world;

12 Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the Name of the Lord: * for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.

13 He shall exalt the horn of his people: all his saints shall praise him; * even the children of Israel, even the people that serveth him.

Psalm 149. Cantate Domino.

O

 SING unto the Lord a new song; * let the congregation of saints praise him.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, * and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his Name in the dance: * let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp.

4 For the Lord hath pleasure in his people, * and helpeth the meek-hearted.

5 Let the saints be joyful with glory; * let them rejoice in their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their mouth; * and a two-edged sword in their hands;

7 To be avenged of the nations, * and to rebuke the peoples;

8 To bind their kings in chains, * and their nobles with links of iron;

9 To execute judgment upon them; as it is written, * Such honour have all his saints.

Psalm 150. Laudate Dominum.

O

 PRAISE God in his sanctuary: * praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him in his noble acts: * praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet: * praise him upon the lute and harp.

4 Praise him in the timbrels and dances: * praise him upon the strings and pipe.

5 Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals: * praise him upon the loud cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath * praise the Lord.

The First Lesson.

Here beginneth the fifth chapter of the Book of Wisdom. [5. 1-16.]

T

HEN the righteous man will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him, and those who make light of his labours. When they see him, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at his unexpected salvation. They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say, “This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach – we fools! We thought that his life was madness and that his end was without honour. Why has he been numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot among the saints? So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us. We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known. What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us? All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumour that passes by; like a ship that sails through the billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found, nor track of its keel in the waves; or as, when a bird flies through the air, no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight, is traversed by the movement of its wings, and afterward no sign of its coming is found there; or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that no one knows its pathway. So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness.” Because the hope of the ungodly man is like chaff carried by the wind, and like a light hoarfrost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day. But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them. Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them.

Here endeth the First Lesson.

The Second Lesson.

Here beginneth the third chapter of the Epistle of St Paul the Apostle to the Colossians. [3. 1-17.]

I

F then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, when you lived in them. But now put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and foul talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old nature with its practices and have put on the new nature, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Here endeth the Second Lesson.

The Collect.

O

 GOD, who didst bestow upon thy priest, Blessed John Henry Newman, the grace to follow thy kindly light and find peace in thy Church; graciously grant that, through his intercession and example, we may be led out of shadows and images into the fullness of thy truth; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

At Evening Prayer.

Proper Psalms.

Psalm 15. Domine, quis habitabit?

L

ORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? * or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?

2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, * and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.

3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, * and hath not slandered his neighbour.

4 He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, * and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.

5 He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, * though it were to his own hindrance.

6 He that hath not given his money upon usury, * nor taken reward against the innocent.

7 Whoso doeth these things * shall never fall.

Psalm 21. 1-7, 13. Domine, in virtute tua.

T

HE King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord; * exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation.

2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, * and hast not denied him the request of his lips.

3 For thou shalt meet him with the blessings of goodness, * and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

4 He asked life of thee; and thou gavest him a long life, * even for ever and ever.

5 His honour is great in thy salvation; * glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him.

6 For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity, * and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance.

7 And why? because the King putteth his trust in the Lord; * and in the mercy of the Most Highest he shall not miscarry.

13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength; * so will we sing, and praise thy power.

Psalm 92. Bonum est confiteri.

I

T is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, * and to sing praises unto thy Name, O Most Highest;

2 To tell of thy loving-kindness early in the morning, * and of thy truth in the night season;

3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the lute; * upon a loud instrument, and upon the harp.

4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy works; * and I will rejoice in giving praise for the operations of thy hands.

5 O Lord, how glorious are thy works! * thy thoughts are very deep.

6 An unwise man doth not well consider this, * and a fool doth not understand it.

7 When the ungodly are green as the grass, and when all the workers of wickedness do flourish, * then shall they be destroyed for ever; but thou, Lord, art the Most Highest for evermore.

8 For lo, thine enemies, O Lord, lo, thine enemies shall perish; * and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.

9 But my horn shall be exalted like the horn of an unicorn; * for I am anointed with fresh oil.

10 Mine eye also shall see his lust of mine enemies, * and mine ear shall hear his desire of the wicked that arise up against me.

11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree, * and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Lebanon.

12 Such as are planted in the house of the Lord, * shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.

13 They also shall bring forth more fruit in their age, * and shall be fat and well-liking;

14 That they may show how true the Lord my strength is, * and that there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psalm 112. Beatus vir.

B

LESSED is the man that feareth the Lord; * he hath great delight in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth; * the generation of the faithful shall be blessed.

3 Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house; * and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 Unto the godly there ariseth up light in the darkness; * he is merciful, loving, and righteous.

5 A good man is merciful, and lendeth; * and will guide his words with discretion.

6 For he shall never be moved: * and the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.

7 He will not be afraid of any evil tidings; * for his heart standeth fast, and believeth in the Lord.

8 His heart is stablished, and will not shrink, * until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9 He hath dispersed abroad, and given to the poor. * and his righteousness remaineth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

10 The ungodly shall see it, and it shall grieve him; * he shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away; the desire of the ungodly shall perish.

The First Lesson.

Here beginneth the seventh verse of the second chapter of the Book of Ecclesiasticus. [2. 7-11.]

Y

OU who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and turn not aside, lest you fall. You who fear the Lord, trust in him, and your reward will not fail; you who fear the Lord, hope for good things, for everlasting joy and mercy. Consider the ancient generations and see: who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame? Or who ever persevered in the fear of the Lord and was forsaken? Or who ever called upon him and was overlooked? For the Lord is compassionate and merciful; he forgives sins and saves in time of affliction.

or

Here beginneth the eighth chapter of the Book of Proverbs. [8. 1-11.]

Does not wisdom call, does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, in the paths she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the sons of men. O simple ones, learn prudence; O foolish men, pay attention. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.”

Here endeth the First Lesson.

The Second Lesson.

Here beginneth the eighteenth verse of the eighth chapter of the Epistle of St Paul the Apostle to the Romans. [8. 18-28.]

I

 CONSIDER that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Here endeth the Second Lesson.

The Collect.

O

 GOD, who didst bestow upon thy priest, Blessed John Henry Newman, the grace to follow thy kindly light and find peace in thy Church; graciously grant that, through his intercession and example, we may be led out of shadows and images into the fullness of thy truth; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Prayers for the Ordinariates

UPDATED

While there is a longer set of suggested prayers for the Ordinariates (drawn up by Bp Elliott, I believe – see this link), I prefer simply to add the following after the Angelus:

V/. Pray for them, O holy Mother of God.

R/. That they may be one in the Church of thy Son.

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for them.

Our Lady of the Atonement, pray for them.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, pray for them.
St Joseph, pray for them.
St John the Baptist, pray for them.

St Peter, pray for them.

St Augustine of Canterbury, pray for them.

Bl John Henry Newman, pray for them.

The versicle is intended to pray for all the incoming "groups of Anglicans", while the six invocations are intended as prayers for the nascent Ordinariates three, invoking the titulars and the patrons of each – but, as the U.S. Ordinariate has Our Lady of Walsingham as patroness, after whom the U.K. Ordinariate is named, and as historically U.S. Anglicans came into Catholic unity under the patronage of Our Lady of the Atonement, I prefer to invoke Our Lady under these three titles, rather than twice under the same one.

NB I have just added St Joseph – patron of Canada – and the Baptist to the list of intercessors, since (as of 7th December 2012) a distinct Canadian Deanery, under the latter's patronage, of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter (whose territory has been extended to Canada) has been erected for incoming Anglicans there.  Hopefully in due season it will be constituted a distinct Canadian Ordinariate.

This little addition is short enough to be doable, I feel, each time I say the Angelus.

May Our Lady and all the saints intercede for all incoming Anglicans, that drawn by the Spirit indeed they may be made one in Holy Church united, and made worthy of Christ's promises, to the glory of God the Father.

The Once and Future Father

Fr John Hunwicke – as out of respect I have not ceased to address him, in regard to his renowned wisdom as a spiritual elder, disseminated via his far-famed blog of old – having come into full communion with the Holy Father last year on Wednesday of Holy Week, as part of the English Ordinariate, and having endured a bitter test by having his ordination deferred for a year (owing to the machinations of certain... persons), is – rejoice! – to be deaconed on the 26th of May, the feast of good St Philip Neri (whose sons the Oratorians have, I trust, been faithful supports to Fr H.); and one hopes in Christ that He will have very soon thereafter "a wise and faithful priest, who in his days pleased God" standing at the altar to sacrifice in the beauty of holiness.

May I invite one and all to join in a Novena to St Philip Neri this year, with the special intention of praying a double portion of grace for this faithful man?

While on the 26th I'll be in Europe – hurrah! – I'll be in France, not England, and walking the pilgrim way to Chartres from Paris; together with prayers for Fr H., I also plan to ask graces for another cleric, himself resident in France, recommending them to Our Lady (and of course, begging her to cast a pitying eye on me a sinner, on all those near and dear to me, and on all poor sinners).

The Novena to St Philip begins, of course, this Thursday the 17th of May: I will post daily texts for it.

Oremus.

Quinquagesima: The Parting of Friends

Not a few ministers of the Church of England will to-day officiate for the last time at an Anglican Eucharist, ere they keep a Lenten fast before entering full communion with the Church Catholic at Easter, and are then ordained Catholic priests at Pentecost, to live in and serve the nascent Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

This is a time for them to farewell friends: sadly, not all will follow nor understand their decision.  Back in Newman's day, the outraged Establishment greeted such news with talk of "Another Perversion!" (since in their eyes the less pejorative term "conversion" was insufficiently odious, as only a warped person would be entrapped by sinister Papists); to-day, talk of "disaffected... defectors" appears in the mass media.  Against prejudice, misunderstanding and the loss of friendship, they can only interpose Christian charity, loving and praying even for them that despitefully use them.

Most appropriately, then, we may turn to the what the Pope has dared to name the Anglican Patrimony worthy of being brought into the Church, and look to one of the Collects already used in Catholic liturgy for some decades by the American forerunners of the present Ordinariates; in the Book of Common Prayer, it is the Collect for Quinquagesima, "the Next Sunday before Lent" (strangely, in the Book of Divine Worship, it is moved to the 7th Sunday after Epiphany, but at least supplied with a longer doxology as below in square brackets), based upon the Epistle for that day, being St Paul's hymn to charity (I Corinthians xiii):

O Lord, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee.  Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake[, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever].  Amen.

Domine, qui nos docuisti, quod omnia opera nostra sine charitate nihil sunt: Mitte Spiritum Sanctum tuum, et infunde in corda nostra charitatem illam, eximium tuum donum, veram vinculum pacis et omnium virtutum, sine qua omnis vivens coram te est mortuus: Hoc largire propter unicum Filium tuum Jesum Christum. Amen.

The Latin is from Bright and Medd's standard translation of the B.C.P. (1865 edition).

Personal Ordinariate for the Torres Strait

It continues to delight me to hear the glad tidings of the approach to full, corporate reunion with Rome, the lynchpin of Catholic communion, by groups of Anglicans; and it especially moves me to read of the Traditional Anglican Communion's Church of the Torres Strait, those brave Continuing Anglicans who broke with the morally corrupt and doctrinally aberrant Australian Anglican mainstream back in 1997, as it now fulfils the catholic impulses of its High Church evangelists, and applies formally for a Personal Ordinariate.  Apparently their bishop, Tolowa Nona, with the unanimous support of his clergy and people, is now petitioning the Pope for this blessing.  Thus the Coming of the Light reaches its natural fruition in Catholic Unity.

God grant it, and right speedily!

In passing, I make the remark that this unique part of Australia, with a distinct people, the Torres Strait Islanders, already has something of its own unique polity: while part of Queensland (annexed in 1872 and 1879),  the status of the islands of the Torres Strait is sui generis; on the part of the Commonwealth, the Torres Strait Regional Authority exists, paralleled by that State's Torres Strait Island Region, and the Shire of Torres... with their firm ethnic identity, could these islands become a self-governing Territory under a special statute?  (When Papua New Guinea became independent in 1975, the Islanders were insistent that they were Australians – after all, the vast majority of them now live on the Mainland; famously, the High Court's Mabo judgement ruled that the Islanders have unextinguished traditional property rights over their homeland; they therefore have a special status.)