Thursday, May 1, 2008

Disaster!

What a disaster! My car's back windscreen was smashed by person or persons unknown, and I had to spend about 4 hours when I should have been at work trying to contact my insurer, arrange repairs, and get the damaged vehicle to the motor mechanic. What a pest! ^@#*!

Before and after all this, I fitted in my Office: since I was going to Ascension Thursday Sung Mass, I offered up the Office of the Ascension, tho' strictly I should have saved it up for Sunday (since in the OF the Australian bishops have transferred the Holy Day to the Sunday): it seemed more sensible to say and celebrate the Office and Mass of the Ascension on its proper day.

With the aid of friends, plus a train trip, I did manage to make it to Mass, to sing, and to meet Fr and Justin for a quick bite to eat afterwards.

Two items of note: the special Premonstratensian Regina cæli for Ascensiontide - readingjam ascendit, not resurrexit - and a lovely Wesleyan hymn for the feast, "Hail the day that sees Him rise", with its stirring tune: as a priest said to me, one of its couplets is particularly moving: "See! He lifts His hands above, Alleluia! / See! He shows the prints of love, Alleluia!" - Christ will ever display His Sacred Wounds, transformed from the marks of torment inflicted on him by sinful men, transformed into the marks of the Lamb standing as it were slain, Who has conquered sin and death, and now ever pleads His Sacrifice before God His Father, out of love for us.

Now let all things tend upward: Sursum corda!



Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth. For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory. (Colossians iii, 1-4)

Happy feast of the Analepsis of Our Lord, or, as the Germans say, Himmelfahrt!

5 comments:

  1. What a damn shame! :-(

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Mark. Appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I feel your pain, as the Americans would say. My car (which had a new engine only 3 months ago) just broke down, and I am mucking around getting it fixed (again). I said a quick prayer for you though!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Spewin..

    Man that's bad - did you have to pay an excess?

    Pete

    ReplyDelete
  5. Update: some youngsters who'd been mucking around owned up to throwing the stone... their parents have agreed to pay the damages. All's well that ends well. Thanks for your prayer, Ath. - it seems to have worked!

    ReplyDelete