Feast of St Edward the Confessor

I got to the Pro. about ten past six in the afternoon yesterday, in time to say my prayers and attend Benediction (since there was a Holy Hour before Mass, since it was the 13th of the month and Fatima devotions were held), before Low Mass in honour of St Edward the Confessor at 6.30pm.

After Mass, a most unexpected pleasure: one of the parishioners, a beekeeper, has just solved a problem for Fr Rowe, by removing a bee hive from the site of our new, one-day-to-be-ready church (St Anne's, Belmont), and had brought in a huge box full of fresh honeycomb - yum!  So we had agape after the Holy Eucharist, very traditional indeed.

Mass and Fatima Devotions

I was racing to get to church on time this morning, having just finished Lauds; but Fr was also running a bit late, so I was able to volunteer to serve for Mass and so forth.  After the Holy Sacrifice, George (also togged up to serve) and I set out the candelabras, and I lit the twenty candles for Benediction...

Oh no!  - yes, I did think this when I realized that we were to say the Rosary as well as all the other items for the Holy Hour: but my knees do get sore after serving Low Mass.  Anyway, Fr noticed me grimacing and said I could go back to the sacristy for a bit, which I did.  George was already there, having put away the thurible; we said the Rosary there, having a break from kneeling, and then went back for the Litany of Loreto and the rest.  Sad but true!

The Fatima Devotions were as follows:

• "O purest of creatures"
  
• O salutaris hostia* - Exposition
  
• Novena Prayer to Our Lady of Fatima
  
• Five Decades of the Rosary (Glorious Mysteries)
  
• Prayers for Our Holy Father the Pope (Pater, Ave, Gloria)
  
• Litany of Loreto
  
• Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
  
• Prayer for the Conversion of Australia
  
• Tantum ergo* with versicle and collect
  
• Benediction itself*
  
• Divine Praises
  
• Adoremus in æternum with Psalm 116 and Gloria - Reposition
  
• "O come to the throne of grace" ("O Lady of Fatima hail")

While the devotions were for the most part addressed to Our Lady, Our Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of His Love, was the object of our worship, as revealed by the Eucharistic Hymns sung, and, most particularly, by the offering of incense as the very act of latria: for when the Blessed Sacrament is censed, whether at the Elevation at Mass or at Eucharistic Adoration, unlike at other times the incense is not blessed - as it is when it is used to impart a blessing to people and objects - but is left unblessed, signifying that it is being offered up as an act of divine worship.  (*The asterisks in the list above note the times incense is offered.)

After packing up, Prime and Terce; then I had some morning tea with some of the parishioners, and headed off into town (including a rather good lunch), before coming home again.  And now, a rest for a bit...

Our Lady on Saturday - and Fatima Devotions

O Lady of Fatima, hail,

Immaculate Mother of grace:

O pray for us, help us to-day,

Thou hope of the human race!

This morning will feature a third Mass in honour of Our Lady this week, and Monday will bring the feast of her Seven Sorrows, so we are in the midst of a September run of Marian feasts; today, we commemorate St Mary the Virgin (as the English call her) with a special Saturday Mass and Office; which Mass, at 9am - it being the 13th of the month - will be followed at the Pro. with Benediction and Litany of Loreto, in honour of Our Lady of Fatima.

Concede nos famulos tuos, quæsumus, Domine Deus, perpetua mentis et corporis sanitate gaudere: et, gloriosa beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis intercessione, a præsenti liberari tristitia, et æterna perfrui lætitia. Per...