Apologies for the lack of posts... mind you, no-one seems to have noticed my absence!I experienced Palm Sunday in the usus antiquior for the first time, and was totally blown away by it! Even the distribution of the palm leaves had a deep solemnity, with everyone approaching the altar rails to be given their palm, rather than the Novus Ordo "grab your own."
The procession was blessed with good weather... I confess to cheating a little: my ankle has been playing up, but I didn't want to miss the procession, and so I walked out with everyone else but found a convenient place to stop and take photos... I think quite a few parishioners have become used to me whipping out my phone camera at the slightest provocation!
Dr. Lawrence Hemming visited us again, and Andrew Bosi, who regularly comes to sing at the Saturday Missa Cantatas, also made a special trip, so we had the Passion chanted. I don't know the names of the three "voices" (no doubt someone can enlighten me in the com-box) but the different tones used were wonderful, while the final tone used to chant the last part of the Gospel narrative gave me goosebumps.
Our choir were in excellent voice as well... they sang the first Introit in a polyphonic setting (I think that's the right term) and it was really awesome.
I think the length of the service (a little over two hours) caught some people on the hop... but it was amazing at how quickly the time flew by. Yes, I was clock-watching, but only because Fr. Tim wanted to know how long things took for future reference! And, as both Protestant and Greek Orthodox friends have remarked, two hours or more is normal for a Sunday liturgy...
Yeah, it does take a wee while in the old rite, but it's fantastic, ain't it? I was at Maria Thann in Bavaria (a scorcher of a day too) and it took over 2 hours... but the Church was gorgeous baroque (and cool :) ).
ReplyDeleteI was at the FSSP church in Amsterdam (St. Agnes') for Mass on Palm Sunday. It was brilliant!
ReplyDeleteActually, I noticed you were MIA - I just figured you were being "Extra holy."
ReplyDeleteI guess where you were depended on how the palms were distributed in the UA. I can remember when I was six the stupid usher reached over my head to give palms to the people on the OTHER side of me. He "assumed," wrongly that I was was "with them." I wasn't. So I reached up and slid out a few that he was holding in his fist for myself, otherwise I'd have never gotten any that year. b*******! NEVER, ever, over look six year old girls.