I was up ridiculously late last night, desperately trying to learn the
sequence for our Corpus Christi High Mass this morning. When, at
3:30am, I dropped off for five minutes, and woke with a start still
clutching the hymn book, I realised that it was time to call it a
night...
This morning's Mass was back in the parish church in Lourdes. The
acoustics in the crypt covered a multitude of errors, and we managed
somehow. I also sang Mozart's Ave Verum.
It was incredibly moving to have Mass in the parish church on the day
that St. Bernadette made her First Holy Communion. We shall be back
next year too, if they'll have us. We finished up with a procession
around the crypt (the steep stairs, and the stream of tour groups made
leaving the crypt with the Blessed Sacrament impossible) followed by
Benediction. I was too busy singing the propers and sequence to take
photos during Mass, but I got some at Benediction...
I shall post some photos as soon as I get back...
A leisurely lunch ensued, and then I wandered back to the hotel ( via
several shops) for a brief siesta. The Blessed Sacrament procession
was the only scheduled activity for the afternoon - it finishes in the
Basilica of St. Pius X, and I got some good photos. Sadly, the
preponderence of ladies of an overly mature age acting as incense
bearers made it feel more like a pagan ceremony than Benediction. I
offered it up...
There's the final procession tonight, and then an early night for me, I think...
Geez, Mac. Grab a thurible next time and you can sail right through without crowds pressing in.
ReplyDeleteNo one messes with women carrying smoking thuribles. You'd get less injured walking through a field hockey game with 22 women wielding sticks.
You just haven't caught on yet!