Pontifical High Mass...

It's strange, but when I have plenty of stuff to blog about, I just don't seem to have the time... and when I have the time, it's because I haven't been doing anything worth blogging about!

Anyhow, yesterday was a busy but enjoyable day. It started with the usual Saturday morning routine in the parish - Mass according to the usus antiquior, Exposition for an hour with the opportunity for Confession, and then Benediction. I woke up slightly late, and then got stuck in traffic, which made me a few minutes late for Mass... and I was then horrified to see that Fr. Tim didn't have any servers (many of them had been snaffled for Westminster) and so I had to make the responses (don't worry, His Hermeneuticalness hasn't gone all liberal - I do this from my place in the pews... I certainly don't "serve" Mass!)

After Benediction was over, I phoned for a cab to take me to a train station. I wanted to go to Westminster Cathedral for the Latin Mass Society's Annual Pontifical High Mass, but I was in the mood to have a drink or two in the Buckingham Arms in Petty France afterwards, and that meant leaving my car behind in the church carpark (there wouldn't have been time to go home first!)

Unfortunately, the taxi was ridiculously delayed in getting to me, so I was late for Mass a second time... but not too late: the preparatory prayers were still being said. That's the advantage of Pontifical High Mass - it takes a while for it to get started...

I noticed that there were five servers from Blackfen on the Sanctuary - this sort of thing is getting to be almost routine for them. Still, the sheer size of the Sanctuary must make it quite a daunting experience.

The Mass was awesome: a real feast for the senses, and all of this helps to raise the mind and heart to God. Once Mass was over, I wandered around, saying a few prayers and taking some photos before heading outside to meet up with friends.

The body of St. John Southworth had been moved to the centre of the cathedral nave in preparation for his feast day, so I took the opportunity to take a photo...

I also wandered over to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel...

... and then the Lady Chapel...

... not forgetting a close-up of the High Altar and the Sanctuary...

You can see more photos (just a small selection, honest!) over on Flickr...