And In With The New...

So, having attempted to benefit from the Church's end-of-year plenary indulgence giveaway last night, it was a case of showing up this morning for the first of the January bargains!

There is a plenary indulgence attached to the singing of the Veni, Creator Spiritus on the first day of the year. So, naturally, before Mass we kicked off with prayers for the Holy Father, and then sang the hymn. Then it was off with the cope, on with the chasuble and maniple (we don't want any dead kittens) and then Mass.

We've had the gradines up for the whole of the Christmas Octave, so Mass was ad orientem, and I'm rather sad at the thought that they'll have to come back down again at the weekend...

There are a few more treats in store, blessing-wise, at Blackfen. We will have the blessing of Epiphany water at the 10:30am Mass this Sunday (it's not the Epiphany in the EF) - and the blessing comes complete with the exorcism against Satan and the apostatic angels, followed by the Te Deum (real "kick-ass" holy water, so I must bring an empty bottle to Mass) and then the blessing of chalk at the 8pm Missa Cantata on the Monday. I don't know if there's anything else in January, but then in February we'll be getting candles blessed (and possibly having a procession) at Candlemas, and then, possibly, the blessing of throats for the feast of St. Blaise...