Holy Week in Melbourne for the Classical Roman Rite

• Palm Sunday (1st April) – 11.00am Solemn Mass with blessing of Palms & Procession

• Wednesday (4th April) – 8.00pm Tenebrae (includes Victoria’s responsories and Allegri’s Miserere)

Maundy Thursday (5th April) – 8.00pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper, with adoration at the Altar of Repose until Midnight

• Good Friday (6th April) -

10.30am Stations of the Cross

3.00pm Commemoration of the Passion and Death of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

8.00pm Tenebrae

• Holy Saturday (7th April) – 9.00pm Paschal Vigil & Solemn Vigil Mass

• Easter Sunday (8th April) – 11.00am Solemn Easter Mass

4.00pm Solemn Vespers & Benediction

Chrism Mass will be held at St Patrick's Cathedral, Tuesday, 3rd April at 11am.

St Aloysius', 233 Balaclava Rd, Caulfield North, Victoria. Tram 3 or 16 (cnr of Hawthorn and Balaclava Rds) Train to Malvern, Caulfield, Windsor, or Balaclava stations, and connect with the tram.

It will be glorious. I have highlighted Tenebrae particularly as not to be missed. Please pray for our priests, servers, and choir.

Just Once

I hope that you all had a beautiful Feast Day on Monday. There is something especially magnificent when the Mystery explicitly being commemorated is truly incarnated before you. In this sense, both the Feast of the Annunciation, and the Feast of Corpus Christi are quite similar. Rather a similar atmosphere, too. I'm having trouble expressing myself!

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God, and true Man.

The new Juventutem site is online: http://www.juventutem.com

Finally, as I want to make this rather short - today was the one time of the year when one could hear the 'Levabo', or at least its prayers, out loud. As the Triduum draws closer, little pieces of the Rite are appearing, spread throughout the liturgies - and each gradual, tract, and so on, seems to really respond, out loud, to that which came before. Perhaps this is always the case, and I am only just now realising it.

It is an amazing time. The liturgies are spectacular. Deo gratias.

On entering the spirit of Passiontide - a message from Father:

We are now entering upon the greatest weeks of the liturgical year: Passion Week, Holy Week and, at length, the Octave of Easter. We cannot expect fully to benefit from the graces of Easter if we do not enter first into the spirit of Passiontide.

The Gospel of Passion Sunday concludes: “but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the Temple.” On this day, all the images in the Church are veiled in purple until Easter (the Cross alone being unveiled on Good Friday); the prayers at the foot of the Altar are shortened, and the Gloria Patri suppressed at Mass. The sobriety of the liturgy is meant to awaken us to the great mysteries we are about to commemorate: the Kingship of the suffering Messiah (Palm Sunday); Divine Light conquering the darkness of sin and death (Tenebrae); the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood of the New Covenant (Maundy Thursday); the Redeeming death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, True God and True Man (Good Friday – ‘good’, because it is the cause of our liberation from the tyranny of Satan, sin and death); and the promise of definitive victory over evil, together with the perfect possession of the fullness of Life, in the Resurrection (the Paschal Vigil and Easter Sunday, through the Octave).

In these weeks – but most especially during the Sacred Triduum – we should be concerned not merely with what is of obligation, but rather with what it is our privilege to be able to assist at. Let us resolve to make all the liturgies of these days our first priority.

Popule Meus

I think I know everything. I went to bow for the Gloria Patri during the Asperges and was met with Silence. It was wonderful.

How does one express entering into Passion Week? How? I'm now at that awful stage of Sunday when I feel very slumpy, and full of sighs. The day still holds a lot, but there is a post-Mass sadness.

The time is glorious, just glorious. Look around your church. Everything has changed overnight - everything. The Offices have changed, with the most splendid hymns, and increasingly serious and violent responsories - dogs, and swords - and then in the tract, the cutting of necks. Things are deadly serious. But how can you possibly express it? And the preface, which I'm still trying to grasp. And we get to participate? In the depths of God, and God in our depths?

Vere tu es Deus absconditus.

Silence.

O Crux ave, spes unica.

Two Weeks Left and Wonderful News

Can you believe that there are less than two weeks until the fullness of the glories of Holy Week? Please God that we become ever more focused upon our preparations, so that we might go and die with Christ.

I have some really wonderful news about preparations for World Youth Day. Juventutem Australia had a meeting today with the Melbourne organising committee, and the reception couldn't have been better. As things continue to develop, I become more and more convinced of how marvellous this event is going to be.

The most important thing that I can let you know is that delegations really need to be organised now, and registrations need to begin as soon as possible - Juventutem Australia will provide the necessary directions for registration. All pilgrims intending specifically to partake in the World Youth Day experience with Juventutem will be coming to Melbourne.

Please begin organising your national/language groups or chapters now. This includes appointing group leaders. A chapter can have more than one leader. This is of particular concern for our international pilgrims.

Juventutem Australia is currently working through what this will entail, and will provide ample assistance throughout the registration process.

Deo gratias!

Et sub pennis ejus sperabis

I hope that the last few days have been particularly happy and holy. Happy feasts of St Patrick and dear St Joseph - and the commemoration of St Benedict for tomorrow!

I have enjoyed learning more about St Patrick and the hill of Tara, and finally, after many years, really celebrating the feast in the proper manner that it deserves, particularly as it is a Solemnity in Australia.

Laetare was beautiful. I had a small thought on the introit. On both Laetare and Gaudete Sundays, the rose is worn in place of weeks of violet, with flowers, organ, and respite from penitential disciplines. Gaudete is an imperative - a joyful shout from the rooftops from whence one can begin to make out the first outlines of Christ on the horizon. Rejoice! Yet, laetare - be thou glad. It's very much more intimate, a consoling embrace from Christ in under the cool shadow of His wings. Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi.

There are so many wonderful images from the introit alone, that the heart rejoices much over, that the hand cannot write! It mentions being filled from the breast with consolation. I thought, why not the bowels, the very depths, visceribus, like in Psalm 50? Because we are still on pilgrimage. We are not yet at the place of final and relaxed rejoicing. Christ has stopped with us for this one day in particular, really and awesomely in time, to take our hearts and to fortify them with the supernatural strength that will be required to enter into the 'domum Domini'. It's near time for the final assault. It's time to go.

I've also come to realise that as much as grace is required to fast, grace is also necessary to feast! Authentic conviviality is a grace from God!

Along the way of the past week, the Lord has been particularly delightful. I'm sure that we all have a good number of little things to be very grateful for. I've enjoyed the Lord's wit in the Gospels, from humourously testing Philip, to the smile He must have smiled when discussing 'meat' with the Samaritan woman, and in the presence of the disciples - who had just returned after 'popping down to the supermarket'. I love it! I love that the lessons over two consecutive days had great figures from the Old Testament with the words of the Lord on their lips - 'Quid vis ut faciam tibi' and 'Nolite timere'. I love the prefiguring of the Lord's triumph over death in the Psalms - something that He was keeping as the ultimate surprise! He is so GOOD! He is so good that I even got to experience the feeling of what it would have been like to have witnessed the stupendousness of a miracle during Our Lord's earthly ministry - in very interesting circumstances!

As always, there is much going on, and much to do. There will be a Pontifical Mass celebrated from the faldstool by his Lordship, Bishop Christopher Prowse in Melbourne on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 22nd. There will be more details about that soon.

I'm also looking forward to the 4th Sunday after Easter - and am currently at paragraph 36 of SC! Only 61 to go! C'est magnifique!

Laetare

Laetare at St Aloysius', Caulfield, Melbourne, Australia. For the sweet soul who was wondering, via a web search, how Laetare was pronounced, it is: lay-tah-ray.

Editio Typica...

I thought readers of this blog might prefer to click here for the official edition of Sacramentum Caritatis. At least to check. Sometimes it's easier to read Latin than Vaticanese, although at least BXI is easier to read than JPII!!!

(Smugness for having found it buried on the Vatican website)

Sacramentum Caritatis

I'm just home, and about to read Sacramentum Caritatis - the Sacrament of Love!

Here is an article from the Age speaking about the document, featuring respectable words from one of our own Fathers!

"Father Glen Tattersall, Melbourne archdiocese chaplain for the traditional Latin liturgy, said the Pope was concerned not to let the Mass imitate forms from secular culture. Instead, he wanted the liturgy to be closer to the Latin liturgy.

"Benedict has very strong ideas about music. He thinks most modern so-called liturgical music is pretty trashy," he said.

Father Tattersall said the Pope thought liturgical music should reflect the sacred quality of Gregorian chant, in which the music depends on and reflects the text, usually from the Bible.

One liberal Melbourne priest said the strictures would be observed "only when the bishop comes to our church".

Glorious Sunday

Today was a glorious Sunday. Our choir was especially wonderful, performing a very beautiful motet taken from the Gospel of the Saturday of the second week of Lent. I encourage you to download it. The first part - sung as an Offertory motet is here. It's rather sweet - it begins like a little sacred musical jukebox. The second part - sung after the Communion, is here. The bulletin insert is here. Thank you to our Choir Master, Mr Hugh Henry.

Pater, peccavi
In caelum et coram te.
Jam non sum dignus vocari filius tuus.
Fac me sicut unum
Ex mercenariis tuis.

Father, I have sinned
Against heaven and before thee.
Now I am not worthy to be called thy son.
Make me as one
Of thy hired servants.

The Servi Jesu et Mariae - SJM

The Servi Jesu et Mariae (Servants of Jesus and Mary, SJM) where founded by Father Andreas Hönisch in the year 1988. Six years later they were raised to a congregation of Papal Right, belonging tot the commission 'Ecclesia Dei'. The founder and superior general, Father Hönisch, has entered the Jesuit Order in Germany after the war. He endured the total turnaround in the sixties. His fellow fathers, who were very zealous and strict in the observance of the rule, have suddenly wandered off into error, and became even the thriving force of it. The life goal that Saint Ignatius presented to his sons, the glory of God by the salvation of the souls, had to make way for a 'better ideal', that was beautifully and veiled descripted as 'social justice'. Now all attention went to the earthly needs of man. The spiritual was almost completely done away with, making those Jesuits scarce that had not abandoned their spiritual life.

Father Hönisch had always been active in the youth apostolate. He founded in 1976 the 'Katholische Pfadfinderschaft Europas' (KPE – Europe scouts) for Germany, at that moment still with the permission of his provincial. Meanwhile the Jesuit order became more and more modernistic. After some time it was proposed to him to either had to abandon his scout work or leave the Jesuit order. Cardinal Ratzinger supported him to continue his work with the KPE. So he did, trying to stay faithful to his spiritual father, saint Ignatius, he was expelled from the Jesuit order.

The KPE produced many vocations. Some of his boys persistently asked Father Hönisch to found a religious community for the apostolate in the KPE. Father Hönisch, who himself never wished to do this, had to admit that with this the work for the glory of God could be done better. So in 1988 he founded the SJM, as closely as possible resembling the Jesuit order, where his heart still is.

As a real Jesuit, he wanted to remain loyal to the pope and his service. So the SJM uses the rite of Paul VI, the rite the Pope celebrates. 'Sentire cum ecclesia' is also now applicable. They also celebrate the Rite that was passed down during the centuries because she radiates more dignity, holiness and devotion and above all is very profitable for the glory of God and the sanctification of the souls.

The SJM started with seven members, and meanwhile grew to almost 50, among which 6 new novices. Her mission area consists of Romania, Kazakhstan, France, Flanders, Austria and Germany. Her apostolate is not reduced to the KPE only. Several fathers work in parishes, give retreats and catechism. Further they have a publishing house. The mother house is situated in Austria, in the diocese of St. Pölten.

More info can be found on the website of the SJM: http://www.sjm-congregation.org

A Prayer of St Thomas More

I'm quite taken by a prayer that St Thomas More wrote in his breviary reflecting on the Passion of Our Lord. I've taken a copy of it, and as much as I enjoy reading the Olde type, I'm having some trouble understanding the following line:

'To sett my mynde faste upon The, and not to hange uppon the blaste of mennys mowthis'

Can somebody please help me? I'd rather have it explained than use Google. Does 'mennys' mean 'the many's'? As in, let my mind be upon the Lord, rather than the cares of the masses?

I hope that you are all having a holy and fruitful Lent. It is going rather quickly. Soon it will be time for Tenebrae!

Good reading, like good food, can be an awful temptation! There are so many wonderful books, and one comes to the Third Sunday of Lent and discovers more, and wants to devour more, while being in the middle of three other dishes... Things end up lukewarm and sickly. All that remains is for the flies to come, and it all ends up in the bin! A measured composure is a wonderful grace. May the Lord make us acceptable gifts unto Himself.

Quoniam magnus es tu, et faciens mirabilia; tu es Deus solus.

C’est mon fête aujourd’hui!

Happy Feast (comm) of SS Perpetua and Felicitas!

I'm working on a few things about the place at the moment. The general World Youth Day initiative has really started to pick up over the last few weeks, with interest becoming more zealous. From my observations around the diocese, the Lord is preparing a great field for us to go to work in, and work we shall.

I'm reading 'Winning Converts in Australia' - papers from a 1952 Melbourne conference. I love reading the papers. It's like we are still speaking face to face. I'm also reading 'The Creed in Slow Motion,' by Monsignor Ronald Knox, and though only a few pages in, I've found the following to share with you on this day:

I BELIEVE IN GOD:

"Well, we are starting this afternoon with "I believe in God"; that ought to last us for the length of a whole sermon, even if we cut it down as much as we can. Let me direct your attention first of all to the use of the word "I". Surely that's curious, if you come to think of it? Surely saying the Credo ought to be a tremendous congregational act, uniting us in a common profession of faith, and surely at that rate it ought to start "WE believe"? But it doesn't, you see, ever take that form.

Go out to Lourdes, and watch from the top of the slope tens of thousands of candles flickering there below, in the torch-light procession. So many of them, they don't look like separate candles; it is just a vast haze of light. And the people who carry them are singing Credo; Credo, not Credimus. And so it is at Mass.

If you watch the Gloria, it is we all through, Laudamus te, Benedicimus te, Adoramus te, Glorificamus te, and so on; we loose ourselves in a crowd when we are singing the Gloria. But when we sing the Credo, we are not meant to loose ourselves in a crowd. Every clause of it is the expression of my opinion, for which I am personally responsible. Just so with the Confiteor; it is always Confiteor we say, not Confitemur, even when we are saying it together. Why? Because my sins are my sins, and your sins are your sins; each of us is individually responsible.

So it is with the Credo; each of us, in lonely isolation, makes himself or herself responsible for that tremendous statement, "I believe in God"."

My Champion, and my God.

Very Impressed

The world has been very taken by Cardinal Biffi's superbly preached Lenten Retreat for the Holy Father. It's only right that he wear such a magnificent biretta. I am so impressed.

Thank you to Mr Joee Blogs.