Amy Welborn returns to the Monday custom of “What did you hear” at Mass on Sunday?” She also asks whether your priest work pink vestments. While it was Laetare Sunday, pink is optional. Our priest wore purple, but I think it’s because our parish doesn’t own any pink ones. I was little surprised to hear a Latin hymn, although it was performed by the choir before Mass and it was the “Pie Jesu,” which is a requiem. While that would normally not necessarily be out of place on a Sunday in Lent—although who exactly are you asking Christ to give eternal rest to?—it’s especially unfortunate on Laetare Sunday.
However, the homily was superb. Fr. Murphy pulled out the crucifix that normally hangs above the altar in our chapel and explained the Genesis reading in which the Moses is told to lift up the bronze serpent so that all who looked on it would be healed. In the same way, all who turn to the cross can receive healing that gives you eternal life. He preached to us that the way of the Christian is not easy, that it is a cross we bear. Additionally, there are many who would attack us or our beliefs. He spoke of how people say that we can’t expect teens to be chaste and then blasted them for selling our children—and the Holy Spirit!—short. He mentioned that some people say that priests can’t expected to be celibate, that it’s not natural. He responded that in Christ all things are possible: “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph 2:8) I kept waiting him to quote St. Paul, “I preach Christ crucified.” I think he was going to be but got sidetracked.
It really was awesome to see Fr. Murphy preaching while holding high the cross. I imagine it is not unlike what the Cure of Ars might have done back in the day.
Technorati Tags: Lent, liturgical-music, Mass
No, no, no. Not “pink”. It’s Rose-colored vestments.
Bishop Irwin celebrated in purple vestments, along with 5 other priests and a deacon (in dalmatic, not just a deacon’s stole). His homily was not related to the readings or directed at me at all, as it was specific to the three new acoyltes for the archdiocese and one for Manchester who were installed yesterday. The music was solid, with the a chant-like Mass setting, and the typical choir only Latin offertory hymn. (I attend the seminary Mass.)
In Milwaukee, at the Old Rite Mass, we were given a spectacular exegesis of Paul’s letter—where he compared Isaac to Ishmael, one being the child of ‘grace,’ the other, of ‘nature.’
In context, it had to do with the “back-to-Moses” argument regarding circumcision as a requirement for Christians.
The answer, then and now—no—NOT ‘back to Moses.’
Cardinal O’Malley spoke about Deus Caritas Est and the connection between Love and Service. He also spent some time talking about the great joy it had been having so many friends come together in Rome for the consistory and about the universality of the Church that it demonstrated. Good homily, the music was ok (but the choir had the week off), with 100 priests and 12 bishops in attendance the liturgy was a little unwieldy, but we were all happy to be there.
No rose vestments—probably because of the numbers involved—but a new purple vestment was worn.
Rose. Pink. I’m not one of those guys who gets all breathless over vestments. Most American men wouldn’t know the difference between rose, pink, or salmon. They certainly wouldn’t want to be caught dead in them.
“I’m not one of those guys who gets all breathless over vestments.”
That’s why they invented smileys.
I was visiting my brother in Fort Worth, TX, this weekend. Went to the TLM (High Mass) in North Richland Hills. Fr. Katzaroff processed in with a purple cope, then changed to Rose vestments.
He gave a good sermon tying in the Holy Eurcharist, the Last Supper, and the offerings of Melchesidec.
Domenico:
FYI, the episode of the brazen serpent on the pole is from the Book of Numbers…
I wore a rose vestment, newly purchased for the parish thanks to a generous parishioner (who also donated a gold vestment, and black vestment).
Folks can see my homily (well, two; one for the scrutiny) by clicking on my name below, and scrolling back.
Sorry about the lack of a smiley on my rose/pink response. I meant it as tongue in cheek.
Papabile:
I confess, the Agnus Dei we are using is the one from Requiem Masses; however, it is listed, without specific assignment, in the Jubilate Deo booklet produced by our late holy father, Paul VI (which was thus easy to reproduce and put in the pews in our day chapel); and it appears in the Gather, which happens to be our hymnal at present.
I made the judgment that if we were going to introduce a Latin Agnus Dei, I would at least introduce the simplest one to sing, so that (a) we could do it, first, in English, then transition to Latin, and (b), the singing of the chant would not, in itself, be anything anyone (including some of my cantors and musicians) could reasonably object to.
Down the God, God willing, we will introduce more Gregorian chant.
At Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine in Orlando, FL.
Msg. Harte talked to use for 10 minutes after the opening about how the Shrine is paid for, and about the two collections…
However, after some more announcements at the beginning of the Homily, he spoke about the serpent on the pole (Oh, he told us this is where the medical profession gets this.. news to my small mind which never noticed), then he, too, pointed at the Crucifix and gave a wonderful sermon, right on with the readings, and Gospel.
He wore violet. (or is it purple)
NOTE: My pastor says it’s DUSTY ROSE, not PINK… let’s get it right.
NOTE: Kyrie was in LATIN.
We chanted The Lord’s Prayer.
Joe: Did you mean Latin or Greek, since “Kyrie eleison” is Greek? A Latin version would be unique indeed.
—
Sorry, Fr. Fox, that’s what happens when I don’t go back and actually look up the reading before writing.
Rose by any other name still looks pink to me. (apologies to Shakespeare)
The deacon and I wore rose vestments. We did the second scrutiny but used the B readings because one homily was all I had time to prepare for the weekend. While we did the scrutinies from the Rite, we did adjust a little in light of the different scriptures proclaimed. Although most of our rites are taking place at the Saturday 5:00 liturgy, this scrutiny took place at the Sunday 7:30 a.m. Mass which gave that community of worshippers an opportunity to pray with and for our elect. I preached on the Ephesians text, on salvation as a free gift, a grace given “even while we were dead in our transgressions…” Sunday night, after our sung Lenten vespers, we had a Laetare Sunday concert offered by a women’s a capella group who sang chant (early and Gregorian and three contemporary pieces (Rorem, Goldstein, Oak) all around themes of rejoicing (laetare) and the Blessed Virgin (drawing from the Magnificat at vespers).
Melanie, I can hear you singing now: Stand by your man…..
Here at St AJ’s in Phila (http://www.saintsaj.org/ we had purple vestments (we’re kinda poor) but rose candles in honor of Laetare Sunday.
At the church my wife and I attended the pastor wore…white! As in: just an Alb with a stole (which was purple). He never wears the chasuble. Father is an otherwise very orthodox and devout priest (Adoration twice a week, Rosary before Mass, Stations of the Cross, etc.) but he does take some liberties with the rubrics…
I don’t know why that is and it seems contradictory in him. But I put it down to the laissez faire attitude in seminary training over the past forty years (“Don’t look for other reasons, when ignorance will suffice…”).
What did he preach on…? Er, um, ahem – I don’t remember! My car was in the shop and my Missal was in the car – so I was using a St. Andrew Daily Missal (circa 1954) and was a tad distracted by the different readings and rejoicing in all the Latin. Yes, I know – I should have put it down and just listened. Mea culpa!
Richard:
Of course I do.
But one has to be wise about such things. I have been pastor here for eight months, so obviously I inherited everything; I will become pastor of a second parish, 1/2 mile away, in July. It has a different (in my opinion, better) hymnal. This parish has had its hymnals about 10 years; the other parish just bought its hymnals about a year or two ago.
Also, both parishes have limited funds.
So, perhaps with that information, you might be able to guess some sensible approaches…
Richard: perhaps it wasn’t clear; I am the pastor.