Last Friday, like all first Fridays, I went to a first Friday all night vigil. The all night vigil kicked off with stations of the cross.
Next came the mass. Fr Merlino OFM cap celebrated the mass. I finally managed to get him a nice alb with hood, so his brown hood from his habit was covered and we had a nice white hood over his red chasuble, quite striking. I wish more monastic or friar priests would wear monastic amices, they look really good.
Father here prepares the incense. Notice the altar crucifix is point with the corpus towards the priest and is flanked by 2 candles, this is so the priest can focus on Christ and not be distracted by the people he is facing. My friend there Dony, is from my school and that night was his first time as thurifer, suprisingly he did a great job.
Father, here incensing the altar. In this photo you can clearly see Fathers monastic amice. Also if there are a very generous readers, please consider donating so I can get a good chasuble made for first Friday vigil, the church unfortunately has quite a poor collection of this sacred vestment.
Father then moved to the sedelia. As you an see the MC and acolyte 1, flank the priest to assist him with the opening rites. Normally it would be the cross bearer, holding the book, but unfortunately the cross bearer arrived late.
So we come to the gospel. I'd love to have a deacon, it would be so much nicer to see a deacon proclaim the gospel, after all that is what he is ordained to do!
Here is the preparation of the altar, the chalice has just been unveiled and the MC is placing it on the corporal.
The acolytes assist with the water and the wine. You can also see the bures resting up against one of the candles.
The MC, incences the priest.
The MC incenses Our Lady, normally the thurifer would incense everything apart of the celebrant, but my friend, was not to confident with the thurifer that night.
The MC now moves to the left side of the celebrant for the preface. The deacon , if we had one would be on the priest's right, assisting with that pall, while the MC is suppose to be on the left, assisting with the missal.
Consecration, My Lord my God. Domine Meus, Deus Meus.
The Altar Servers receive communion on the tongue and kneeling.
shortly after mass, the Altar was prepared for exposition and Father changed into a Red cope, for the procession.
Here the procession forms behind Father.
Every first Friday Vigil we have an Eucharistic procession around the church.
Here we have the "Crucifix party" as I like to call it, leading the procession. Notice the acolyte candles are covered with plastic cups, does anyone know were to get proper glass wind protectors?
During the procession we had a lot of smoke, as you can see from this photo. All that is actual insence smoke, just how I like it.
Father's combination of a white humeral veil and a red cope is really striking.
Father gives benediction with the blessed sacrament.
The first Friday vigil is were i get all my spiritual strength for the month. It is very intense and quite up lifting. I'd like to ask for my readers prayers for the Brisbane corpus Christi procession, the nuncio is coming and it will be a big show in the words of Davo.But most of all there will be lots of great photos of it
That is if it all goes according to plan.
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