Frist Saturday

The next day, after the first Friday vigil i always travel to Marian valley for the first Saturday devotions. One day devoted to the sacred heart of Jesus and one to the immaculate heart of Mary, this is a great way to start the month off.
The devotions start at 10:00 with exposition. Then 2 rosaries are prayed in front of the blessed sacrament. After which is simple reposition and then we launch straight into mass.

Fr Prior celebrated mass, in his new silver chasuble. He also used his monastic amice.
Here Br Luke , removes the missal for the incensing of the altar. It is an old custom to do so, but unfortunately i do not know why you remove the missal, would one of our kind readers inform us?

Fr Prior proclaims the Gospel. Normally for first Saturdays it's just Br Luke and I, but this Saturday we were joined by one of friends Eric.Here Fr Prior gives one of his inspiring homilies.Father Prior waits to receives the gifts. This is a nice close up of the chasuble Father Prior is wearing. Notice that Father wears 5 of the 6 vestments of tradition. The amice, the alb, the cincture, the stole and the chasuble. Many priest now just don on the alb, stole and chasuble , the bear minimum, due to the climate, laziness or taste. I whole heartedly implore priests to return to using at least the 5 vestments, they are rich treasures of the church, even worn by Christ him self at the Last supper and are rich in grace giving symbolism.

At the sanctus. The honor guard of Christ, still just the minimum, but at least it's there.
Here we have the procession out. After the mass, there is about 1 hr for lunch. Just enough time to eat, visit the piety shop, use the toilet and have a quick chat.
After lunch, a priest exposes the blessed sacrament solemnly and we begin the procession.
How I long for the time that you could go on a procession through the streets and proclaim Christ.
After all scripture states that we must proclaim Christ from the roof tops!
Processions are an intergral part of liturgical life, they remind us of how life is a great procession back to heaven, following Christ. But unlike our procession that day, the procession of life is much harder and contains many pains and sorrows.
Be Different, take the hard road.

Frist Friday

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 prayed the rosary. There were two thuribles and the blessed sacrament was insenced during each glory be.
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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Catholic School's For Catholics

Earlier today I saw this article : http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=270336
I appears that the Archbishop of Hobart has filed to be exempt from discrimination laws and turn away some non Catholics from his schools.
"He said the policy would ensure "very strong Catholic ethos and vision" in Tasmanian Catholic schools, and would be slowly rolled out across the state."

Ah yes, a very strong Catholic Ethos, sounds good, but I just hope and pray that it will come true.
The article gives figures that he hope that Catholic schools will contain 75& Catholics as apposed to the current figure of 40%. I am not opposed to non Catholics going to Catholics schools, just as long as they sign a document saying that they consent to be brought up in Catholic Values. Also it provides a good opportunity for conversions, give a good Catholic catechist.

I go to a Catholic High school up here in Brisbane, It will remain nameless, but needless to say, I weep for the souls of the students. So much heresy, so many distractions and so many lost souls.
Sure we generously give to the community, but we can not give something that we do not have.

I ask for the prayers of every Catholic, Pray for our Schools. Satan really is Winning this battle, especially up here.

Pentecost

For the great feast of Pentecost, Fr Jordan unfortunately had to be absent. So Father Columba the prior of the local Pauline Fathers monastery stepped up to the plate.

I had the great Honor of Mcing for Fr Columba at his first missa cantata. This was his first time, so he was understandably nervous, but he passed with flying colors.
Fr Columba brought his white biretta along. Here I'm trying to keep up with the chants so that Father and the servers may move at the best possible time, needless to say we had about a minute of awkward silence as the incense was prepared.Father delivered another great sermon. Father can get very enthusiastic when preaching.

Father and I wore nice lace vestments. I like lace, but it has to be christiological, not curtain, floral or Victoria's secret lace.
Our little sanctuary can get quite crowed with as little as a missa cantata.

The Mass went smoothly, Father said now that he has one under his belt, he would gladly fancy it up with asperges next time. It really is nice seeing more priests celebrate the tridentine mass.

Procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose

Here is the video of PANGE, lingua, being chanted during a procession to the altar of repose for Holy Thursday.

Pange lingua

Pange lingua happens to be one of my favorite chants. It was written by the angelic doctor himself, Thomas Aquinas for the feast of Corpus Christi. Many people are familiar with it's tone due to it's last two verses the Tantum Ergo being sung before benediction. I wish the whole chant was sung more often, while omitting even the Tantum Ergo really saddens me.

PANGE, lingua, gloriosi Corporis mysterium, Sanguinisque pretiosi, quem in mundi pretium fructus ventris generosi Rex effudit Gentium.	SING, my tongue, the Savior's glory, of His flesh the mystery sing; of the Blood, all price exceeding, shed by our immortal King, destined, for the world's redemption, from a noble womb to spring.
Nobis datus, nobis natus ex intacta Virgine, et in mundo conversatus, sparso verbi semine, sui moras incolatus miro clausit ordine.	Of a pure and spotless Virgin born for us on earth below, He, as Man, with man conversing, stayed, the seeds of truth to sow; then He closed in solemn order wondrously His life of woe.
In supremae nocte cenae recumbens cum fratribus observata lege plene cibis in legalibus, cibum turbae duodenae se dat suis manibus.	On the night of that Last Supper, seated with His chosen band, He the Pascal victim eating, first fulfills the Law's command; then as Food to His Apostles gives Himself with His own hand.
Verbum caro, panem verum verbo carnem efficit: fitque sanguis Christi merum, et si sensus deficit, ad firmandum cor sincerum sola fides sufficit.	Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature by His word to Flesh He turns; wine into His Blood He changes;- what though sense no change discerns? Only be the heart in earnest, faith her lesson quickly learns.
Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cernui: et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui: praestet fides supplementum sensuum defectui.	Down in adoration falling, Lo! the sacred Host we hail; Lo! o'er ancient forms departing, newer rites of grace prevail; faith for all defects supplying, where the feeble sense fail.
Genitori, Genitoque laus et iubilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio: procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudatio. Amen. Alleluia.	To the everlasting Father, and the Son who reigns on high, with the Holy Ghost proceeding forth from Each eternally, be salvation, honor, blessing, might and endless majesty. Amen. Alleluia.

I hope to post a youtube video of the chant being chanted, so stay tunned!

Mary Help of Christians At Marian Valley

Recently I've been dealing with a few issues about my life, my vocation and this blog, so I've had little spare time to post, this combined with my serving commitments and school have put a serious drain on my time, so please excuse any extended absences from Blogging.
Now on to the post. Yesterday the 19th of May was the day the shrine moved it's celebration of it's feast day due to the shrine being under the patronage of Our Lady Help of Christians. Why? well so as to allow people to come due to it being a Saturday and to avoid stealing faithfully from their weekly celebration of mass at their local parish. Above we can see the pilgrimages starting to flow in to the shrine.
Here we have the entrance procession. Once again I brought my set of acolyte candles for use at the shrine, I really do prefer them to small little candles some parishes use, but at least they are using acolyte candles. We had a fine young server from the diocese of Lismore come and act as thurifer, he is trying to serve for world youth day 2008 in sydney so please do keep him in your prayers. I was MC for the mass so I had on one of my favorite lace surplices.


The Mass was celebrated with great reverence by Rev Fr Peter Joseph the chancellor of the Marionite dioceses of Sydney (actually I believe all of Australia). Fr Peter Joseph was one of Fr Columba's seminary professors, I could see it. Fr Columba is in my opinion a reflection of Fr Peter Joseph , both holy, both Funny, both intelligent and both JP2 Priests!

Fr Gabriel proclaimed the Gospel.We even had a Marionite Priest Monk con celebrate the mass, unfortunately he did not have a Sticharion and Phellion, I really do love those eastern vestments, so I was a ashame we couldn't provide him with them.
Since it was the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, we had a statue of Our Lady and Fr solemnly incensed it. You can see the nice Marian chasuble Father was wearing and my Lace surplice.
Con celebrating along with Fr Peter Joseph were Fathers Gregory Jordan, Fr Columba the prior, Fr Gabriel and two other priest that I personally don't know, but I am sure they are good holy priests! It was a truly moving experience to assist that close (being the MC), To 6 holy Priests. They magnificently said the Roman cannon together and chanted the per ipso, truly a moving experience.

Finally for the first time at a mass I MCed the procession moved off at my mark, not at the celebrants, I can be very timid at times.

Although I do love a cassocked and surpliced male choir chanting Gregorian chant(The dream), These pious women, singing the mass is an uplifting and pleasing experience. I also love the light blue robe they have, it's better then having women look like cross dressers by having them in cassocks and surplices. I do wish these women, many happy years singing at the holy mass and assure them of my prayers.
After the mass we had an Eucharistic procession.

For the procession I switched roles with Sean, the previous head server at Marian Valley, he does a great Job and is more experienced with processions then I. The switch gave me the wonderful opportunity of trying out my new appareled alb.
Fr Columba changed into the much loved mantle of his order.Although I quite disapprove of using torches as processional candles, it is a rational option if they are going to constantly blow out! Now I wish someone, may be even one of my faithful readers would point out were i am to obtain a accessory that will protect the flame of my prieviously mentioned acolyte candles.To wrap up the day, Fr prior masterfully lead chanted the divine mercy chaplet.

It was a great day!
Mary help of Christians! Pray for US!