Maundy Thursday. Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus...

The Mass of Maundy Thursday

Christchurch, New Zealand.

 Epistle: 

Fratres, convenientibus vobis in unum...

Brethren, when you come together therefore into one place...

 Mandatum novum do vobis...

A new commandment I give unto you...

 ...alter alterius lavare pedes...

...to wash one another's feet...

 Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est...

Where are charity and love, God is there...

Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum...

Let us fear and love the living God... 

Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

And let us love one another with sincere hearts.

 ... et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

..and may Christ, our God, be in the midst of us.

Domine, exaudi orationem meam.

Et clamor meus ad te veniat.

O Lord hear my prayer.

And let my cry come unto Thee.

Ubi est refectio mea

Christchurch, New Zealand

Holy Thursday

Ubi est refectio mea

Say to the master of the house:

The Master saith:

Where is My refectory where I may eat the Pasch

with my disciples.

Et invererunt...

And they found as He had told them:

and they prepared the pasch.

Palm Sunday in Christchurch, New Zealand

Today, 

Palm Sunday,

we officially began our apostolate in

the Diocese of  Christchurch, New Zealand.

Palm Sunday

Church of St Therese

Riccarton, Christchurch.

click on photos to see them in larger format! :)

The Blessing of Palms in front of the church. 

Hosanna filio David.

Hosanna to the Son of David. 

Hosanna in excelsis.

Hosanna in the highest. 

 Procession with Palms.

 Brother Clemens strikes the Church doors, 

the gates of the city of Jerusalem,

that they be opened to receive the King of Glory.

 Attollite, portae, capita vestra,

et attollite vos, fores antiquae,*

ut ingrediatur Rex gloriae!

Lift up O gates, your lintels,

and be ye lifted up, O ancient double doors:

and the King of Glory shall enter in! 

Ingrediente Domino in sanctam civitatem,

Hebraeorum pueri 

resurrectionem Vitae pronuntiantes,*

cum ramis palmarum:

"Hosanna in excelsis."

 As our Lord entered the holy city,

the Hebrew children,

heralding the resurrection of Life,

with palm branches cried out:

"Hosanna in the highest!" 

Jesus autem iterum clamans voce magna,

emisit spiritum.

And Jesus again crying with a loud voice,

yielded up the spirit.

O all ye that pass by

Good Friday Morning Stations of the Cross.

R. Caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo:
quia elongatus est a me, qui consolabatur me.
Videte omnes populi,
* Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.
V. O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte.
R. Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.
R. Caligaverunt oculi mei a fletu meo:
quia elongatus est a me, qui consolabatur me.
Videte omnes populi, *
Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.

Oratio.
Respice, quaesumus Domine,
super hanc familiam tuam,
pro qua Dominus noster Iesus Christus
non dubitavit manibus tradi nocentium,
et crucis subire tormentum:

Et sub silentio concluditur
Qui tecum vivit et regnat
in unitáte Spíritus Sancti
Deus per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
R. Amen.

R. Mine eyes do fail with tears,
because the Comforter that should relieve me
is far from me.
Behold, O all ye nations*
If there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.
V. O all ye that pass by, behold, and see
R. If there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.
R. Mine eyes do fail with tears,
because the Comforter that should relieve me
is far from me.
Behold, O all ye nations, *
If there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.

Prayer
Look down, we beseech thee, O Lord,
on this thy family,
for which our Lord Jesus Christ
did not hesitate to be delivered up into the hands of wicked men,
and to suffer the torment of the Cross.

Finish silently
Who livest and reignest with God the Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
R. Amen

Passiontide's Feast

The early morning of the
Feast of the Annunciation
Monday 26 March.

Expectation.
The sheep we pass on the way to meditation.

~Passiontide Waiting~
And I lay down my life for my sheep.
(Jn 10:15)

Morning Meditation.
~ The Feast of the Annunciation in Passiontide. ~
Since yesterday the images are veiled,
an atmosphere of shrouded sorrow tinges the feast.

Passiontide purple mixes with the flowers of the feast.
Since Adam's fall, the world, purpled in mournng
awaited the coming of salvation.
The Blessed Virgin Mary,
the only Lily of our vale,
is by a singular privilege raised up by God
to receive into Her spotless womb on this feast,
the Word
through Whom all things were made,
the Saviour of the World - Salvator Mundi.

It was a splendid morning as our boat left Papa Stronsay
for Mass on our neighbouring island.
Nature reflected the season and the feast.

The sea was calm,
the sun on the horizon
announced itself, majestically present indeed,

Yet, like the images on the altar,
it was present in the sky all veiled, restrained,
brilliant through a cover of haze.

An Ancient Doorway to a Lovely Lent.

This ancient doorway

to a lovely Lent
is inviting you to enter.

If you would like to know what to do for Lent
try this:

1 Prayer:
Say the following prayer
every time you pass through a doorway of any kind.

Incline unto my aid, O God!
O Lord, make haste to help me!

or if you would like to say it in Latin:
Deus, in adjutorium meum intende;
Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina!

Incline unto my aid, O God!
O Lord, make haste to help me!


Deus, in adjutorium meum intende;
Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina!

(Goal: To pray always.)

2 Abstinence:
Sacrifice eating all meat and eggs
for the 40 days plus the Sundays.

I will abstain from all meat, -but only for Lent!

I will abstain from eggs, -but only until Easter!

This was part of the Catholic Lent
for far longer than 1200 years ...
... until about 1900;
they also had the burden of strict fasting.

But you could more easily undertake this abstinence
since you are not also obliged to their strict fasting;
this is only the abstinence.

If you are looking for something solid for Lent
I would say:
Why not try it?

It is all traditional, ancient, from our Fathers in the Faith.

One clear prayer.
One full abstinence.
One lovely Lent.


Appreciate the centuries of abstaining
that brought us
the beautiful Easter Egg!


As for other things, go to Confession as soon as possible.
Remember that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
are days of Fast and Abstinence.

May you have a blessed and Holy Season of Lent!

Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

Participate for a minute in the Forty Hours.

This evening at 5.00 p.m. we opened

The Forty Hours Devotion.
We are not many but we are all delighted to have
these hours of grace with Our Lord.

We invite you to participate in the Forty Hours,
from your computer,
by making a spiritual communion.
This takes nearly one minute.
Give Him a minute of love and desire.

Jesus waits for our love and desire.
Information on Spiritual Communions:
A Spiritual Communion consists in an ardent desire to receive
Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament
and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.
The Holy Council of Trent greatly praises Spiritual Communions
and encourages the faithful to practise them.

Here is how to do it and
what to say to Jesus from your heart:

AN ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
My Jesus
I believe that Thou art truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love Thee above all things and
I desire to possess Thee within my soul.
Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace Thee as being already there,
and unite myself wholly to Thee;
never permit me to be separated from Thee.
Amen.

That's a Spiritual Communion
and
here is the shorter 10 second version.

I believe that Thou, O Jesus, art present in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love Thee and desire Thee!
I embrace Thee; oh never leave me.

Spy Wednesday

Today is Spy Wednesday.

Intrávit autem satanas in Judam...
And Satan entered into Judas,
who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve:
and he went and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates,
how he might betray Him to them.
And they were glad,
and covenanted to give him money:
and he promised.
And he sought opportunity to betray Him,
in the absence of the multitude.
(Lk. 22: 3-6.)

Painting the chapel and Passion Sunday

Over the last week we have taken the opportunity of painting Our Lady's Chapel on Stronsay in preparation for Easter. We decided to change it from the all-white it had been and try and give it some character.


Brothers painting the ceiling.




Br. Nicodemus Mary, F.SS.R. gives a second coat.




The first stars are sprayed. They are the eight-pointed star from the veil of Our Mother of Perpetual Succour.


Marking the positions of the stars.






As the job approaches, the sanctuary can begin to be cleared.


The last star...


...very satisfying!


Mass of Passion Sunday on Stronsay.


O, Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Be our salvation!