I love Palm Sunday, the gateway to Holy Week and with it the opportunity to follow Christ ever more deeply on his way to the cross and resurrection. Beautiful, and it forces two things upon us, discernment and choice.
Who and what do we love, what leads us, who do we follow? Bread and power, the world, the flesh and the devil who hovers over all, or Christ? Discernment achieved, choose wisely.
That said, half of one of the Missions was missing in action today. Why? Because they'd gone to a rabbit show. That's right, a bunny display.
Well, there's nothing quite like anticipating Easter.
Antenicene Fathers forever,
LSP
Rabbit show? Good grief.
ReplyDeleteHappy Palm Sunday. We do the pre-1955 liturgy now - three long hours. Which is only half the time our Lord hung on the cross. Something to consider...
Adrienne, it's all true. Kyrie, bunnies.
ReplyDeleteBut pre-55! WELL DONE, but you have to feel free to move about the church, step outside, go back in, say a rosary, light several candles, whack a commie etc.
Medieval style. The liturgy goes on, constant. It only becomes burdensome when we become protestant bench worshipers, imo.
Well - I never thought of doing a rosary while the Latin passion is droning away (forever.) And whacking a commie would be apropos. I'm guessing that protestant bench worshipers = pew potato.
ReplyDeleteThanks - I'll be ready for Easter vigil, which should roll in at over 4 hours. I did it last year and honestly can't remember how long it was. I had to sort of pay attention because they did most the readings in the back right behind where I was sitting and so I ended up having to hold some of the priest's candles while they were otherwise ocupado.
Adrienne, I think MOVEMENT is key during these marathons. Can you imagine a Medieval congregation sitting still and glued to their seats while the Mass went on for 3 hours? Of course not, they moved about and got on with their devotions, sometimes they fought each other, it being a rough and ready age. The liturgy went on beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThen Protestants came along with reforming zeal and said everyone had to sit down still in their hard wooden benches to listen to Latimer et al drone on for an hour and a half.
Of course protestants have rebelled against this, understandably, and turned their worship into some kind of wave your hands in the air dance hall event. Well, you can't blame them, tiresome as it is. Think how weary you'd be after holding your hands in the air for HOURS.
So, we mustn't fall for this. Great result, have a Mass that's fraught with powerful symbolism and lasts awhile, all to beautiful polyphony and on, but don't expect the people to sit there like a regiment at attention throughout.
Clergy often miss this important point.