Easter is yet filling most of us around the sem with a joyful attitude. We have begun "the grind" once again with classes and all, not to mention a 6:00 AM (optional) Holy Hour. Last night, we had our annual Easter Celebration. For many years now the seminary community has gathered for Evening Prayer and a meal to honor our Lord's triumph over sin and death. As is becoming custom (perhaps it was already, but I just don't remember it from my first year) the Rector had one of the seminarians give a toast: to the pope, the our bishops, to our faculty, staff, students, seminarians, for continued blessings upon the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. This, no doubt with the help of your prayers, the Lord has in store for us.
It being the Octave of Easter (celebrating the Solemnity of Easter for eight days straight), our house liturgies are ramped up all week long. Every day: Priest, deacon, acolyte, lector and cantor with Psalm Prayers, Incense and Alleluias strewn everywhere for our Morning and Evening Prayers. At Mass: four acolytes; grand procession in with cross, candles and incense; Sprinkling with Holy Water (in place of penitential rite); sung Gloria; Gospel Procession with incense and candles; sung petitions; incense at the Offertory/Presentation of Gifts; "Go in the Peace of Christ, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thanks be to God, Alleluia! Alleluia!" at the end of Mass with cross and candles at the grand procession out. Sure, it may require a bit more serving in the liturgy, but it really is a joy to praise God in the fullness of His Church's worship.
The Easter Season makes itself felt throughout all the Liturgy, including the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH). Men new to seminary life and newly encountering more of the Church's prayer find times like Easter to be almost vexing. The breviary for the LOTH really requires a lot of flipping back and forth, using different texts for things that are quite routine throughout the rest of the year (particularly in Night Prayer). And with all of the updating here at the seminary, it has become my task for the week that I'm enjoying, but perhaps am being a bit too perfectionistic: reworking the format of our Sunday Night Prayer aids - we're simplifying it from a binder format with multiple pages and flipping, to a simpler one-sheet pamphlet which has the whole order of prayer, with all of the variations for Easter. Perhaps once I complete it, I will throw it up here on the blog.
I would be curious for any who are willing to respond: what have you been doing differently (in your parish, in your workplace, in your home, in your personal prayer, etc...) to commemorate Easter? The comment box is open!
8 comments:
anything in latin?
any hope for the TRIDENTINE MASS--
THE MASS FOR ALL TIME---ACCORDING TO SAINT PIUS V.
Good question. I think it deserves a post of its own in the near future.
But--how about you, Mr(s). Anonymous? Have you been doing anything in particular for your observance of Easter?
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Hmm... We've been living it up at the Cathedral, too, but not with the sprinkler in lieu of the Penitential Rite at daily Mass. That really is a nice touch, I wonder if Father knows about it?
We had an excellent Holy Hour, thank you Barnes for serving, today in honor of our Resurrected Lord. I ate two pieces of cake on Sunday...
Is Sunday night NightPrayer still open to everyone? It could be especially nice to come this week.
Alleluias for the Acclamation and final blessing, with the paschal candle lit obviously. The priests seem to have retained a little cross, on the Altar as well.
Don't suppose any of you have tips for lighting the paschal candle without taking it down all the time? (Without finding someone tall enough to reach it obviously).
The only thing that has helped me is to use a long candlelighter and then push out a lot of the taper (1 to 2 inches) so it has a large flame at the end; drop that whole flame onto the top of the candle in its center as much as possible and leave it there or move it as necessary for 10-15 seconds; pull it away and hope it lit!
Anyone else?
I find that if you "accidentally" break the candle about 1/3 of the way down, it is much easier to light thereafter.
That was intended tongue-in-cheek. ;)
I've tried a Scott Hahn and Mike Aquilina compilings of Anicent church Fathers called Mystagogy. Not really going well with a busier schedule. And i started the REgina Coeli
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