Away

I'll be away for a few days, so I don't know what the opportunities for blogging (or posting comments, for that matter) will be. In the meantime, have a look at the new Vatican YouTube.

Pius XII and the Jews

Given the Church's strenuous and confident defence made of Pope Pius XII's war record, is it not strange that the Vatican still will not give unrestricted access to the records? Such an action would clearly be in its best interests.

Or is it that, though the Pope himself acted with clear integrity, there were others in the Vatican at that time who behaved less well, whose actions and words could yet get the Church into trouble?

Fr Eldred Leslie RIP

I was horrified this morning to read of the murder of Fr Eldred Leslie in South Africa. I first met Fr Leslie in 1983, when he was just crossing over into the Pius X Society (those were pre-consecration days), and when I was just off to the seminary. He was an extraordinarily kind, unstrident, defender of the traditional faith. May he rest in peace.

Ge'ez 5

THANKSGIVING
After the people have received Communion, the priest says:
O Lord, Light of eternal life, You have given us, Your servants, strength and protection, keeping us in peace through the past days and nights; bless + us now and in the days to come through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Deacon) We give thanks to the Lord, from whom we have received His holy gifts, that they may be a remedy for us for the salvation of our souls. May we who have received them, pray and plead to the Lord, our God, praising Him.

On weekdays:
My mouth speaks the praise of God. All flesh shall bless His holy Name for ever and ever.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, lead us not into temptation.
(Deacon) We have received the holy Body and the precious Blood of Christ.
My mouth speaks the praise of God. All flesh shall bless His holy Name for ever and ever.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, lead us not into temptation.
(Deacon) We ought to give Him thanks as we partake of the great and holy mystery.
My mouth speaks the praise of God. All flesh shall bless His holy Name for ever and ever.
Our Father, Who art in Heaven, lead us not into temptation.

On Sundays and Feast Days:
I exalt You, O my King and my God, and I will bless Your Name for ever and ever.
Our Father……
(Deacon) We have received……
Every day I bless You and I will glorify Your holy Name, for ever and ever.
Our Father................
We ought..........

O God, the Sustainer of all things, and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we give You thanks for allowing us to partake of Your Holy Sacrament. Let it not bring us Your judgment or condemnation, but the renewal of our body, soul and spirit, through Your only Son to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be glory and dominion, now, always and for ever.
Amen. Alleluia, Alleluia. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Forgive us all our trespasses; lead us not into temptation; but deliver us, Lord, from all misfortune and from every evil temptation.

PURIFICATION
At this time the Sacred Vessels are purified by the priest.
(Deacon) May the Lord accept our prayer and write our petitions in the Book of Life. May the Eternal God remember us by shining His light on us, in the dwelling-place of the saints. We beg the Lord to grant fervour and perfect diligence to our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who did not come to the Divine Liturgy. May the Lord keep them safe from the lures of this world. May He grant them liberty, love, faith and good hope through the Body and Blood of the Son of the Living God. Amen, amen.

FINAL BLESSING
O King of Peace, Jesus Christ, grant us Your peace. Establish Your peace in our hearts and forgive our sins. When we leave this church, bring us to our homes in safety and in peace. Together with Your most gracious Father in Heaven and the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, all glory, honour, power, adoration and worship is Yours, now, and forever and ever. Amen
(Deacon) Bow your heads in humility before the Living God that He may bless you by the hand of the priest, His servant.
Amen. May the Lord bless us at the hand of His servant, the priest.

The people bow their heads while the priest blesses the people with a Sign of the Cross, saying:
O Lord, save Your people and bless + Your inheritance. Watch over them and exalt them. Protect the holy Church that You called, and that You purchased and ransomed by the Precious Blood of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to be a dwelling for Your holy and chosen people. May God, our Father forgive all the intentional and unintentional sins of you who have gathered in this holy Church for prayer, and who have partaken of the Holy Body and and Precious Blood of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May our Father show you mercy and protect you, for the sake of divine Body and Blood, the Blood of the New Covenant, Jesus Christ, Son of God most High and Son of Mary, Holy and Immaculate, Virgin in mind and body, for ever and ever. Amen.

God be with you.
And with your spirit.

May God bless us, His servants, with His peace, Through our Communion of His most Precious Body and Blood, may we receive the remission of our sins. Through the authority of the Holy Spirit, help us to trample the power of the enemy underfoot. We all hope for the blessing of Your holy hand, which is full of mercy. Keep us from every wicked act but unite us in all good works. Blessed is He who has given us His holy Body and precious Blood. We have received grace and we have found life by the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. To You, O Lord, we give thanks for the grace we have received from the Holy Spirit.

(Deacon) Go in peace.
Thanks be to God.

Ge'ez 4

They then say three times:
Look upon us mercifully, O Lord, and do not take into account our sins.
The host of angels of the Saviour of the world, stand here before Him. They praise the Saviour, the Body

THE ANAPHORA OF THE APOSTLES
An anaphora corresponds to the Canon or Eucharistic Prayer of the Western Rite.

The Lord be with you. + (Making the Sign of the Cross)
And with your spirit.
Give thanks to our God. + (blessing the people)
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Lift up your hearts. + (blessing the servers)
We lift them up to the Lord.

We give thanks to You, O Lord, through Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ Whom, in the last days, You sent to us as Saviour. Redeemer and Advocate. He is Your Word through whom You made all things by Your will.

(Deacon) We pray for the Catholic, Apostolic Church, made holy by the precious blood of Christ, as an instrument of peace and we pray for our blessed and holy pope, Abuna ... and also our bishop, Abuna... all bishops, priests and deacons and all the Christian faithful. We ask Holy Mary, Mother of God, together with the Apostles and the fathers of the Church to intercede for us. And may eternal light shine forever on the faithful departed.

To these, and to all the dead, grant eternal rest and have mercy on them, O You Who sent Your Son from heaven into the womb of the Virgin.

(Deacon) You who sit, arise!
STAND from now until you return from Communion.

He was made flesh, was carried in the womb, and His birth was proclaimed by the Holy Spirit.

(Deacon) Look to the East!

The multitudes of holy angels and archangels stand before You in adoration and worship, O Lord...

(Deacon) Be watchful!

You are extolled by Your venerable Seraphim and Cherubim who have six wings. With two wings they cover their face, with two they cover their feet and with two they fly from one end of the world to the other. Unceasingly they bless You and glorify You together with all who praise You, therefore accept our praise as we say:

(Deacon) Respond!
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, the heavens and the earth are full of the holiness of Your glory.

The Priest blesses himself, saying: Truly the holiness of Your glory has filled the heavens and the earth through our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Your only Son was born of the Virgin Mary and came to gain everlasting reward for Your people by doing Your will.
Lord, remember us in Your Kingdom; remember us, O Lord our Master; remember us, Lord, in Your Kingdom as You remembered the good thief on the right when You were on the holy, wooden Cross.

The Priest stretching his hands over the elements, says:
He stretched out his arms for the Passion; suffering, to save those who trusted in Him. He offered himself, of His own will, as a sacrifice to the Father that He might overcome death, break the bonds of Satan, trample upon Sheol and lead forth the saints, establish the Sacrament and reveal His resurrection.

The priest places his hands on the corporal, then taking the bread in his hands, says:
In the same night He was betrayed, He took bread in His holy, blessed and immaculate hands.
We believe that this is He, truly we do believe.
The Priest makes the sign of the Cross three times, then indents the Host lightly with his thumb in five places, without breaking the Host, representing the nails and spear.

The people, standing, bow their heads.

He looked up to heaven toward You, His Father, He gave thanks +, blessed it +, sanctified it +, and He broke it and gave it to His disciples and said to them: TAKE THIS AND EAT. THIS BREAD IS MY BODY WHICH IS BROKEN FOR YOU FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
Amen, amen, amen. We believe and confess that This is truly Your Body. We praise You, our Lord and our God.

In the same way, He took the cup and giving thanks +, He blessed it +, sanctified it + and gave it to His disciples saying: TAKE THIS AND DRINK. THIS IS THE CUP OF MY BLOOD WHICH WILL BE SHED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS ON BEHALF OF THE MANY.
Amen, amen, amen. We believe and confess that This is truly Your Blood. We praise You, our Lord and our God.

ANAMNESIS
Whenever You do this, do it in remembrance of Me.
Lord, we proclaim Your death, and Your holy resurrection; we believe in Your ascension and in Your second coming. We praise You. We trust in You. We pray to You, our Lord and our God, and we beseech You for Your mercy.

EPICLESIS
And now, Father, commemorating the death and resurrection of Your Son, we offer You this bread (pointing) and this cup of wine (pointing) as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. We thank You for the grace of being in Your Presence and serving You. We implore You, Father, to send Your Holy Spirit down upon this bread (pointing) and upon this wine (pointing) so that He may change them into the Body + and Blood + of Jesus Christ, Who is our Lord and Saviour for ever and ever.
Amen. Lord, have mercy on us; Lord, have pity on us; Lord, forgive us our sins.

Father, bring together in unity all who partake of the most precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Grant that their Holy Communion may be for their sanctification, for the indwel1ing of the Holy Spirit, and for a steadfast belief in the true faith. Grant, also, that they may glorify You and praise You through Your beloved Son together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
Amen.

FRACTION OF THE HOST
(Deacon) With all our heart, let us implore the Lord our God to grant us the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
As it was and is and shall be, from generation to generation, for ever and ever. Amen

The Priest breaks the Sacred Host as he leads the people in prayer. The people repeat the words after him:
1. Through Your Holy Spirit help us to be united
2. And redeem us by this sacrifice
3. So that we may live in You,
4. Throughout all time
5. For ever and ever
6. Blessed is the Name of the Lord;
7. And blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord;
8. And blessed be His glorious Name.
9. Amen,
10. Amen,
11. Blessed be the Lord.
12. Pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit upon us.

(Deacon) Be attentive for prayer!
Lord, have mercy on us.
Peace be to you.
And with your spirit.

I give You thanks, O Lord my God, Sustainer of the whole universe Who sits on the chariot of the Cherubim. You reside in the highest Heaven, and You receive praise from the humble while You dwell in that glorious light. O Giver of stillness to the world, You revealed Yourself to us through the Cross of Your Son. Who is as holy and merciful as You? O Lord our God, You conferred the authority of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. They served You with humble hearts and offered You the fragrance of goodness. Lord our God, Sustainer of all things, do not remove Your authority from us. We ask this through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
(Deacon) Let us pray together the prayer taught us by our Saviour:
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, now and forever.

and Blood of the Redeemer of the world. Standing in adoration, let us come before the Face of the Saviour of the world.
(Deacon) Adore and worship the Lord in fear. (Bowing)
In Your presence, O Lord, we adore and praise You. (Bowing)

PENITENTIAL PRAYER OF ST. BASIL
Lord our God, Who takes away the sins of the world, accept the repentance of these Your children and shine the light of eternal life over them. Forgive them their sins, I humbly plead with You, for You are merciful and most kind, slow to anger and rich in mercy and You love all mankind. If we have sinned against You, Lord, in our thoughts, words, or deeds, forgive us. Be gracious to us, for You are compassionate and a lover of mankind. O Lord, set us free, absolve + all Your people, including me, + Your sinful servant. Remember always, Lord, our pope, Abuna N, and our Bishop, Abuna N., preserve them in peace. Remember, O Lord, all archbishops and bishops, priests and deacons, readers and singers, nuns and monks, widows, orphans, men and women, the elderly and the children, and all Your Christian faithful here present in Your holy Church. Strengthen them in the faith of Christ.
At this moment, the priest will mention those who have died recently
Remember, O Lord, all who have fallen asleep in the true faith. May eternal light shine on them and place their souls in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Free us from all evil and grant us, O Lord, wisdom and steadfastness of heart, knowledge and discernment so that we may always avoid and flee from the works of Satan. Help us, O Lord, to do Your will and what pleases You at all times. Write our names in the Book of Life in Your Kingdom of Heaven together with those of all Your saints and martyrs. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, through Him, with Him and with the Holy Spirit, glory and dominion are Yours, now and forever.

(Deacon) Be attentive to our Lord, present on the altar.
These holy mysteries are for those who believe in them.
God the Father is Holy, the Son is Holy, the Holy Spirit is Holy.
The Lord be with you.
And with your Spirit.

ELEVATION
The priest then elevates the Sacred Host on the paten and says 12 times, with the people repeating after him:
EGZEO MAHARANNA CHRISTOS
(Lord Christ, have mercy on us.)

PRAYER OVER PENITENTS
(Deacon) You, who are in penitence, humbly bow your heads.
The people bow their heads in prayer:
O Most Gracious God, look down upon those who are penitent. Have pity on them according to Your great mercy, and take away all their sins. Shelter them and protect them from all evil, and grant them peace in their souls. Once You have made them whole again, reunite them in the communion of the Holy Church. This we ask through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ Who lives for ever and ever. Amen.

(Deacon) Be attentive and place yourself in God's presence.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Peace be with you,
And with your spirit.

PROFESSION OF FAITH IN THE EUCHARIST
This (pointing) is truly the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is given for the fullness of life, the salvation of mankind, and the forgiveness of sins of those who receive Him with faith.
Amen.

This (pointing) is truly the most precious Body and Blood of Emmanuel, our God.
Amen.

I truly believe and give witness, even to my last breath, that this (pointing) is the Body and the Blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. He took His Body from our Lady, the holy and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, thereby uniting His humanity with His Divinity without any confusion or change, and without division or separation. He indeed was a good witness to the Truth in the days of Pontius Pilate, and He offered Himself on the Cross for our sake and for the life of all.
Amen.

I truly believe and confess that His Divinity has never been separated from His Humanity, not for an hour, not even for the twinkling of an eye. He offered His Body on the Cross for our sake: for the fullness of life, the salvation of mankind and the forgiveness of the sins of those who receive Him with faith.
Amen.

I truly believe, and profess that this (pointing) is indeed the Body and the Blood of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him all praise and adoration is due, together with His most gracious heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life, now and for ever.
Amen.

Then the priest takes a small piece of the Sacred Host in his hand, dips It into the Precious Blood, and makes the Sign of the Cross with It on the Body, and over the Blood, silently saying:
Blessed be our Lord God, the Father, Sustainer of the whole universe; blessed be His only begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Purifier of us all.

PRAYER BEFORE COMMUNION
The priest shall then say this prayer quietly:
Lord, our God, behold the body of Your Son, the Sacrifice that pleases You. Your only-begotten Son died for my sake, so, through Him, forgive all my sins. Here is the immaculate blood of Your Messiah, which was shed for me on Calvary. Behold this precious blood speaks, cries out in my behalf. Let it be for the remission of my sins, and for its sake accept my petition, for Your beloved Son was pierced for my sake with a spear and the nails and suffered to fulfill Your will. After I was saved, the devil returned and wounded me with his darts. Grant me Your forgiveness, Lord, for the adversary is more powerful and he has killed me with the guilt of my sins. Defend me from that insolent foe that never stops battling me to deviate me from salvation. Lord, You are my King, my God and my Redeemer, heal for me, Your servant, the wounds of my soul and my body.

Meanwhile, all Communicants shall say:
O my Lord Jesus Christ, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. I have made You angry by doing wrong things. You created me in Your own image and likeness but I have wounded my body and soul by disobeying Your commandment of love, and have sinned against You. For the sake of Your life-giving death on the Cross and Your resurrection on the third day, wash me clean trom all my sins. In Your mercy and love, forgive my wrongdoing, heal me, and bring life everlasting to my soul and body, When I receive You in the Holy Eucharist, be my life and salvation. O Life of the World, I ask this through the intercession of Our Lady, the holy Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, the angels, and all the saints, Amen.


COMMUNION
While receiving the Holy Communion, the priest shall say to himself:
O Lord Jesus Christ, may this mystery be for the purification of my body and soul rather than for my condemnation. This is truly the precious body and blood of Emmanuel our God, that came down from the heaven. O Lord, You who have become man for our salvation, fill my mouth with praise, my heart with joy, my soul with gladness because I have partaken of this Divine Mystery.

(Deacon) Let us pray for each other and for all those who have asked for our prayers. Let us beg God for peace; and, for the love of Jesus Christ, let us give Him all praise and glory.
Lord, reward those whom You have called and sanctified by sharing with them the merits of this Holy Sacrifice; strengthen them with Your love and protect them with Your almighty power. Grant this through Jesus Christ, in Whom You are glorified.

While the communicants receive Holy Communion, the following prayer is recited:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Ineffable triune God, grant that I may partake of this life-giving Body and Blood without condemnation, and live only for You, always doing Your will. Grant, O Lord, that I may bear fruit that is pleasing to You and eventually appear before Your Glory. With confidence I call You Abba, Father. O Lord, may Your Kingdom come to fruition in me, and may Your Name be forever blessed. You are almighty, glorious, worthy of honour and praise for ever and ever, Amen.

When the priest gives the Holy Communion, he shall say:
This is the precious Body and Blood of Emmanuel our God.
Then the Communicant shall say: Amen, Amen.

Ge'ez 3

PRAYER OF THE VEIL
While covering the chalice and the bread with the veil, the Priest says the Prayer of Wrappings
I am covering this blessed paten with the veil, creating the likeness of the tomb in which You stayed three days and three nights. Make my hands like those of Joseph and Nicodemus, who wrapped Your body and gained comfort, peace, and honour from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

(Deacon) This is the law of our fathers, the holy apostles: Let no one hold any ill-will in his heart, nor the desire for revenge, neither any hatred or jealousy towards his neighbour or towards anyone.
Adore and worship the Lord with fear. (Bowing)
In Your presence, O Lord, we adore and praise You. (Bowing)

On Sundays and Feast Days:
Let us adore the Holy Trinity... 3 times, bowing his head.
The Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, in three Persons, one God...3 times bowing their heads.
Peace be with You.
O Holy Church, dwelling of the Divinity.
Intercede for us,
Virgin Mary, Mother of God.

On Ordinary days only:
O Mary, You are...
... the Golden Censer, that bore the Glowing Charcoal. Blessed is the person who receives Him from the sanctuary, the One Who forgives sin and blots out faults. He is God's Word, Your Son, O Mary, Who offered Himself to His Father as incense and an acceptable sacrifice. We adore You, O Christ, together with Your gracious heavenIy Father and with the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life.

READING OF THE EPISTLE
(SIT)
If my memory serves me rightly, there is no lectionary as such; the celebrant chooses, according to whatever he feels appropriate, a passage from a rather restricted selection of passages, all from St Paul.
(Deacon) From the Letter of St. Paul to ... May his blessing be with all of us, for ever and ever.
Amen.

After the reading:
(Deacon) May the blessing of the Father, the love of the Son and the fruit of the Holy Spirit which descended upon the apostles in the holy upper room of Sion, be multiplied and come down upon us in a like manner.
O Saint Paul, good preacher and healer of the sick, you received a crown of reward; intercede and pray for us that the Lord may save our souls according to His infinite kindness and mercy, for His holy Name's sake.

O Lord, our God, You revealed to Your holy apostles the mystery of the glorious Gospel of the Messiah. You gave them great and im-measurable riches from Your grace. You sent them to preach the abundance of Your grace and mercy to all the ends of the world. We too, Lord our God, pray and beseech that You make us worthy of their inheritance and portion that we may walk in their ways and follow in their footsteps. Allow us always to imitate their love and perseverance. Allow us, through our godly worship, to participate in their labour. Protect Your holy Church which You have founded for their sake. Bless + (blesses himself) the sheep of Your flock +(blesses the people). Also, multiply this vine + (blesses the offerings on the altar) which You have planted with Your right hand. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and forever.
Holy, holy, holy are You, God the Father, Who sustains all things. Holy, holy, holy are You, the only Son, Word of the Living God. Holy, holy, holy, are You, Holy Spirit, Who knows all things. 

During Easter Time: The people STAND and say Three times:
Christ is risen from the dead; He has died and trampled Death under foot; and, for those in the tomb, He has granted life and eternal rest.
In Ordinary Time: TRISAGION (thrice holy)
O Holy Triune God, have mercy on us. O Holy Triune God, spare us. O Holy Triune God, have compassion on us. And the people repeat:
O Holy Triune God, have mercy on us. O Holy Triune God, spare us. O Holy Triune God, have compassion on us.

Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice, O Virgin Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with You,
Blessed are You among women.
And blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb.
Pray and intercede for us with Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
That He may forgive us our sins.
All glory and honour to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, at all times, both now and forever. Amen.

GOSPEL PREPARATION
(Deacon) Stand for prayer!
ALL STAND
Lord, have mercy on us.
Peace be with all of you.
And also with your Spirit.

Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, You said to Your holy disciples and apostles: But blessed are Your eyes, for they see, and Your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell You, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. Through the intercession of Your saints, Lord, make us worthy of hearing and practicing the words of Your Holy Gospel.

(Deacon) Pray on account of the Holy Gospel.
Make us worthy to listen to Your Good News.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
(Deacon) O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You Hide not Your Face from me in the day of my distress.
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You Hide not Your Face from me in the day of my distress.
Listen to the Holy Gospel, Alleluia. The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.

The Priest now blesses to the north, south, east and west.

A reading from the Holy Gospel, the Word of the Son of God, according to...
Glory to You, O Christ, my Lord and my God, now and forever.

After the reading, the Priest says: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass, said the Lord.
We truly believe in the Father, and we truly believe in the Son, and we truly believe in the Holy Spirit, one God in three persons.

PREANAPHORA
We beseech You, O God, Sustainer of all and the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We invoke and seek Your clemency, O Lover of mankind. Remember, O Lord, the peace of Your Holy, One, Apostolic and Catholic Church. Bless all the people and all Your flock +(Blesses the people).

(Deacon) Pray for the peace of the Church on earth.
Kyrie eleison.
And again we beseech You, O God, to remember our congregation and bless it. +(Blesses the people)

(Deacon) Pray for this Church and the unity of this congregation.
Lord bless our unity and keep us in Your peace.

CREED
(Deacon) In the wisdom of God, let all of us profess our faith:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen

The priest washes his hands, saying:
O my Lord and my God, Creator of the universal order, Giver of peace and love, uproot from me all that is evil.

GLORIA
Great and eternal God, You created man and found Your work was excellent. By the coming of Your living Son, our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, You destroyed death, the result of sin, which entered into the world through the envy of Satan. You filled all the earth with Your peace, for which the hosts of angels praise You, singing:
Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those on whom his favour rests.

THE KISS OF PEACE
O Lord, in Your kindness, fill our hearts with Your peace, wash away all our sins and impurities. Take away all envy and ill-will, all wrongdoing and all bad thoughts that bring death. Make us worthy to greet each other in holiness.
(Deacon) Pray for perfect peace and love and offer each other a sign of peace.
O Christ our God, make us worthy to greet one another in holiness.

All make a sign of peace, by bowing to each other.

Ge'ez 2

The priest comes to the altar, makes the customary reverence and kisses the altar. He puts the bread and chalice on the altar, leaving them unveiled, and washes his hands.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit, One God.
Amen.

How wondrous is this day and how marvellous this hour in which the Holy Spirit comes down from the highest Heaven and covers this sacrifice with the power of God, making it holy. Stand in silence and reverence, and pray that the peace of God will be with me and with all of you.
Amen.

PRAYER OVER THE MASOB:
A masob is the woven straw container on which injera, traditional bread is served.
Lord our God, You said to the Prophet Moses, Your servant: Make Me choice vessels and set them in My tabernacle upon Mount Sinai. So now, Almighty God, stretch forth Your hand in blessing over this masob to make it worthy to carry the sacred body of Your only Son. For to
You, with Your only Son and the Holy Spirit, is glory both now and forever, world without end.
You are the pure golden masob that contains the mysterious manna, the Bread come down from Heaven that gives life to all the world.

OFFERTORY:
Lord our God, throughout history You have accepted the sacrifices of men and women in different circumstances and in different places, You accepted the offerings of Abel in the wilderness, Noah in the Ark at the time of the flood, Abraham on the mountain, Elijah on Mount Carmel, as well as those of David at the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, and
the widow who presented her offering in the Temple, Likewise accept the sacrifices of your servant and forgive his sins. May he be rewarded both in this world and in the world to come. Glory to You, now and forever, world without end.
Amen

BLESSING OF BREAD AND WINE.
+ Blessed be the Lord, Almighty Father, our God.
Amen.
+ And blessed be the only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
+ And blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the comforter and cleanser of us all.
Amen.

The Priest blesses both bread and wine.
+ Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit always coequal, both now and forever, world without end. Amen.

The priest, standing upright and with hands extended, says aloud:
God the Father is Holy, the Son is Holy, the Holy Spirit is Holy. 

Truly the Father is Holy, truly the Son is Holy; truly the Holy Spirit is Holy.

O, Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Acclaim Him, all you peoples.
For His merciful-kindness is great toward us.
And His faithfulness endures for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
Both now and forever, world without end. Amen

Place yourselves in God's Presence for prayer.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Peace be with you.
And with your spirit.

We give thanks to the merciful LORD, the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He has delivered us, helped us, protected us and brought us near to Himself He received us, shielded us, and strengthened us even until this very hour. Let us, therefore, pray that our LORD, the God, Who sustains all, may protect us this day, and keep us all the days of our lives in peace. Amen.

(Deacon) Pray, pleading with the Lord, to have mercy on us, that He may have pity on us, and accept the prayer and intercession from His Saints on our behalf May He, in His goodness make us worthy to receive the Blessed Sacrament, by forgiving our sins.
Kyrie eleison.
And again, let us beseech the almighty God, the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on behalf of those who bring an offering here, to this holy place. Whether their offering is a sacrifice, or first-fruits, a tithe, a thank-offering, or a memorial, whether it is little or big, whether it is given in secret or openly, may He accept it, together with the intentions of those who wish to give yet have nothing to give. May God Who has the power to bless, grant them the promise of the Heavenly Kingdom.

(Deacon) Pray for those who bring an offering.
Accept the offering of our brothers and sisters, and also accept our own offering and sacrifice.

Ge'ez 1

Three years ago, I had the great privilege of having an Eritrean Cistercian monk, one Abba Negusse, stay with me for a couple of months. He cheerfully celebrated the Ordinary Form Mass, but on a few occasions, he also celebrated Mass in the Ethiopian rite for such parishioners as were interested. The first time, he did so in the ancient language of Ge'ez. That was fascinating; I remember the great triple 'qadoos qadoos qadoos', clearly cognate with the Hebrew 'kadosh' ('holy') that begun the Ethiopic Sanctus. I found on the internet (and I can't remember where I got it from) an English rendering used by the Ethiopian Catholic Church in the US. Abba Negusse used that for subsequent celebrations, and though I would have preferred him to use Ge'ez, at least people were able to follow and join in. I thought you might be interested to see some text and pictures from the celebration.

You'll see, of course, lots of inauthentic bits: I don't imagine many churches in Asmara have advent wreaths, and the masob is not a basket, but a good old Latin paten. And their Eucharistic vestment most closely resembles a cope, but of course a very Roman one had to do in Shoreham. But you get the idea. The hand cross he is using for the blessings is, however, authentic. An Ethiopian priest had given it to me some years before, and it is nice to think that it has been used properly.

The Eve of St Agnes

Somebody asked me yesterday just why it was necessary to have a new translation of the Mass. In other words, I thought, why will we have to put up with:

St. Agnes' Eve - Ah, bitter chill it was!
The owl, for all his feathers, was a-cold;
The hare limp'd trembling through the frozen grass,
And silent was the flock in woolly fold:

when we could have

It was the twentieth of January and very cold.
The owl was cold too.
And animals walked like differently-abled people on the lawn,
And the sheep didn't go baa.

Though, mind you, if somebody has been having fish and chips for Friday lunch for the last forty years, he might think it a bit over the top to change to tempura of gadus morhua, served with pommes frites epaisses, seasoned with hand-selected sea salt and drizzled with the finest vinaigre de biére.

Something completely different……

Our parish pantomime—the first—was a great success. Sinbad the Sailor played to a very full house.

The mini-manto

It wasn't a bad idea to cut down Pope John's Manto to make a cope, but it really doesn't fit the furniture. Pics from Christmas Vespers.

This time of year in the Adur Valley

Latin Mass Society Press Release

The LMS have asked me to post this:

British Catholic Newspapers Recognise the Extraordinary Form (Traditional Latin Rite) Calendar

After prompting from the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales, two leading British Catholic journals now publish weekly information on the Liturgical Calendar for the Extraordinary Form.

The Catholic Herald, the main ‘conservative’ Catholic paper, publishes the full weekly calendar for the Extraordinary Form alongside that for the Ordinary Form. This is provided for them each week by Gordon Dimon, the LMS’s Senior MC, who also compiles the LMS’s annual Ordo which is used by priests worldwide.

More surprisingly, The Tablet – the main British journal of ‘liberal’ Catholicism – also runs a weekly link to the Latin Mass Society’s website (www.latin-mass-society.org) where the full Ordo can be consulted (along with much else of interest to enquiring Catholics).

John Medlin, LMS General Manager, said: “I was pleased at how responsive both The Catholic Herald and The Tablet were to my suggestion that they acknowledge the calendar for the Extraordinary Form. It shows that the Extraordinary Form is becoming accepted for what it is – a rite of equal standing with the Ordinary Form. The other two main British Catholic newspapers – The Universe and The Catholic Times – have yet to catch up with the Herald and Tablet. I will keep prodding them!”

Salve, festa dies

According to the Martyrology, today is the feast day of St Edward the Confessor:

Londinii in Anglia, sancti Eduardi, cognomento Confessoris, qui, rex Anglorum populo suo propter eximiam caritatem dilectissimus, regno pace comparavit atque communionem cum sede Romana tenaciter promovit.

Well there we go. Silly me. I always thought his feast was in October. There's quite a lot of this arbitrary moving of feast days in the current martyrology, for no apparent reason. There can sometimes be a minor ancient feast (the translation, or reburial, for instance) but neither my Sarum calendar nor the Hereford calendar note it, today being simply the octave of St Thomas Becket. This shift is particularly puzzling as it isn't as if St Edward were a nobody: his feast was kept in the universal calendar (if only by way of commemoration) right until the 1969 reform.

For once the English and Welsh Episcopal conference have been sensible and continue to keep St Edward on his traditional day in October.