Thursday, April 1, 2010

Holy Thursday - in Pictures

I am continuing on a "photography sabbatical" this Holy Week for many reasons. First and foremost, I have wanted for many years to set my camera aside and just enter deeply into the liturgical events.

I do have some things I want to post on emerging issues, but I think I am going to wait until after Easter to post them. 

As I stated the other day when I posted Palm Sunday pics from 2009 at Assumption Grotto, the Triduum is celebrated in the Extraordinary Form. I'll be posting slideshows each of these days, so do come back. In fact, if you are in the area, don't hesitate to stop in.

NOTE: At the time of this posting, my photo hosting source, smugmug appeared to be having technical difficulties. Hopefully, I find the slideshow below working in the morning.  Hopefully, it is working soon.


Go to my Holy Thursday 2009 album at Smugmug to view individual pics, or if the slideshow is not working for you.

MAUNDY THURSDAY From Catholic Encyclopedia at NewAdvent.org (I've added in paragraph breaks for white space to make it easier to read).  Keep in mind, this was originall written in 1910 (always note the date on articles read in the Catholic Encyclopedia to get fuller context). 

Maundy Thursday, which derives its English name from Mandatum, the first word of the Office of the washing of the feet, is known in the Western liturgies by the heading "In Coena Domini" (upon the Lord's supper). This marks the central rite of the day and the oldest of which we have explicit record. St. Augustine informs us that on that day Mass and Communion followed the evening meal or super, and that on this occasion Communion was not received fasting. The primitive conception of the festival survives to the present time in this respect at least, that the clergy do not offer Mass privately but are directed to Communicate together at the public Mass, like guests at one table.
The Liturgy, as commemorating the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, is celebrated in white vestments with some measure of joyous solemnity. The "Gloria in excelsis" is sung, and during it there is a general ringing of bells, after which the bells are silent until the Gloria is heard upon Easter Eve (Holy Saturday). It is probable that both the silence of the bells and the withdrawing of lights, which we remark in the Tenebræ service, are to be referred to the same source — a desire of expressing outwardly the sense of the Church's bereavement during the time of Christ's Passion and Burial. The observance of silence during these three days dates at least from the eighth century, and in Anglo-Saxon times they were known as "the still days"; but the connection between the beginning of this silence and the ringing of the bells at the Gloria only meets us in the later Middle Ages.
In the modern celebration of Maundy Thursday attention centres upon the reservation of a second Host, which is consecrated at the Mass, to be consumed in the service of the Presanctified next day. This is borne in solemn procession to an "altar of repose" adorned with flowers and lighted with a profusion of candles, the hymn "Pange lingua gloriosi corporis mysterium" being sung upon the way.
So far as regards the fact of the consecration of an additional Host to be reserved for the Mass of the Presanctified, this practice is very ancient, but the elaborate observances which now surround the altar of repose are of comparatively recent date. Something of the same honour used, in the later Middle Ages, to be shown to the "Easter Sepulchre"; but here the Blessed Sacrament was kept, most commonly, from the Friday to the Sunday, or at least to the Saturday evening, in imitation of the repose of Christ's sacred Body in the Tomb. For this purpose a third Host was usually consecrated on the Thursday. In the so-called "Gelasian Sacramentary", probably representing seventh-century usage, three separate Masses are provided for Maundy Thursday. One of these was associated with the Order of the reconciliation of penitents (see the article ASH WEDNESDAY), which for long ages remained a conspicuous feature of the day's ritual and is still retained in the Pontificale Romanum. The second Mass was that of the blessing of the Holy Oils, an important function still attached to this day in every cathedral church. Finally, Maundy Thursday has from an early period been distinguished by the service of the Maundy, or Washing of the Feet, in memory of the reparation of Christ for the Last Supper, as also by the stripping and washing of the altars (see MAUNDY THURSDAY).
Source: Thurston, H. (1910). Holy Week. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved March 31, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07435a.htm


MASS AND CONFESSION SCHEDULE & MUSIC DETAILS
I should point out that the Mass & Confession Schedule is posted on Assumption Grotto's website.

Also, here is the music program for Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday. I know 9:30am Easter is EF, but I'm not sure about the Noon on Divine Mercy.

The Puccini Mass is really.... so ..... Italian. It is a beautiful Mass. I don't know how many are in the symphony - I'd say, 25-30 give or take some. Soloists: Awesome!

Orchestral Masses

EASTER SUNDAY April 4, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. Mass

Puccini: Messa di Gloria, Mascagni: Regina Caeli, Rheinberger: Organ Concerto #2 in G minor

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DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY April 11, 2010 at 12:00 Noon Mass

We will repeat the Easter Sunday Music

Prelude music for each Mass begins fifteen minutes before the time listed


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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!