Sung Eucharist and Reception of Oblates at St. John's Convent for the Nativity of the BVM and the Foundation Day of the Sisterhood of St John the Divine. Neither of the main AC shops in town had anything beyond the usual weekday Low Mass, so I headed uptown to visit the sisters for their big day.
Smells but no bells for this Mass of St Denis by Barrie Cabena. Introit hymn: "Sing of Mary, pure and lowly" (to "Hermon"), a dreadful "Hymn of Oblation" written by one of the Oblates about pressing on in God's love "together with the Sisters". I forgave the lyrics because it was set to Abbot's Leigh. Offertory hymn: "Heavenly message". Communion: "Virgin born, we bow before thee". Post-communion: "The God whom earth and sea and sky". It wasn't the tune I'm used to singing it (as well as "O love, how deep") to, which is Puer nobis nascitur.
The homily opened with a great anecdote about Irish Nuns in Quebec but lost me after a while. The highlight of the Reception of Oblates was two of the women breaking down in tears. The Dismissal, which was noted as "Romanian" on the sheet, got up my hopes of something Byzantine, but seemed rather to have been an adaptation of a folk tune.
Overall, it was a reverent, joyful celebration (no kneeling whatsoever) and I look forward to my next visit.
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1 comment:
Happy feast-day! Just discovered this blog through one of your posts on the Ship.
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