Saturday, October 31, 2009

A collect after Communion or before the Blessed Sacrament

Rite I
O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst seat thy blessed mother next to thy throne in heaven: vouchsafe to deliver us whom thou hast sanctified in baptism and who now receive (behold) thee veiled from sight, and bring us together with all thou hast made, into the thine eternal kingdom of righteousness and charity, where with the Father and the Holy Ghost thou livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Rite II
Lord Jesus Christ, you seated your mother next to your throne in heaven. May we who have been baptised into your death and resurrection and now receive (behold) you veiled from sight be brought with all creation into your eternal kingdom of justice and love, where you live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

(Another indulgence for the first one to guess which I wrote first)

Underappreciated liturgical destinations in Toronto

I’m not the New Liturgical Movement. I try to report on the Anglican beat in Toronto with occasional ventures into Niagara and Montréal. It’s a niche market, but affirming (or more aptly traditional-egalitarian) Catholicism is coming into vogue now. With that in mind…

*St Simon-the-Apostle. Tempted to check out Morning Prayer in spectacular St Paul’s, Bloor Street? If you’re looking for the BCP service with Anglican chant and choral music from your childhood, you’ll be disappointed. Walk two or so blocks east and you’ll be at St Simon's, where you can bellow Battishill’s Jubilate Deo to your heart’s content. (On the other hand, if you are someone who wants an old-fashioned preaching service in one of the most breathtaking churches in Canada, then I cannot recommend St Paul’s to you heartily enough).



*The Chapel of St James-the-Less. There’s only one opportunity each year to assist at Mass here: the cathedral’s Choral Requiem on the Saturday nearest All Souls’ Day. It’s worth going to, although it’s not a Fauré affair in black, the A-word appears, you'll be censed (or incensed!), and you’ll grit your teeth during the Agnus Dei. But it’s ad orientem and at least it’s not done in white (you all know who you are…).

*St Matthias, Bellwoods. I go here to sing my old Catholic Book of Worship favourites. But the spirit of devotion runs deep. You’ll witness generous Asperges, May Crownings, and Benediction on Corpus Christi (complete with “One bread, one body” of course). And on festal occasions, the food never disappoints.

*St Bartholomew’s, Regent Park. I can’t do it justice here. I’ll offer my comments on the Use of Regent Park in a future post.

Postscript: Regrets

I used to vow every year that I would make to 10 o'clock Benediction at the cathedral on Maundy Thursday night, and then they stopped doing it. My bad.

Last year, Trinity College did a Solemn Requiem according to the English Missal on All Souls. To my ongoing amazement, this didn't filter through the grapevine to me. As if I would knowingly have deprived you, dear readers, of a photo of the Dean of Divinity in a biretta!

(An indulgence the next time I injure myself to the first one to identify the especially strategic Oxford comma in this post. -ed.).

Thursday, October 29, 2009

A Modern Profession of Catholic Faith for Private Devotion

complementary to the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed

[NB: I offer the following for comment and theological proofreading, as it were. -ed.]



I believe in one triune, coeternal God, who is both immanent and transcendent.

I believe that God has delivered God's people from fear and sin throughout history, by creating all that is out of nothing in an act of perfect sovereignty and love, by showing mercy when we rejected God, by delivering us from bondage, and ultimately by becoming one of us, and by dying and rising to defeat death. I believe that my own life reflects this pattern of ongoing deliverance. God is now present with us in the sending of the Holy Spirit, the proclamation of the Gospel, the Tradition of the Church, and the sacraments, especially and uniquely in the most holy sacrament of the altar. Eventually, God will return to establish a reign of perfect justice, love, and mercy.

I believe that all living are united with the communion of saints in the collective offering of prayer and praise to God. I trust that in the fulness of time I along with many, if not indeed all, shall be purged of my sin to dwell in the eternal repose of God's presence. At that time, all manner of thing shall be well.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

The Gregorian Canon with the Hanc Igitur according to the Canadian rite of 1959

Most merciful Father, we humbly pray thee through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, and we ask that thou accept and bless These gifts, these presents, these holy and unspoiled sacrifices. We offer them unto thee, first, for thy holy catholic Church: that thou vouchsafe to keep it in peace, to guard, unite, and govern it throughout the whole world: together with thy servant N. our Pontiff and N. our Bishop and all the faithful guardians of the catholic and apostolic faith.

Remember, O Lord, thy servants and handmaids N. and N and all who here around us stand, whose faith is known unto thee and their steadfastness manifest, on whose behalf we offer unto thee: or who themselves offer unto thee this sacrifice of praise, for themselves, and for all who are theirs; for the redemption of their souls, foe hope of their salvation and safety; and who offer their prayers unto thee, the eternal God, the living and the true.

United in one communion, we venerate the memory, first, of the glorious ever Virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus Christ: as also of blessed Joseph, her most chaste spouse, and thy blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Thaddeus: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus, Cornelius, Cyprian, Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian: and of all thy Saints; grant that by their merits and prayers we may in all things be defended with the help of thy protection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing and glory and thanksgiving be unto thee Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to take our nature upon him, and to suffer death upon the Cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memorial of that his precious death, until his coming again.

Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee; and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took Bread; and, when he had given thanks, he brake it; and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my Body which is given for you: Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise after supper he took the Cup; and, when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all, of this; for this is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins: Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.

Wherefore, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, we thy humble servants, with all thy holy Church, remembering the precious death of thy beloved Son, his mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming again in glory, do make before thee, in this sacrament of the holy Bread of eternal life and the Cup of everlasting salvation, the memorial which he hath commanded; And we entirely desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion; And we pray that by the power of thy Holy Spirit, all we who are partakers of this holy Communion may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction; through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Remember also, O Lord, thy servants N. and N., who have gone before us sealed with the seal of faith, and who sleep the sleep of peace.

To them, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, we beseech thee to grant the abode of refreshing, of light, and of peace. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

To us sinners also, thy servants, who hope in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with thy holy Apostles and Martyrs: with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all thy saints: within whose fellowship,. we beseech Thee, admit us, not weighing our merit, but granting us forgiveness. Through Christ our Lord.

Through whom, O Lord, thou dost ever create all these good things,: dost sanctify, quicken, bless, and bestow them upon us.

Through him, and with him, and in him, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory are thine.

Throughout all ages, world without end.
AMEN.