inundado por um mistério de luz que é Deus e N´Ele vi e ouvi -A ponta da lança como chama que se desprende, toca o eixo da terra, – Ela estremece: montanhas, cidades, vilas e aldeias com os seus moradores são sepultados. - O mar, os rios e as nuvens saem dos seus limites, transbordam, inundam e arrastam consigo num redemoinho, moradias e gente em número que não se pode contar , é a purificação do mundo pelo pecado em que se mergulha. - O ódio, a ambição provocam a guerra destruidora! - Depois senti no palpitar acelerado do coração e no meu espírito o eco duma voz suave que dizia: – No tempo, uma só Fé, um só Batismo, uma só Igreja, Santa, Católica, Apostólica: - Na eternidade, o Céu! 
Tony Oleck, on Crisis Magazine, writes on the true beauty of the liturgy. The Mass we celebrated here on Sunday was very uplifting - beautiful music connecting us to the prayers of millions of our fellow pilgrims through the ages, executed with dignity, to uplift our hearts. A congregation actively engaged. Servers and ministers who carried through the sacred actions with calm and prayer and the minimum of fuss. All these things came together to enable us to do something beautiful for God as He did something wonderful and grace-filled for us.
Tony Oleck gives a brief but, I think, a concise and accurate overview of what the Holy Father is attempting to do in his liturgical reforms that:
"has everything to do with the truth of worship and the human person... the Church cannot step into the world as missionary until it understands its essence as being the presence of Christ in the world, and understands liturgy as the foundation of its identity and its first and most potent source of Christ. The true beauty of liturgy is that it raises our eyes and our hearts toward Heaven, reminding us of the eschaton, the day when we pass from the temporal into the eternal. The Church exists to transform the world, to prepare it for the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Because liturgy is the primary place where this transformation occurs, Benedict is right to put it at the top of his agenda. If what we pray is what we believe, then the way we pray will determine the way we will live."
...
Tony Oleck gives a brief but, I think, a concise and accurate overview of what the Holy Father is attempting to do in his liturgical reforms that:
"has everything to do with the truth of worship and the human person... the Church cannot step into the world as missionary until it understands its essence as being the presence of Christ in the world, and understands liturgy as the foundation of its identity and its first and most potent source of Christ. The true beauty of liturgy is that it raises our eyes and our hearts toward Heaven, reminding us of the eschaton, the day when we pass from the temporal into the eternal. The Church exists to transform the world, to prepare it for the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Because liturgy is the primary place where this transformation occurs, Benedict is right to put it at the top of his agenda. If what we pray is what we believe, then the way we pray will determine the way we will live."
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The Sacred Queue!
When we are told that queuing up for Holy Communion is a sacred action this is more what I would have in mind as an example of queuing up before the altar!We celebrated a lovely Solemn Mass yesterday afternoon with newly ordained Fr Damian McCaughan as the celebrant, Fr Mark Lawler as the Deacon and myself as sub-Deacon.
A selection of photos here but there are reams on Flickr (courtesy of Mike Forbester)
A selection of photos here but there are reams on Flickr (courtesy of Mike Forbester)
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