southern orders: March 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

DR. BUCK MELTON'S EASTER VIGIL PHOTOS!

GREAT PHOTO'S TAKEN BY MACON TELEGRAPH PHOTOGRAPHER, JASON VORHEES

Last Night's Great Vigil of Easter

A BLESSED EASTER TO YOU, CHRIST IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

OKAY, I CONFESS!

Holy Thursday:

Good Friday:

The Easter Vigil (last year's)

I was happy to open this morning's Macon Telegraph and find two large pictures of Saint Joseph Church Easter Vigil on the front page! One was the blessing of the fire and Paschal candle and the other was of the darkened church with parishioners holding their lighted candles.

Then I turned to the second page and there was a photo of Pope Francis at his Easter Vigil. The desciption of his was that it was shortened meaning that the Holy Father reduced the number of Old Testament readings, which is allowed.

In the past I have done the same thing, since day one of my first Easter Vigil as a priest. Bishop Raymond Lessard did the same thing at Savannah's Cathedral when I was the MC.

However, about four years ago at the behest of one of my parish's parochial vicars, whose name will go unmentioned, we went to reading all the readings, although not all the responsorial psalms, everyone of those being substituted with a moment of silence prior to the prayer that follows.

Of all the Liturgies of the Easter Triduum, by far Holy Thursday's is my favorite. Good Friday's is stark and beautiful too. I love the Easter Vigil but I get to a certain point where I find it interminable.

Last night we have 14 baptism and about 30 candidates for full communion. Then all were confirmed. That extended things as well, but in a wonderful sort of way. Our Vigil lasted a bit more than two and half hours.

We have a number of extended family members and friends of those being received into the Church attend this Vigil. I often wonder what in the world they are thinking, although everyone always says afterward how beautiful it is.

So, should we be liturgicalphiles and endure all the readings with joy or should we follow our Holy Father's example?

As most of you know, I am not ultramontane and thus not everything the Holy Father does should be copied around the world, or should it? I am amazed, though, at all the new progressives who are now ultramontane allowing the top down liturgical example of Pope Francis to guide their own parish celebrations. It makes older ultramontanes blush!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

BOMBSHELL: I HOPE WE'RE NOT HEADING FOR SCHISM

Pope Francis on Holy Thursday telephoned his predecessor, Benedict XVI and had a "long and intense conversation" with him. The Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told journalists on Friday. The discussion following the Chrism Mass, at which all priests repeat their ordination promises, have shown the community between the two, the spokesman said.

The Pope elected on March 13 already has telephoned his predecessor twice and last Saturday he paid a visit to the current residence in Castel Gandolfo. There was a detailed two-hour exchange of views.

I know from experience that when a new pastor comes in and an older retired pastor remains, people will take offense if the new pastor in any way seems to undo what the old pastor did, even if the intention of the new pastor isn't to give offense, but simply doing what he's always done.

I suspect that the Pontiff Emeritus and those who are close to him are gravely offended by the rather quick and sudden dismantling of the Emeritus' ministry in terms of beauty and tradition, especially with the visuals of the papacy. It doesn't take a clairvoyant to figure this out.

We've moved from the "hermeneutic of continuity" to the "hermeneutic of rupture" at supersonic speed with Pope Francis, but I must say only in style, not really in substance, yet.

A commenter on a more radically traditional blog wrote the following:

"I will not be so bold as to speculate on what they discussed. But did anyone else notice how deep in thought Francis seemed to be during the Good Friday rites, and the Stations at the Colosseum?

Maybe it's just me, but he appeared to suddenly be a man with many heavy thoughts on his mind."

My Comment: Yesterday when I viewed the Holy Father at the Coliseum, I must say that I had the same feeling that something was wrong, and it wasn't just the solemn nature of the Stations of the Cross. But of course I could be wrong.

But we know that there is hysteria in the traditionalist movement and the Associated Press is reporting it and you can read it HERE!

This has been the most exciting and tumultuous transition in a papacy and with a living emeritus pope still on the scene and who is no shrinking violet!

Fasten your seat belts, I predict the ride will be bumpy! God bless Holy Mother Church.

PRAY THAT POPE FRANCIS KEEPS HIS MASTER OF CEREMONIES, MSGR. MARINI! THE PAPAL LITURGIES FROM THE INSTALLATION TO PALM SUNDAY TO THE CHRISM MASS AND THE GOOD FRIDAY LITURGY HAVE BEEN STUNNING AND IT ALL AS TO DO WITH POPE BENEDICT AND THE M.C. HE CHOSE, MSGR. MARINI--HE IS PROVING HIS WORTH TO THIS NEW POPE!

Please note that some of the cardinals venerating the cross are wearing lace (passive aggressives?)

And please note the lovely papal throne, unchanged from the previous pontificate:

And here is continuity with the previous pontificate's outside Way of the Cross at the Coliseum. Please note the stunning white papal coat that Pope Francis wears, another sign of the hermeneutic of continuity!

And here you can read an excellent article by Jeffrey Tucker of the Chant Cafe Blog (who taught here at St. Joseph Church during the Winter Chant Intensive, and a great teacher he is!) Press these sentences to go to: The Pope, the Media, and the Endless Nonsense.