Many thanks to Father G for sending the link to the video below confirming the "right" way to ablaze the Feast of Saint Blase's blessing of the throats with lighted candles! But they know how to do it!
Also note that the altar servers are wearing green cassocks under their surplices!
Please note too, that this German church keeps the tradition of Christmas decorations or at least a part of them, up until Feb. 2nd. Obviously they haven't had time yet to dismantled the tree for St. Blase, but God bless them.
HOW MANY OF YOU SAW CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS OR A PART OF THEM STILL IN PLACE FOR FEBRUARY 2ND'S FEAST OF CANDLEMAS?
Finally, this video also shows how not to renovate an existing pre-Vatican II classically designed church building. Please note the magnificent original main altar, now obscured by the priest's presiding chair which is placed behind the new free standing box, I mean, altar.
If one were to explain to a neophyte the true meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the awe and reverence needed not only in its celebration but also visuals, which of the two altars would promote awe and wonder at the renewal in a non-bloody way of the one Sacrifice of Christ? Just saying, or just asking!
6 comments:
OK! So it is legit but "optional"? I can still see why we didn't do that back home; most of the women's hair would have birst into flames when the flames hit the hair spray.
The "new" altar seems to fit, however. It is starkly different and admits its separation from the past without trying to replace it.
I don't think this would be the case today except in parishes that still have an old high altar or use the Benedictine altar arrangement, but when I was a young teenager, our pastor in our simple church took away a very awkward free-standing altar that had been placed in front of the older altar (very simple, no reredos, but with the six tall candle sticks and more candles when there was a higher solemnity celebrated, and pulled the original altar away from the wall, moved the tabernacle to a side altar and then got rid of all six of the tall candles and placed two rinky-dink candles on the old altar (similar to the box's candles in the video). The first time I saw it, I thought it made the altar look less important and stripped down and thus the real Presence of Christ was less important (in my naive young mind, but that is what was conveyed to me!). On top of that the celebrant's chair was placed directly behind the altar and a step or two up which made the chair look more important than the altar itself or the tabernacle off to the side.
Green cassocks - hmmm. I wonder if they change with the liturgical seasons/days? That actually might be a good idea.
You're welcome, Father!
Here are three more videos showing the blessing of throats with lighted candles:
1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK__vqMFNvg&t=1s
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FUAkpEkX94&t=1s
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poVNJzvztJo
I've seen photos from a parish in Mexico where lighted candles actually touched the neck of the person. The candles were long so the flame was above and behind the individual.
I have heard that surgeons in olden days would cauterize tonsels with brimstone. I have seen Turkish barbers remove nose hair with flaming cotton swabs. So I guess this is reasonable.
I think it would be fantastic if the cassocks matched the liturgical color. Else, they should just be black.
(I don't like servers wearing red cassocks which can then clash with the liturgical color of the priest's vestments - specifically violet.)
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