Monthly Archives: March 2010

Tenebrae Service
St. John Cantius Choir, Chicago, Illinois

Part I

Part II

Part III

On the evening of Spy Wednesday, Wednesday in Holy Week, Matins and Lauds is sung in a special form known as Tenebrae.

During the late afternoon of Spy Wednesday (following the practice in Rome), or in the early evening, the service of Tenebrae is sung. Tenebrae is Matins and Lauds, as usual anticipated, of the following liturgical day but the Office of the Triduum shows signs of antiquity and has developed a ceremonial extinguishing of candles that mimetically represent the desertion of the LORD by his disciples and the days of darkness – hence the name.

The altar is vested in violet antependia and the Blessed Sacrament removed if It is present on the choir altar. The altar cross is veiled in violet and the candlesticks, the plainest set used on Good Friday, bearing six lighted candles of unbleached wax.

In Rome Tenebrae in the Papal Chapel was celebrated very early so the rays of the setting sun would pass through a window of the Sistine Chapel. The Caeremoniale Episcoporum mentions Tenebrae starting progressively later each day of the Triduum. In practice the service ‘works best’ if it at least ends in near darkness.

In the sanctuary in about the place where the Epistle is sung is placed the Tenebrae hearse. The hearse, for the Roman rite, bears fifteen lighted candles of unbleached wax. The choir enters, seniores ante inferiores, take their places and kneels to say Aperi, Domine. When the choir rises the sign of the Cross is made as the cantors intone the first antiphon of Matins, Zelus domus tuae. This is sung in full and then the first psalm Salvum me fac, Deus intoned. At the end of the psalm (there is no Gloria Patri during the Triduum) the lowest candle on the Gospel side of the hearse is extinguished. Before the 1911-13 reform the chant books had a special cadence at the end of each psalm, a drop of a fourth, which presumably was an audible indication for the acolyte to extinguish a candle. Then the next antiphon is sung with its psalm etc. After the first three psalms there is a versicle and response and then all stand for a silent Pater noster. During the Triduum there are no absolutions and blessings at Mattins. The psalms of Mattins for Tenebrae on Mandy Thursday are really the first nine of the twelve ferial psalms from the pre-Pius X Breviary for Mattins. In the reformed Breviary they appear ‘proper’ but are in fact the ancient practice. They are: I nocturn, 68, 69, 70; II nocturn, 71, 72, 73; III nocturn, 74, 75, 76.

The follows the Lamentations of Jeremy the Prophet as first nocturn lessons. These are from the OT book and have verses based on a Hebrew acrostic. The first verse thus begins with ‘Aleph’. The verses have several special tones in plainsong and have been set to polyphony by various composers. The lessons are sung from a lectern medio chori. A responsory follows the first lessons as usual at Mattins. After the third responsory the second nocturn begins and has lessons from St. Augustine on the psalms. The third nocturn has lessons from St. Paul to the Corinthians on the foundation of the Holy Eucharist. At Tenebrae the Hebodomadarius does not chant the ninth lesson. At the end of Mattins the Tenebrae Hearse has five candles exstinguished on the Gospel side and four on the Epistle side with six remaining lit candles.

Lauds follow immediately. The psalms sung at Lauds are Pss. 50, 89, 35, Cantemus Domino, 146. After each psalm of Lauds a further candle is extinguished so that after the last psalm only the candle on the summit of the hearse is still alight. After the last antiphon is repeated a versicle and response follow. Then the antiphon on the Benedictus is intoned, for Maundy Thursday this is Traditor autem dedit eis signum, dicens: Quem osculatus fuero, ispe est, tenete eum. The concept of the betrayal of Judas is key to the day. The plainsong for the Benedictus is the haunting tone 1g. During the last six verses each of the altar candles is exstinguished beginning with the outside candle on the Gospel side. All other lamps in the church are now also extinguished. During the repetition of the antiphon the MC takes the candle from the hearse and places it on the mensa at the Epistle corner of the altar. All kneel and the choir now sings Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem. During this antiphon the MC hides the lit candle behind the altar. A Pater noster is now said in a low voice by all and then psalm 50, the Miserere is chanted in a subdued voice. This has been adapted by many composers into polyphonic masterpieces, perhaps the most famous being by Allegri. The Miserere was part of the ferial preces of Vespers until 1911-13. After the Miserere the collect Respice is chanted by the Hebdomadarius, still kneeling. Then a strepitus or noise is made traditionally by banging books against the stalls.

After the strepitus the MC brings forth the candle and returns this symbol of the light of Christ to the top of the hearse. It either remains there or is taken by the MC ahead the procession as the choir processes out of the sanctuary.

In the ‘liturgical books of 1962′ following the ‘Restored’ order of Holy Week dalmatic and tunicle are worn by the deacon and subdeacon rather than folded chasubles. No commemorations are allowed and there is no second collect in the Masses. Any text read by a lector, subdeacon or deacon is not read by the celebrant (extended throughout the year in the 1962 books). OHSI of 1955 orders the Orate fratres to be said in an audible voice and all present to respond. Ferial preces are sung only on Wednesdays at Lauds and Vespers only. The Passion according to St. Mark on Tuesday is shortened: Mark 14: 32-72; 15: 1-46 as is the Passion according to St. Luke on Wednesday: Luke 22: 39-71; 23: 1-53.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to ethicalgop’s You Tube channel for the St. John Cantius videos.
In addition, thank you to The Saint Lawrence Press Ltd for the information above for the Tenebrae on spy Wednesday evening.

From the blog of Father John Zuhlsdorf,

What Does The Prayer Really Say?

The term “Spy” Wednesday probably is an allusion to Christ’s betrayal by Judas.

COLLECT
Deus, qui pro nobis Filium tuum
crucis patibulum subire voluisti,
ut inimici a nobis expelleres potestatem,
concede nobis famulis tuis,
ut resurrectionis gratiam consequamur.

This prayer was the Collect for this same day in the 1962 Missale Romanum. It was also in the ancient Gregorian Sacramentary in both the Hadrianum and Paduense manuscripts.

The impressive and informative Lewis & Short Dictionary informs us that patibulum (deriving from pateo) is “a fork-shaped yoke, placed on the necks of criminals, and to which their hands were tied; also, a fork-shaped gibbet”. In turn, English “gibbet” means “an upright post with a projecting arm for hanging the bodies of executed criminals as a warning”.

The verb subeo in its basic meaning is “to come or go under any thing” and by logical extension “to subject one’s self to, take upon one’s self an evil; to undergo, submit to, sustain, endure, suffer”. The L&S explains that “The figure taken from stooping under a load, under blows, etc.)” There are other shades of meaning, including “to come on secretly, to advance or approach stealthily, to steal upon, steal into”. Keep this one in mind.

Consequor is very interesting. It signifies “to follow, follow up, press upon, go after, attend, accompany, pursue any person or thing” and then it extends to concepts like “to follow a model, copy, an authority, example, opinion, etc.; to imitate, adopt, obey, etc.” and “to reach, overtake, obtain”. Going beyond even these definitions, there is this: “to become like or equal to a person or thing in any property or quality, to attain, come up to, to equal (cf. adsequor).” I know, I know – mentio non fit expositio. Still it is interesting to make connections in the words, which often have subtle overlaps. Remember that interesting meaning of subeo, above? There is a shade of “pursuit” and “imitation” in the prayer’s vocabulary.

SLAVISHLY LITERAL RENDERING
O God, who willed Your Son to undergo
on our behalf the gibbet of the Cross
so that You might drive away from us the power of the enemy,
grant to us Your servants,
that we may obtain the grace of the resurrection.

This is an austere prayer, razor like, cutting to the heart of the matter. By our sins we are in the clutches of the enemy, who mercilessly attacks us. Christ freed us from dire consequences of slavery to sin by His Passion.

LAME-DUCK ICEL VERSION
Father,
in your plan of salvation
your Son Jesus Christ accepted the cross
and freed us from the power of the enemy.
May we come to share in the glory of his resurrection.

The ancient Romans would have their conquered foes pass under a yoke (iugum), to show that they were now subjugated. Their juridical status changed. Christ went under the Cross in its carrying and then underwent the Cross in its hideous torments. In his liberating act of salvation, we passed from the servitude of the enemy to the service of the Lord, not as slaves, but as members of a family.

We are not merely household servants (famuli), we are according the status of children of the master of the house, able to inherit what He already has.

A Blessed Holy Week to all!.

From our astute colleagues at Creative Minority Report, a recording and film of Pope Leo XIII. In a day and age where every move Pope Bendict makes is recorded let us realize that the technology can be used for good. Viva Pope Benedict XVI in the spirit of Pope Leo XIII!

“This is kinda’ cool. The first ever recording of a Pope. Pope Leo XIII recites the Ave Maria.”

“Pope Leo was also the first Pope to be filmed on a motion picture camera.”

Posted by matthew archbold at 6:30 PM on Creative Minority Report

Operation Garden Plot

[Acquired via a circuitous route from the Internet. Sources have been deleted to protect their identity. Thanks to the tireless work of you guys out there. If the guy(s) who gathered this great scoop wish to be identified, please email me. Forest<glen@bayarea.net> ]

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The United States Civil Disturbance Plan 55-2

The following information was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The original printing was of June 1, 1984. The information herein is UNCLASSIFIED and does not come within the scope of directions governing the protection of information affecting the national security.

It took a little more than three years to obtain a full copy of Operation Garden Plot from the U.S. Government, and was done so under the freedom of information act for unclassified documents. The implications within the full context of this document should make the hair on the back of your head stand on end!!!!!

In this document signed by the Secretary of the Army, is hereby assigned as DOD Executive Agent for civil disturbance control operations. Under Plan 55-2 he is to use airlift and logistical support, in assisting appropriate military commanders in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and US possessions and territories, or any political subdivision thereof.

The official name of this project is called “Operation Garden Plot.”

In a previous post, I mentioned that the Obama administration will now move toward silencing the opposition. This morning, news broke that a “christian” militia group was raided with 9 taken into custody. This group, called the Hataree, were initially only quoted from their website as saying that they would defend themselves and other Christians as well as defend the Word. I immediately wrote a blog that said it sounded fishy and a little bit of a stretch for them to get raided. I removed my post when it came out that they were planning attacks against police, which is indefensible. I would not want to appear in any way to support such a thing, which I still do not.
However, it is now coming out that they are being charged with sedition, conspiracy to commit violence. Now that sent me right back into smelling something fishing. Of course, our good friends at the ATF, responsible for the deaths of 20+ children in Waco, TX, were responsible for the raid. Now, we must certainly take action against those that intend to commit violence, but I question how sedition is being used here. How many left activist have threatened and even caused violence. Hello weather-underground and Obama’s good friend, David Ayers. How many mosques are preaching hate and violence against our government. So, is it not odd that a “right wing christian” group would be the source of our first charge of sedition in my memory. This is scary stuff.
Scarier still is to read the indictment. I wonder why this hasn’t been applied to the left. Why we haven’t heard a case since 1961 of the Smith Act being applied.

I have been in love with my Roman Catholic Faith since I can remember. If I had to pick out the moment my heart belonged to the Church, it would have to be My First Holy Communion Day . I was just short of my eighth birthday when the Blessed Sacrament first touched my lips. By no “accident of birth”, it was a year before the opening of the Second Vatican Council and so my special day was in Latin in the misnamed “old Mass”.

To me, there was nothing “old” about it. I was in a magnificent white dress and veil, just like a miniature bride. The nuns (who still wore full habits including a sheer back veil over their face during Mass with the parish) had taught us well. I understood Who I was receiving and how that was possible. Yes, even at 7 3/4 years old it is possible to understand Transubstantiation!

The Holy Mass was offered in all it’s glory, replete with Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus sung at the moment I received My Lord. I remember to this day, waiting and trembling with goosebumps what was about to happen. (I’m getting goosebumps writing about it)

Yet, I always felt like more was to come. Holy Week 1966, it happened. I was five years older, thinking everyday about the day I could enter the Religious Life and be with Him forever. I wanted to be a Carmelite, of course, and to walk in the shoes of the girls Martin and share my Spouse with the other nuns.

I had asked my Mom if I could go to church that Good Friday at noon. The Liturgy of Good Friday did not start until 3pm. My mother, not surprised by my youthful exuberance, looked at me and said, “I guess you want to be alone there from noon to 3.” I love my mother. She got it, she knew exactly what I wanted to do and didn’t make a big deal out of it. She was coming back at 3 with my Dad and the rest of the family. She scurried me upstairs to get ready and I was dropped at the steps of the Church at 11:50 am, right on time.

The church was open (of course it was, remember this is 1966) and I walked in thinking that there would be others to sit and pray during the three hours that changed the world. I was delighted (in my childish way of being selfish) to have the Church to myself. The preceding evening, my family and I attended Holy Thursday Mass witnessing a moment from Heaven with the magnificent music and the Altar of Repose. (My Dad always did the Altar of Repose for the parish, so I am subjective). My favorite part was after the Procession with Our Lord and the “Pange Lingua” I would run back to the church to get a front row seat for the Stripping of the Altar. “Deus meus…” was chanted as all the magnificent trappings of Holy Thursday were put away. When it was finished I would sit there while my family prayed at the Altar of Repose and I would stare at the open and empty Tabernacle that had just held the King of Kings. Good Friday was around the corner and I couldn’t wait. It was always my favorite day of the liturgical year and still is. Chanting the Reproaches every year, I still feel the sense of awe but also feel the cleansing effect of the Precious Blood spilled for me and for the many.

I am sorry, as you can see I get swept away. I entered the church very quietly, whispering a prayer of petition that no one would be there. My prayer was heard and answered. I spent the next 2 1/2 hours by myself in the stillness of an empty church. The Blessed Sacrament had been taken out of the Altar of Repose and placed in the wooden tabernacle in the sacristy. The doors to the Sacristy were locked tight and the Sanctuary candle dark. The Tabernacle on the high Altar (no altar tables forced into the Sanctuary obstructing the view of the Holy of Holies) was wide open and empty as the night before and the lingering smell of incense still hung in the air like mist to the senses on a rainy day.

I sat in the first pew on the right. I remember that the stained glass windows were open and the sunlight and warm, sweet Spring air drifted in like a pilgrim to witness this holiest of days. I remember tears coming to my eyes but having a smile on my face. I sat back against the pew and then it happened. A whisper in my ear. It startled me that I sort of jumped and turned to the right. No one was there. I wasn’t frightened as one would think. I firmly believed in my Guardian Angel so I sat back with an even bigger smile on my face. This day was for me and Him. He died for me and I would die for Him. If that meant dying to the world and going to a monastery, great! If it meant being a martyr, I was ready.

What I was not ready for was what happened next. There comes a time in a Carmelite’s life or in the life of anyone desiring to be a mystic, that intense prayer and abandonment to Divine Providence can bring you to a place unimagined by the human mind.

I heard the voice of Him. He said to me, “You will always belong to me”. As I leaned back unafraid, I felt as if my head was on His Shoulder. In the still, small voice of my heart He spoke and I came to Him.

I am not a visionary. I am not one who hears interlocutions. I am not a mystic, but someone who strives for mysticism .I experienced a sliver of what mysticism means. From that day I have never been the same. I know that those reading this want me to give the happy ending like my Jane Austen novels. I cannot do that. Life has been a rough journey. I’m not complaining, believe me. On the contrary, when I finally do go home to Carmel, (God willing) I will write my story before my death when ordered by my Superior to do so. I hope to join the ranks of other unknown Carmelites who tell their tale of a rough journey up the hill of Mount Carmel.

What I do know is that no matter how the world comes after Him and His Church, His Pope and the Truth, we will survive. He promised us that.

Pray for the Holy Father, he suffer so…and please remember this is OUR HIGH HOLY DAYS! Let us show the world who were are: Roman Catholics that are willing to suffer and die for our Faith…

In His Suffering , Death and Resurrection,

Sophia

Always Catholic Blog will publish tomorrow into the night. Starting midnight on Wednesday through Sunday, we will not publish. Tomorrow we will give the Liturgy of the Day according to the Extraordinary Form. Music will be included as we did for Palm Sunday. If you are housebound, please utilize EWTN for Live programs from Rome and if you cannot please feel free to use our humble blog. God Love You!

by Bishop Robert Vasa

Editor’s Note: Still praying to find Charity in my heart towards those wayward nuns, thus another post to explain what I would like to write today.
Mea culpa, Sophia.

BEND — This past weekend I was blessed to enjoy one of the most scenic and delightful areas of eastern Oregon.

The trip was not excessively long, only about 400 miles for the weekend, and all of it exceedingly pleasant. The trip was to St. Elizabeth of Hungary at John Day and its two missions, St. Anne at Monument and St. Katherine between Dale and Long Creek.

There were confirmations at both St. Elizabeth and St. Anne with Mass at St. Katherine Church. Monument is located on the North Fork of the John Day River and the church, perhaps the smallest in the diocese, overlooks the river. The drive from Long Creek to Monument is not the most severely contortioned road in eastern Oregon but it certainly qualifies among the top 10. Because Monument sits on the edge of the John Day Fossil Bed area, the surrounding geography shares the same extraordinary features. The remoteness of the area and the ruggedness of the terrain precludes a large population base and so there were eight people at Mass in Monument and possibly 10 at Dale.

One of the interesting developments at John Day is the announcement by the Aryan Nation, a while-supremacist group, of their intention to build a new base of operations and presumably a camp to recruit and train members of their organization. The news reports indicate that they have met with an overwhelmingly negative response from the community. Good for them! It is important to note that the Catholic priest stationed at John Day is black. He is one of eight Nigerian priests from the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Religious Community serving in the Diocese of Baker. He admitted that it is a bit frightful for him to consider what it means for this group to be moving into his parish, but was very clear with me that his fear was a natural human fear that did not in any way shake his trust in God. It is interesting to note that this group, which has some rather severe views on race and religion, is bemoaning the perceived discrimination against them. Now that is remarkable. I expressed to the people my gratitude for their willingness to stand up for what they know to be the truth and encouraged them to make it known that members of any race or religion are welcome but that some ideas are simply unacceptable. More…

Normally we save posts to write ourselves about a topic we find the most pressing. Today when we made the usual rounds of news services and blogs we found this disgusting story. Originally we found it at CNS but were happy to see that Father Z at WDTPRS addresses it. I cannot write a response on my own because I will commit a sin against Charity. I have been praying about this today and I must yield to Father Z and his response for our post. I ask forgiveness for the anger I have towards these nuns that have assaulted the Church. I ask Our Lord to forgive me and give me the strength to pray for them.  Sophia

Here is Father Z’s post which contains the CNS story. Read it and weep…

Before reading more, read this if you haven’t done so already:

A magisterium of nuns

Now from CNA with my emphases and comments…

Planned Parenthood head thanks religious sisters for ‘critical support’ of health care bill

Washington D.C., Mar 27, 2010 / 07:28 am (CNA).- Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards has praised the Catholic religious sisters who endorsed the Senate health care bill, claiming they deserve gratitude for making “a critical demonstration of support” for a bill that significantly increased coverage of “reproductive health care.”

Writing for the Huffington Post Wednesday in her capacity as president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Richards claimed that it was Catholic nuns who “most importantly broke with the bishops and the Vatican to announce their support for health care reform.”  [I hope those old women are proud of themselves.]

“This brave and important move, demonstrating that they cared as much about the health care of families in America as they did about church hierarchy, was a critical demonstration of support.”

The group NETWORK claimed [lied] in a March 17 letter to the House of Representatives that it represented 59,000 women religious across the U.S. It urged members of Congress to support the bill.

Their statement was uncritically reported by the Associated Press. [uncritically] White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and others working to pass the legislation invoked the sisters’ endorsement for support.  [Which means that the sisters caused real scandal and did real harm.]

On March 18 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) spokeswoman Sr. Mary Ann Walsh said NETWORK “grossly overstated” their numbers.

“The letter had 55 signatories, some individuals, some groups of three to five persons. One endorser signed twice,” she added. “There are 793 religious communities in the United States,” Sr. Walsh said.

Another group of women religious, the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), issued a statement saying it represented 10,000 sisters and supported the U.S. bishops’ criticisms of the Senate health care bill.

In her Huffington Post essay, Richards said in the last days of the debate over the health care bill, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and the USCCB “threatened to bring down health care completely over their narrow demands.”

“Bart Stupak may not ask the nuns for advice, as he recently announced to the press, but maybe next time she should,” Richards jabbed. [Look at that sentence… it is in the Huff Post, it involves the liberal nuns, the president of Planned Parenthood, and Rep. Stupak.]

She praised Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) for fighting against an “abortion ban” in the House Energy and Commerce Committee Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) gathered 41 signatures of members who pledged to vote against any final bill with the “Stupak ban.”

“These women stood in the way of plenty of men in Congress who were ready to cut a deal, whether with Bart Stupak or the National Conference of Catholic Bishops,” she continued.

Richards said Planned Parenthood was “committed” to changing the “egregious” Nelson language in the bill that President Obama signed into law on Tuesday. She claimed the bill unjustly treats abortion coverage differently than all other health care. [They claim that abortion is health care.]

However, she also said the bill was a “huge victory for women’s reproductive health” because it significantly increased insurance coverage of “reproductive health care, including family planning.” [And the euphemisms just keep coming.]

“Reproductive health care” and “women’s rights” are euphemisms common among abortion advocates.  [Speaking of euphemisms!]

Richards, the daughter of former Democratic Texas governor Ann Richards, noted that some in Congress opposed her agenda.

“The simple and discouraging truth is that we have an anti-choice House of Representatives,” she claimed. [!]

She lamented that 64 Democrats voted in favor of the Stupak Amendment and that there are “too many” Republicans and Democrats in Congress opposed to “women’s rights.”

“We need more than health care; we need women and men elected to office who will stand up for our health and our rights, even when it’s hard. So here’s to the women leaders in Congress—and to the nuns [Get that?]—and to the women everywhere who were counting on them. They need our gratitude and our support,” Richards’ Huffington Post essay concluded.