Holy Thursday Evening Mass

Categories: ship-of-fools, hymns, other-churches

Date: 13 April 2006 12:21:44

I'm not sure about other places in the world, but here in Oz we get Good Friday and Easter Monday off as public holidays. I've returned to my place in Bargo for some rest: especially as I increase my dosage of my medication. to the standard level. Any spare prayers you have would be appreciated: I think it may knock me around a bit.

On the way down here I went to the local Catholic church (the one I Mystery Worshipped) for the Holy Thursday Evening Mass. As I turned the corner into the street where the church is, fog appeared before me: I felt it very fitting as Christ's betrayal in the garden was recalled tonight. It did seem so appropriate.

I am thankful I did go: I feel my spirits were greatly lifted by the service. As well as the Mass itself, the hymns sung truly helped me to reinvigorate me: spiritually and physically. Singing the last verse in particular of An upper room did our Lord prepare gave me a wonderful sense of peace:

No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond our uttermost:
in every room in our Father's house
he will be there, as Lord and host.

And during the procession of the Blessed Sacrament as it was taken to the Altar of Repose, Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory was sung: an absolutely beautiful and wonderful hymn by St Thomas Aquinas meditating on Christ's feeding of Himself through the Eucharist: and it has a wondrous tune to accompany it. I recall especially the final two verses, recalling them from a CD I have as well as experiences of the few services of Benediction I've attended:

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honour, blessing,
might and endless majesty.

By the grace of God I'll have my strength, and lack of dizziness, so that I can drive back to my parish for Palm Sunday Matins and Liturgy on Sunday. I truly am looking forward to this final week of Great Lent and the joy of Pascha and the services we have.

[Weird dream last night: me working for a colleague at a bike shop in Tamworth: despite the fact I know nothing about them, and the fact that over two weeks (in my dream) we didn't have any customers, it seemed to make sense. I was also being blackmailed by someone for some reason. As if that wasn't enough, I lived in Dubbo (about 340km from Tamworth) and drove to work each day! ]