Post #51

Topics: Vatican: Three Alternative Mass Endings.......New/Old Face: New Master of Ceremonies at St. Anthony........Blast from the Past: Old Family Photos....Pictures:Usus Antiquior Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt....St. Raphael the Archangel: Collect for Thursday Oct. 23 and Sermon of St. Bonaventure....Video: Pontifical Mass at Clear Creek Monastery....

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Vatican Prepares Three Alternative Endings
for Dismissal of the Ordinary Form of Mass

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has prepared three alternative endings for the priest's words of dismissal at Mass, to emphasize the missionary spirit of the liturgy.

Pope Benedict XVI personally chose the three options from suggestions presented to him after a two-year study, Cardinal Francis Arinze told the Synod of Bishops in mid-October.

The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, published an interview Oct. 17 with Cardinal Arinze, head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.

He said along with "Ite, missa est," the Latin phrase now translated as "The Mass is ended, go in peace," the new options are:

-- "Ite ad Evangelium Domini annuntiandum" (Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord).

-- "Ite in pace, glorificando vita vestra Dominum" (Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life).

-- "Ite in pace" (Go in peace).

The idea for alternative words at the end of Mass was raised at the 2005 Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist. Many bishops wanted the final words to reflect a more explicit connection between Mass and the church's mission of evangelization in the world.

Cardinal Arinze said the concern was that, for many Catholics, the present words of dismissal sounded like "The Mass is ended, go and rest."

The cardinal said his congregation undertook a wide consultation and came up with 72 different possible alternative phrases. Of these, the congregation chose nine and presented them to the pope, who chose the final three.

The three alternatives were published in October in the latest edition of the Roman Missal, along with "Ite, missa est," which has not been abolished, Cardinal Arinze said.

The cardinal said the congregation still was studying another suggestion made during the 2005 synod, that of moving the sign of peace to a different part of the Mass.

In 2005, the pope said the sign of peace had great value, but should be done with "restraint" so that it does not become a distraction during Mass. He asked for the study on moving the sign of peace from a moment just before Communion to another time in the liturgy.

Cardinal Arinze said that, after consultation, the congregation had written to bishops' conferences asking their preference between leaving the sign of peace where it is now and moving it to an earlier moment, after the prayer of the faithful.

He said the responses from bishops' conferences were expected to be in by the end of October, and the question would then be presented to the pope for a final decision.

Cardinal Arinze said that in addition to its timing some have suggested that the sign of peace be limited to an exchange between the Massgoer and those in his or her immediate vicinity. He said that in some churches today, the sign of peace is extended to the point that it becomes "almost a jamboree."

Cardinal Arinze said a third suggestion from the 2005 synod, a "eucharistic compendium," also has made progress and is near publication.

He said the compendium would include doctrinal notes on the Mass, as well as prayer texts, passages of papal liturgical teachings, canon law tracts and other explanatory materials. He emphasized that the compendium would propose ideas, not impose them.

Cardinal Arinze said a fourth project of the worship congregation, working together with Vatican congregations for doctrine and clergy, was the drawing up of a list of homily themes that correspond to Sunday scriptural readings and to the church's doctrinal teachings.

"This is not a matter of model homilies, but general indications in which, for each theme, elements are furnished to be able to develop the theme," he said.

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New/Old Face
New Master of Ceremonies at St. Anthony

You may have noticed that our friend Tony Strunk, master of ceremonies for the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite at St. Anthony, is slowly making his way back into the pews and guiding a new face onto the altar to assist Father.

The new face is actually an old face: Luke Headley (see Post #41 :Parishioners of St. Anthony featured: Luke Headley).

Luke is studious and sincere in his approach as there is much to learn for this role. Please pray for both gentlemen for strength in their continuing service.

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Celebration of the Usus Antiquior

Aboard the U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt

http://breviarium-romanum.blogspot.com/2008/10/ad-altare-dei.html

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Blast from the Past: Old Pics

I love old pictures especially those that have to do with Catholicism. Here is a picture of my mother in preparation for her first communion in Peabody Kansas and a picture of my father (middle), I believe, at his confirmation.

If you have any photos in digital form you would like to display please email me at bumpy187@gmail.com. I would love to post them.

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St. Raphael the Archangel
Collect, Offertory Antiphon of the Day for Friday Oct. 24th and Sermon of St. Bonaventure

COLLECT
O God, who didst give blessed Raphael the Archangel to Thy servant Tobias, as a companion on his journey; grant to us, Thy servants, that we may always be guarded by his care and strengthened by his help. Through...

OFFERTORY ANTIPHON Apoc. 8:3, 4
An Angel stood before the altar of the temple, having in his hand a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, and the smoke of the incense went up before God.

Raphael by interpretation is : The Medicine of God. Consider therefore the three remedies bestowed upon us by Raphael which are, as it were, medicines to heal our sickness. First of all Raphael the physician would deliver us from infirmity of soul by inducing within us the bitterness of contrition. This is attested by the Book of Tobit, where we read how Raphael telleth Tobias to anoint his father's eyes with gall ; and how, when it was done, Tobit did see. Could not Raphael have done the anointing himself? Nay, for an Angel cannot give repentance, but only shew the way thither. For by gall we are minded of that bitterness of contrition which is healing for the interior eyes of the soul, as saith the Psalm : He healeth those that are broken in heart : for if we would have spiritual insight, surely contrition is the best eye-salve. In Chapter two of the Book of Judges we are told that the Angel of the Lord ascended to the Place of Weepers, and said to the people : I made you go up out of Egypt ; and I have done unto you thus and thus, naming many great and good things : and all the people wept, so that they called the name of that place Bochim (that is, the Place of Weepers). Dearly beloved, all day long Angels do set before us the good things of God, and put us in remembrance of them, to wit : Who is it that created thee? who is it that redeemed thee? how doest thou? whom hast thou offended? If ye consider these things, ye have no recourse except tears of repentance.

Secondly, Raphael would deliver us from the devil's bondage by putting us in remembrance of the passion of Christ. This is set forth in Chapter six of the Book of Tobit under a figure of the heart of the fish which, when it is burning, driveth away all kinds of evil spirits. And again in Chapter eight, where we are told that Tobias placed the heart on live coals and the evil spirit fled into the utmost parts of Egypt, and the Angel bound him. What is this? Could Raphael bind an evil spirit only when the heart of a fish is set on fire? Did the Angel need a fish to enhearten him with great strength? Not at all! There is nothing worthwhile here except we take it mystically. Now the fish is a long-used symbol of Christ, because its letters in Greek are the initials of these words : Jesus Christ, Son of God, the Saviour. And so we may understand by the heart of the fish that there is nothing today to free us from the bondage of the devil except the passion of Christ, which same proceedeth from the depth of himself, namely, his Heart burning with love. For the heart is the fervent fountain of all life. The Heart of Christ, whence his passion proceeded, is the source of a charity which burneth with love, and so is the cause of devotion in us. But thy memory is often to thee coals of fire. If therefore thou wilt place the Heart of Christ within thee, upon the dead coals of thy memories, and let them burn with the flames of that Heart, at once the devil will leave thee. Yea, he will be rendered harmless, as though he were bound.

Thirdly Raphael would deliver us from the wrath of God, incurred by sinning against him, and this he would do by inducing in us greater earnestness in prayer. Consider how the Angel Raphael, according to Chapter twelve of the Book of Tobit, said : When thou didst pray, I did bring the remembrance thereof before the Holy One. For in such fashion the Angels do all that they can to reconcile us to God. The devils are the fallen angels who accuse us before God. But the holy Angels excuse us, namely, when they bring before God those prayers which they have already stirred us up to offer more devoutly. Thus Chapter eight of the Apocalypse saith : The smoke of the incense ascended up before God out of the Angel's hand. For those sweet-smelling savours are the prayers of the saints. Wouldst thou appease God whom thou hast offended? Pray with devotion. And Angels will offer thy prayer to God in order to reconcile thee to God. It is related by Luke that Christ, being in an agony, prayed more earnestly, and that there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And all this was done for our sakes, for he had no need of such comfort. Yea, it was done to shew us how the Angels assist those who pray earnestly, and how they freely help and strengthen all who pray, and how they do offer our prayers to God. - The Supreme Pontiff Benedict XV extended the feast of Saint Raphael to the universal Church.

from the Traditional Latin Mass of Michiana blog
http://tlmmichiana.blogspot.com/2008/10/collect-of-day-st-raphael.html

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Pontifical Mass at Clear Creek

Read more >> Options >>

Post #50

Topics: The Baltimore Catechism: On the Manner of Making a Good Confession.......Prayer Request:My Family........Random Thoughts_Part 2: What It's Like Assisting on the Altar...Images from the Past: Just Some Old Catholic Pictures......Video: Solemn Pontifical Mass of Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos

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The Baltimore Catechism
Lesson Twentieth: On the Manner of Making a Good Confession

Q. 825. What should we do on entering the confessional?
A. On entering the confessional we should kneel, make the sign of the Cross, and say to the priest, "Bless me, father"; then add, "I confess to Almighty God and to you, father, that I have sinned."
Q. 826. Which are the first things we should tell the priest in Confession?
A. The first things we should tell the priest in Confession are the time of our last Confession, and whether we said the penance and went to Holy Communion.
Q. 827. Should we tell anything else in connection with our last confession?
A. In connection with our last confession we should tell also what restrictions -- if any -- were placed upon us with regard to our occasions of sin, and what obligations with regard to the payment of debts, restitution, injuries done to others and the like, we were commanded to fulfill.
Q. 828. After telling the time of our last Confession and Communion what should we do?
A. After telling the time of our last Confession and Communion we should confess all the mortal sins we have since committed, and all the venial sins we may wish to mention.
Q. 829. What is a general confession?
A. A general confession is the telling of the sins of our whole life or a great part of it. It is made in the same manner as an ordinary confession, except that it requires more time and longer preparation.
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Q. 830. When should a General Confession be made?
A. A general confession:

1. Is necessary when we are certain that our past confessions were bad;
2. It is useful on special occasions in our lives when some change in our way of living is about to take place;
3. It is hurtful and must not be made when persons are scrupulous.

Q. 831. What are the signs of scruples and the remedy against them?
A. The signs of scruples are chiefly:

1. To be always dissatisfied with our confessions;
2. To be self-willed in deciding what is sinful and what is not.

The chief remedy against them is to follow exactly the advice of the confessor without questioning the reason or utility of his advice.
Q. 832. What must we do when the confessor asks us questions?
A. When the confessor asks us questions we must answer them truthfully and clearly.
Q. 833. What should we do after telling our sins?
A. After telling our sins we should listen with attention to the advice which the confessor may think proper to give.
Q. 834. What duties does the priest perform in the confessional?
A. In the confessional the priest performs the duties:

1. Of a judge, by listening to our self-accusations and passing sentence upon our guilt or innocence;
2. Of a father, by the good advice and encouragement he gives us;
3. Of a teacher, by his instructions, and
4. Of a physician, by discovering the afflictions of our soul and giving us the remedies to
5. restore it to spiritual health.

Q. 835. Why is it beneficial to go always if possible to the same confessor?
A. It is beneficial to go always, if possible, to the same confessor, because our continued confessions enable him to see more clearly the true state of our soul and to understand better our occasions of sin.
Q. 836. Should we remain away from confession because we cannot go to our usual confessor?
A. We should not remain away from confession because we cannot go to our usual confessor, for though it is well to confess to the same priest, it is not necessary to do so. One should never become so attached to a confessor that his absence or the great inconvenience of going to him would become an excuse for neglecting the Sacraments.
Q. 837. How should we end our Confession?
A. We should end our Confession by saying, "I also accuse myself of all the sins of my past life," telling, if we choose, one or several of our past sins.
Q. 838. What should we do while the priest is giving us absolution?
A. While the priest is giving us absolution we should from our heart renew the Act of Contrition.

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Prayer Request: Marian Llamas, James Gary Llamas

If I may press upon you good readers to pray for Marian Llamas: devoted, pious Catholic and beloved mother.

Mother died a quiet, peaceful and most holy death Thursday October 16, a glorious God given autumn day. She now approaches eternal life with her devoted husband of 64 years; Guadalupe Llamas.

Mother was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Newton, loved EWTN and prayed the rosary every night as well as many times during the day. She was administered to by Fr. Juan Garza of O.L.G., Newton.

Marian was born in 1924, El Paso Texas, married in 1942 and gave birth to 7 children. She was primarily a homemaker but had cooked for USD 373, and The Presbyterian Manors.

Her passing was beautiful, natural and comfortable, surrounded by angels and family with my hand on her head as she passed the threshold into eternal life.

Your prayers for her and family would be appreciated.

Please also pray for my brother James G. Llamas who, as of Saturday October 18th, is expected to pass at any time. May god have mercy on his soul.

Addendum: Please pray for the soul of my brother, James Gary, who passed Saturday night.

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Random Thoughts:
What It's Like: Assisting on the Altar
PART 2
"As I readied for communion I wondered if I was ever really worthy to receive Him? As I knelt the altar cloth brushed by shoulder. I immediately pondered the suffering woman in Mathew 9: 20-21, upon hearing of Jesus' presence thought "If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed...."

Learning the prayer responses proved to be an almost insurmountable task for an old dog like me. It's not that the pronunciation was hard or totally unfathomable. I had attended a sort of primer class in Ecclesiastical Latin given by Jim Spencer, a most articulate man (and original member of Venite Missa Est!). The problems arise when one is forced with the pressure of the situation, knowing the very strict rubrics, wearing a cassock and surplice (see Post #38, Priest Vestments: from The Baltimore Catechism....also applies to server vestments) which is basically like wearing a dress for the first time, sweating like an ox and fearing that your performance will be worthy of God but at the basic level whether Tony will beat you should you make a mistake.

The prayers begin with the Asperges (see Post #40 Learning About Mass: The Asperges) and the prayers at the foot of the altar. This is the meat and potatoes for the servers as far as shear quantity of responses and is the most noticeable, audible, part, should you mess up.

The prayers at the foot of the altar come at you from Father like a rapid fire machine gun. Father has a militaristic cadence to his prayers...no nonsense, deliberate and serious. New memorization of the responses gives you only a slight advantage because confusion sets in when you are not used to the cadence of the priest and other servers. It sounds totally different along side each voice, each timbre, each temperament. Here are the prayers at foot of the altar....try saying them quickly(responses in red).

P: Judica me Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta: ab homine iniquo et doloso erue me.
R: Quia tu es Deus fortitudo mea: quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo, dum affligit me inimicus?
P: Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam: ipsa me deduxerunt, et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.
R: Et introibo ad altare Dei: ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
P: Confitebor tibi in cithara Deus, Deus meus: quare tristis es anima mea, et quare conturbas me?
R: Spera in Deo, quoniam adhuc confitebor illi: salutare vultus mei, et Deus meus.
P: Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritu Sancto.
R: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
P: Introibo ad altare Dei.
R: Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
P: Adjutorium nostrum + in nomine Domini.
R: Qui fecit coelum et terram.

At this point your head goes down to the first step of the altar for the Confiteor ( See Post #39, Learning about Mass: The Confiteor) . For old bones at 8:00 Sunday morning this is a task! Ooh, umphhh, crack "oh my gosh...."...frantic muttering of prayers half learned, trying to read the altar card (cheat sheet) on the step that is too high up to see, struggling to read the words you can see with eyes that need bifocals but are too lazy to get...puff, pant pant...okay get up now....do we stand now? now? ok....(here insert: Life Kicking You in the Pants as you stand), your heel getting caught in your cassock and you are now stuck with your right foot up in the hem of your cassock looking like a amputee altar server...."oh no''...ummphh...stumble...throw out arms like a trapeze walker having a spasm....oh THAT looked reverent!... Phew!

Wearing a cassock is like wearing a dress....and thats something I can very proudly say, as the son of a very macho Latin man, have never done. Imagine a 5 foot 5 inch short man in a dress designed for a 6 foot 6 man. Hilarious. The cassock that would fit my gut is at least a foot too long, so every time I step on it it works its way downward. I am forced to hike it up with a cincture but this proves to be futile in the end. At one mass, at the closing Gospel of John, I felt a little more "relaxed" around the middle area and, much to my utter horror, my cincture had worked it's way loose and was sliding down my legs. I panicked as father descended the altar and everyone got in line to process out. As I start to walk the cincture (a pretty purple) slides all the way down to my ankles, by cassock now trailing behind me like some demented bride in black and I end up dragging the cincture behind me with my right foot like Quasi Modo, leaving a scuff trail on the carpet.

Each position on the altar has it's own duties. The positions are High Main (server), Low Main, left acolyte and right acolyte (plus cross bearer, thurifer and torch bearers). They all have duties in common but there are some of the distinct duties assigned to each (my interpretation included):
Left Acolyte duties: Totally Mess up prayers at the foot of the altar, transfer the missal from the epistle side to the gospel side after the epistle reading, trip as you go up the steps....
Right Acolyte duties: Hold onto the holy water bucket after the asperges and then wonder what to do with it once it is too late to get rid of it...don't worry...your tears of fear and nervous sweat will add to it....other wise just stay out of the way....
Low Main server duties: Help Father vest after the foot of the altar prayers, jab him in the eye with the cope as you swing it over his head (he IS much taller), say "I'm sorry" out loud inappropriately, hold his cope at the consecration, pour the water for the washing of fathers hands, hold the towel, whisper frantically as to what you do next, kneel, genuflect and hope you did it at the correct time. Put the chalice veil back on the right side after communion, bump into the other server and make him almost drop the big red missal.
High Main server duties: Sit, watch, pray you ring the sanctus bells with the impossibly small and uncomfortable handle at the right time. Since the temperature on the altar has been estimated at about 104 degrees Fahrenheit, drip sweat in your own eyes so you can't see father's movements (why is sweating a requirement for this job?). Space off as father patiently waits, with tilted chalice for the wine and because you missed the cue, mumble something inappropriate under your breath but loud enough for the server next to you to hear and grimace.

All joking aside, to serve on the altar is a humbling, fascinating task that I never grow tired of. If I could serve everyday I would. To kneel and pray on behalf of the people...to beg forgiveness for sin, face down on the floor, feels like such real penance...to be near the altar at the time of consecration is awe inspiring....when you are near the priest and the transubstantiation happens...it makes me shiver...to hear the priest whisper the sacred words makes you feel small and insignificant in comparison. To see the priest up close, really praying, really imploring God, "Wherefore, O most merciful Father, we humbly pray and beseech thee, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord , that thou wouldst vouchsafe to receive and bless these gifts, these offerings, this holy and unblemished sacrifice..." is touching enough to make a man almost cry in joy.

Once, as I readied for communion I wondered if I was ever really worthy to receive Him? As I knelt the altar cloth brushed by shoulder. I immediately pondered the suffering woman in Mathew 9: 20-21, upon hearing of Jesus' presence thought "If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed...." I realized that it really didn't matter, in the long run, if I made a mistake in my service...the important thing was that I, nay WE, are there to assist at mass, whether on the altar or in the pews.

Please pray for servers in every church in every parish so that they may render an homage that is worthy of God almighty.

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Images from the Past: Just Some Old Catholic Pictures

Going through my parents old papers I found these pictures and a holy card that hark back to an earlier time of my parents life...and an earlier time of the church just before the "change" of the 60's (sounds like a malady doesn't it?). The altar photos are of a the high altar of St. Lorencito church (or so they are labeled...I cannot find it on line) in Juarez, Mexico. My parents used to pilgrimage to this church when I was a small child. You could see people shuffling on their knees, fulfilling some promise to God in their own personal covenants. The holy card hung on the wall in my childhood house all through my life...I love the attached lace.

If any of you have any old pictures or holy cards that you may want to share and you have them in digital form, please email them to me at bumpy187@gmail.com and I would be so happy to post them. In fact, it would be my pleasure to see you in your fist communion dress, your confirmation suit or anything!

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Video from the Solemn Pontifical Mass
of Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, Ss. Trinita, Rome
20th Anniversary celebrations of the FSSP.

Post #49

Topics: Diocese of Wichita: Bishop Jackels Makes Priestly Appointment...A First on Venite: A Recipe!...Mary Reigns over the Entire World:Excerpt from an Encyclical of Pope Pius XII ....Random Thoughts: What It's Like Assisting on the Altar...Subscription Email: A Message from Clear Creek Monastery...October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary: Indulgences

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Diocese of Wichita
Bishop Jackels Appointment: Fr. Jarrod Lies

As reported in the Catholic Advance: Bishop Michael O. Jackels has made the following appointment effective Oct. 1, 2008. Pastor: The Rev. Jarrod Lies pastor of St. John Parish, Clonmel. He will also serve as liaison to those who celebrate the extraordinary form of holy Mass.

Congratulations to the Clonmel parish for the true gift that Fr. Lies will be to their community and congratulations to the Traditional (EFLR) Latin Mass community at St. Anthony (Wichita) for retaining Fr. Lies as liason to Bishop Jackels for the community. His Excellency Bishop Jackels has also designated St. Anthony as the official Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite parish.

Now you know I'm not all sugar without spice...right?

In their usual throw away manner The Advance barely mentions (and in lower case letters) that the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite will be served by Fr. Jarrod Lies liaison to Bishop Jackels. I suppose the Catholic Advances' off hand acknowledgment is apropos to Catholics who read the Credo with a lower case "one holy, catholic and apostolic church", regards their pastors with a Father Joe (Jim, Bob, Harry.....) and use their dirty paws at communion...thou thinks I protest too much?

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A First on Venite: A Recipe
submitted by Larry Bethel

A first on Venite Missa Est!; a recipe, but not just any old recipe, but a recipe for those green tomatoes sitting out in the garden waiting for a freeze. Why not put 'em to use?

Green Tomato Pickles
6 Cups green tomatoes thickly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Salt

2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 & 1/2 t ground allspice

1 & 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground cloves
In a plastic or some other nonreactive colander set in sink layer tomatoes, onions and peppers.Sprinkle salt over each layer until vegetables are used. Let stand for around 6 hours, then drain.
In a nonreactive sauce pan combine other ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by a third. Add drained vegetables, return to a good simmer for around 1 and 1/2 hours. Let cool in liquid, transfer to containers, again nonreactive and cover with cooking liquid and refrigerate. Better after a couple of days and will last at least a month.

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Mary Reigns over the Entire World
Excerpt from the Encyclical of Pope Pius XII on Proclaiming the Queenship of Mary
submitted by Michael J. O'Neill

The Supreme Shepherds of the Church have considered it their duty to promote by eulogy and exhortation the devotion of the Christian people to the heavenly Mother and Queen. Simply passing over the documents of more recent pontiffs, it is helpful to recall that as early as the seventh century our predecessor Saint Martin I, called Mary "our glorious Lady, ever Virgin."

Saint Agatho, in the synodal letter sent to the fathers of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, called her "Our Lady, truly and in a proper sense the Mother of God." In the eighth century Gregory II in the letter sent to St Germanus, the patriarch, and read in the Seventh Ecumenical Council with all the Fathers concurring, called the Mother of God "The Queen of all, the true Mother of God," and also "the Queen of all Christians."

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What It's Like: Assisting on the Altar
PART 1
"As I readied for communion I wondered if I was ever really worthy to receive Him? As I knelt the altar cloth brushed by shoulder. I immediately pondered the suffering woman in Mathew 9: 20-21, upon hearing of Jesus' presence thought "If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed...."

Being the youngest of seven back in the olden days of the sixties, I often missed out on several things as a boy because life was just too hectic for my parents to include me in all the activities that were available. Two things I missed out on was serving at Holy Mass and joining the Cub Scouts. Now, obviously, at my age the Cub Scouts are out....but the opportunity to serve at Holy Mass came around and I accepted with alacrity.

To assist the priest as a server is such a great honor and privilege (by the way...if you, or your young men or boys want to serve...step forward please)...but what a daunting prospect!

Firstly Tony Strunk, Master of Ceremonies, calls up and leaves a somber Marine Corp. like message to show up in the sacristy after mass. You assist at mass along side your fellow parishioners, wait for the candles to be extinguished and make your way back into the sacristy. In your run away imagination the sacristy is a secret, dark mysterious place that no one ever ventures except the priest and servers, whispering prayers and vesting in the shadows (perhaps getting a glimpse of an angel flying overhead).

In reality the sacristy at St. Anthony consists of a room (to the right of the altar) with cabinets holding the thurible, incense, charcoal, matches and the controls to the lights and microphones. A stair way leads down into the back of the Sunshine Room. There are two, very old, wonderful pictures of St. Anthony church, one a general shot of the church complete with standing gas lamps and the other (looking very 1940's) of a first communion mass at the Gospel reading.

Passing to the back side of the church you enter the vesting room for the priest. This room is full of dark wood cabinets and drawers consisting of vestments, corporals, altar cards etc. This is the room where the priests vest for mass and you are instructed to generally pass through but not linger. This is a good size room laid out in a traditional manner with traditional vesting prayers on the walls and a sacrarium (defined here) next to the general use sink.

Following the back of the church (along the east wall) is another room where the servers vest. This too is an old room with dark wood closets filled with cassocks, surplices and cinctures. This is where the servers find vestments that fit them and study their rubrics, prayers and overall duties. This room has the back door that opens onto second street.

Between these two back rooms and the altar is a small hallway , or more accurately, a passage way that passes from one side of the church to other. This passageway also leads outward toward the front of the church through the curtains you see on both sides of the altar. From this vantage point you can see how the altar is put together, hodge podge style and I have heard that parts of the altar were constructed from the crates that various elements of the church came packaged in. Hanging in the middle is a light switch and a hand written note that reads "tabernacle lights...leave on". Alongside this is a ladder that leads up to statue of St. Anthony and the platform it sits on. During Easter this statue is slid to the rear and hidden behind a curtain while the risen Christ is put in it's place. Bob Wells tells me that in times past one would hug the statue to be replaced (the statues are hollow), and with feet on the ladder and back on the wall, shimmy down. (Bob is a well of great stories). On the north end of this passageway is a small room (to the left of the altar, north wall) used for storage and a small staircase that leads into the upper parts of the church including the attic (see Post #40, Random Thoughts: Human Fragility and Light Bulbs in St. Anthony’s Attic).

The whole back end of St. Anthony's rooms are steeped in wood and past memories. Memories of marriage, joy, sin, atonement, confirmations, holiness, human weakness, triumph and struggle. One thinks about these things when exploring , wondering if you are up to the task to serve at mass and whether or not your service would be pleasing to those who came before you...and when Tony hands you a booklet on how to say the mass and says "learn these prayers and I'll see you next week"...well you pretty much come to the conclusion that, ready or not, your in knee deep now brother!

Next week PART 2: Learning the prayers, wearing a dress, stumbling blindly, shaking and sweating, frantic whispering and making it look natural.

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A Message from Clear Creek Monastery
email update on Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery of Clear Creek
www.clearcreekmonks.org

Dear Friends of Clear Creek,

Now that the monks have settled into their new Residence, things have returned to the perennial monastic routine. The monks’ beautiful new home rises above the Ozark hills like a beacon of hope; and now, we pray, work, and wait for the funds to build a fitting house of prayer, a great Romanesque church that will lift the hearts and minds of monks and pilgrims for a thousand years to come!
At some point or another, you have given us your email address, and we are now beginning to use this medium to reach out to the friends of the Monastery and, hopefully, beyond. We have recently updated the website ~ www.clearcreekmonks.org ~ to include many pictures of the new residence, the progression of the project, as well as the life of a monk at Clear Creek. There are new instructions on visiting the new monastery, coming to stay for retreats, etc. With a more proper monastic building, the monks are better able to keep the cloister and have begun to phase in a more typical monastic procedure. There are pages with a calendar of events and links to articles on the Monastery. We have also made it possible to add, if new, or to update your contact information for our mailing list. Also on the website for convenience sake, we have added online purchase of the Gregorian Chant CD’s and instant online donation. We hope these updates will be a help to the faithful in staying connected with the Monastery.
Please help us to build something beautiful for God by spreading the news about Clear Creek. If you have friends who may be interested, please forward them this email and encourage them to visit the website and, better yet, the Monastery itself. Also, please continue to keep the holiness of the monks and the success of the building project at Clear Creek in your prayers: Our Lord will build the Monastery how and when he sees fit, and, as with all good things, allows us to have a little part in His good work. Thank you very much for your prayers, support, and generosity. Take care.

In Corde Christi,
Matthew P. Vallière
Director of Development

Our Lady of the Annunciation Monastery of Clear Creek
5804 W. Monastery Rd. , Hulbert , OK 74441-5698

Clear Creek Development Office
4720 S. Harvard, Suite 204 , Tulsa , OK 74135

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October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

Indulgences

1. A plenary indulgence is granted under the usual conditions, to those who recite five decades of the Rosary in a church, or in a public oratory, or with a family group, religious community, or pious association. Otherwise a partial indulgence is granted. (EI 48)

2. A partial indulgence is granted to those who use a Rosary blessed by a priest, even if five decades are not recited. The indulgence is plenary on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, if the blessing was performed by the pope or a bishop.