Ascension Sunday
Doesn’t that sound funny?
I attended Mass for the Ascension - in this region, the feast is transferred to the following Sunday, for greater emphasis, convenience, or something like that.
The Mass began with a Marian hymn because the children were going to perform a May Crowning - at another Mass. After the Gloria, Father mentioned the readings would be taken from Ascension Thursday. (I knew that, but I’m not so sure others got it. I mean, I’m not so sure others realized today is the feast of Ascension - I may be way off on that however.) Anyway, the first lector to read is partially blind so the reading was very, very hard to follow, since it seems possible he is just learning braille.
The singers didn’t show up so the Liturgy/Music Director had to play the piano and sing at the same time - and it was pretty much stuff he knew from some charismatic prayer meeting thing he may have attended in the past - he doesn’t seem to be a very gifted music director. (I think he went to Steubenville or something - just teasing.)
Whatever, at every goofy part of Mass, I said “Thank you Lord, for the gift of the Mass.” When the man who couldn’t read braille very well finished, I prayed, “Thank you Lord for this man and the graces you have given him.” When the Liturgy/Music-man screwed up, I said, “Thank you Lord for the gifts you have given this man.” And so it went, throughout all the bungling during Mass, rather than become impatient, I thanked God. Until Holy Communion, then, in my thanksgiving I prayed, “Forgive me Lord for my pride. I thank you Lord for leaving my soul in darkness and confusion, and withholding all sensible delight and consolation.” After that, I remained a long time in silence, grateful I was able to receive Holy Communion.
I am so pleased the Catholic Church continues to celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension.
May 4th, 2008 at 6:49 am
“Mass for the Ascension - in this region, the feast is transferred to the following Sunday, for greater emphasis, convenience, or something like that.”
…AND THE
PURSUIT
Ascension Thursday’s Sunday.
Corpus Christi got the boot.
And this year, since it’s Saturday,
All Saints’ Day will be moot.
‘Cause Saturday’s by Sunday.
And Monday just won’t scoot
And two days in a row for God
That’s yielding too much fruit.
So if we play our cards right,
Let money trump all suits,
We’ll end all militant Sundays
Obliging happy pursuits.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:14 am
You’re a bigger person than I am. We finally reached the point of just going to the Sat. eve. Mass at one of our other parish churchs (we’re a tri-church parish)
There is no choir so the priest leads the entrance and exit songs, and for the parts like the Gloria the congregation has no problem singing their parts with out
any prompting. And everybody sings (including the Our Father as a simple chant.)
Last night my husband noticed how calm and focused even the teenagers seemed when not bombarded by constant noise and movement.
I understand that for two of the masses at our regular church the choirs are doing the best they can do, but our 10:30 “music director” is arrogant and completly ego driven. I will not subject myself to that anymore.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:15 am
At mass today (in Steubenville!:>…. my cat is offended, Terry, and she is slow to forgive), Ascension Sunday (?!) a mentally impaired boy sat behind us and sang his heart out, even attempting to harmonize—wow, it put everything about liturgical music into perspective since he sang all the songs, which were of a mixed variety, as if he were singing directly to God.
It was lovely.
The kingdom belongs to him already.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Glad I read your post *before* heading to Mass since I was “in the know” about opening the missal to Thursday’s readings instead of today’s!! I noticed a few people were lost, so suspect they hadn’t read your blog yet today ;}
Things were off kilter for us at Mass today too. Father Peter Laird filled in and sang the Mass, which is almost verboten at St. A’s! One time Father said Mass at Nativity when we were there and a man stopped me outside and asked who Father was. I told him Father’s name and that he used to be a lawyer and now teaches at the seminary. The man replied, “THAT explains things. No wonder his homily was so long!” Eye rolls and head shakes as he got into his car. Now everytime I see Father Laird, I always smile at that thought. Father’s delivery is a little off-putting at times, but when you have a priest giving a good homily, I could sit and listen to them all day. In fact, in bible study, I could skip the group discussion part and listen to Father Echert for hours. But, then I’d be branded anti-social ;}
May 4th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Monica - don’t you find it odd that they transferred the feast so that no one would “miss” it and yet everyone thinks it is just an ordinary SUNDAY? Thank God Easter Sunday is associated with the Easter Bunny. LOL!
Yeah, Fr. Laird is great. Isn’t he just so charismatic?
May 4th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Terry:
Moving the readings to Sunday, in some sense, takes away from attending Mass on Thursday since you’re just gonna get deja vu on Sunday, or at least that’s the thinking. Today just felt like a Sunday to me and if Father hadn’t made a point to mention the Ascension was being celebrated today, I bet a chunk of folks wouldn’t have known any different.
Rainy days and holy days always get me down - The Carpenters.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I went to the Latin Mass again so I was trying too hard to figure out where we were (”Hey, I think he just said ‘vobiscum’”. There’s one of those two pages ahead; I guess he does those silent parts really fast”) to get annoyed about which day it was. The boys (4 & 7) offered up the Apostles’ Gesthemane Prayer-ahem-so they didn’t say “Are we done yet?” in that clear voice that carries across the whole church. I was grateful for that. After Mass, we processed to the garden for the May crowning. I carried the 4-yr-old, still snoring, until we began praying a decade of the Rosary; then I could hear him sleepily following along with the Hail Mary’s. He’s not so heavy, I guess. 7-yr-old was pretty cranky, since he had to wake up and walk, but at least he was quiet about it.