The first principle of the Ordinariate is then about Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, the Church’s greatest ecumenist, literally expended his life on the work of building bridges between orthodox brethren who shared a common faith, but who had become separated from one another in a Church badly fragmented by heresy and controversy. He taught that the work of Christian unity requires deliberate and ceaseless effort...St. Basil often talked with yearning about the archaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic community, so rarely seen in the Church of his day. This love, he taught, is a visible sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and it is absolutely essential for the health of the Church.

- Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, Homily on the Occasion of his Formal Institution as Ordinary

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Feast of St. Mark

Today was a Red Letter Day, the feast of St. Mark. The Book of Divine Worship collect for today is:

Almighty God, who by the hand of Mark the evangelist hast
given to thy Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of
God: We thank thee for this witness, and pray that we may
be firmly grounded in its truth; through the same Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
There being no Mass at St. Athanasius today, I went to St. Paul's in Cambridge, Mass, home to the only Catholic boys choir school in the United States. The choir, together with the Men's Schola, sang for a Solemn High Mass in the Extradordinary form, with Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, who blogs at What Does the Prayer Really Say?, serving as celebrant. The Mass, and following talk (which I couldn't stay for) were sponsored by Juventutem Boston. Here are some photos and video of tonight's Mass.
Servers and clergy entering the Sanctuary.

The conclusion of the Introit.

During the Introit, Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.

The deacon chants the Gospel for the feast.


Clergy in choro.

Boys choir and Men's schola sing Palestrina's motet Sicut Cervus at the Offertory.

Sanctus, Consecration and Benedictus. The Ordinary was the
Missa Quarti Toni by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
Ecce Agnus Dei.
Holy Communion.

Fr. Z leaving the sanctuary after the chanting of the Regina Coeli.

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