All Souls Day

 The day of the commemoration of all the faithful departed, remembering all the souls in Purgatory, is this year transferred from the 2nd to the 3rd November because the 2nd November was a Sunday.  On this day there are three Masses celebrated for the poor souls and they are traditionally celebrated one after the other, going from the last gospel immediately to the prayers at the foot of the altar of the next Mass.  It is a lovely tradition and helps to mark the day as special, in the same way that the late night Easter Vigil, or Christmas Midnight Mass highlight the fact that their respective feasts are of some increased importance.

 

The first of the three Masses on Papa Stronsay is a low Mass.

 

 The confrères all receive communion at this Mass.  It is a wonderful thing to offer your reception of Holy Communion for the relief of the souls in Purgatory, thus providing them with the helps which they can no longer obtain for themselves.

 The second Mass is a sung Mass.  The mournful chant which Holy Mother the Church has assigned to this Mass help to raise our minds to the plight of the souls in Purgatory and move us to have compassion on them.

The third Mass is again, a low Mass.

Do not allow this day to pass without thinking of and praying for the holy souls in Purgatory.

Remember that if you die with one mortal sin on your soul, you will go to hell.  This means that the all the souls in Purgatory died in the state of grace, they practised their faith and frequented the sacraments.  They are what we might term good people.  They will not therefore be forgetful of the assistance which you render them today and during the rest of your pilgrimage on earth and will repay you with their own prayers before the throne of God.

Happy Easter!

A very happy Easter to everyone who looks at our blog.  May our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, grant you very many blessings during this holy season.

Below are some photos of the Paschal liturgy at the Monastery:

Rev. Fr Yousef Marie, F.SS.R. was the deacon for the Easter vigil ceremonies.  Here, facing the Paschal candle but recently lighted, he chants the Exultet.

Rev. Fr Michael Mary, F.SS.R. during the blessing of the Paschal Water.

The Holy Oils are mixed with the newly created Paschal Water as Baptismal Water is blessed.

Rev. Fr Yousef Marie chanting the Gospel.

Sung Mass was celebrated on Easter morning on Stronsay by Rev. Fr Yousef.  Here he prays the Confiteor at the beginning of Mass.

Chanting the Gospel.

On Easter morning, Rev Fr Michael Mary performs the blessing of "First Fruits", which is a Paschal custom.

Passiontide Purple

But Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple. - Jn. 8:58
from the gospel of Passion Sunday

Ordination to the Diaconate

On Saturday 5th April, 2014, Rev. Br. Jean Marie, F.SS.R., was ordained to the  Diaconate by his Lordship Basil Meeking, D.D., Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch at St Teresa's Church, Riccarton, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Deo Gratias!

 The ordinandus along with the servers, sacred ministers and the Bishop process into the church. 

 Prayers at the foot of the altar

 The Bishop sings the collect at the Faldstool during the Solemn Pontifical Mass

 The Ordinandus, Rev. Br. Jean Marie, F.SS.R lies prostrate on the floor during the Litany of the Saints. 

Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, Intercedite pro nobis!

 The moment of ordination: The Bishop  silently lays his hand on the head of the Ordinandus, and then holding his right hand extended he pronounces the form of the Sacrament: 

"Send forth upon him we beseech Thee O Lord, the Holy Ghost, by whom he may be strengthened with the gift of Thy sevenfold grace for the faithful performance of Thy ministry."

 The new Deacon is invested with the stole and Dalmatic and receives the power to read the Gospel 

 The new Deacon sings the Gospel for the first time

The Torchbearers stand guard before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament

The Bishop along with the newly ordained Deacon, Sacred Ministers, and servers after the Pontifical Solemn High Mass

Throwing Off the Old Man — Taking the Religious Habit

On the 2nd February, the feast of the Purification of the Most Blessed Virgin, We had the great joy of receiving a new novice into our Congregation.

Kneeling before the Rector Major, Very Rev. Fr Michael Mary, the candidate for the novitiate is questioned as to his resolve to enter our Congregation.

 He receives the Holy Habit of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and then the Holy Rosary is first placed in his hands while he is exhorted to take the Blessed Virgin as his Mother, Protector and Guide throughout the time of his Novitiate and, God willing, his religious life.

 He is give the Scapular of Mount Carmel, which constitutes a part of our Habit.

 Finally the candidate is given the zucchetto or skull-cap, as well as his new religious name: Br Edmund, after St Edmund Campion.

Happily Br Edmund's mother and father came from Kansas to be with him on this occasion.

Fr Michael Mary and Br Edmund.

Congratulations Br Edmund!

Feast of the Chair of St Peter

On Saturday 22 February we had a beautiful sung Mass at the Carmel of Christ the King, Christchurch. The only photograph to be taken was the one below which particularly shows young James Green who served Holy Mass for the first time.

The altar servers after Holy Mass

Several members of the faithful were clothed in the Brown Scapular.

Saturday also marked the anniversary of the great earthquake in New Zealand and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered for all those who suffered pain and loss. May God grant eternal rest to all those who died.

Candlemass at our Chapel in Christchurch

This is one of the three principal blessings observed by the Church during the year; the other two are the Blessing of the Ashes, and the Blessing of the Palms.

Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury [Enarrations on St. Luke], speaking on the mystery, bids us consider three things in the blest Candle: the Wax, the Wick, and the Flame. The Wax, he says, which is the production of the virginal bee, is the Flesh of our Lord; the Wick, which is within, is his Soul; the Flame, which burns on the top, is his Divinity. 

The Candles in preparation for the blessing

The blessing before the Mass: “that as these candles, by their visible light, dispel the darkness of the night, so our hearts burning with invisible fire, and enlightened by the grace of the Holy Ghost, may be delivered from all blindness of sin; that the eye of our soul being purified, we may discern those things that are pleasing to thee, and beneficial to our souls.”

Distribution of Candles . . .

. . . to all the faithful, young and old.

A short procession outside the chapel. . . 

. . . representing the Holy Family

There were seventeen children below the age of ten
(Correction to previous figures. Apologies.)

The real presence of Our Lord presented during the Mass
at the Elevation to the Most High God

"We must hold this as a principle of our spiritual life - that the Mysteries brought before us, feast after feast, are intended to work in us the destruction of the old, and the creation of the new, man." Dom Gueranger

O Holy Night!

Our candle-light Christmas Midnight Mass on Stronsay.

Dominus dixit ad me: filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te.

The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. (Ps. 2:7)

Sursum corda!

...and falling down they adored Him. (Matt. 2:11)

Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you. (Jn. 6:54) 

O Bread of Heaven!

It is our custom to follow Thursday Mass with Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  Below is a photo from today's adoration.

Rejoice!

Gaudate Sunday falls on the third Sunday of Advent.  It takes its name from the first word of the Introit.

"Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus: Dominus enim prope est. Nihil solliciti sitis: sed in omni oratione petitiones vestræ innotescant apud Deum." Phil. 4:4-6

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice.  Let your modesty be known to all men. The Lord is nigh.  Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God."

Gaudete Sunday is the counterpart to Lætare Sunday in Lent.  Falling as it does at the half-way-point of Advent, the penitential season of expectation leading up to Christmas, Gaudate Sunday provides a moment of relief from the austerities of the fast, thus the liturgical colour of rose replaces the penitential violet.

Rorate Coeli Desuper et Nubes Pluant Justum

The Rorate Mass is a special Advent devotion in honour of Our Blessed Lady and is especially traditional in Germany and Poland.  The title of this devotion is taken from the first word of the Introit for the Mass of Our Lady during Advent which is itself taken from the words of Isaiah the Prophet (see below).

 The Rorate Mass is traditionally celebrated by candlelight. Today, the Saturday of the second week of Advent, we celebrated a Rorate Mass on Stronsay.

Before Holy Mass.

 Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum; aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem.  Isa. 45:8

Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour.

 "For which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth." Phil. 2:10