Calendar for the week and coming events

CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK


Sunday 7 February: SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY, 2nd class

Monday 8 February: St John of Matha, Confessor, 3rd class; Collect for rain

Tuesday 9 February: St Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, 3rd class; Commemoration of St Apollonia, Virgin and Martyr; Collect for rain

Wednesday 10 February: St Scholastica, Virgin, 3rd class; Collect for rain

Thursday 11 February: Our Lady of Lourdes (the Apparition of our Lady Immaculate), 3rd class; Collect for rain

Friday 12 February: The seven holy Founders of the Servite Order, Confessors, 3rd class; Collect for rain

Saturday 13 February: Our Lady on Saturday, 4th class; Commemoration of St Valentine, Priest and Martyr; Collect for rain

NEXT SUNDAY, 14 February: QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY, 2nd class


COMING EVENTS


Become a Facebook fan of our Archbishop

You can become a Facebook fan of Archbishop Coleridge and get news of coming events in the Archdiocese.


Join CatholicLIFE

The Archdiocesan Community website. Sign up here.


Recommended website

For personal and Catholic culture: The LION & the CARDINAL

Burial of the Alleluia

The depositio (discontinuance) of the Alleluia on the eve of Septuagesima assumed in mediæval times a solemn and emotional note of saying farewell to the beloved song. Despite the fact that Pope Alexander II [in the eleventh century] had ordered a very simple and sombre way of "deposing" the Alleluia, a variety of farewell customs prevailed in many countries up to the sixteenth century. They were inspired by the sentiment that Bishop William Duranti (1296) voiced in his commentaries on the Divine Office: "We part from the Alleluia as from a beloved friend, whom we embrace many times and kiss on the mouth, head and hand, before we leave him" [a reference to the Rationale divinorum Officiorum of William DURAND, or DURANDUS, Bishop of Mende, 1230-96].

The liturgical office on the eve of Septuagesima was performed in many churches with special solemnity, and alleluias were freely inserted in the sacred text, even to the number of twenty-eight final alleluias in the church of Auxerre in France. This custom also inspired some tender poems that were sung or recited during Vespers in honour of the sacred word. The best-known of these hymns is Allelúia, dulce carmen ("Alleluia, Song of Gladness"), composed by an unknown author of the tenth century [...]

In some French churches the custom developed in ancient times of allowing the congregation to take part in the celebration of a quasi-liturgical farewell ceremony. The clergy abstained from any role in this popular service. Choirboys officiated in their stead at what was called "Burial of the Alleluia" performed the Saturday afternoon before Septuagesima Sunday. We find a description of it in the fifteenth-century statute book of the church of Toul:

"On Saturday before Septuagesima Sunday all choir boys gather in the sacristy during the prayer of the None, to prepare for the burial of the Alleluia. After the last Benedicámus (i.e., at the end of the service) they march in procession with crosses, tapers, holy water and censers; and they carry a coffin, as in a funeral. Thus they proceed through the aisle, moaning and morning, until they reach the cloister. There they bury the coffin; they sprinkle it with holy water and incense it; whereupon they return to the sacristy by the same way."

In Paris, a straw figure bearing in golden letters the inscription "Alleluia" was carried out of the choir at the end of the service, and burned in the churchyard [...]

Thus the Alleluia is sung for the last time, and not heard again until it suddenly bursts into glory during the Mass of the Easter Vigil, when the celebrant intones this sacred word after the Epistle, repeating it three times as a jubilant herald of the Resurrection of Christ.

Father Franz Xaver WEISER SJ
Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs (Harcourt, 1958)


Below is the text of Allelúia, dulce carmen followed by its English translation:


ALLELUIA, DULCE CARMEN, vox perénnis gáudii;
Allelúia laus suávis est choris cæléstibus,
quam canunt, Dei manéntes in domo, per sæcula.

Allelúia, læta mater, cóncinis, Jerúsalem;
Allelúia vox tuórum cívium gaudéntium;
éxsules nos flere cogunt Babylónis flúmina.

Allelúia non merémur nunc perénne psállere;
Allelúia nos reátus cogit intermíttere;
tempus instat quo perácta lugeámus crímina.

Unde laudándo precámur te, beáta Trínitas,
ut tuum nobis vidére Pascha des in æthere,
quo tibi læti canámus Allelúia pérpetim. Amen.


ALLELUIA, SWEET SONG, expression of endless joy;
Alleluia is the pleasant praise of the heavenly choirs,
which they sing, in God's house abiding, for ever.

Alleluia thou intonest, glad mother Jerusalem;
Alleluia is the expression of thy rejoicing citizens;
Babylon's streams make us outcasts weep.

Now we do not deserve to chant Alleluia endlessly;
blameworthiness makes us leave off Alleluia;
the season looms when we must lament the misdeeds we have done.

Wherefore while praising we pray thee, blessed Trinity,
that thou grant us to see thy Pasch on high,
where we may sing Alleluia everlastingly to thee. Amen.

Indulgence for visiting the Cathedral on its dedication anniversary

This Thursday, 4 February, the faithful who visit the Cathedral and devoutly recite an Our Father and I believe there may gain a plenary indulgence (v. Ench. ind. 33 §1 6).

Anthony family's new baby

Congratulations to MR AND MRS STEPHEN ANTHONY, of our community, on the birth of their second child, a little sister for Vincenzo!

Wedding of Robert Pacey and Sarah Mason

Congratulations and prayerful best wishes to MR AND MRS ROBERT PACEY, newlyweds of our community!

Christening of Francesco Sgroi

FRANCESCO DOMENICO GERARDO SGROI, the first child of Mr and Mrs Carmelo (Charlie) Sgroi, received holy Baptism on Saturday 9 January. We joyfully and prayerfully welcome the newest member of our community.

Kelly Burgess RIP

KELLY BURGESS of our community died last week after suffering a cerebral aneurysm and strokes: may our Lord grant her eternal rest, and comfort her loved ones, especially Bernard Roberts, also of our community.

The announcement of the movable feasts

THE MOVABLE FEASTS are Easter, whose date depends on the paschal moon, and those other feasts whose date depends on that of Easter.

The Roman Pontifical describes the solemn announcement (publicatio) of the movable feasts on Twelfth Day (Epiphany):

On Twelfth Day, the Gospel being sung, the archdeacon (or a canon, prebendary, or another according to local custom) vested in a cope shall ascend the ambo (or pulpit) and there (or in another place where the Gospel uses to be sung) shall by the time-hallowed establishment of holy Church announce the movable feasts of the current year according to the form herebelow written:

KNOW YE, best-beloved brethren, that by the consent of God's mercy,
as we have rejoiced for the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ,
so also we declare to you joy for the Rising of the same our Saviour.
The (day, month) will be the Sunday at Septuagesima.
The (day, month) will be Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of Lent most hallowed.
The (day, month) you shall celebrate with joy holy Easter of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The (day, month) will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The (day, month) will be the feast of Whitsunday.
The (day, month) will be the feast of the most hallowed Corpus Christi.
The (day, month) will be the first Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to whom is honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Pontifical also provides for the announcement of the diocesan synod at this ceremony.

The blessing of gold, frankincense, myrrh and chalk

THE BLESSING OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH on Twelfth Day (Epiphany) begins with a collect that recalls both the offertory prayer Súscipe, sancte Pater and the Supra quæ in the Canon:

Accept, O holy Father, from me thine unworthy servant, these gifts which in lowliness I offer thee for the honour of thy holy name, and the claim of thine almighty majesty: as thou didst accept the sacrifice of righteous Abel, and as once thou didst accept the same gifts from the Magi that offered them.

There follows a prayer of exorcism to banish all diabolical influence from the gold, frankincense and myrrh and to ask that those who have them in their purses, homes or about them may be delivered from every danger of body and soul and deserve to enjoy every good.

Another collect requests that those who have the gold, frankincense and myrrh by them may be protected from sickness and wounding, illness of soul and body, and all danger.

THE BLESSING OF CHALK is relatively simple. It features a single collect:

Bless, O Lord God, this creation of chalk: that it may be wholesome to mankind; and by the invocation of thy most holy name grant that whoever take thereof, or write the names of thy saints Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar therewith at the doors of their houses may by the intercession and merits of the same secure health of body and protection of soul.

As the prayer suggests, the blessed chalk serves to write the names associated with the holy Magi, CASPAR, MELCHIOR, BALTHASAR, at the doors of one's house.

The manner of writing the names is as follows:

20 + C + M + B + 10

The numbers at each end of the inscription indicate the current year, and the letters are the initials of the names mentioned above.

Another explanation of the letters is that they are the initials of the Latin phrase Christus mansiónem benedícat, which means Christ bless the dwelling.

Indulgences for the last and first day of the year

This Thursday, 31 December, the faithful who devoutly assist at the solemn chanting of the hymn Te Deum in a church or oratory, to return thanks to God for the benefits received during the course of the whole year, may gain a plenary indulgence; this Friday, 1 January, the faithful who assist at the chanting of the hymn Veni Creator, to implore the divine assistance for the year, may likewise gain a plenary indulgence (v. Ench. ind. 26 §1 1-2).