Saturday, August 15, 2009

Assumptions and sausages



I am confused yesterday evening I got out the purple vestments and celebrated in the Exraordinary Form the Vigil of the Assumption, today the Mass is just Our Lady's Saturday, tomorrow is the Assumption, unless of course one is celebrating in the EF in which case in which case today is the Assumption, nevertheless in the EF, as it is the third Sunday of the month, I'll be celebrating an evening Mass at 6pm, I can celebrate the Assuimption as an external Solemnity.


It is all bit confusing, but one of the interesting questions it raises is what has happened to the fast days that preceded feast days?


At one time before the great feasts there was a little Lent. I am told that before the Assumption some monastic communities Mary Lent was actually kept for a fortnight broken by feasts like St Lawrences day.

The absence of fasts tends to diminish the impact of feasts, which leads me on to the big question, can we have sausages for lunch?

12 comments:

Augustine said...

The Eastern Churches, as per, still keep austere fasts before their magnificent feasts. This may be where the monastic custom originates, or vice-versa.

Jackie Parkes MJ said...

You are NOT helping my diet Fr Ray!

Unknown said...

You and the delightfully charming Fr Hunwicke seem to be saying much the same things on this subject.

Sausages,however, are very bad for your chloresterol levels, even when bought in your local upmarket supermarket down the road!

berenike said...

Heheh. The 15th is a public holiday in Poland :-) So we get two solemnities in a row.

Anagnostis said...

Happy Feast, Father!

The Orthodox Church fasts for two weeks before the Assumption (fish permitted on the Transfiguration).

Physiocrat said...

I walked in here today (arrived late last night) expecting a 12 o'clock mass and I was surprised to see an EF mass was just coming up to the Pater Noster. Full church.
http://www.kristuskonungen.se/

berenike said...

Fr Hunwicke wonders anxiously and at verbose length whether "Benedict" would rather have him say this or that commemoration of some optional memoria or other. I clutch the keyboard and shout "He Doesn't Care! Really! Trust Me! He Really Couldn't Care Less! Now Stop Worrying About How Many Creases To Iron Into Your Cotta, and CONVERT!"

:-)

Ufff. :-)

gemoftheocean said...

IT would be a sin not to have sausages that wonderful, Fr. Blake.

I was irritated that today was allegedly not a Holy Day of Obligation in the US as it normally is. As I recalled even with the "new Rules" Dec. 8th and Aug. 15 were not to be mucked around with.

I did go to Mass last night in the EF form and also liked the Purple. This morning I attended as well. I think you are right re: those vigil fasts.

However, there was a big improvement in the readings for the EF form of Mass from the 1920s to the '62 Missal. The propers (save preface) were completely different. For instance the Gospel had been the story of Martha/Mary (completely irrelevant!) and in the '62 Missal the Gospel was Luke 1: 41-50. Much more appropriate.

Melchoir said...

Why do you have to celebrate the Assumption on a Sunday and not the proper Sunday in ordinary time?

old believer said...

Berenike,

Fr. Hunwicke would wear a surplice not a cotta.

Having had the privilege of serving his Mass this morning, the ancient Mass of Our Lady's Assumption and not some 1950s inorganic fabrication, I think he is fine where he is.

Ma Tucker said...

Hr hr we tucked into, sausages, fried eggs, black pudding, bacon, and new potatoes for lunch today. We were off to Our Ladys Island at 3pm for a pilgrimage. The pilgrimage went very well. My mortifications went well beyond human endurance and that was just listening to the choir. Beautiful day today. I do feel like the whole of creation is delighted.

berenike said...

old believer: you illustrate my point beautifully.

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