Thursday, December 18, 2014

1 Corinthians 11:2


I love old photographs of liturgy, I saw this video and meant to put it up, I notice Mgr Pope also was impressed by it and has it on his Washington Diocesan blog.

I have a fear nowadays about being labelled with abusive terms like "restorationist" or "crypto..." or "promethean",In the not to distant past I thought of myself as 'in continuity', or just a student of history or, even Catholic.

Ah, times and seasons!

23 comments:

umblepie said...

Thank you Father for this fascinating video. Don't worry, ignore the 'critics', you are Catholic in continuity and we are immensely grateful for it.

Long-Skirts said...

Fr. Blake said:

"I have a fear nowadays about being labelled with abusive terms like "restorationist" or "crypto..." or "promethean",Iin the not to distant past I thought of myself as 'in continuity', or just a student of history or even Catholic."

YOU are Catholic!! Have no fear!!!

ANOTHER
NEW
FORT

Such names they call us
That's not what we are
We are Roman Catholics
At the front of the war.

Some just go AWOL
Others defect
Copying our stance
Then say we’re a sect.

A lot like in England
Saint John Fisher's day
When his brothers said, "yes"
This Saint replied, "nay".

All alone in the Fort
St. John Fisher stood
Preserving, defending
For the whole all that's good.

Not just for himself
Those attached to what's old
Or reformers, reforming
Pretending they're bold.

We're simply preserving,
Once again the True Fort
While those with new orders
Relinquish support.

And with promises made
To men hungry for power
They mock, stand and point
At us in the tower

Hoping for all
Diverse democracy -
When in fact their new fort’s
A catastrophic kleptocracy.



Exsollertan said...

That is beautiful, Father. On the web is also the whole of the Easter Vigil Mass for Easter 1941, of particular interest to me as I was born on the Tuesday.
It's hard not to be hurt by the abusive terms that might be hurled against you, but remember that your blog is now a world wide apostolate and is helping thousands of people like me to keep the faith. (Mind you we have got a few epithets to hurl at the opposition e.g. 'tabletista' 'CINO' etc
What's really worrying me is the abortion juggernaut and the same sex marriage juggernaut which as Michael Coren has obeserved will result in triumphant intolerance.

Mike Cliffson said...

Was it not in Antioch they were first called "Christians"?

Lovingly? I ha' me doots .

Would you like some choice Spanish epiphets for ahem less than socially , morally, or ecclesiatically trendy (which has a good equivalent itself , Progre)?
Here they might call you a "Carca" (hard K's like corker , only with aahs) for being so anticuado, or antiquated as to be woodwormed , or carcomida).
And the outpourings Bishop Reig Pla of Alcala de Heneares has had applied !
Maybe the Devil inspires no attacks on people that are trending towards doing what he wants?

Jacobi said...

Father,

“ I have a fear nowadays about being labelled with abusive terms like "restorationist" or "crypto..." or "promethean"

Don’t worry about being called Promethean. Prometheus was a great benefactor of Mankind and was on the winning side in the War of the Titans. And also, I have a certain regard for Pelagius too and feel a need to defend him. He is after all of my tribe. We’re both Brits. Not Celts, please note, whatever they are?

I understand recent study of Pelagius’ work suggests he was actually quite orthodox and has been misunderstood. Well as a modern “Promethean Neo-Pelagian”, I know the feeling!

What is sad is that he apparently died aged twenty eight. It is astonishing that he could have studied, written his works, and had them widely distributed and discussed, in such a short period. No internet then!

These people were a bit more advanced than we give them credit for. If he had lived as long as Benedict is living, he would have had time to correct misunderstandings of his work, as Pope Benedict has done recently for instance on the subject of Holy Communion for Adulterers.

Jacobi said...

One further thing, Father, its good to see you back again after a slight delay? I thought you had been "nobbled" by your boss His Grace, as Fr Finigan has apparently been, confined to indirect photographic hints?

Adrian said...

May I commend to your attention, if you do not already know it, a wonderful site, 'Ceremonia y rúbrica de la Iglesia espanola' [liturgia.mforos.com]. The pictures are amazing.

JARay said...

I have long enjoyed the writings of Mgr Pope on his blog. He had a superb one on the sacredness of the Mass and how we are all caught up into heaven with the angels and saints offering up the eternal sacrifice of Jesus, the one, only, High Priest offered up to the Father for all mankind. I found it most inspiring in particular.
Remember the old saying:-
Sticks and Stones may break my bones but calling will not hurt me.

Savonarola said...

Restorationism, as I understand it, is used to mean wanting to restore old-style Catholicism as it was before it was wrecked by Vatican II. But should we not beware of being nostalgic for a Golden Age that never was? If old-style Catholicism really was as wonderful as restorationists make out, why did it collapse so quickly and completely? Could it be that it was never that deeply rooted? Was it only ever a house of cards that one push would send flying? A splendid surface concealing a decaying heart?
However that may be, under God we can only go forwards never back - bringing with us what is good and solid from the tradition into our present and so on into God's future.

Matthew said...

And it is an ecumenical video! The procession shown at 3.44 (led by a man in a suit carrying a candle) is of the solemn translation of the image of Our Lady of Walsingham from the (Anglican) parish church to the new (Anglican) shrine church, in October 1931.

Physiocrat said...

The only Prometheus I have heard of was a broad gauge locomotive on the Great Western Railway. To stop nerdy boys collecting train numbers, the engines didn't have any, but only the names. There is a nice reproduction of a painting of it by C Hamilton Ellis in one of his books, it is shown at the front of a train coming of Box Tunnel.

Unknown said...

Reverend and Dear Father

I think, befittingly, the words "Be Not Afraid" speak now, not only to reassure you, but to reassure all of us.

The fact that we again suffer abuse, and revilement make me think that we are doing something right, and that God is truly with us. I would be worried if we were not suffering abuse in some way.

If our only 'fault' in this regard is to continue to hold fast to that same faith, and same manner of prayer as our Sainted foremothers and fathers, then I am most certain that we are doing right. Abuses, and ugliness in all forms do take their toll, much as I am sure they did to our blessed Lord as he hung dying on the cross.

Your priestly witness, in upholding and encouraging us to believe and pray as the Church has always done has, and continues to be an inspiration to all of us to be exactly that, Catholic. May God reward you for this!

So Father, from my little corner of South Africa I thank you and assure you of my constant prayer for you and others like you, who continue to hold fast to the Cross of Christ, especially when the world does differently.

I only ask of you, to remember us all poor sinners, every day, when you hold his sacred body and blood in your hands.

God Bless you always Father and our Blessed Mother guide and protect you!

Calvin James Montgomery
Johannesburg

South Africa

Kathi said...

Thank you for posting Father - the one picture that gave me goosebumps was early on -- an outdoor Eucharistic procession & hundreds of people were bowing down on their knees. Beautiful. So beautiful. Were that Our Lord were to be so revered.

Joao said...

I always thought I was catholic.

But the Pope says that I'm a self-absorbed, promethean, rigid, sourpussed, rosary-counting, triunphalist, proselytising, , inquisitorial, insecure, faint-hearted, hypocritical, fundamentalist, neopelagian pharisee ideologue.

I resent the "neo" part and abandoned all forms of proselytism (except prayer and fasting). I'm also having trouble fitting all this in a business card.

P.S. I still believe in everything I believed in March 2013.

vetusta ecclesia said...

At 4:16 there appear to be girl servers in dalmatic-like garments and at 7:24 the priest is celebrating versus populum

Jacobi said...

@ Joao,

Join the Club.

Regarding proselytising, my pals know I am a Catholic. I make no secret of it but never push it. At a lunch the other day, I was (frankly) surprised to be detailed to say Grace. My threats, (jokingly) to the Chairman, that I would make the Sign of the Cross say the Catholic Grace, got me nowhere.

During the meal the person beside me quietly started to talk about their Catholic Faith of upbringing, something not done since school.

Proselytising?

Unknown said...

...notice the large number of images from somewhere is East Asia. Makes you think of how vigorously the Church was growing in that part of the world before the atomic bomb hit at Vatican II.

Mary Kay said...

I love your comment, Joao! As for the business card, you may be forced to make it about the size of a post card---then you could maybe fit it all in....

Pelerin said...

The comment by vetusta ecclesia prompted me to look again at the video.

The still photo at 4.16 has a few clues that it may be a celebration at Christmas possibly in Germany and the little girls may be processing to the Crib. I think it is wishful thinking on the part of VE to see these as altar girls!

Regarding the so-called versus populum Mass this appears to be taking place among the ruins of WWI. I have a collection of postcards showing scenes from Masses celebrated for the soldiers out in the open in France and Belgium during WWI. They all show the Priest ad orientem. This is a still photo here and my guess is that the photo was taken when the Priest was giving a homily (or pep talk) which of course would be facing the soldiers.

vetusta ecclesia said...

My thinking, Pelerin, was certainly not wishful!

Pelerin said...

Apologies to Vetusta ecclesia - I thought by your comment that you were pleased to see what looked like altar girls and an early ad populum Mass.

Unknown said...

Thanks Father for this video very thought provoking and touching have a blessed Christmas and a fruitful New Year. Keep up the good work! Pray for me Father Ray!

vetusta ecclesia said...

I still think, Pelerin, from the arrangement of the altar (an adapted table) that the celebration is v.p. Why would the priest move behind the altar to preach rather than just turning round, as all priests did when the altar was fixed against the back wall? I think I have seen other photos of Masses in the field where the v.p. position is used. Perhaps the fact of the "altar" being freestanding in these circs. led to this.

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