Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bearing the Image of the Crucified


A new (old vestment) for Good Friday arrived in the post yesterday. I used to rather despise vestments with imagery on them, even crosses, mainly I suspect because modern ones are normally in such bad taste. At the seminary I was told vestments are clothes not billboards, I agreed, now I have changed my mind.

All Christians are cross bearers, the priest above all, we carry Christ with us, He marks us with his Passion, Death and Glorious Resurrection.
At the Mass the priest as an individual is not that important, his only purpose is to be an alter Christus.



11 comments:

Pastor in Monte said...

Dear Father; if this is for wear on Good Friday, I trust that you will take care to veil the cross on your lovely chasuble until all crosses may be unveiled after the Veneration. A purple cloth could be pinned very discreetly.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Oh, Father, I have worried about that, should the veil be purple or red?
Should it be unpinned gradually at each " Ecce lignun..."?

the owl of the remove said...

Is that a Luzar vestment?

Fr Ray Blake said...

Removed Owl,
It is indeed, Father.

Anonymous said...

Vestments are indeed billboards; the wearer is proclaiming what is on the billboard. Some priests proclaim Christ crucified and others proclaim handprints or football club support.

Paulinus said...

Whoever told you vestments are merely clothes was ill-informed. Even if they were merely clothes, clothes are used to convey a range of messages - from the tweedy countryman to the Goth teenager. Clothes are a language in themselves. Ask any sociologist.

Pastor in Monte said...

Unless you are proposing that it be venerated by the people (for which you might find it better to take it off, because visiting Protestants might get the wrong idea), I should unveil it after the main cross. Though, of course, all servers should genuflect to your back for the rest of the ceremony.

Anonymous said...

Very nice. How much did that set the parish back though? I see on the Luzar site that these things can be thousands of pounds.

Why not wear it for palm sunday too?

Physiocrat said...

Mass this morning looked like a Catholic Mass ought to look and I noticed you were wearing a maniple too.

The altar looks better with the candles spread across and the new frontal.

Fr Ray Blake said...

BB,
The parish? Nothing! We are too poor.
It couldn't afford it, nor would it as long I am parish priest.

The Crescat said...

nice. I'm adding this to my ever growing collection, if you don't mind.

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