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February 22, 2009
Sunday rambles
I confess, I enjoy the quiet simplicity of a said Mass. It is uncluttered and one can focus on the heart of the worship without distraction. That's not to say I don't enjoy the music and the dignity of the full blown High Mass or even the boisterous joy of the Family Eucharist with kids squeaking and squawking as the younger members play on the play rug at the West End. But today I've had several treats in the worship, first, in the said Mass at 0800, my favourite bit of St Paul, the passage from 2 Corinthians which begins "Though I speak with the tongues of angels, and have not Charity ..." and ends "and now abide these three, Faith, Hope and Cahrity; but the greatest of these is Charity."
There is such a wealth of wisdom in that passage it is impossible not to be moved by it.
Then, in the Parish Eucharist, the opening hymn was my favourite, probably originally formulated by St Patrick or based on something he wrote - Be thou my vision" is a lovely hymn and it expresses a vision of God that we do well to remind ourselves of from time to time. The final bit of pure pleasure came with the Sung Mass and a visiting choir who performed a Palestrina Mass setting flawlessly. Worship in three different styles and all equally uplifting. What more can you ask?
Well, perhaps a little more, like the Organ Recital yesterday by Carleton Etherington. I was flattered to be asked to turn the pages for him as he put the Mighty Milton through its paces, followed by some fireworks on the Glorious Grove and finally brought us back to earth gently with the little Elliot and its softer flutes and mixtures. But perhaps that's for another day.
Posted by The Gray Monk at February 22, 2009 03:58 PM
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