[Magdalen] Maundy Musings.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

____________________________________
 
I avoid driving down the mountain in the dark, so for the Maundy  Liturgy
and the Easter Vigil Liturgy, it's EWTN for me.  These are  always
telecasts from the National Shrine (RC), Washington, DC, the  largest
RC church in the USA.
 
This is such a large church, that the visual, auditory, and  olfactory
impact is quite grand.  The Papal Nuncio officiated with several  other
bishops and clergy, both priests and deacons  Behind (to the east)  of
the altar were the usual 100+ priests who were in matching white  chasubles
but did not take any direct part in the altar liturgy, and then to the  
east of
the priests was the blue robed choir of perhaps 40.  After the  solemn
Gloria, there was zero organ for the rest of the liturgy.
 
The high altar is new since the last time I watched a liturgy from  this
location, and is a great rectangle of very generous proportions which  fits
its location in this megasanctuary very well.  No more truncated end  table
look there.  It has orangey stone pillars that match those on the  canopy
of the disused original high altar.
 
The choir was excellent as always.  I only would wish for men  alternating
with women on the plainchant which was copious.  Instead, all the  
plainchant
was sung in unison (men and women).  The Ubi Caritas chant was  followed by
an exquisite rendition of the Durufle motel version.  A lovely touch  was a
simple acapella version of the familiar "Sweet Sacrament We Adore  Thee"
("teach us to love thee more and more" - I can't find it in TEC  '82).  This
was right to the point on the Institution of the Eucharist.  I  didn't 
recognize
the Ordinary of the Mass, but it was nicely sung.
 
The sermon touched on all three major Maundy Thursday themes.
 
Acolyles were in cassocks and cottas, and the six torchbearers at the  high
altar for the Canon have been restored.  So too are the sanctus  bells,
but on this occasion, they were replaced by the wooden "clackers."
There were NO servers and liturgical helpers in albs.  Every such  person
was vested in black cassock with white cotta.
 
Getting this huge sanctuary group out and down into the Crypt  Church
where the extravagantly flowered Altar of Repose was lengthy. There  was    
            the usual canopy, and plainchant the whole way.  There were 
virtual  clouds
of incense at this time and throughout the whole Maundy Liturgy at  the
appropriate times.  The procession to the Altar of Repose featured  the
thurifer walking backwards - always a tricky maneuver.  
 
This was all almost a deja vu, and I get the impression that some of  the
liturgical experimentation is over, at least if one is to take the  National
Shrine as an example, for the RCC.
 
David Strang.