[Magdalen] The Adoration Corpus Cristi

[Sally Davies]

Thanks Joe!! Our choir once sang for this, as you describe, lots of processing around with a side plate sized wafer in the "monstrance". It was an arch diocesan service, as many clergy as people. No umbrellas. Can't remember what hymns but all formal. Most choir members were rolling eyes but our leader said we should just play along as "the clergy love this". And they certainly appeared to!! 
Sally D
Who loves Catholic ritual usually but not really this 

Sent from my iPhone

> On 15 Jun 2017, at 2:54 AM, Joseph Cirou <romanos at mindspring.com> wrote:
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> -----Original Message-----
>> From: sheila ketler via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
>> Sent: Jun 14, 2017 8:29 PM
>> To: "magdalen at herberthouse.org" <magdalen at herberthouse.org>
>> Cc: sheila ketler <ketbears at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Magdalen] The Adoration Corpus Cristi
>> 
>> The priest did try to explain it... have no clue what he was talking about. What is a monstrance??
>> Did anyone catch on Facebook the picture of the Pope who they say goes out as a simple priest to help the homeless? if he does that kudos for him!! 
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>>   On Wednesday, June 14, 2017 2:50 PM, Grace Cangialosi <gracecan at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The Anglo-Catholics on the list should be able to assist you
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> A monstrance is a large liturgical object into which the consecrated Host or Blessed Sacrament is placed. It is used for the more or less regular service of Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament which is a short service consisting of hymns and prayers and the Blessing of the congregation with the Blessed Sacrament that has been placed in the monstrance. The monstrance or ostensorium comes from the Latin words to show. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament in this fashion is one of the things that drove the reformers crazy. Not withstanding that, the devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is still pronounced in the Rc church, Episcopal/Anglican churches of the high church preference, and some (fairly few) high Lutheran Churches.
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> There are at least two occasions, apart from Maundy Thursday which are devoted to veneratin or adoration of the Holy Eucharist or Blessed Sacrament. The more familiar of these is the Procession with the Blessed Sacrament on the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ (POpe Francis just followed suit in Vatican City in moving the feast from the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to the following Sunday. (I was in Bolzano, Italy in 1969 for the Corpus Christi Procession. The day was still a legal  holiday in Italy (it remains so in Vatican City) Everything was closed. they had the Liturgy of the Word in several of the churches in Bolzano/Bozen in either German or Italian (Bolzano used to be south Tyrol, Austria so the various ethnic groups) The congregation met in their parishes for a Vigil or Liturgy of the Word, and then led by the parish band (very common in German, Austrian churches) marched to the city square where the rest of the Mass was celebrated in Latin to accomodate the several languages of the town. At the end of the Mass there would have been a procession through the town that would have lasted much of the rest of the day.)
> So in your parish the theme of the Mass would be the Eucharist and then something (much simpler, usually) along the lines of the procession I described would take place. It might just be a procession around the church at the end of Mass with a solemn Benediction at the end; it might involve an outdoor procession stopping at a few home shrines along the way for a simple Benediction and then the final Benediction back in church.
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> Look at the theme Blessed Sacrament or HOly Eucharist in CBW for appropriate hymns. Try to find a coach to get you through this year..
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> Some parishes do hire a brass band for the procession. I would hope your pastor would let you in on these plans. He probably thinks everyone knows what he is talking about.
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> Now to get to the outré side of this celebration. My friends at St Eugene's have made this a festival of high art (most German churches will do the same) The Blessed Sacrament is sometimes carried wherever it is going under a large liturgical canopy, carried on 4 poles by (usually cute) stalwarts. At St Eugene's these gentlemen looking appropriately pious are in morning dress with white glove. IM some places where there is less space the Blessed Sacrament is carried underneath a liturgical umbrelle or Ombrellino (At our seminary we had a very otherwise normal pious dude carrying this object. In these circumstances the ombrellino is for inside and the canopy for outdoors.
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> Favorite Corpus Christi Hymns in Latin or English: Jesus, My Lord, My God my All. Adoro Te, Pange Lingua, Tantum Ergo, Lauda Sion (also the optional sequence hymn for Corpus Christi)
> At The first Eucharist. The Anglo Catholics have favorite hymns for this occasion, that appear to be unique to the Episcopal Church, but these hymns do appear in early editions of the hymnal of the Atonement Friars.
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> Hope this helps
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> Joe
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>> Can't you ask the priest exactly what it will involve? I would imagine different churches might do different things.
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>>> On Jun 14, 2017, at 5:42 PM, sheila ketler via Magdalen <magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
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>>> Greetings allAs I am now in Catholic circles the Sunday following Trinity has been designated by Pope Francis for the observanceof Corpus Cristi. I am not familiar with this particular service and we are doing the Adoration.Anyone familiar with this?? What is entailed with this? I am guessing lots  and lots of incense... holy water maybe??Processions lots of kneeling??
>>> any thoughts welcome
>>> Sheila
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