Monday, June 19, 2017

My New Favourite Hymn

We sang it last Sunday for the external solemnity of Corpus Christi. The tune used was that for "The Church's One Foundation" but it fits a few others. Something from the good old Anglo-Catholic repertoire, guaranteed to annoy everyone in the parish who wasn't one.

There was a time in England
A time of faith and love,
When men believed that Jesus
Came down from heav'n above;
Came down, and on his altar,
In Consecrated Host,
Vouchsafed to all who sought Him
Love to the uttermost.

The multitudes pressed round Him,
And thronged His holy seat,
Only to touch his garment,
Only to kiss-his feet;
And from Him went forth virtue,
And healing powers, and grace;
They knew his loving presence,
Who might not see his face.  
Then came the unbelievers,
They wrecked the House of God,
The Sacrament of Jesus
Beneath their feet they trod;
Tore down the sacred altar,
Defiled his holy shrine;
Cast out the mystic presence
Of Jesus, Lord Divine.   
But as for us, to Jesus
In faith and hope we turn,
Again would see the sacred
Lamp before altar burn,
The lamp that speaks of Jesus,
Our Master and Our Lord,
Who dwells upon his altar
By angel hosts adored. 
O deep be our repentance,
Accepted may it be:
And so from sin and evil,
Shall we at length be free;
Then may we hope for pardon
From God who reigns above
And hope shall make us sharers
In Jesu's perfect love.   
O Mary, God's own Mother,
Pray for our native land;
And ye, O Saints and Angels,
Around the throne who stand;
Pray for our darkened country,
That faith may live again,
That Jesus in His Sacrament
Once more supreme may reign! 

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday today: the first Sunday in Trinitytide and the last remaining day in the calendar for the recitation of the Athanasian creed.  In the Ordinariate and the traditional Roman Rite, that is.  It was apparently too unecumenical or something for the Pauline rite.  The Inn has a copy of it here if your liturgical books are not ready to hand.

It's also the feast of St Barnabas.  June 11 used to be the longest day of the year, hence the verse:

Barnaby bright,
The longest day,
And the shortest night.

You'll find St Barnabas in the Acts of the Apostles.  The good old Catholic Encyclopædia has more from tradition here.


Saturday, June 10, 2017

White Rose Day

June the 10th is White Rose Day,  a significant day for Yorkists, Jacobites, and assorted other legitimists, royalists, and traditional folk.  Charles Coulombe will tell you all you need to know about it here.

And if that weren't enough on June 10 in 1549 the men of Cornwall and Devon rose in the Prayer Book Rebellion, preferring their old service in Latin to the new one "which", they said, "is like a Christmas game."

And on this day in 1540 Thomas Cromwell was arrested for treason.  Better late than never.