Sunday, July 30, 2006
Croquet and Benediction
Lovely Sunday today, both in terms of weather and activities. In the afternoon, the family (minus Father) popped up to the local landmark, the Kymin (a hill overlooking Monmouth), which has a roundhouse at the top where the gentlemen of Monmouth could relax and play cards with a superb view. It also has a small Naval Temple dedicated by Nelson. We hired a croquet set, and had a couple of jolly good games, enjoyed even by my younger brother who dismissed it as 'silly' and 'sad' simply because I have affirmed my fondness for it more than a few times, after I started playing at University.
The other major departure from the norm was attending Solemn Evensong at St Mary's followed by a service of Benediction. I don't normally go to evensong on a Sunday, as after a nice sung Mass in the morning, evensong lacks lustre, but because it was a nice spiky service I nipped in. I did however get asked to read the second lesson (Hebrews 8), something I haven't done in a long, long time, and was more than a little nervy about. I got it over and done with though, popping up just after a good chanted Magnificat.
Then, on to the Exposition and Adoration! I had hopped to take a quick photograph, but it didn't seem quite right, and it would have been rather tricky to do so with one's head bowed in reverence! Sadly, hymn-wise, we didn't go for my favourite "Oh Sacrament Most Holy, a Sacrament divine!", but had this as the MBS was incensed:
After Benediction, we had the lovely Divine Praises, which have, among other things, a fair chunk on the Most Blessed Virgin Mary affirming the Immaculate Conception and the Glorious Assumption, as well as the chastity of St. Joseph (take that Cath Mac!). All in all, a good day.
The other major departure from the norm was attending Solemn Evensong at St Mary's followed by a service of Benediction. I don't normally go to evensong on a Sunday, as after a nice sung Mass in the morning, evensong lacks lustre, but because it was a nice spiky service I nipped in. I did however get asked to read the second lesson (Hebrews 8), something I haven't done in a long, long time, and was more than a little nervy about. I got it over and done with though, popping up just after a good chanted Magnificat.
Then, on to the Exposition and Adoration! I had hopped to take a quick photograph, but it didn't seem quite right, and it would have been rather tricky to do so with one's head bowed in reverence! Sadly, hymn-wise, we didn't go for my favourite "Oh Sacrament Most Holy, a Sacrament divine!", but had this as the MBS was incensed:
Therefore we before him bending, This great Sacrament revere; Types and shadows have their ending, For the newer rite is here; Faith our outward sense befriending, Makes the inward vision clear.
After Benediction, we had the lovely Divine Praises, which have, among other things, a fair chunk on the Most Blessed Virgin Mary affirming the Immaculate Conception and the Glorious Assumption, as well as the chastity of St. Joseph (take that Cath Mac!). All in all, a good day.
