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Our Mass was simple but beautiful, in the sacristy here at St Brigid's. Andy had brought some plants and candles from the church and house to help the celebration. We thought about everyone at the beginning and the intercessions in place of washing parishioners' feet. I shared some thoughts about the need for us, especially priests, to allow Jesus to wash our feet, otherwise "you can have nothing to do with me".
Then we had an hour Watching, and during that, at 8 o'clock, we joined in the community's clapping by ringing our sanctuary bells outside the front door. Near the end of our hour, as Archbishop Stack suggested, we renewed our priestly promises from ordination, which we normally do at the Cathedral Chrism Mass. Here are the two central parts, which always touch me deeply, and hich, with God's help I try to keep.
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Humbly, I
ask for an outpouring of the gifts and graces I need for my priestly
service, so that, supported by the prayers of the people entrusted to my
care, and working with my brother priests, I might remain faithful in my
ministry to Christ the High Priest, and lead your people in the way of
salvation.
If you would like to spend a short time in quiet prayer, try this Taize song "Stay Here. and Keep Watch With Me"
Thanks for your reflections Canon Matthew,
ReplyDeleteGiven the fact that St. Teilo's had a Polish Mass of the Lord's Supper straight after the English language Mass I did some online Church hopping for Watching.
Thankfully St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham and the Cardiff Oratory at St. Alban's both had the opportunity to watch and pray via Live Streaming last night - a little unreal to pray to an image of the Lord on a screen, rather than being really present with him, but better than not having the time of watching at all.