Random Liturgical Musings 2
I have been reading Thomas Merton's Sign of Jonas and I thought it might be worth quoting a few of his reflections on matters liturgical. Now I know that Merton is a controversial figure, however in this journal of the years immediately before and after his ordination as a Catholic priest, he does manage to write a few good lines.
On the difficulties of being a thurifer
"The grains of incense we use are so large and so coarse they melt into a solid mass that gives off no smoke and only puts out the fire. I was working and blowing on the charcoal all through the Canon and got my hands covered with coal and when it was all over I forgot to empty out the censer and put it away."
While I have only ever used fine grained incense, I can relate to the difficulties of trying to keep the fires stoked and getting ones hands covered with coal dust.
That reminds me of the story of St Alexander the Charcoal Burner, who although learned spent most of his life making charcoal to escape worldly honours. When St Gregory Thaumaturgus came to the city of Comana to appoint a new bishop, he said that outward appearance counted for nothing and so as a joke Alexander was put forward as a candidate, dressed in rags and covered in soot. Desperate to avoid examination, Alexander played dumb but St Gregory ordered him to speak the truth. Whereupon he confessed to having studied the scriptures and lived a saintly life. Immediately St Gregory had Alexander consecrated as bishop and in the course of time he proved to be an able and wise administrator.
On the sub-diaconate
"I am assigned a very definite duty - that of officially praising God for the Church and for the whole of creation, and doing it in public and doing it as well as I can for those who cannot do it all ... The Mystical Body comes into the rite of Ordination very explicitly. The Pontifical is careful to point out that the ministry of the sub-deacon does not extend merely to formalities and rites concerning inanimate things - vessels, linen. The altar is the living Christ and the linens are the members of His Mystical Body. Bringing these gifts to unite them with Him on the Cross, I am dressing Christ in His members and clothing His sacrifice in the glory of the saved Church."
I think the last two sentences are quite beautiful and hopefully if and when I ascend to the role of sub-deacon, I will bear them in my mind every time I move between the credence table and altar.
On the difficulties of being a thurifer
"The grains of incense we use are so large and so coarse they melt into a solid mass that gives off no smoke and only puts out the fire. I was working and blowing on the charcoal all through the Canon and got my hands covered with coal and when it was all over I forgot to empty out the censer and put it away."
While I have only ever used fine grained incense, I can relate to the difficulties of trying to keep the fires stoked and getting ones hands covered with coal dust.
That reminds me of the story of St Alexander the Charcoal Burner, who although learned spent most of his life making charcoal to escape worldly honours. When St Gregory Thaumaturgus came to the city of Comana to appoint a new bishop, he said that outward appearance counted for nothing and so as a joke Alexander was put forward as a candidate, dressed in rags and covered in soot. Desperate to avoid examination, Alexander played dumb but St Gregory ordered him to speak the truth. Whereupon he confessed to having studied the scriptures and lived a saintly life. Immediately St Gregory had Alexander consecrated as bishop and in the course of time he proved to be an able and wise administrator.
On the sub-diaconate
"I am assigned a very definite duty - that of officially praising God for the Church and for the whole of creation, and doing it in public and doing it as well as I can for those who cannot do it all ... The Mystical Body comes into the rite of Ordination very explicitly. The Pontifical is careful to point out that the ministry of the sub-deacon does not extend merely to formalities and rites concerning inanimate things - vessels, linen. The altar is the living Christ and the linens are the members of His Mystical Body. Bringing these gifts to unite them with Him on the Cross, I am dressing Christ in His members and clothing His sacrifice in the glory of the saved Church."
I think the last two sentences are quite beautiful and hopefully if and when I ascend to the role of sub-deacon, I will bear them in my mind every time I move between the credence table and altar.
posted by Lactantius at
7:07 pm
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