Mass for Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent, from the Cathedral of Cologne, Germany. The celebrant is Auxiliary Bishop Ansgar Puff.
Mass from the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis
The 10 a.m. Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Lent from the magnificent Cathedral in St. Louis:
Celebrant: Abp. Robert Carlson
Organ: Dr. Horst Buchholz
Proper chants from The Proper of the Mass by Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB
Responsorial Psalm by Jeffrey Ostrowski
Chants for the Ordinary of the Mass from the Graduale Romanum
Mass from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham
Mass was offered this morning for the Fifth Sunday of Lent at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, the seat of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction for Catholics in North America of Anglican heritage:
PS: While we’re mentioning one church named in honor of Our Lady of Walsingham, her National Shrine in England has started 24/7 live streaming of its events, including today’s Mass rededicating England to our Lady as her “dowry”:
https://www.walsingham.org.uk/live-stream/
Prayers for the event are on-line at https://www.behold2020.com/
Closing time at St. James
The “Classic FM” radio station in Britain shared this on Facebook the other day:
Last Sunday, hours before lockdown in the United Kingdom, some singers continued the tradition of singing church services, but singing to empty buildings and spaced two meters apart.
This is Mozart’s ‘Ave verum corpus’, sung at St James’, Spanish Place in London.
The Prayer of Christ
The earth—our earthly nature—should tremble at the suffering of its Redeemer. The rocks—the hearts of unbelievers—should burst asunder. The dead, imprisoned in the tombs of their mortality, should come forth, the massive stones now ripped apart. Foreshadowings of the future resurrection should appear in the holy city, the Church of God: what is to happen to our bodies should now take place in our hearts.
No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross. No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ. His prayer brought benefit to the multitude that raged against him. How much more does it bring to those who turn to him in repentance.
…The body that lay lifeless in the tomb is ours. The body that rose again on the third day is ours. The body that ascended above all the heights of heaven to the right hand of the Father’s glory is ours. If then we walk in the way of his commandments, and are not ashamed to acknowledge the price he paid for our salvation in a lowly body, we too are to rise to share his glory. The promise he made will be fulfilled in the sight of all: Whoever acknowledges me before men, I too will acknowledge him before my Father who is in heaven.
-Pope St. Leo the Great, from today’s Office of Readings
Holy Week Norms
DECREE
In time of Covid-19 (II)
Considering the rapidly evolving situation of the Covid-19 pandemic and taking into account observations which have come from Episcopal Conferences, this Congregation now offers an update to the general indications and suggestions already given to Bishops in the preceding decree of 19 March 2020.
Given that the date of Easter cannot be transferred, in the countries which have been struck by the disease and where restrictions around the assembly and movement of people have been imposed, Bishops and priests may celebrate the rites of Holy Week without the presence of the people and in a suitable place, avoiding concelebration and omitting the sign of peace.
The faithful should be informed of the beginning times of the celebrations so that they can prayerfully unite themselves in their homes. Means of live (not recorded) telematic broadcasts can be of help. In any event it remains important to dedicate an adequate time to prayer, giving importance above all to the Liturgia Horarum.
The Episcopal Conferences and individual dioceses will see to it that resources are provided to support family and personal prayer.
1 – Palm Sunday. The Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem is to be celebrated within sacred buildings; in Cathedral churches the second form given in the Roman Missal is to be adopted; in parish churches and in other places the third form is to be used.
2 – The Chrism Mass. Evaluating the concrete situation in different countries, the Episcopal Conferences will be able to give indications about a possible transfer to another date.
3 – Holy Thursday. The washing of feet, which is already optional, is to be omitted. At the end of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper the procession is also omitted and the Blessed Sacrament is to be kept in the tabernacle. On this day the faculty to celebrate Mass in a suitable place, without the presence of the people, is exceptionally granted to all priests.
4 – Good Friday. In the Universal Prayer, Bishops will arrange to have a special intention prepared for those who find themselves in distress, the sick, the dead, (cf. Missale Romanum). The adoration of the Cross by kissing it shall be limited solely to the celebrant.
5 – The Easter Vigil: Is to be celebrated only in Cathedral and parish churches. For the “Baptismal Liturgy” only the “Renewal of Baptismal Promises” is maintained (cf. Missale Romanum).
Seminaries, houses of clergy, monasteries and religious communities shall follow the indications of this decree.
Expressions of popular piety and processions which enrich the days of Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum can be transferred to other suitable days in the year, for example 14 and 15 September, according to the judgement of the Diocesan Bishop.
De mandato Summi Pontificis pro hoc tantum anno 2020.
From the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 25 March 2020, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
Robert Card. Sarah
Prefect
✠ Arthur Roche
Archbishop Secretary
[00409-EN.01] [Original text: Italian]