‘Weekly Post. Anno Domini 2024 January 31

Beloved of the Lord:

Today is Wednesday, 31 January, in the year of our Lord 2024. The scheduled services are as-follows:

• Wednesday (today): 12:10 PM, Mass, S. John Bosco, Confessor.
• Thursday: 6:30 PM, Mass, S. Ignatius, Bishop & Martyr, followed by Soup & Study.
• Friday: 10:00 AM, Mass, Purification of the BVM, also known as Candlemass, with the Blessing of the Candles, using Gregorian Canon.
  Immediately following, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
• Saturday: 5:00 PM, Mass, S. Blasius, Bishop & Martyr, with the blessing of the throats.
• Sunday: 8:30 & 10:00 AM, Mass, Sexagesima.

Due to one of those every-seven-years confluences on the Kalendar, some changes have had to be made in the usual schedule. Typically, we add Stations of the Cross to our usual rota of services every Friday, following Septuagesima (which fell last Sunday). However, with Candlemas having fallen on Friday, this year, that would stretch the services on that day to close to three hours. The decision has been made to cancel 'Stations for this week, and to begin them on Friday-next, 9 February.

Going forward, we will continue to have the Mass, with the Gregorian Canon, every Friday. Following the Mass, during Pre-Lent and Great Lent, we will walk and sing the Stations of the Cross. Once the 'Stations have been completed, we will have the 'Adoration, again as is our custom on Fridays. In this way, those who wish to attend the 'Stations won't have to wait 'til after the 'Adoration.

Over time, virtually all things change. I was listening to an online recording of a sermon by a Priest that I know, and heard him refer to Pre-Lent as Shrovetide. I'd never heard the phrase before, but it quite struck me. A quick glance at some of my reference books revealed no references to Shrovetide, but the thought has remained with me.

I suspect that it is an older English usage; therefore, worthy of some consideration. It was in this same vein that I, years-ago, began using Christ Mass rather than Christmas, holding the former to denote our religious observance, and the latter the commercial season to which it has largely devolved. Stopping short of antiquarian excesses, it is usually well for us to look-back into the earlier life of Holy Mother, the Church, to find those instances when time and tide have erased good and useful aspects.

Inasmuch the rest of our Christian Year is composed of '-tides', and despite the fact that both the Prayer Book and the Missal use the Pre-Lent terminology, I think that a change in custom may be in-order. This becomes especially appropriate when one considers the purpose of the -gesima Sundays. Thus, I pray a beneficial Shrovetide for us all, that we may profit from the wisdom and lessons taught by our Kalendar. I remain

in His praise,

The Rev'd Canon. T. L. Crowder

Pastor, Saint Matthew's Parish