I took a break from blogging for the days of the Easter Triduum, partly because I was busy, partly for spiritual reasons.  But now I'm back.  How were your Easter ceremonies?

It's dreadful, really, that so much depends on the whim of individual priests when you think that the rubrics are fairly clear for almost all aspects of the ceremonies.  Our Mass on Holy Thursday was mostly good, but of course, you don't notice the 95% of your body that isn't itching, it's the bit you're scratching you think about.  As always processions in my parish are rather ruined by the presence of readers and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and confusion on the part of servers who don't know where to go when they reach the sanctuary and in this case there were eight of them - that's more acolytes than the Pope uses.  We had three sets of bells for the Gloria - two of which were played well, one hit rather randomly.  And it would have been lovely, except the cantor got lost right from the start.  The choir sang "Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo" - the cantor should have then come in with "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth".  Only she was distracted and came in with "Lord God, lamb of God".  Then she realised her mistake, and the second time came in with the same line!  Of course betcha nobody noticed except the saddos.

The Mandatum included six women.

We had three rather unusual crepitacula used during the Canon - I think they were castinettas, one of those little kids drums with strings that you twirl between your palms and I couldn't identify the third one.  The idea was okay but they were a bit loud and went on too long.  It also distracted from the fact that one of the servers was incensing during the consecration which we don't see often enough.  But he was way off to the side and didn't really know how to hold the thurible but the thought was good.

The sign of peace was given - used to be this wasn't used on Holy Thursday out of deference for the fact that Jesus was betrayed by the kiss of Judas.

Now the end was something special - special in the way that, you know, some kids are special.  The ciborium was prepared for the procession to the altar of repose, the servers and concelebrants were gathered at the steps of the sanctuary waiting for the celebrant to bring it from the altar.  But instead he left it on the altar and everyone ened up kneeling, including the crucifer, the cross held dangerously high, swaying gently.  Then the celebrant began to intone the Tantum Ergo.  He called the thurifer over and tried to put incence in but God caused the thurible to stick so he incenced with what was there.  Then he went back to the altar and gave a benediction with the ciborium.  Then the procession finally began, the choir struck up the Pange Lingua.  When they reached the altar of repose instead of singing the Tantum Ergo and incensing the Blessed Sacrament they simply left it there and walked off.

And no stripping of the altar either.

Just distracted by a repeat on EWTN of this morning's Mass of Easter with the Holy Father - it's communion time and the commentator (John Patrick Cardinal Foley, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem) has just explained that the real reason people are kneeling to receive communion from the Holy Father is because he is short.

Yeah, that would be right.

He has, however, informed me of something I did not know, which I have now checked and seems to be correct.  You know the way the flowers decorating the altar in St Peter's Square are provided by the Dutch.  I thought this was a fairly ancient practice but it only dates from 1985.  Pope John Paul II had visited Holland and liked the floral displays and they were invited to display for the beatification of Blessed Titus Brandsma, the great Carmelite, who was beatified on 3 November, 1985 (Feast of St Malachy) - and they've been doing it every Easter since.  Presumably the publicity is priceless.

Time for some more chocolate I think.

I'll blog on Good Friday later if it's not all too much for you.