A Legend of Pope St Sergius I

On this day in the year 687, St Sergius I was elected to the papacy; he would reign for nearly 14 years. He is a prominent figure in the history of the liturgy, since he added the last of the fixed chants to become part of the Roman Ordo Missae, the Agnus Dei. I have described elsewhere how this was part of the Roman church’s response to the so-called Quinisext Council, which was called by the Byzantine emperor Justinian II, and which pretended to legislate for the whole Church, including the Western patriarchate. One of its canons had forbidden any representation of the Lord as an animal, and therefore Pope Sergius placed images of the Lamb of God in various Roman churches, and added the invocation of Him to be said during the fraction of the Mass.

Sergius’ other major contribution to the liturgy was the adoption from the Byzantine Rite of the first four feasts of the Virgin Mary: that of Her Birth on September 8th, the Annunciation on March 25th, the Purification on February 2nd, and the Assumption on August 15th. He died on the first of these, Sept. 8, in the year 701.

Towards the end of his reign, St Lambert, the bishop of Maastricht (now in the Netherlands), was assassinated; the precise circumstances of the murder have been the subject of a great deal of scholarly debate. Sergius therefore figures in a medieval legend of how Lambert’s successor, St Hubert, was chosen. The story goes that Hubert was on pilgrimage to Rome when the murder took place; that same night, an angel appeared to the Pope in a dream to tell him what had happened, giving him Lambert’s miter and crook to pass on to Hubert, and thus designating him as the successor to his see. On waking, Sergius found these items in his bedroom, and thus knew the dream to be true; Hubert was duly consecrated and sent back to Maastricht as its new bishop. He would later transfer both the body of St Lambert and his see to Liège; the new cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the new martyr, was essentially the foundation of that city.

In the late 1430s, the painter Rogier van der Weyden (ca. 1400 – 1464) depicted this legend on a wing of an altarpiece of St Hubert for the church of St Gudule in Brussels. Following the convention of the times, the Pope is shown sleeping in his best cope and miter. It is particularly interesting to see here how a northern European artist represents some of the monuments of the Eternal City which he has never seen in person. The Castel Sant’Angelo on the right is shown as a perfectly cylindrical structure, while the old St Peter’s basilica is proportionally much taller than it really was, in the manner of a northern Gothic church. The obelisk which now stands in the middle of the Piazza San Pietro is shown next to the church, as it was at the time, but is much slimmer than it is in reality. (Click to enlarge. A darker version of the image can be seen in extreme close-up on the website of the Getty Museum, which owns the panel.)

A Catechesis on and Examination of the Use and Construction of Altar Rails in the Novus Ordo Missae

The following article is written by a diocesan priest. The mounting attack on altar rails throughout the Church, renewing the iconoclasm of the 1970s, is a cause of deep concern to every serious Catholic. For this reason it behooves us to understand that even according to the rules that govern the Novus Ordo, there is absolutely no basis for a bishop to oppose the use or the construction of altar rails in churches. – Dr. Kwasniewski

There are many elements in our Catholic faith that can easily be thought of as superfluous due to their lack of effecting certain actions ­– which does not make them invalid or illicit. However, this minimalistic approach is the opposite of what we are as Catholics. We do not love certain elements because we think they make us holier in and of themselves. Rather, we love them because they express to us the reality of Him who is holy. In loving these elements, we do not subject ourselves to a form of separation from sincere affection. On the contrary, our innermost beings are drawn into a deep charity that cannot be described. In other words, we encounter the living God. Devotion is not fanaticism. Devotion is a form of expressing the soul’s inner longing for union with the Divine. The spiritual becoming tangible.

This document has three set purposes. The first is to inform the reader about the historical, theological, and liturgical uses regarding the altar rails. The second is to instill in the reader a richer understanding of the nature of this tradition, and to deepen his love for such things. The third is to examine the legality of liturgical furnishings that belong to this category, the category of the “superfluous” or “not necessary”, and answer the question of whether they may be used, and whether they may be banned. By the end of this document, the reader will understand that altar rails have a basis in the historical and theological dimensions of the Mass, and may be utilized and even promoted, in light of recent legislation.

1. Historical Basis

Our best early resources regarding details in the liturgy come from the fourth century. It was after the Edict of Milan in 313 and the Edict of Thessalonica in 380 that the early Christian witnesses address the liturgy that had emerged into the public eye. Along with this, we still have much evidence of the architecture of the early Christian Church.

A universal constant from this period through the present day was a barrier between the sanctuary and the people. The theological significance of this barrier is to distinguish the Holy of Holies from the inner court, as was done in the tabernacle, and later, the Temple. Our forefathers saw the Mass as the re-presentation of Calvary, and Calvary as the fulfillment of Temple worship. Hence, elements of vesture and architecture, such as the barrier, carried over from our Jewish forbears.

In the East, this took the form of the iconostasis, a barrier at the entrance of the sanctuary. Only clerics and acolytes are permitted to pass through the iconostasis. The priest emerges at Communion to give communion to the faithful there present.

In the West, this initially took the form of a sectioned-off wall, known as a balustrade, which would veil the actions in the sanctuary from the congregation. As time progressed, this barrier would eventually become the rood screen, which was far more common in the West. This screen, while still separating the nave from the sanctuary, served as a mystical meeting point between God’s dwelling place, the new Sancta Sanctorum, and the outer holy place, where God’s elect dwelt. The faithful approached and received the Body of Christ at the roodscreen.

In the medieval era, as Eucharistic theology developed, so did Eucharistic piety. Throughout the West, essentially from the time of the Cluniac Reforms and through the thirteenth century, canon law moved to only allowing the priest, with consecrated hands, to handle the Sacred Species, except by indult. At the same time, already by the nineth century, a combination of popular piety and ecclesiastical legislation brought about the standardization of reception of Holy Communion kneeling on the tongue.

The more modern architecture of the altar rail come into vogue during the Counter-Reformation. To combat Protestant accusations of mystification, artisans made the sanctuary more visible by putting up a rail rather than a rood screen. This became the standard in Christendom for the next 400 years. The rail stood as a culmination of centuries of theological and liturgical development. It still separated the sanctuary from the nave, and allowed a simple and traditional method of distribution of Holy Communion, while also fostering Eucharistic piety and active participation, since the faithful in said churches were able more clearly to observe the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Figure 1: The Ballustrade of S. Maria in Cosmedin, Rome
(source: Liturgical Arts Journal)

Figure 2: The layout of the Temple
(source: Wikimedia Commons)

2. The GIRM and Altar Rails

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, which governs all things pertaining to the Novus Ordo Mass, explicitly allows for the erection of the altar rail. Following the perennial tradition of the Church, paragraph 295 states that the sanctuary “should be marked off from the body of the church either by its being somewhat elevated or by a particular structure and ornamentation.” In practice, this “or” is inclusive, and sanctuaries are often constructed with a fixed elevation and some structure and ornamentation.

Reading this in light of the tradition, we can only interpret this “structure” as the altar rail. In ecclesial legislation, grants are to be applied broadly in the law, and lower authorities than the Universal Law cannot restrict a grant (Can. 36 §1.). Since it is permitted in the General Instruction, it cannot be forbidden that priests choose to mark their sanctuaries by the use of the rail.

The GIRM also specifies that in the arrangement of the Church there should be easy access when it comes to the reception of Holy Communion. It instructs us as follows: “moreover, benches or seating should be so arranged, especially in newly built churches, that the faithful can easily take up the bodily postures required for the different parts of the celebration and can have easy access for the reception of Holy Communion” (GIRM #311).

Although there is no explicit mention on the usage of the rails themselves in these latter norms, the altar rail is still a traditional means by which these norms may be fulfilled. They provide a literal “easy access” to the Sacrament, whether one is standing or kneeling to receive Communion.

Finally, in practical terms, distribution of Holy Communion via this “easy access” at altar rails only speeds up the distribution of Communion. When the congregation lines up at the rails, the distributor may go from person to person without much loss of time in between people. With this in mind, the more common form of distribution seems to provide less “easy access” for the faithful to receive Communion. Many, especially old people, struggle to very quickly kneel to receive without delaying the rest of the line. It is within their right to receive in this manner. Yet, “easy access” is oftentimes not given at a standard parish for the faithful to receive in this way.

In sum, altar rails fulfills the requirements of the GIRM in a traditional and arguably fuller way that is not in contradiction to the law of the Church. It is an erroneous opinion that they are harmful, or even in contradiction to the law of the Church.

3. Altar Rails in Light of Redemptionis Sacramentum

At this point, the rubrics have not given any explicit statement as to whether the altar rails may be utilized. They have also not specified whether reception at the altar rail is something altogether prohibited, or whether it can be prohibited by the bishop.

This brings us to Redemptionis Sacramentum, written by Cardinal Arinze of the CDW (now known as the DDW) in 2004, during the reign of St John Paul II, written in the wake of the 2003 encyclical titled Ecclesia de Eucharistia, which called for instruction on liturgical norms.

In paragraph 4 of RS, the CDW promptly states one of the greatest reasons for issuing said instruction:

In this regard it is not possible to be silent about… abuses, even quite grave ones, against the nature of the Liturgy and the Sacraments as well as the tradition and the authority of the Church, which in our day not infrequently plague liturgical celebrations in one ecclesial environment or another. In some places the perpetration of liturgical abuses has become almost habitual, a fact which obviously cannot be allowed and must cease” (RS, 4).

The point in the promulgation of this document, as stated above is to root out liturgical abuses from the preceding decades. It further seeks to restore liturgical celebrations to the “tradition and authority” of the Church, as opposed to the innovations which had been introduced since the promulgation of the New Mass in 1969, often by priest celebrants.

Within the same instruction the CDW includes a section that is directed towards bishops. This section, and the following, are crucial, because the whole document is focused on proper liturgical norms being implemented, keeping in mind the Church’s orthopraxical tradition. In paragraph 19, the CDW states, “The diocesan bishop, the first steward of the mysteries of God in the particular Church entrusted to him, is the moderator, promoter and guardian of her whole liturgical life” (RS, 19). The bishop is the protector of the diocese’s liturgical life.

Moving forward, the CDW states:

It pertains to the diocesan bishop, then, ‘within the limits of his competence, to set forth liturgical norms in his diocese, by which all are bound.’ Still, the bishop must take care not to allow the removal of that liberty foreseen by the norms of the liturgical books so that the celebration may be adapted in an intelligent manner to the Church building, or to the group of the faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances in such a way that the universal sacred rite is truly accommodated to human understanding. The bishop governs the particular Church entrusted to him, and it is his task to regulate, to direct, to encourage, and sometimes also to reprove; this is a sacred task that he has received through episcopal ordination, which he fulfills in order to build up his flock in truth and holiness (RS, 21-22).

It is within the rights of the bishop to create liturgical norms for his diocese. These liturgical norms are for the accomplishment of the same task laid out in Redemptionis Sacramentum itself, that is, to stop liturgical abuses and to educate. Many abuses occur out of “ignorance, in that they involve a rejection of those elements whose deeper meaning is not understood and whose antiquity is not recognized” (RS, 9).

Yet, the above quotation puts a limit on the bishop’s authority, for “the bishop must take care not to allow the removal of that liberty foreseen by the norms of the liturgical books so that the celebration may be adapted in an intelligent manner to the Church building, or to the group of the faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances.” Thus, the bishop cannot encroach in his liturgical norms upon certain liberties given to the laity and priests alike.

Obviously, this could be taken in an anarchical way that completely contradicts the spirit of the document, by which one claims that everything is an “adaptation… to a particular pastoral” circumstance. In terms, then, of authentic interpretation, what is this liberty “foreseen by the norms of the liturgical books”?

On the most fundamental level, it is that which is printed within the Missal and the GIRM that gives a priest or a member of the lay faithful an option. For example, the priest is given the option to announce the Sign of Peace (Missale Romanum, 128). The lay faithful are given the option to receive Communion kneeling or standing; on the hand (unless there is “a risk of profanation”) or on the tongue (RS, 90). Hence, “it is not licit to deny Holy Communion to any of Christ’s faithful solely on the grounds… that the person wishes to receive the Eucharist kneeling or standing” (RS, 91). These options, which are printed in the rubrics, are liberties that the bishop cannot remove.

But the document does not stop here. It also allows “that the celebration may be adapted in an intelligent manner to the Church building, or to the group of the faithful who are present, or to particular pastoral circumstances in such a way that the universal sacred rite is truly accommodated to human understanding.” Here, we must understand these rubrics within the mindset of its legislator. Again, the point in this clause is not to allow anarchy within the liturgy—far from it! Rather, the mind of the legislator points solely to the traditional practices within the liturgy. This is where altar rails come back into the discussion.

Many church buildings, especially those which have been built in a traditional manner, have retained, restored, or constructed, an altar rail. Is this outside of the purview of the Novus Ordo or Redemptionis Sacramentum? Absolutely not. RS was written for the restoration of tradition within the Sacred Liturgy. The CDW notes, quite explicitly that “the structures and forms of the sacred celebrations according to each of the Rites of both East and West are in harmony with the practice of the universal Church also as regards practices received universally from apostolic and unbroken tradition, which it is the Church’s task to transmit faithfully and carefully to future generations” (RS, 9).

Notably, the CDW is not referring to the perennial Tradition, in terms of doctrine, but tradition, in terms of liturgical customs. RS mentions “tradition” 23 times throughout the whole document. The abuses addressed in RS are against, “against the nature of the Liturgy and the Sacraments as well as the tradition and the authority of the Church” (RS, 4).

With this in mind, reception of Holy Communion at the altar rail, even in the Novus Ordo, is something hardly spoken of in the rubrics, and thus afforded liberty. It is an appropriate adaptation to the liturgy, with the interior of the church in mind. It is an appropriate adaptation to the lay faithful who desire to receive Communion at the rail. Thus, it is not within the purview of the bishop to ban this or any other traditional practice, not explicitly forbidden in the rubrics. The Church’s judgment in these matters has always been on the side of upholding the tradition. The use of the altar rail is a laudable expression of that tradition.

Conclusion

Considering the history, theology, and instructions regarding altar rails, we can now clearly state that these liturgical furnishings are not only permitted, but also a laudatory and traditional enhancement to the sanctuary. They are a gate to the “altar of God, to God my exceeding joy” (Ps. 42). Truly, from the author’s experience, the faithful view the altar rail as an altar for their own sacrifice of their lives, and a place where heaven and Earth meet. In fine, the view, not only of the faithful and clergy, but more importantly of Holy Mother Church, is reiterated by Pope Benedict XVI, “What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.”

Gaudete Sunday 2025

Behold, the Lord shall appear upon a white cloud, * and with Him thousands of the Saints; and He shall have written upon His garment and on His thigh, ‘King of kings, and Lord of lords.’ ℣. He shall appear at the end, and not lie; if He tarry, wait for Him, because He will surely come. And with Him... (The first responsory at Matins of Gaudete Sunday.) 

An illustration of the 19th chapter of the Apocalypse, from which the text of this responsory is drawn, ca. 1255-60, by an unknown English artist. (Ms. Ludwig III 1 (83.MC.72), fol. 40; public domain image from the website of the Getty Museum.)

℟. Ecce apparébit Dóminus super nubem cándidam, * Et cum eo Sanctórum millia: et habébit in vestimento, et in fémore suo scriptum: Rex regum, et Dóminus dominantium. ℣. Apparébit in finem, et non mentiétur; si moram fécerit, exspecta eum, quia veniens véniet. Et cum eo...

From the commentary on the Apocalypse by St Bede the Venerable (book 3): “And He hath upon His garment and on his thigh written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” This is the name that none of the proud knows, but it is inscribed upon the Church, not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God. (2 Cor. 3, 3) For by the thigh is signified the descent of one’s offspring; whence also Abraham, lest his descent be mixed with strangers, adduced his thigh as a testimony between himself and his servant. (Gen. 24, 2.) Of this the Apostle writes as one raising up a descent to his deceased brother (Deut. 25, 5), “For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel.” This can also be understood to mean that the Church by serving rules in Christ, and lords over lords. The same name is also written upon the garment, because in the mystery of His nativity, and in the work of His passion, His majesty and kingdom are opened to us. (This last sentence refers to the very ancient interpretation of Isaiah 63, 1-7, that the “garment” of Christ is the human body which He took on in the Incarnation, and in which He was born, died and rose.) 

The Cathedral of St Stephen and the Assumption in Pavia, Italy.

Earlier this week, I posted Nicola’s photographs of the tomb of St Syrus, the first bishop of Pavia, a small town in northern Italy, located about 22 south of Milan; another one of the city’s churches, San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro, houses the relics of St Augustine and St Severinus, better known as the philosopher Boethius. A very late tradition has it that Syrus was the boy who offered to Our Lord the loaves and fishes which He multiplied, as recounted in the Gospel of St John, 6, 1-15. His tomb is located within the cathedral of Pavia, which is dedicated jointly to St Stephen the First-martyr and to the Assumption. This joint dedication arises from the fact that like Milan, Pavia originally had two separate cathedrals with these two separate titles, the larger of which, St Stephen, was used in the summer, and the smaller, St Mary, in the winter. In Milan, however, the two cathedral were completely separated from each other, and faced each other across a large open space, with a baptistery between them, whereas at Pavia, they stood next to each other, and were not wholly separated from each other internally.  

The current single building results from a project to rebuild them as a single structure which began in the late 15th century, and is still technically not completed; the walls are solid, and the building functions, but the marble revetements that should have covered the exposed brickwork seen here has never been done. Construction was repeatedly halted not only because of the expense involved in procuring marble from a distance, since there is little to be had in the area, but also because of significant structural problems. The cupola, such as it stands, was not finished until 1882-85, the façade, still without revetement, in 1895-98, and the last phase, the two arms of the transept, in 1930-33.

The back of the apse and the belltower.

Even in its incomplete state, the building is impressively in its size. At nearly 320 feet externally (302 internally), the dome is the fourth highest in Italy, after those of St Peter’s basilica, the Pantheon, and the duomo of Florence.

The choir area behind the altar was the first part of the new cathedral to be completed, and for a long time, the only really usable part of it, to the point where serious thought was given to abandoning the project and returning to the use of the still-standing part of the old building.

Continue Reading this Article. . .

The Feast of St Lucy

Truly is is fitting and just, right and profitable to salvation, that we should give Thee thanks always and everywhere, o Lord, Holy Father, almighty and eternal God; Who by Thy grace gave to the Blessed Lucy in the contest of her martyrdom the strength of unconquerable faith, by which she defied and steadfastly overcame the pains of fire and sword, and happily triumphed over the savagery of the tyrant Paschasius. O God, how wondrous and incomprehensible is Thy might! Who made her, though still but a girl, of the fragile sex, victorious in her tortures, and when she had entered the door of the heavenly kingdom, crowned her with a double crown for the double victory of her virginity and martyrdom. Through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise, the Archangels venerate, the Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Principalities, Powers adore Thy majesty, whom also the Cherubim and Seraphim, praise with voices united; among whom we beseech that Thou also command our voices to be admitted, saying with humble confession. Holy... (The Ambrosian Preface for the feast of St Lucy.)

St Lucy before the Prefect Paschasius, by Lorenzo Lotto, 1532

Vere quia dignum et justum est ... Qui Beátae Luciae, in sui agóne martyrii, inexpugnábilis fidei fortitúdinem tua gratia praestitisti: per quam contemptas incendii, et gladii poenas constanter súperans, de Paschasii tyranni saevitia felíciter triumphavit. O mira, et incomprehensíbilis tua, Domine, potentia! qui ipsam adhuc juvénculam, in sexu frágili, victrícem in suppliciis reddidisti: et ingressam regni caelestis jánuam, pro gémina virginitátis et martyrii victoria, dúplici lauréola coronasti. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. Per quem...

Several of the words and expressions in this Preface (“contest”, “unconquerable”, “steadfastly overcame”, etc.) come from a very ancient tradition by which the Christians adopted the language of gladiatorial combats to the trials and sufferings of their martyrs. In the case of St Lucy, they also refer to a specific episode of her legend: when she had spoken of the virtue of chastity to Paschasius, the prefect of her native city of Syracuse, he ordered her to be dragged off to a brothel. However, the men charged with bringing her there found it absolutely impossible to move her, an episode which is twice commemorated in the proper texts of her Office. The antiphon of the Benedictus reads “Thou art an immovable column, o Lucy, bride of Christ: for all the people await thee, that Thou may receive the crown of life, alleluja.” That of the Magnificat at Second Vespers reads “With such great weight did the Holy Spirit fix her fast that the Virgin of Christ remained unmovable.” Inspired by these texts, Lotto makes her the brightest figure in the painting, and shows her standing perfectly upright, while the figures around her are bent in one direction or another in the struggle to move her.

In the panel below, the work of an anonymous Flemish painter from Bruges known as the Master of the St Lucy Legend (active ca. 1480-1510), the Saint is shown on the left with her mother, whom she had taken to the shrine of St Agatha to heal her from an issue of blood. In the center, she is tried before Paschasius; on the right, she remains completely unmovable, even when oxen are tied to her in an attempt to drag her away. (The work has also been attributed to a painter from Bruges called François vanden Pitte, but this attribution does not seem to be accepted universally. It is still displayed there in the church of St James.)

Liturgical and Spiritual Resources on New Online Platform

Readers may have noticed that I’ve been absent from NLM the past few months. That's only temporary. The explanation is simple enough: I’ve been totally absorbed, along with about a dozen other people, in the creation of Pelican+, a comprehensive traditional Catholic digital platform that combines a writers’ forum (e.g., it’s the new home of Tradition & Sanity where I publish most of my online writing), a podcast network, ebook, audiobook, and music libraries, a vault of classic prayers, family-friendly programs, documentaries, and more. All designed to be orthodox and beautiful, without any advertising, secular agendas, or hidden algorithms driving it.

Of particular interests to NLM readers, Pelican+ offers users an array of liturgical and spiritual resources to explore. I’ll share some screen shots below.

The Prayer App is the section of most obvious relevance (click on any image to enlarge — bearing in mind that on the Pelican+ app itself, all of these pages would be dynamic, allowing you to click on any of the buttons):

The categories are Prayers to Our Lord (the options go further down, but I'm limited in how much I can show in one picture):

Eucharistic prayers:

Prayers for Mass:

Prayers to Our Lady (there are a lot of these, including many versions of the Rosary):

Continue Reading this Article. . .

St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Sun: Brother Sun

Lost in Translation #151

After devoting two stanzas in his Canticle of the Sun to God and man (which we have traced in our series of article  here and here), Francis devotes the rest of his composition to God and material creation. He moves more or less altitudinally, from the highest thing in the physical universe on down. For him, that means starting with the sun:

Laudato sie, mi Signore cum tucte le Tue creature,

spetialmente messor lo frate Sole,

lo qual è iorno, et allumini noi per lui.

Et ellu è bellu e radiante cum grande splendore:

de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione.

Which I translate as:

Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun,

who is the day, and who enlightens us through him.

And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor!

He brings meaning about You, O Most High.

The stanza initiates a pattern that is common throughout the Canticle: it commands God to be praised by one of his creatures, whom Francis identifies as a brother or sister. This stanza, however, is unique in two ways. First, this is the only time that Francis addresses a creature with a title of respect: he calls the sun not simply a brother but “Sir Brother.” Such deference points to the prominence of the sun in the order of creation. The sun enlightens us, and it is beautiful and radiant with great splendor.

Second, this is the only time that Francis says that a creature discloses something about God. The verse de Te, Altissimo, porta significatione is difficult to translate, but it indicates that the sun carries within itself some meaningful information about God. Of course, that is true of every creature. As Pope Benedict XVI once said, “All Creation speaks of God and is praise of God.” Francis is not denying that every created things speaks of God; he is singling out the sun for being especially indicative of God.

So what is it that the sun and God have in common, or rather, what does the sun tell us about God? Francis mentions three attributes: the sun enlightens us, it is beautiful, and it radiates.

Regarding enlightenment, in the Prologue to the Gospel according to Saint John, the Son of God is described as “the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world” (1, 9), and the same can be said of the other two Persons of the Holy Trinity as well. One can even toy with aligning each Person of the Trinity with some solar quality, as does St. Ambrose in one of his hymns:

O Splendor of the Father’s glory,

Bringing forth light from light,

Light of light and Font of light,

Illuminating the days of days.

And true Sun, flow on,

Glittering with everlasting brilliance;

And the radiance of the Holy Spirit,

Pour fourth onto our senses.

Second, the sun’s beauty reminds us of God’s, not only because both are splendid but because both are in a way the cause of beauty in other things. The sun is the “cause” of beauty in visible things insofar as we could not see their beauty without the sun. And it is much more the case that God is the cause of beauty in all things, for He made all things good, and the good is beautiful.

Third, just as the sun’s radiance is the chief source of warmth on earth, so too is God’s love the chief source of spiritual warmth in our lives. In Revelation 12, 1 (not to mention the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast we celebrate today), the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted as a “woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” Mary, full of grace, is basking in God’s love, and so was Saint Francis when he wrote this Canticle.

This article appeared as “Sir Brother Sun” in the Messenger of St. Anthony 127:4, international edition (April 2025), p. 37. Many thanks to its editors for allowing its publication here.

A Boy-Bishop for the Feast of St Nicholas

Chavagnes International College is an English-language Catholic boarding school for boys located in Chavagnes-en-Paillers in western France (near Nantes), well known for cultivating a strong liturgical life. Each year on the feast of St Nicholas, in accordance with the old English tradition, a boy-bishop is appointed from among the students to preside over the celebration of Vespers, and at high table for the meal following. (See below for a bit more about this tradition.) These photos are reproduced with the College’s permission, and our thanks.

First, the vesting.

Continue Reading this Article. . .

Some Useful Reminders in the Liturgy Debate

I have often brought to our readers attention the wise musings of Brian Holdsworth, certainly one of the smartest and most consistently interesting Catholic voices on social media. He recently posted this very useful video in which he responds to one of the most common tropes of the ongoing debate over liturgy in the Church, which runs more or less as follows: it doesn’t matter so much how we celebrate the liturgy, and specifically, whether we celebrate it in the Ordinary Form (or “unique expression”, if you prefer), or the Extraordinary Form, because the really important thing is that the Eucharist is validly celebrated. And therefore, the argument goes, no one should contend that any given form of it is better than another; a fortiori, no one should contend that any practice permitted by the Church’s liturgical law, (say, never using the Roman Canon) is better than any other.

But as Mr Holdsworth rightly points out, this doesn’t just run altogether contrary to what the Church itself says and has always said about the liturgy. It runs contrary to the whole putative justification for the invention and imposition of the post-Conciliar Rite, which is premised on the idea that everything that we do in the liturgy does matter and is important. The liturgical reform itself is, or was supposed to be, an expression of the Church’s “grave concern” for every aspect of the rite of Mass, which in turn means that we ourselves should also be concerned that everything in it be done not just validly, but beautifully, reverently, and in a manner consonant with tradition, as the Second Vatican Council wanted and asked for.

Speaking of which, on Sunday, another decimal anniversary of the most recent ecumenical council, the sixtieth since its closing, passed with the usual lack of fanfare; there were no celebrations of note, and even the Pope barely mentioned it in passing at the Angelus. But it is always worth reminding ourselves that the Novus Ordo is not the liturgy of the Council, and does not represent what it wanted and asked for. Very few people are as well-versed in this matter as Dom Alcuin Reid, who offers a very useful summary of the problem in a column published two days ago in the Catholic Herald. As is always the case with Dom Alcuin’s writings, no summary or excerpt really does it justice, but the crux of the matter is this: 

“In marking the sixtieth anniversary of the closing of the Council it is important that we are clear about the facts. The Mass promulgated in the Missal of 1970, its successors and their various vernacular translations included, is not that which was called for or authorised by the Second Vatican Council. It is the product – duly authorised by the Pope, and sacramentally valid, but a product nonetheless – of a group of enthusiasts whose Secretary would later boast in respect of their work: “Fortune favours the brave.” In other words, what we have in our parishes in the modern rites, even faithfully celebrated, is not what the Council called for. It is in some part a broad interpretation of the Council’s Constitution on the Liturgy and in other parts an ideologically and politically motivated flagrant departure from what it authorised, ...

If we understand this we can see why it is possible to question and even reject the modern rites without being disloyal to the Council. ... The liturgical reform desired by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council – and glimpsed by them with satisfaction sixty years ago today – quickly became a runaway train. Its engineers took it far beyond its intended destination, and those who attempt to control it today are unwilling and/or unable to get it back onto the tracks the Council laid down for it.”

The Book of Hours of Étienne Alleaume

We are now in the midst of a period with various feasts of the Virgin Mary: the Immaculate Conception on Monday, Our Lady of Loreto today, and Guadalupe on Friday, plus the ongoing celebration of Rorate Masses, her Votive Mass in Advent, and the Ember days next week, which commemorate the Annunciation on Wednesday and the Visitation on Friday. So here is a look at a manuscript with many very beautiful images of the most important events of Her life, the Book of Hours of Étienne Alleaume. Apart from the date of its production, ca. 1500-30, and the name of the original owner, the website of the Bibliothèque nationale de France gives almost no information about it, or its original owner, nor was I able to dig any up on the internet. The style is clearly very heavily influenced by the art of the Italian Renaissance, but with a strong preference for highly detailed decorative backgrounds which is more typical of the 14th and 15th century International Gothic. The liturgical texts included (the Little Office of the Virgin, the Office of the Dead, the Gradual and Penitential Psalms, the Litany of the Saints etc.) are all standard. Like many people of that era, Étienne Alleaume, lord of the town of Verneuil-sur-Seine, was doing the trendy thing in liturgy at the time, and saying these not according to the local Use, but the Roman.

I ordinarily present all the images from a manuscript in order, but we should start with an image of the Virgin Herself, so I’ve moved this one up. This page introduces a Little Office of the Immaculate Conception with images and titles derived from various parts of the Bible, but especially the Song of Songs (“chosen like the sun”), and the liturgy (“star of the sea” etc.) This Little Office is quite different from the standard one, in that each Hour consists solely of a brief hymn, a versicle and a prayer. Within the manuscript, this Office is placed after the Hours of the Holy Spirit, a similarly brief devotional Office.

Each page of the calendar has above it an image with the sign of the zodiac that begins within the corresponding month, and representations of the ages of the life of man, from youth to old age.

A decorative band with the words “Satiabor cum apparuerit gloria tua. – I shall be sated when Thy glory shall appear,” the last words of Psalm 16. Several others appear in various places within the book to fill spaces between the end of a text and the bottom of a page.

Many books of Hours included a group of four Gospels, one from each of the Evangelists: John 1, 1-14, the Gospel of Christmas day; Luke 1, 26-38, the Annunciation; Matthew 2, 1-12, the Epiphany; and Mark 16, 14-20, the Ascension. This image introduces the Gospel from St John, but there are no concomitant images of the other Evangelists with their Gospels.

They are followed by the full Passion of St John. 

Continue Reading this Article. . .

Proposal for the Revised Apostolic Liturgy (RAL) of John Chrysostom - Part 2

Following the principles outlined in the first part of this article, here is the text of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, revised according to all the ideas applied 60 years ago so fruitfully and beneficially to the reform of the Roman Rite, shared with us by intrepid scholar and reporter Petruk von Batavia. (Since more than one person seems to think that both the editor and I have suddenly, inexplicably and completely lost our minds, this is a satire, intended to demonstrate what an appalling mess the principles of the Roman liturgical reform would make if applied to another ancient and venerable rite.)

Model sanctuary

Text and Rubrics for Sunday Liturgy

[The proskomedia liturgy is abolished]

Liturgy of the Word

Invocation

Deacon: Reverend, give the blessing.
Priest: Happy is the realm of the + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.

Great litany

[ Up to 12 lay readers may form a long, cycling queue for their turn to say a line from the great litany, to which all shall respond with “Lord, You are merciful”. ]

• Reader 1: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 2: For peace from above and for the salvation of all, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 3: For world peace, for the well-being of all and for unity, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 4: For this congregation, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 5: For the most holy universal pontiff, N., Pope of Rome, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 6: For our Major Archbishop N., the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 7: For this country, the government, and the world, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 8: For the original custodians of the land on which this temple stands, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 9: For the prevention of climate change, for Sister Earth and all creation, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 10: For travelers, for migrants and minorities, for women and the oppressed, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 11: That we may always be a Synodal Church, let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader 12: Remembering all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole lives to Christ, our Lord.

All: To You, O Lord.
Priest: For all happiness, love and worship befit You, Father, Son and Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.

First antiphon

[ The term “soul” may express an imprecise notion of a disembodied mind and will, which had been undermined by modern neuroscience, hence we shall use the term “life” for the sake of intellectual honesty. ]

Psalm 102
All: Bless the Lord, O my life, and all that is within me bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my life, and forget not all His benefits.
He forgives all sins, heals all diseases.
He guides you away from corruption, crowning you with mercy.
Compassionate and merciful is God, abounding in mercy.
Bless the Lord, O my life, and all that is within me bless His holy name.
Blessed are you, O Lord.

[ Small litany is abolished ]

[ Second antiphon and Justinian’s hymn are abolished ]

The happy ones

Matt 5, 3-11
All: Remember us, O Lord, in Your realm.
Happy are the poor, for theirs is paradise.
Happy are the mourners, for they will be comforted.
Happy are the meek, for they will inherit Sister Earth.
Happy are they who desire righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Happy are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Happy are the pure, for they see God.
Happy are the peacemakers, for they are children of God.
Happy are the marginalised and minorities, for they shall have paradise.
Happy are you when they oppress you and accuse you because of me.
Be happy for your reward will be great.

Small entrance

[ The altar servers may optionally perform a joyful dance accompanying laypeople in the small entrance procession. ]

Deacon: Wisdom! Stand up.
All: Come, let us worship Christ. Son of God, You arose, guide us who sing to You: Alleluia.

Troparia and kontakia

<Refer to the propers for the day>

Thrice-happy song

Deacon: Bless, Reverend, the time of the thrice-happy song.
Priest: For You, our God, are holy and we make You happy, Father, Son, and Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.
All: Holy, mighty, and immortal God, you are compassionate to us.

Prokeimenon

Deacon: Let us pay attention.
Priest: Peace to all.
Deacon: Wisdom! Pay attention!
<prokeimenon here>

Epistle

Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: A reading from ...
Deacon: Let us pay attention.
Reader: Siblings, ...
<reading here>

Priest: Peace to all.
Reader: Thanks. You also.
Deacon: Wisdom! Pay attention!

Alleluia

All: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Priest: Wisdom! Stand up! Let us listen to the gospel! Peace to all.
All: Thanks. You also.
Deacon: A reading from the gospel according to <name>.
All: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you.
Deacon: Let us pay attention.
<gospel here>
All: Glory to you, O Lord, glory to you.

[ Insistent litany is abolished ]

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Cherubic hymn

[ Historically, handwashing takes place when a bishop presides before the great entrance, wherein, a subdeacon pours an ewer containing rose water for washing the bishop’s hands, all while the deacon censes the altar, iconostasis and congregation.

However, this may scandalise the faithful by appearing to diminish the dignity of the subdeacon and deacon with manual labour. Instead, the bishop may use a hand sanitiser from his pocket, or the temple may be installed with a faucet and an automatic hand dryer for the bishop to use, while the deacon simply burns incense on a bowl. ]

All: Let us who represent the cherubim and sing the thrice-happy song to the liberating Trinity, now lay aside all prejudices.

Great entrance

[ The altar servers may optionally perform a joyful dance accompanying laypeople in the great entrance procession, bringing the gifts. ]

Deacon: May the Lord remember in His realm all you people, always, now and forever.
Priest: May the Lord remember in His country the most holy universal Pontiff, N., the Pope of Rome, all clergy, our country, and everyone, always, now and forever.
All: Amen. That we may receive the Word of God, who became human. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

[ Litany of offerings is abolished ]

Sign of peace

Priest: Peace to all.
All: Thanks. You also.
Deacon: Let us love each other, that we may confess:
All: Father, Son and Spirit, the Trinity one in being and undivided.

[ The clergy and congregation shall give each other the sign of peace by a simple nod. Making physical contact should be avoided to maintain hygiene standards. The congregants shall reverence each other, in the Christian spirit of love and charity towards neighbour with: Namaste. ]

Nicene creed

[ All recite the creed. Historically, the priest will hold the Aër above the Gifts and waive it slowly, indicating the activity of the Holy Spirit. However, this is superstitious and the use of any veils, including the Aër, will now be forbidden. ]

Deacon: In wisdom, let us pay attention.
All: We believe in one God, …

Anaphora

Deacon: Let us stand up, let us stand with respect, let us awake to offer in peace the holy offering.
All: A mercy of peace, an offering of praise.
Priest: The kindness of Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the friendship of the Spirit is with you all.
All: Thanks. You also.
Priest: Let us lift up our hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us thank the Lord.
All: It is correct and good.
Priest: It is correct and good to bless, praise, thank, worship You everywhere; for You are God. You created the universe. So, we thank You, even though there stand before you many angels, singing, crying, shouting, and saying the happy song:
All: Holy, holy, holy is the Sovereign wonderful and powerful. The universe is filled with your glory. Happy is the Person who comes in the name of God. Hosanna in the highest.
Priest: With these angels, O God, who loves people, we say: Happy are You – truly, all happy – You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Spirit. Happy are You – truly all happy – and great is your happiness. You so loved Your world as to give Your Son, that whoever follows Him shall be happy. After He had come and taught us with His teachings, He was given over – or rather, gave Himself over for the world. He took bread into His hands, gave it to His friends, saying:

<usual words>

All: Amen.
Priest: When the meal was ended, He took the cup in the same way, saying:

<usual words>

All: Amen.
Priest: Remembering the love, example and teachings of Jesus Christ, our beloved Lord: We offer to You, Yours of Your own, in behalf of all and for all.
All: We sing, bless, praise, and thank You, and pray to You, our God.

Epiclesis

[ The priest may not make the sign of the cross over the bread and wine, as this fosters superstition; instead, he gently touches the bread and cup. ]

Priest: Further, look with your tender eyes how thankful we are for this bread and wine, the fruits of Sister Earth, and work of comrade’s hands: And send Your Spirit upon us and these gifts present,
And make this bread the body of Your Christ <touch the bread>,
And that inside this cup the blood of Your Christ <touch the cup>,
Changing them by your Holy Spirit,
So that they may be for recipients, nourishment and medicine, friendship with the Spirit, guide to happiness, and confidence before You.

Diptychs

Priest: Further, we offer you this good and sanitary worship for those who have gone to sleep before us: ancestors, parents, teachers, saints, and especially for the most Holy Mary, who actively chose to carry on with gestation by her own volition.
All: It is correct and good to bless you, the biological parent of Christ. Greater than the cherubim and happier than the seraphim; you gave birth to Christ our Lord, O true Theotokos, we honour your choice!
Priest: Among the first, remember, O God, the most holy universal Pontiff, N., Pope of Rome, and all the clergy. For the sake of your churches grant that they may live peacefully and happily for many years.
All: And remember all people.
Priest: And grant that with one voice and heart, we may praise and worship Your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.
Priest: And may the mercies of our great Guide and Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all.
All: Thanks. You also.

[ Litany for the sanctified gifts is abolished ]
[ Litany of supplication is abolished ]

The Prayer

Priest: As Christ taught us, we say:
All: Father in heaven,
Holy is your name,
Your realm come,
Your will is done,
On earth and sky.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And pardon our sins,
As we pardon them that sin against us.
And do not allow us to be tempted,
But deliver us from evil.
Priest: For the realm, sovereignty, and happiness are yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.
Priest: Peace to all.
All: Thanks. You also.
Deacon: Bow to the Lord.
All: To You, O Lord.
Priest: We give you thanks, O Lord, through the kindness, mercies and compassion of Your only-begotten Son with Whom You are happy together with Your holy, good, and liberating Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen.

Communion

Deacon: Let us pay attention.
Priest: The happy things for the happy.
All: One is happy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the gladness of the Father. Amen.
Praise the Lord from heaven: praise Him in the highest. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

[ “I believe, O Lord, and confess that You are truly Christ ... ” is abolished. ]

Communion of the people

Deacon: Approach, all you people.
All: Happy is the person who comes in the name of the Word who appeared to us.

[ Communion is either received on the hand or taken directly from the diskos by the recipient. The recipient will then dip the bread into the wine and consume immediately. The use of liturgical spoon is discouraged to prevent the spread of bacteria or viruses.

Recipients come relaxed, without the requirement to cross their arms over their chest.

The priest distributing the eucharist says: The bread of life and our spiritual drink. ]

Blessing with the gifts

Priest: Save all people, O Lord, and bless your inheritance.
All: We have seen the light. We have received the teaching. We have found happiness. We worship the undivided Trinity for guiding us.
Priest: Happy is God, now and forever.
All: Amen.

Thanksgiving hymn

Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given
Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say I am strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks
We give thanks

[ Thanksgiving litany is abolished ]

Ambo prayer

Deacon: Let us go in peace.
All: In the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
All: The Lord is merciful.
Priest: You bless those who bless You, O Lord, and make happy those who trust in your guidance. And we give glory, thanks, and worship to You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
All: Amen. Happy is the name of the Lord, now and forever.

Final blessing

Priest: May the blessing of God be on you with His kindness and love for people, always, now and forever.
All: Amen.

Dismissal

Priest: Glory to You, Christ our Lord, Glory to You.
All: Glory to the Father, Son, and Spirit, now and forever. Amen. The Lord is merciful. Give the blessing.
Priest: Christ + our Lord, through the prayers of Mary, His mother, of John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Istanbul, and of all the saints, will guide us, for He is good and loves all people.
All: Amen.

The Altar and Relics of St Syrus of Pavia

Today is the feast of St Syrus, the first bishop of the little city of Pavia in northern Italy, located about 22 miles south of Milan. The Roman Martyrology states that he “became famous with apostolic signs and virtues”, a nod to a charming legend about him, that he was the boy whose five barley loaves and two fish Our Lord multiplied, as recounted in John 6, 1-15. This tradition, which is first attested only in the 14th century, goes on to say that he remained a companion of the Apostles, and traveled to Rome with St Peter, who sent him to evangelize in the north of Italy, and that he preached in various city before becoming bishop of Pavia and dying there. His relics are housed in a beautifully decorated altar of the cathedral; here are some pictures from Nicola de’ Grandi.

The marble and alabaster altar was created by Tommaso Orsolino between 1645 and 1650, and originally placed in the cathedral crypt. It was translated to the building’s right transept in 1932.

On the front of the altar is shown the episode of the boy Syrus bringing the five loaves to the Lord, and on the right, the crowd at the multiplication.

To the left, St Marcian, a disciple of Syrus and the first bishop of Tortona, about 27 miles to the south-southwest of Pavia, martyred there ca. 120 A.D.

To the right, St Maternus, a native of Pavia whom Syrus is said to have sent north, where he became the first bishop of Triers, Liège and Cologne.

St Syrus receives keys directly from the hands of the Christ Child in the arms of his Mother, while angels hold his crozier, Gospel book, and the basket with the five loaves.   

Continue Reading this Article. . .

The Fire of the Godhead Which Miraculously Consumes, Cools and Conceives

Lesson from the Liturgy in Words and Pictures

Here are four stanzas from Ode 8, a commentary on the canticle of the Three Young Men (Daniel 3, 57-88), from Orthros (Morning Prayer in the Byzantine Liturgy) on the feast of St Nicholas, December 6th. The Canticle of the Three Young Men is their hymn of praise to God, inspired by the glory and beauty of Creation, sung when they were thrown into the furnace. Here we can see how the hymns give us a theological lesson that poetically connects the fire to God, to the Holy Spirit and to the Virgin, to the Burning Bush and to the saint being commemorated, St Nicholas. The refrain of the Canticle, “Oh you works of the Lord, bless the Lord”, appears in the first stanza.

If you’re thinking that what I am describing here is very similar to several recent posts by me, you are correct! These, and other core typological themes, come up time and time again in the Byzantine Liturgy. Every single week, there will be numerous references to them, very often, as in this case, placing them into the additional context of the feast being celebrated. This is the pedagogical method of the liturgy: important themes are repeatedly and beautifully prayed, sometimes in a variety of ways, sometimes the repetitions are identical, so that they are remembered and grasped deeply by the faithful. Aside from the theological point being made, the effect is to emphasise the unity of the liturgy in which every aspect of our worship is a facet of a whole that is directed to a single end and summit.

Here are the troparia stanzas: “In Babylon of old, the fiery furnace wielded its power in two distinct ways. By the decree of God, it consumed the Chaldeans, while it became refreshing dew for the faithful who sang: ‘All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord!’ ”

The three children in the furnace, 3rd century AD, from the Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome.

“O blessed saint, gracious and compassionate, deliver those held captive by trials; by your intercession to the Savior, free them from the ills possessing them, O priest initiated into the divine mysteries.”

Saint Nicholas resurrecting the three butchered children, from the Grandes Heures d’Anne de Bretagne (1503-8)

“The furnace moist with cool dew prefigured a wonder surpassing nature: as it left unharmed the young men that were thrown into its midst, so also the fire of the Godhead descended within the Virgin’s womb, leaving it unscathed. Wherefore let us sing a hymn of praise and say: ‘Let the whole creation bless the Lord and exalt Him forever.’ ”

The Annunciation, Domenico Beccafumi; Italian 1545

“The strange sight of the bush burning but unconsumed on Sinai in times past prefigured the mystery of your birthgiving, O spotless Maid. For the Fire of the Godhead dwelt in you, keeping you unharmed. Therefore, we praise you forever.”

The Burning Bush, by Nicholas Froment, French, in Aix Cathedral, 1475-76