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A further stage in transferring from the
Tredentine form of Mass to the new Vatican II
form (a happy accident made Pope Paul V
responsible for the inauguration of the
Tredentine form and Pope Paul VI for this more
recent form) - was inaugurated on the first
Sunday of Advent, This has made it possible for
us to reap much benefit from more bible readings
from the Old Testament.
Prophetic words uttered long, long ago come to
our ears now as something new, because they
contain meaning far in excess of that envisaged
by the prophets and their immediate audiences.
These words are like a seedling which takes long
to develop, the fruit of which and the use to
which it will be put, is quite unimagined by the
gardener who plants.
And in Centuries yet to come who is to say that
deeper and as yet unthought of meanings will not
be revealed from the oracles of those hearlds
whose bones have, even now, long since been laid
to rest. To hear the words is good, to ponder
them as well is better, and add to this attention
to an unfolding of their meaning is best of all.
The 'newness' of the 'New Liturgy' is nearly
always shocking. The well-worn fits comfortably,
the new pinches. "There's so much bobbin up
and down and so much answering back now, r can't
keep my mind on the Mass," is not an
uncommon reaction to liturgical developments.
Just as little children learning to walk have to
have all their attention concentrated on the
mechanics of walking with little left to consider
where they are heading so we are so engrossed
with the mechanics of celebrating the Mass that
for the time being there is but little attention
left to devote to the meaning. We must be
patient. Soon we'll become so familiar with the
mechanics of the liturgy that we'll know what to
say and when to say it, what to do and when to do
it| that these things will become largely
automatic and our attention will have full rein
to concentrate on the meaning of it all.
The liturgy is a language - the language of
worship in word and action. When I'm learning a
new language the words come out haltingly and
with much hesitation, I have to examine my
thoughts and then think out how I can express
then In fact I have to accommodate my thoughts to
the limited vocabulary I have. The major part of
my attention is directed not to what I want to
say but rather to the way in which I can say it.
So it is that for the time being with the liturgy
the greater part of my attention has to be
directed to the way in which the worship is being
performed rather than upon the meaning expressed
by it. Familiarity with the method will give
scope for attention to meaning.
What a wonderful welcome you gave me at my
induction as parish priest! Thank you sincerely
for the warmth of your friendship. So many came
to the evening Mass, and so many received our
Lord in holy communion.
The Party in St. Anne's hall afterwards was
equally joyous. Many thanks to all who
contributed towards the entertainments -
especially our Junior School with its song of
welcome composed by the children themselves.
Thanks, too, to the girls of St. Bernard's for
their songs, to Jim Woods for his expert handling
of the 'booze', and of course and always to our
excellent 'Mums', the backbone of any social
function, who labour quietly and unknown - well,
unknown anyway ! - before and after, preparing
the food and washing up. To all a big 'thank
you'.
There are other efforts for which to say 'thank
you'. Our Infants' school children gave us a
devotional prelude to Christmas when they sang
carols of joy in the presence of their parents
and other persons who were invited - school
managers and local clergy. The whole setting was
tastefully conceived by the teachers, the
children forming a large star in the midst of the
assembly. Dimmed electric lights brought into
clarity lighted candles carried by the children.
There must have been a boom in soap and water
that afternoon for the children's faces and
clothing were shining bright in the flickering
light of the candles!
Two productions from St. Bernard's convent school
also deserve our thanks - neither of which, alas,
I was able to attend, but of which I received
glowing reports.
The senior girls' singing of Handel's Messiah
must have been quite moving from what I hear.
Congratulations!. The prep. school's nativity
play I missed by a whisker - arriving as I did,
just as the audience was dispersing.
I must put in a word of congratulations to staff
and pupils of St. Anthony's junior school at
Farnham for a truly remarkable mime of some of
the events which led up to the birth of Christ.
It was held in the church of St. Anthony - our
Saviour's sacramental presence being taken to a
side chapel so as to make space for his 'Grace
Presence' in the people of God assembled to
perform; and this included all those invited
because all present were involved in one way or
another. All parts of the church were used - the
choir gallery at the west end housed the angelic
choirs and a well ordered lime light which picked
out processions of prophets, kings and shepherds
as they approached by side and centre aisles the
broad sanctuary which served well the purpose-the
spaciousness of the garden of Eden, the emptiness
that prophets must have experienced when they
proclaimed their Oracles of God to an unheeding
people and the crowded warmth of the Bethlehem
stable packed with unseen angels -
Except that these angels were very much seen!.
One little darling of a child ablaze with
shimmering tinsel knelt on the cold stone of the
sanctuary just before me looking as tired and
bored as Murillo's cherubs on the pediment
supporting our Blessed Lady'. From the sincerity
of these children as they presented to us in
their way of simplicity the enormous
interventions of God among men I learned new
truths in prophetic words and was not ashamed of
the tears that burned my eyes and moistened
cheeks.
It was a good turn out on a bitterly cold night
when a crib on the porch roof of St. Anthony's
Anglican church was blessed and hailed by
priests, ministers and lay folk of all
denominations. What we'd do without the Salvation
Army band on such occasions I really fear to
imagine. Thanks to the Reverend P. Clark and the
art master and pupils of Langley Secondary Modern
school for organising this Christian effort to
decorate our streets with something other than
lanterns and coloured lights - something which
reminds us of the shattering event of God
becoming man.
On Sunday 21st. all Catholics are invited to a
carol service in the Congregational church at
Colnbrook. It starts at 15.00. with Mr. Ross as
host. I shall be there. Christmas parties for
children living in the Colnbrook area are
organised by the Anglican, Catholic,
Congregational and Methodist churches.
Children under seven are invited to attend the
Colnbrook village hall on Tuesday 30th. from
15.30. to 17.00. The over sevens on the next day
from. 16.00. to 18,00.
You will remember that in the previous newsletter
I wrote that the people of this parish should be
invited to take their rightful places in the
administration of our parish. To start the ball
rolling I now, as parish priest, call a Special
General Meeting of the Langley and Iver Catholic
Association in St. Anne's hall on Tuesday 6th.
January after the evening Mass. The business of
the meeting is to discuss means to form a more
broadly based Parish Council.
Before I close I'd like to thank bishop Parker
publicly for having come to us to confirm some of
our children. It cannot be easy for him - now in
his eighties and with a life-time of habit behind
him -to accommodate himself to the changing
liturgy. He gives us good example by his
willingness to fall in with local customs. God
bless him and may his retirement continue one of
happiness and contentment.
When Christmas comes may all heavenly joys and
gladness be yours.
I pray for you as you, I know, pray for me, Your
Parish Priest, Gerald G Langley.
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