Perusing on Pentecost

Has it been that long since I've been to Mass? Most of my friends think I go too often! On the way out of the church this morning I ran into the monsignor on the sidewalk, and he said he hadn't seen me in a while. I wasn't aware that Catholics kept track as do those Baptists.

Edit: the last reported Mass mentioned in my blog was May 14; I may have gone since then and not blogged it.

Anyway, today was the Feast of the Solemnity of Pentecost, the day commemorating the Biblical story about how the risen Jesus came to visit his disciples and cause tongues of fire to come upon each of their heads, filling them with the Holy Spirit and allowing them to speak in tongues. It's a colorful day cause they get to use red vestments.

The associate pastor was the celebrant this morning and he preached on the Holy Spirit being a separate god-entity—reminding us that we used to call it the "Holy Ghost," a concept that gives us a more corporeal image—and then I'm not really sure where it went after that. I remember him saying that John Paul II spoke seventeen languages fluently and dabbled in others while the current Holy Father speaks at least five fluently. I always despair of my lack of fluency in any languages (including English); I guess I should become a priest so I can learn them!

It was the early Mass, so there were no anthems or choir (scheduled at 11 were the Gloria from Mozart's Coronation Mass and Everett Titcomb's "I Will Not Leave You Comfortless"). The hymns were Lambilotte for the processional, Veni Sancte Spiritus (plainsong Mode I) for the sequence, Down Ampney at the offertory, "O blessed Savior now behold" (1990 copyright by a guy named Jerry Brubaker) for a nobody-sang-it communion song, and Nun komm der heiden Heiland at the recessional. Mass setting was a hodgepodge as usual, with How's Parish Communion Service for the responsorial Gloria, the organist's Gospel alleluia, Hughes' Mass of the Divine Word during the consecration, and the plainsong Agnus Dei.

They took the rental electronic organ they rented for the Easter season back to the store. Now they're using an electronic keyboard which the organist was using for both piano and harpsichord and mix. Alas.