|
On Sunday 2 February we celebrated Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, at the Parish Church. In this great festival of Our Lord, which take place 40 days after Christmas Day, Jesus is presented as the light to enlighten the nations: all people everywhere. The first part of the service included the blessings and distribution of candles and a procession. Unlike in the modern use, candles are blessed at the altar, lighted, and then distributed to the congregation, highlighting the fact the light of Christ, though represented by many individual flames, is one. These initial rites replace the penitential rite for the Mass and are adapted from the English Missal. In our celebration the Sanctus and Agnus Dei were taken from Francois Couperin's “Mass for the Convents”, published in 1690, and newly edited by our organist from manuscripts in Versailles and Carpentras. The plainchant sung by All Saints’ Choir is from a Parisian Gradual published in 1696. The organ music before, during and after Mass consists of extracts from the same Couperin Organ Mass. After Communion the choir sang the anthem “O Thou, the central orb” by Charles Wood.
0 Comments
On Sunday 27 October we welcomed Bishop Richard, Bishop of Bedford, to All Saints’ for a special service of Baptism and Confirmation. It was great to welcome new brothers and sisters into the family of the Church and encourage those taking the next step in the Christian journey though Confirmation and the reception of Holy Communion for the first time. At the same service Bishop Richard commissioned Eucharistic Assistants to help with the distribution of Holy Communion during Mass, and (if needed) to take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick. The bishop also commissioned two Lay Leader of Worship to help with the liturgical life of our parish. Our congregation is becoming very diverse, and this was reflected by the age and background of the candidates for both the sacraments and the lay ministries. We give thanks to God the Father for his continuing blessings and graces to our parish community and for constantly bringing more people to new life in His Son. Photos Copyright: All Saints Houghton Regis PCC On Saturday 1 June we celebrated our Corpus Christi Festival at All Saints'. The High Mass was followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Father Diego, celebrant and preacher, was assisted by Father Yenda Smejkal, from St Mary’s Sundon, as deacon, and David Steele, our sacristan, as subdeacon. Blessed and praised be Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament! On Monday 27 May, a group of pilgrims from All Saints' travelled to the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham for the annual National Pilgrimage. The pilgrims joined hundreds of other parishes and groups from all over England for Mass in the grounds of the original medieval Shrine. After lunch they took part in the procession around Walsingham, which ended with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. During their day in Walsingham the pilgrims visited the Shrine Church and the Holy House, where a lamp burns for the Parish of Houghton Regis. On Tuesday 23 April we gathered at All Saints’ to celebrate Saint George, the patron saint of England with High Mass. Father Diego, celebrant and preacher, was assisted by Father Yenda Smejkal, from St Mary’s Sundon, as deacon, and David Steele, our sacristan, as subdeacon. The Mass was offered for the benefit of Houghton Regis Town Councillors, the councillors for Dunstable North, and for all those in position of public trust called to lead and represent our local community. It was a great pleasure to welcome our Town Mayor, Cllr Jimmy Carroll, to the Mass along with other councillors. After Mass people were invited to receive a blessing with the relic of St George. This was the first time in very many years that we celebrated a High Mass at the Parish Church, and we are very grateful to Fr Yeanda for the guidance in the liturgy. Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! On Easter Day we gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, to celebrate the Eucharist, and to welcome new members of the Church coming forward for Baptism. It was a special joy and blessing to mark the beginning of the Easter season in this way. From the order of service: Today we rejoice with our Christian brothers and sisters around the world at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the grave. This is the central truth of our faith: death has no more power over Jesus and in his resurrection we contemplate our future; eternal life in him. As St Paul’s wrote to early Christians, “your life is hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory” (Col 3:3-4) Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
The Easter Vigil took place on Holy Saturday (30 March). This is the great proclamation of the the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and of his victory over death. It's a joyous celebration of new life in the Lord. This service, following ancient traditions, begins with the blessing of a new fire and the Paschal Candle (the symbol of the risen Christ) is lit from this. The Vigil features elements of light and darkness, fire and water, to lead us to meditate on the new life we receive through the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The central feature of the celebration is the Baptismal liturgy, where water is solemnly blessed and people are invited to renew their baptismal commitments to follow Christ. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis Good Friday, the day in which the Lord Jesus Christ died on Calvary, is a day of great solemnity and deep reflection, as we gather around the Cross of Jesus. We traditionally hold two services on this day; a children celebration accompanied by crafts and refreshments in the morning, and a the Good Friday Liturgy in the afternoon. The afternoon liturgy is marked by moments of silence to facilitate our recollection before the crucified Lord, and it includes the reading of the Passion according to Saint John, the veneration of a relic of the True Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion from the reserved Blessed Sacrament. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
The Solemn Mass of the Lord's Supper, the first part of the Easter Triduum, was celebrated at All Saints' on 28 March at 8:00pm and it was followed by a vigil (or watch) at the Altar of Repose. Maundy Thursday (marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred "Easter Triduum”. These three days are the holiest days of the Christian year. The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning ‘commandment’, used in the entrance antiphon I give you a new commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. (John 13.34) At this Mass, the holy oils, blessed by the bishop for the sacramental life of the parish, are received by the congregation, and the Priest washes the feet of few members of the congregation to symbolise Christ’s washing of his twelve Apostles. And so, this Mass stresses the importance Jesus puts on humility and service within the Church. Also emphasised are the fundamental importance of the Eucharist and the sacrifice of Christ’s Body, which we now find present in the Blessed Sacrament. Photo Copyright: All Saints' PCC Houghton Regis
Maundy Thursday celebrations opened with the Mass of the Lord's Supper with the Key Stage 2 pupils of Thomas Whitehead Academy. The children lead the readings from Scripture and composed the prayers of intercession. At this service we recalled how Jesus washed the disciples' feet during his last supper with them, and how he left to them the gift of his own very self in the Eucharist. Photo Copyright: Thomas Whitehead Church of England Academy
|
Archives
February 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
