06 March 2010

Neglected Rubrics for Maundy Thursday

LSB supplies a service of corporate confession and absolution to begin this day. It is found in the Altar Book, pp. 507ff.

Note that the Service of the Word would then begin directly with the salutation and collect, and that it is permitted to omit the Creed, the Offertory and the Offering. See p. 510.

At the conclusion of the Service of the Sacrament, there is simply the Post-communion collect and the solemn chanting of Psalm 22 as the altar is cleared and then stripped. See p. 510.

*Note: LSB Altar Book takes cognizance of another way of celebrating the day, employing the full Divine Service liturgy. I'd argue that if you use the full Divine Service liturgy, it makes sense to use the white paraments and vestments; if you use the modified liturgy from the Altar Book, it makes more sense to use the scarlet paraments and vestments. At St. Paul's we will use the modified liturgy and the scarlet.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the full festive Divine Liturgy,,,, the first since Lent began and the last until the Great Vigil,,, the Gloria is to be accompanied by brass, tympany, the pealing of the Churches bells, and in my former parish, the faithful were encouraged,,, didn't take much encouragement,,, to bring bells of all sorts and conditions and make more major joyful noise during the Gloria,,,, the occasional tamborine and kazoo was heard in the direction of the children's choir.

Dcn. Muehlenbruch said...

I seems odd that the Missa in Cena
Domini should be celebrated by omitting most of the usual parts of the Mass: Introit, Collect, Gradual, the Gloria in Excelsis, and the Creed. This Mass celebrates the institution of the Blessed Sacrament, and is itself a feast of Out Lord. Historically, white vestments are used at this Mass, and the only thing omitted is the Benediction. This Mass is the beginning of the Triduum, and the following days are viewed as part of an extended service.

The lack of ceremony also seems out of place; because, if you recall, the setting was the Passover which is makes use of many particular historical/traditional elements which are employed only at Passover.

Anonymous is correct about the ringing of bells during the Gloria. Afterward, the bells remain silent until the Gloria at the Easter Mass. It was even the custom of some parts of the Church to pack the tower bells with straw to prevent their being rung until Easter.

Only one question now remains: Are the rubrics in LSB the neglected ones, or are the customary rubrics for Mass the ones being neglected?

William Weedon said...

Yeah, I KNEW some folks would object to this one... and I do appreciate the liturgy served on Maundy Thursday in its full historic form (and LSB does not neglect that rubric but specifically mentions it as one way of observing the day). For myself, having experienced both, my preference is for the simpler ordo for the first service of Triduum, matching the Good Friday liturgies in their austerity and simplicity.

Anonymous said...

Fr. Weedon,

I use the simplier liturgy for Holy Thursday as you do, but we do not have a scarlet set of paraments. Between purple and white what would you suggest then? We have used white in the past.
Rev. Michael Erickson

Anonymous said...

WWWD?

William Weedon said...

I'd go with scarlet, Pastor Erickson. It does crack me up that our book notes:

White, scarlet or violet for the day!

Ben Meyer said...

Thank you for pointing this out. I will be making use of this.

Rev. Benjamin Meyer