Sunday, February 1, 2009

4th Sunday after Epiphany

Well, that's good - the weather has blessedly cooled down (only 16°C when I got up, good and windy, and little warmer at all now, thank Christ); I got away to church at 7am; Matins & (most of) Lauds before Mass, a fairly acceptable Novus Ordo at the Carmel (with Exposition afterward until 3pm); Prime after Mass (having finished off Lauds after Communion); a very acceptable breakfast at a café down at the First Basin in the Gorge (which was my promise to myself to make me get up so early on a Sunday); and now Terce done, and it's not even 10 am.  Wonderful - when I do get up early I do profit by it.

Mass was alright, but I just don't really like the Novus Ordo, and wish for something better: to think I had Missa Cantata each Sunday (or failing that my choice of three Low Masses), and now am reduced to this.  Nasty old Bugnini, and weak-willed Paul VI: I hope they have a hot purgatory for all the mischief they caused.  Just to make me really fume, I saw the local Dean referring to dratted Pat Power as if to an oracle in the parish newsletter - some people are so ignorant.

Breakfast at least was civilized and befitting a gentleman: some good coffee, the newspaper, and pancakes with strawberries and maple syrup - during my Melbourne holiday, I started each morning with much the same, excepting it was French toast with maple syrup.  As I ate, I mused on how odd it is to be consuming all this maple syrup, which must have been imported from North America (hopefully Canada - no offence to Yanks, but at least Canada is a realm of the Crown).  Unfortunately the only native sweet comestible I can think of is the honey ant, and I don't relish the idea of downing insects, however bloated with sweet syrup.  While honeybees aren't native, however, they do great things with the native flora: leatherwood honey (which people either love or hate) is the local Tasmanian variety that springs to mind.

But to return to to-day's Office: the noble Collect I have blogged on earlier, since it was used toward the end of last year.  Indeed of ourselves we are but weak flesh, but by God's grace we can stand firm against all the outrages of the world, which are justly due us on account of our sins: for in this manner we do fitting penance and are trained in virtue.  God grant it!

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