Friday, June 24, 2011

He enters His Dovecote.


Corpus Christi procession
at the
Redemptoristine Monastery

in Brazil.

(click on the photos to see them larger)

The Elevation
This is a typical Redemptoristine view of Mass.
The nuns have a strict grill which St. Alphonsus gave them
consisting in a plate that is pierced with holes.
The nuns may draw near the grill and peep through.
This photo is somewhat blurred at the edge of a hole in the lattice.

The nun's eye view.
Of her Beloved Lord in the Blessed Sacrament
the enclosed Redemptoristine nun can say:
"Behold he standeth behind our wall,
looking through the windows,
looking through the lattices.
Behold my beloved speaketh to me:
Arise, make haste, my love, my dove,
my beautiful one, and come."

(Canticles 2:9)

Station at Our Lady's Grotto within the enclosure.
Panem caeli dedit eis, Alleluia, alleluia.
Panem Angelorum manducavit homo. Alleluia, alleluia.
He gave them Heavenly Bread, Alleluia, alleluia.
The Bread of Angels was eaten by men. Alleluia, alleluia.
(Terce. Short Response.)

Procession within the holy border walls.
Posuit fines tuos pacem, alleluia.
Et adipe frumenti satiat te, alleluia.
He has granted peace in thy borders, alleluia.
With the best of wheat He fills thee, alleluia.
(None. Versicle.)

The procession of the Hidden Manna.
Vincenti dabo manna absconditum,
et nomen novum, alleluia.
To him who overcomes I will give the Hidden Manna,
and a new name, Alleluia.
(Laudes. Ant. V.)

Our Lord enthroned in the Choir.
Cibavit nos Dominus ex adipe frumenti:
et de petra, melle saturavit nos.
Our Lord has fed us with the best of wheat,
and with honey from the rock he has filled us.
(Matins. Ant. VIII)


The Redemptoristine nuns take a fourth vow.
It is the vow of Enclosure.
Their enclosure is such that on every day of the year,
except today,
they do not easily or clearly see Our Lord because of their
enclosing lattice;
the plate pierced with small holes.
Enclosed souls feel this deprivation keenly.
They offer this austerity as a sacrifice
to obtain the conversion of sinners
and the salvation of the most abandoned souls.

Christ enthroned from where His doves cry out.
Ex altari tuo, Domine, Christum sumimus:
in quem cor et caro nostra exsultant.
From Thy altar, Lord, we receive Christ,
for Whom our hearts and flesh cry out.
(Matins Ant. IX)
"Behold he standeth behind our wall,
looking through the windows,
looking through the lattices.
Behold my beloved speaketh to me:
Arise, make haste, my love, my dove,
my beautiful one, and come."

(Canticles 2:9)

6 comments:

  1. May God comfort and strengthen his doves to persevere and follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. really lovely worship with scattering flower petals . we in st. paul minnesota had our city of st. paul corpus christi procession from little sisters of the poor up the big hill to st. pauls cathedral from 2 :00 to 3:00 p.m.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "He enters His dovecote"?

    You mean the Holy Mysteries are not reserved in the nun's chapel?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Simply beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ah, a very touching and beautiful ceremony....I really miss my days as a student with the Dominican Nuns of Fanjeaux, France, because our ceremonies were just as beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete