Sunday 28 June 2020

Suscipe Sancta Trinitas

One of the prayers which didn't survive the Missale Romanum final cut in 1970 was this one:
Accept, holy Trinity, this offering which we make to you in remembrance of the passion, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in honour of blessed Mary ever Virgin, of blessed John the Baptist, of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, of those whose relics rest here, and of all the Saints. To them may it bring honour, and to us salvation; and may they, whose memory we keep on earth, be pleased to intercede for us in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
This beautiful prayer, intended to be recited quietly after the washing of the hands during the Preparation of Gifts or Offertory, is a summary of the things a Catholic should keep in mind when praying the Mass. It reminds us firstly that all our worship is offered to the One God, who is a Trinity of Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Secondly, in reflecting the Anamnesis after the consecration, the prayer insists on the unity of Christ’s Paschal Mystery that is re-presented for us in sacramental form: His Passion, Resurrection and Ascension. Finally, it asserts that a secondary end of the Mass is the honour of the Saints (that is, the victory of Christ in His members is being praised), and accordingly it begs their intercession for us on Earth.

One can only wonder at the mentality which saw fit to excise this prayer from the Mass. If there was one prayer that ought to have been retained at the Offertory, this was the one. After washing his hands and before inviting the people to prayer (Pray, brethren), the celebrant bowed before the altar and quietly prayed the Suscipe Sancta Trinitas.

If you are a priest reading this, you might consider praying this prayer at the Offertory when you offer the Ordinary Form of the Roman Mass. If you pray it according to the rubrics of the 1962 Missale Romanum, (namely bowed and silently) no one in the pews will be disturbed by hearing a prayer recited which is not contained in the New Order of Mass.  Be daring.

How beautiful it would be if once again this prayer were recited at every Mass!  The Angels would rejoice.

The Latin:
Suscipe, sancta Trinitas, hanc oblationem, quam tibi offerimus ob memoriam passionis, resurrectionis, et ascensionis Jesu Christi Domini nostri: et in honorem beatae Mariae semper Virginis et beati Joannis Baptistae, et sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et istorum, et omnium Sanctorum: ut illis proficiat ad honorem, nobis autem ad salutem: et illi pro nobis intercedere dignentur in caelis, quorum memoriam agimus in terris. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen. 

Monday 15 June 2020

For the Season "Per Annum" 2020 : 1

The vestments shewn in the adjacent photographs were prepared by the Saint Bede Studio for a returning customer, a young priest from the United States.

This chasuble was toilored in the Studio's Saint Austin design, a variant on the Gothic Revival chasuble, being pointed front and back.  The vestments were made from an English ecclesiastical brocade in a lovely brighter shade of green.  They were lined in red taffeta.

The vestments were ornamented with an orphrey braid of the Studio's own design in colours of green and gold upon red. The braid called Saint Chad is directly based on a design by AWN Pugin.

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Wednesday 3 June 2020

Tuesday 2 June 2020

Priestly Ordinations 2019 : 10

The Saint Bede Studio
Each year, the Saint Bede Studio has the privilege of preparing sacred vestments for priestly Ordinands. Happily, 2019 was no exception. Further vestments from 2019 are yet to be posted on the Studio blog, which deficiency we are pleased now to remedy.

This post features a set of vestments made for an ordinand from the Diocese of Wichita (Kansas USA), who commissioned a set of red vestments from the Studio in the Gothic Revival form.

These vestments were made from a fine brocade in a beautiful and rich shade of red. The ornament was formed from one of the Studio's unique braids called Saint Giles. The vestments were lined in a muted gold-coloured taffeta.

Please pray for for all newly-ordained priests.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries : Visit this page

Red vestments