Update: I learned at choir rehearsal this week that Fr. Perrone is having the closing ceremony after the conclusion of the Noon Mass. There will be no break after the Noon Mass before the closing as in years past.
This weekend Assumption Grotto will offer 40 Hours Devotion, which is rarely seen these days. It begins after the 7:30 am Mass on Friday and runs through closing which will happen Sunday afternoon. The ushers are hosting their pancake breakfast to hold people over after the Masses.
Here is Fr. Perrone writing about it in the Grotto News this past weekend:
What is Forty Hours Devotion? I can find no better write-up than the one done by Fr. William Saunders. It is broken up into two parts at the Catholic Education Resource Center (CERC).Next weekend is that period of parochial grace known as The Forty Hours, the observance of which has passed into near oblivion in post-conciliar (i.e., Vatican II) days. The proffered reason for this falling off of Eucharistic piety, unexpected and unintended, was to allow for a greater flexibility for parishes in choosing the manner, time and frequency of Eucharistic adoration. The result of the change was disastrous, at least in so far as its said purpose was a failure. But there was something positive that emerged from those dark days, from the grass roots up, and that was the opening of Eucharistic chapels for adoration, and even for perpetual adoration in various places. This was a popular effort, not having been initiated by the higher ups of the Church and yet it was highly commended by the Church officially when it did begin to flourish.
Every parish is, even now, supposed to set aside a time each year for Eucharistic adoration. We have elected to retain the practice of the Forty Hours because of its longer extension than the Eucharistic day and because of its time-honored usage.
Accordingly, we will open the devotion this coming Friday morning at the 7:30 a.m. Mass with the Eucharistic procession and litany following the Mass. Saturday will open with Exposition at 6:30 a.m. and the 7:30 a.m. Tridentine Mass will take place at the side altar. Friday and Saturday adoration will end at 9:00 p.m. Sunday morning begins with adoration at 6:00 a.m. The Sunday Masses are held at their usual times with moments of adoration in between. Note that the 9:30 Mass next week will be a simple Latin Mass in the new rite; the solemn closing Mass will be in the Tridentine form at noon with the closing procession and prayers following it. Booklets for this will be provided. Thus the Forty Hours Devotion will end Sunday afternoon, around 2:00 p.m. There will not be, as there was in recent years, a later afternoon closing ceremony. Take note!
A custom which we have retained on this day is the Pancake Breakfast hosted by our ushers after the 9:30 and noon Masses, even after the 2:00 p.m. closing ceremony.
My annual exhortation is to urge your participation in the prayers and a personal time of adoration in the period of these three days. You owe it–literally–to your Lord to give Him adoration and praise, let alone to make time for presenting your needs material and spiritual in His presence.
- Forty Hours with Jesus Christ (Part 1)
- Forty Hours with Jesus Christ (Part 2)
The closing of Forty Hours Devotion is quite ceremonial. In fact, in an old moral theology book I recently purchased, I found this tucked inside:
I wrote more on the invite here: Dear Father: You are cordially invited...
UPDATE on my computer status...
My main workhorse, desktop computer is still working, but I continue to see indicators that the hard drive is about to go. It cannot complete a check disk without failing about 90% through and failed the SMART short self test. I can no longer complete a full backup on my Acronis Home Image - again pointing to problems at certain sectors. Virus check is up to date and nothing is being found. There really isn't anything else happening, other than the things I mentioned.
I have some stories in the pipeline I want to pass along, but they will have to wait. I have very little time at home and I've been spending it getting my "computer affairs" in order so I can get the hard drive replaced. It may still be under an extended warranty I believe I purchased.
In the meanwhile, I would encourage you to keep up to date on news by checking in regularly on a variety of Catholic sources, a few of which are here:
- New Advent
- Catholic Culture
- Vatican News
- Father Z
- National Catholic Regsiter (note - this is not the N.C. Reporter - aka, NCR)
- Patheos (Catholic Blogs Section)
Also, check my Twitter Feed to see what news and comments I'm retweeting there: https://twitter.com/#!/TeDeumBlog
For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!
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