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| Venerating the Cross during Tre Ore (2008) |
The video below was taken with my iPhone during the Tre Ore service yesterday. It is in the Extraordinary Form (aka, "Tridentine"). In the beginning you will see altar boys assisting the celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon removing their shoes and socks. They will then process, barefoot, to the Cross, and venerate it. For me, this was humbling to observe.
Later in the clip, you will see altar boys process, from shortest to tallest. Note how they genuflect, all in unison, each time they stop. This rhythmic cadence is one of the things I noticed when I first came to Assumption Grotto in 2005. It adds not only to the solemnity, but the precision makes for less distraction (consider how it would look if everyone was moving about, and they were all bobbing up and down at different times). Throughout the liturgies at Assumption Grotto, you will notice altar boys timing their genuflections with that of the celebrant.
Altar Boys: Teachers of Reverence
Altar boys are really teachers of reverence. My experience is that the level of reverence they show, goes a long way into inspiring reverence in others. It's in the subtle details of their postures and actions. If you watch them before, during and after the Mass, you will pick up many things. I need to do more postings on these observations.
I mentioned this yesterday, that when a priest or deacon enters the Tabernacle for any reason, it is proper to stop what you are doing at that moment, and kneel (if possible), until the Tabernacle is closed. If the Blessed Sacrament is being carried to, or from, the Tabernacle, it is proper to wait until this is done before going about your business.
I have learned over the years from the reverence displayed by the altar boys. As they would prepare the sanctuary for the next Mass, if a priest came out to go into the Tabernacle, they stopped where they were at, and got on their knees, fully focused on Our Lord until the action was complete. They never cross in front of the Tabernacle without genuflecting (or bowing if they are carrying something which makes it impractical to genuflect). Properly trained altar boys always manifest this awareness of the presence of the Lord. Watch them also to see how to properly reverence the altar, or the Cross on Good Friday. Altar boys also teach us other forms of reverence, such as when the Holy Name is mentioned and they bow their heads. Learn from the altar boys when you visit Grotto.
Here is the video clip. The choir and ministers were out of sync briefly in the beginning. Later, you hear the choir singing the "Reproaches" (scroll down here to Veneration of the Cross). It's not the best quality video and sound, but I found using my headphones with my laptop, it was not bad. I also used my iPhone to record some of the other singing, so I will see how that turns out in the coming days.
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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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