Sunday, January 19, 2014

Octaves and Epiphany revisited...

If you've been reading my annual rants on the subject of Octaves and assorted stray feasts that have been inserted into (or out of) the calendar over the last few weeks, you hopefully also have caught up with the nice write up of assorted blogs take on the issue over at New Liturgical Movement.

But alas, both myself (being behind on my reading in general) and the NLM post somehow managed to miss what is surely the definitive ecumenical take on this subject over at The Low Churchman's Guide to the Solemn High Mass.  Here is an extract to give you the flavour of it:

"The problem with Ritualists is not merely that they wear unusual clothing, mutter strange incantations and attempt to secure the aid of departed spirits using mystical runes. Rather, it is that they refuse to observe the most basic standards of chronological syncronization. Ordinary churchmen know, for example, that January 1st is New Year’s Day, and toast the new year with glasses of diet ginger ale and spoonfuls of tomato aspic. For Ritualists, the same date is referred to as the Octave Day of Christmas, or the Circumcision of Christ with the Feast of the Holy Name, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, Triumph of the Revolution and a Commemoration of the Transferral of the Relics of St Fulgentius of Ruspe."

Do go and read the rest for a good giggle.

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