Introibo- with Flowers

A sad, leaky tent for the King of kings "Rejoice in the Lord always..." Whenever I hear this Epistle, my mind immediately rewinds three decades to the song, sung in rounds, that was popular during my Protestant upbringing.  It was a cheerful, monotonous, quasi-hypnotic ditty.   "Rejoice, rejoice and again I say rejoice.  Rejoice, rejoice and again I say rejoice"... and on and on it went. Lamentably joy is not one of the fruits of the Holy Ghost that seems to thrive in my spiritual garden.  Especially now.  To be quite honest, this year has driven anima mea to doubts, depths and dregs that I had never thought possible in my twenty-five years as a Roman Catholic.  The spiritual fortification of two years of the Traditional Latin Mass is the only reason I am still standing.  God does indeed give us exactly what we need when we need it.   After a month of Covid lockdown our TLM diocesan priest was transferred and overnight we went from multiple Masses per week to noth

  The liturgical year of 2020 was historically dark in many ways.  In this post I will highlight a cause for celebration: the first Latin Nuptial Mass for our rural community in over fifty years!  I was honored to be asked to do the flower arrangements for the church wedding. The lovely bride chose butter yellow carnations, saladago, irises and baby's breath.  The mother of the groom pre-ordered the flowers which made my job a lot easier! On Wednesday before the Saturday wedding, she dropped off the flowers and some leatherleaf fern.  I  also picked up some white mums and yellow alstroemeria as I felt that some additional flowers were needed to fill out the arrangements.  I went to my free greenery source and cut privet, eucalyptus, cedar, pittosporum, and magnolia leaves.   Originally I was told the preferred flower colors for the wedding were blue, yellow and white.  In late summer, I dried some blue hydrangeas, hoping I could tuck them in here and there in the arrangements as bl

For the Feast of All Saints' Day, I decided to go the little way of simplicity- white alstroemeria and 'Breath of Heaven'   Coleonema pulchellum  from my garden.   This aromatic shrub has tiny pink flowers from spring through early fall and is a staple in my perennial garden.  Its common  name seems to suggest its suitability for the altar. Perhaps the learned  Fleurs de Marie-Jacqueline   knows of an etymological explanation! Our visiting priest requested that the flowers be narrow enough to go between the High Mass candles on the second gradine to make room for the reliquaries he will bring.  These arrangements are just narrow enough to fit!   I will post a photo of the arrangements after the Mass so you can get an idea of how it all worked together.      Happy All Saints' Day! Update: here are the photos! Father and I decided they would look better as you see them below rather than between the candles.   Due to Daylight Savings, it was dark outside by the time I was

Altar flowers for the feast of  Christ the King! The challenge with these arrangements was to incorporate the traditional colors of white, gold and red with the request from a dear friend to provide flowers for the church upon the celebration of her son's nuptial Mass.   The bride selected autumn colors for her bridal bouquet: burnt orange, dark red and rose.  I thought it would be best to select flowers that could be used for both the wedding (on the feast of St. Raphael Archangel) and the feast of Christ the King.  Let me know what you think!  Entry table arrangement Side altar arrangement Another entry table arrangement Main altar arrangement Roses and lilies with acacia, eucalyptus and blueberry greens. Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!

Altar flowers for the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. Alstroemeria, roses and anenomes with escalonia and asparagus greens.

For the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost I couldn't resist these lovely blue-green hydrangeas from  the garden where I have free access to greens and flowers.  This variety of late-blooming hydrangea goes from sky blue to a pale chartreuse. After picking up some equally irresistible AND inexpensive lilies from Costco (Sigh! so much for  my resolution to only support local business!), I stopped the car at an empty lot and clipped several bunches of Queen Anne's Lace with my sweet five-year-old helper at my side. As our good curé says "more lace, more grace!" I secured the arrangements with wet floral oasis and included crocosmia and ivy for greenery.  Here they are on the altar.  Ad Jesum per Mariam! In anticipation of the feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, see this beautiful post on Fleur de Marie-Jacqueline's blog:  Our Lady's Sorrows and the Iris . 

Pulling thread on a lavabo towel With the Traditional Latin Mass pared-down to twice a month due to our resident priest's departure, I have been doing less altar flowers.  However, this has afforded me more time to learn something new!  This is the first of a series of posts I will write on the subject of church linens. Anyone who knows me knows that when I start a project the enthusiasm takes over.  Speaking of enthusiasm,  Ronald Knox wrote "Enthusiasms: A Chapter in the History of Religions" detailing various religions from the 17th and 18th centuries and their eccentric personalities.  Although I have never read the book, my octogenarian father- a bibliophile and a wonderful storyteller- has related to me much of its contents with his usual dry humor.   A memorable "enthusiast" was Aimee Semple McPherson, the foundress of the Foursquare Church.  In my Protestant Foursquare days, I never heard the tale of Sister Aimee.  After mysteriously disap

My first time using these Dutch blue hydrangeas was a dismal  failure .  They were too dark, the vase was too brassy, the backdrop provided little contrast.  This time I was determined to succeed.   After reading Fleur de Marie-Jacqueline's  blog posts on Assumption flowers, I was disappointed to find no white roses, no white lilies, only the usual poms, alstroemeria and carnations.  It was time to liven things up a bit with the Dutch blue hydrangeas from the garden- blue like Our Lady's veil! They look purple in this picture! This is the first time I attempted preserving hydrangeas by submerging fresh-cut stems in boiling water for 30 seconds.  We'll see what they look like by Sunday!  I also put alum powder in the water and let them soak overnight.    Some of the blooms were very heavy and the stems a bit saggy so I used stem wire and floral tape to make them cooperate.  This was a first as well! Here they are on the altar. Assumpta est Maria!

Our new home!  After a month of praying, fasting and negotiating, the Traditional Latin Mass has found and new and gracious home.  And what better place in our rural community than this small parish in an historic town known for its architectual quaintness? They welcomed us with open arms and hearts.  Deo gratias.   Restoration has been underway for some time:  the altar rail perhaps stowed away in a forgotten closet, the ambo hovering in the back corner of the nave with yellow caution tape.  A diamond in the rough.  Here is a glimpse of the past... Dedicated in 1896 In preparation for the first Traditional Latin Mass held in the church in half a century, I placed four arrangements of gold and white on the altar shelf.   They seemed completely insignificant compared with the vibrant colors surrounding the reredos.  In this church, bold colors and lines will be appropriate to draw focus toward the tabernacle.  I look forward to experimenting! Thanks to three tradi

If you are not familiar with Evelyn Waugh's  correspondence  with Cardinal Heenan, I recommend it during this social and ecclesiastical crisis.  It provides insight into what those of traditional Catholic persuasion were thinking when the Latin Mass was wrenched away from them.  Waugh also expresses what life is like for him without the Mass which he loved so dearly- a bitter, bitter trial.  I have always felt that Waugh might have been a kindred spirit.  After reading his personal correspondence, I am certain.  Our good curé, got the word from the chancery that he would be transferred July 1.  This was a shock, especially after months of quarantine.  Sixty to a hundred congregants,  a schola cantorum, an army of servers vying to be thurifer.  We had been cancelled.  The closest reliable Traditional Latin Mass is a four-hour drive of windy coastal roads.  "What now?" we asked. Arrangements for the final Missa Cantata on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.