Thursday 5 April 2012

Maundy Thursday - That they may be one


Five new Catholics with Fr Ian

Buckfast Ordinariate Group is pleased to announce the Reception of five new Catholics in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. The five were supported by both the Ordinariate and local Catholics who worship at the Abbey.

The Rite of Reception took place at 4pm in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. The act of being Received consists simply of the reciting of the Nicene Creed, and a statement of accepting the full teachings of the Church in these words:


Rejoicing over the sandwiches and cake!

I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.

The celebrant responds with the following words:


NNN the Lord receives you into the Catholic Church. His loving kindness has led you here so that, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, you may have full communion with us in the faith that you have professed in the presence of his family.

Following the simple and short liturgy we were invited to the Abbot's mansion for refreshments.

After a time of refreshment we began to prepare ourselves for the Mass of the Lord's Supper, at which the new Catholics would be united for the first time at the eucharistic table of the Lord Jesus, the sign of the Church's unity.

Father Abbot also welcomed the new Catholics at the introduction to the mass.

For those of us who were received almost a year ago the moment was poignant. We have so much to be thankful for and also so much to look forward to, as the Holy Spirit continues to guide us into the truth and we strive to be so disposed that He can use us to His glory and for His purposes.

I came across a card a Catholic family had given me last year and inside was this quote:

For this the Lord prayed: for a unity that can come into existence only from God and through Christ and yet is so concrete in its appearance that we are able to see God's power at work.

No prizes for the author of those words: Pope Benedict XVI in "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week"!

Reflections on Worship in Sacrifice