26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, 2009)

Entrance	All ye who seek a comfort sure
Kyrie	Missa de Angelis
Gloria	Mass for John Carroll (Michael Joncas)
Psalm	Ps 18 (McCarthy/Bévenot)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic Alleluia (Fintan O’Carroll)
Creed	Credo III
Preparation of the Gifts	Lord for tomorrow and its needs
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen	Gathering Mass (Paul Inwood)
Agnus Dei	Mass XVIII & Missa Aeterna Christi Munera (G.P da Palestrina, c. 1525–1594)
Communion	(i) Living Bread, Bread of Heaven (mcb) (ii) O Quam Gloriosum (Tomás Luis de Victoria, 1548–1611)
Postcommunion	Soul of my Saviour
Recessional	Holy God, we praise thy name

Our Mass today was celebrated in the presence of the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux. The congregation was bigger than I’ve ever seen for a Sunday Mass at the cathedral, and the music was chosen to suit the occasion.

The opening hymn approximately reflected the entrance antiphon—the hymn’s …opens to you his sacred heart, O to that heart draw nigh. Ye hear how kindly he invites… matching the antiphon’s But now show us your greatness of heart, and treat us with your unbounded kindness, while also acknowledging our distinguished visitor with the words Jesus, thou joy of saints on high, thou hope of sinners here, and the highly apposite all ye that labour come to me, and I will give you rest. We used Colin Mawby’s festive arrangement of the tune St Bernard from his collection Hymns for Occasions. I think it set the right tone for a grand and solemn celebration.

For the Communion procession we had a new piece – a simple setting for assembly of some words from Thérèse’s Mon chant d’aujourd’hui:

Pain vivant, Pain du Ciel, divine Eucharistie
O Mystère sacré! que l’Amour a produit…
Viens habiter mon cœur, Jésus, ma blanche Hostie
Rien que pour aujourd’hui.

which I’d paraphrased to:

Living Bread, Bread of Heaven, Eucharist divine
O sacred Mystery, fruit of Love
Come into our hearts, Lord, come into our lives
This is all we ask for today

and in between the refrains, the choir sang verses of Psalm 50(51), beginning A pure heart create for me O God.