Ordinariate Evensong of the Blessed Sacrament

Following the lecture at Oriel I hurried across a drizzle spattered city centre to attend the Ordinariate's Votive Vespers of the Blessed Sacrament at Blackfriars. This was their way of observing the traditional date for Corpus Christi tomorrow

Image: cathapol.blogspot.uk

Music was provided by the Newman Consort  with settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Palestrina, and the motet Ave Caro Christi Cara, by the late medieval Flemish composer Noel Bauldeweyn. This is  a setting of a text which appeared in both Flemish and English (Sarum Use) collections of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Fr Daniel Lloyd preached the sermon; typically rich in its literary allusions he also recounted to us the Roman tradition of eating gnocci on Thursday as a custom to recall the institution on that day of the Blessed Sacrament. This led him to the point that traditional practice lays emphasis on specific days and actions as a way of celebrating the Faith day by day, week by week, year by year.

Following this there was Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to conclude this beginning to the celebration of Corpus Christi.