Compline with Bishop Schneider at the Oxford Oratory

Last night the Oxford Oratory welcomed Bishop Athanasius Schneider O.R.C., titular bishop of Celerina and auxiliary bishop of the Archbishopric of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Bishop Schneider at the Oxford Oratory house

Image: Oxford Oratory website

The Bishop, who is well known as a writer and speaker concerned to recall the Church to the beauty and reverence of holiness in life and liturgy, is visiting various churches here during his visit. At the Oratory her presided at Sung Compline and Solemn Benediction, as well as preaching on the centrality of the Cross, its folly and its manifestation of Divine Love. the text of his sermon can be read at Visit of Bishop Schneider

This was a beautiful, austere Lenten celebration of the Office for the end of the day, an occasion to nourish the soul as the season progresses.

 

Image: Oxford Oratory website

Compline for the Week of Payer for Christian Unity

Yesterday evening we had a beautiful celebration of Compline at the Oxford Oratory to mark the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This was organised by the Oratory at the request of Churches Together in Central Oxford.

The congregation included Anglicans, many Baptists from their New Road Chapel in Bonn Square, Methodists and others as well as Catholics.

Image: ccwatershed.org

The Office was entirely sung in its traditional form in Latin, with the psalms divided between the Oratory Fathers sitting in choir and a lay choir at a lectern in the nave.

This was followed by the sermon which was given by the Rev. Canon Dr Andrew Bunch, Vicar of St Giles - whose church is almost directly opposite to the Oratory on the other side of Woodstock Road. In this Canon Bunch argued for allowing diversity and encouraging thereby the growth of genuine and profound friendships between neighbouring ecclesial bodies, and that in that a true Christian unity may be seen to develop.

The service concluded with Solemn Benediction and the singing of the Alme redemptoris noster. The whole, very beautiful and prayerful as it was, formed a deeply reflective occasion and showed the Oratory at its best in such things - for many of our visitors and guests it was their first visit. One said to me that he would be back next time we had Sung Compline.

Afterwards over wine, coffee and refreshments in the social centre next to the church we were able to meet friends from other communities and establish new links, as well as show off the facilities the Oratory Appeal has enabled the parish to create.

Illumination from Fr Hunwicke

Continuing the theme of my previous post about learning more about the development of the liturgy I see from his blog that the ever erudite Fr Hunwicke has been casting light on a familiar prayer from Compline, and pointing out that it may have originated or, at least, been used at another time of day. His post can be read at Lighten our darkness ...

It occurs to me that the suggested origin of the prayer does indeed make sense at dawn in terms of temporal conditions, and as a prayer concerned with the whole of one's life is eminently suitable at any time, asking God to disperse the darkness that surrounds and menaces us on life's journey.