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diff --git a/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md b/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1b9c3bd --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,40 @@ +--- +title: Asperges Me +date: September 6, 2024 +description: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop. +--- + +One of the most regrettable results of the post-conciliar liturgical reforms +(such as they are) is the near disappearance of the venerable "Asperges Me" from +most Catholic parishes. + +If you are unfamiliar with the old Latin Mass, the Asperges Me is a ritual performed +immediately before Sunday High Masses in which the priest sprinkles those present +with holy water while words from Psalm 50 (51 for you Protestants) are sung, followed +by a doxology: + +> Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: +> Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. +> Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. + +Having formed all four of my children in the traditional Mass, I've noticed that +the Asperges captures their imaginations in a special way. It's always the first +chant they memorize and start singing around the house, and it's never omitted when +the boys "play Mass" at home. + +They watch intently as the priest processes through the church, waiting patiently +for their turn to receive a sprinkle, and imitate his reverent pause to bow when +the schola invokes the Holy Trinity. It is through this thousand year old ritual +that children come to understand the importance of their own baptism. + +Most importantly, the Asperges gives us all a sense of our total unworthiness before +Almighty God, thanksgiving for the saving waters of our baptism, and our need of +forgiveness for our sins. + +These physical, tangible rituals of Catholicism can make Protestants, often +accustomed to a more cerebral and abstract worship, somewhat uncomfortable. But +Holy Mother Church recognizes that we are beings of both body and soul. In our +proud modern age, performing these rituals with piety and humility can sometimes +teach us more truth than the most eloquent sermon. + +<iframe class="ytembed" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDaB4LcPGg0" title="Asperges Me I - Gregorian Chant" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> |