Month: April 2012

Written by James K. Baxter, 1958.

When His tears ran down like blood
I was sleeping in my clothes

When they struck Him with a reed
I cracked a very clever joke

When they gave Him a shirt of blood
I praised the colour of her dress

All the way up the hill
We were laughing fit to kill

When they were driving in the nails
I listened to the steel guitar

When they gave Him gall to drink
We were sipping the same glass

When He cried aloud in pain
We were playing Judases

When the ground began to shake
We pulled up the coverlet

Clean confessed and comforted
To the midnight mass I come

You who died in pain alone
Break my heart break my heart
Deus sine termino.

Today begins Holy Week, known to me as “a grand liturgical celebration,” known to many children as “the week we spend too much time in church.”

Here’s the schedule for St. Peter’s & St. Andrew’s in Worcester, which I am posting as much for my own reference as anything else.

Holy Thursday: 7pm mass at St. Peter’s. The big multi-lingual mass. Afterwards, eucharistic adoration at both St. Peter’s and St. Andrew’s, then visiting 7 other churches as a parish.

Good Friday: Separate from the parish, the SS. Francis & Therese Catholic worker will have their annual “contemporary” stations of the cross, gathering at 52 Mason St at 11:30am. “Join us in a walk to reflect on contemporary examples of Christ’s suffering. Soup and bread to follow.”

On the parish level, stations of the cross inside St. Peter’s at noon, followed by outdoor stations beginning at St. Peter’s School at 2pm.

7pm liturgy at St. Andrew’s.

Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil mass 7.30pm at St. Peter’s.

Easter Sunday: Regular mass schedule, including 11:30am African mass at St. Andrew’s.