The students of The Atonement Academy at Our Lady of the Atonement Church in San Antonio, Texas, took part in the annual "Farewell to the Alleluia" today. For those of you who follow the traditional calendar, this would have taken place on the eve of Septuagesima; however, for those of us who presently are using the revised calendar, this is a Shrove Tuesday ceremony.
The empty coffin waits for the Alleluias
The coffin was prepared, and the students placed their hand-lettered Alleluias in it as they came to Mass. It was carried in the procession, and placed before the High Altar for the duration of the Mass, and at the conclusion of the liturgy, we all joined in singing "Alleluia, dulce carmen" as the Alleluias were borne to the Lady Chapel. The closed box will be kept before the Lady altar until the Easter Vigil, when it will then be opened at the chanting of the Great Alleluia preceeding the Easter Gospel.
The elevation of the Chalice
Holy Communion
Our final devotions today at the Lady altar were these:
Alleluia, abide with us today, and tomorrow thou shalt set forth, Alleluia ; and when the day shall have risen, thou shalt proceed on thy way, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
May the good angel of the Lord accompany thee, Alleluia, and give thee a good journey, that thou mayst come back to us in joy, Alleluia.
May Alleluia, that sacred and joyful word, resound to God's praise from the lips of all people.
May this word, which expresses glory as chanted by the choirs of angels, be sweet as sung by the voices of believers.
And may that which noiselessly gleams in the citizens of heaven, yield fruit in our hearts by ever growing love.
May the Lord's good angel go with thee, Alleluia; and prepare all good things for thy journey. And again come back to us with joy, Alleluia.
Let us pray. O Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy people; that we, who are justly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodness, for the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Or as we say in South Texas, "Adios, alleluia!"
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"Small" ritual acts of this kind can imprint a lesson – and bring it back to mind, in season and out – in a way that mere words cannot. Beautiful both conceptually and in its execution.