PREPARATION:
Blue cloth removed from High Altar.
The six office lights on the gradine and the two Pavement candles are lit.
White burse with corporal placed on High Altar.
Isaacs monstrance, covered with veil, placed at credence.
MC should make sure that the luna with Benediction Host is in Aumbry and that the key is in the Aumbry door.
MC sets the RSV Bible to the appropriate Lessons and places it on Lectern.
MC should confer with the choirmaster to determine the length of the anthems/motets.
Twin candelabra placed on the horns of the altar, turned at a slight angle. Two candle lighters placed near the credence.
Humeral veil, carillon, and Benediction cards placed on the second altar step to the right of center.
Officiant is vested in a cope in the colour of the season, Deacon and Subdeacon in corresponding Dalmatic and Tunicle.
ENTRANCE:
AA lead procession in the short way via the North door, followed by Choir, MC, SD, D, and Officiant.
AA split at altar steps, as at Mass. MC, Officiant, D, & SD take positions between them.
A-SD-OFF-D-MC-A
ALL genuflect and go to their places at sedilia and credence.
ALL remain standing for the opening hymn and the Preces.
ALL sit for the Psalmody (bowing at the Gloria Patri) and the First Lesson, read by a member of the congregation.
THE MAGNIFICAT:
ALL stand and cross themselves at the opening words.
TH enters holding thurible in left hand, incense boat in right. TH genuflects and proceeds to Officiant at sedilia.
TH gives boat to OFF. Officiant charges and blesses incense.
OFF, D, and SD go to center, genuflect, ascend steps to footpace, and reverence the altar. MC signals TH to ascend altar steps. TH gives thurible to OFF and returns to sedilia.
OFF censes the altar while the Magnificat is being sung; D and SD hold edges of cope.
OFF hands thurible to D. D descends steps near credence and censes OFF with 3 doubles then gives thurible to TH. SM’s return to their positions at the sedilia.
TH goes to center at altar steps and censes D (2 doubles), SD (1 double), MC (1 double), and AA (1 double each, but bowing to AA as a group, not individually).
TH genuflects, moves to head of choir, and censes Choir Clergy, if any (2 doubles each), choir (center-left-right), and people (center-left-right).
TH turns, ascends steps, genuflects in center below altar rail and exits to the Smoke Sacristy.
ALL bow at the Gloria Patri.
SD goes to Lectern to read the Second Lesson. ALL sit for the Second Lesson.
ALL stand for the Nunc Dimittis, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lesser Litany, the Lord’s Prayer, the Suffrages, the Collects, the Grace, and hymn (if there is one).
[If there is a Sermon, ALL sit.]
THE BENEDICTION:
While the choir sings a motet, AA retrieve candle-lighters, proceed to center at altar steps, and genuflect together. AA ascend steps, ignite lights from innermost of the six office lights, and light the Benediction lights, inner to outer.
AA descend steps to center, turn, genuflect, then return to their places at the credence and discreetly replace candle-lighters.
TH re-enters with thurible in left hand, genuflects, and proceeds to sedilia.
Meanwhile, D places veiled monstrance on the altar, facing north, while TH gives incense boat to OFF. OFF charges the incense WITHOUT blessing it.
At the conclusion of the motet, ALL, including AA with lighted torches, line up at the foot of the altar, proceeding single-file in this order: A-TH-SD-OFF-D-MC-A.
ALL genuflect and rise.
D proceeds to aumbry, genuflects, and retrieves the luna. MC rings carillon once. ALL kneel, except D, who unveils the monstrance and places the luna in it. D “crab-walks” down to the foot of the altar, resumes his/her place and kneels.
TH passes thurible to OFF via SD.
Choir begins O Saving Victim. ALL bow. Remaining kneeling, OFF censes the Sacrament with 3 doubles at the hymn’s doxology. After censing, ALL bow.
ALL observe a moment of silent adoration.
The first verse of the Tantum Ergo is sung, during which time ALL make a profound bow. During the second verse, OFF censes the Sacrament a second time.
While all others remain kneeling, OFF stands to intone the versicle. ALL respond. OFF chants the collect.
OFF kneels again. MC rises, retrieves humeral veil, places it on OFF’s shoulders and helps D secure it. MC kneels.
SM’s ascend the altar steps, double genuflecting; SD remains kneeling while OFF, assisted by D (who then kneels) lifts monstrance from the altar and then, holding the monstrance, turns to the people. MC rings the carillon once.
OFF blesses the congregation with the monstrance. MC rings the carillon a second time and TH censes the monstrance with 3 doubles.
OFF turns and replaces the monstrance on the altar, assisted by D. MC rings the carillon a third time.
SM’s double genuflect and “crab-walk” to the foot of the altar. MC rises and removes the humeral veil, then returns to his/her place and kneels.
OFF stands to lead the Divine Praises, while ALL others remain kneeling.
CONCLUSION:
As the Choir begins chanting Psalm 117, D ascends the steps to the footpace, double genuflects, removes the luna, re-veils the monstrance, and turns it northward.
D returns the luna to the aumbry and genuflects. MC rings the carillon once.
D resumes his/her place in the line-up. At the conclusion of the Psalm, ALL stand, genuflect, turn,
and led by the TH, exit slowly and solemnly via the north door (short exit) in the following order:
OFF
D
SD
MC
[CHOIR CLERGY]
[VERGER]
CHOIR
AA
TH