The Sacristan's Lantern

Since the dawn of Vatican II many pieces and articles for Divine Worship have been lost or dispersed from old churches because they seemed "inappropriate" or even of no value to the new liturgy. Such things as crucifixes, candle sticks, lanterns and lamps have been regarded by some as non-essential along with old missals and altar cards which where of high value. A great upheaval began with the stripping of altars and the construction of new, basic, free standing altars that lacked beauty and somehow were more on "new age" art which were unworthy of the sacredness of the House of God.

This chaotic action of many in the Church on the art, furnishings and articles of worship of the Old Rite was not the aim of Vatican II. It is in the Council's spirit that all the articles in the Divine Worship from the Old Rite, being still of high value and being the property of God must remain and not thrown away, dispersed or left in negligence.

As I have observed in the past years, many of these furnishings have either ended up in museums (which may seem to be a little consolation but still positive), or in the bodegas or storage rooms of churches, or worst, lost, stolen, broken or thrown away. What can be the implication of this? Is it that what the past generations have regarded as sacred and valuable will be as good as dust to us? But a brighter side to this tale...

Pope Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio (released in 2007) has shed new light into the liturgy before Vatican II and have opened doors to a "reform of the reform". As he has said, whatever the past held as sacred we also hold sacred, many now in the church are making efforts to restore beauty in the liturgy. Because beauty is an essential aspect in the worship of God, it is rightfully so that the elements in the Mass such as vestments, altar pieces and sacred artworks be restored to their former grandeur and place of sacredness. These days we see vestments like fiddle-back chasubles and lace albs even in the Novus Ordo Rite. And in the re-introduction of the Tridentine Rite the beauty of external worship is reaching its high point.

So it is now time to dust off the old altar cards, missals and antique vestments, polish the candle holders, lanterns, crucifixes and relight the sanctuary lamp! The beauty of worship is now back!

If you are wondering why I made the title of this entry as "The Sacristan's Lantern" well, here is where you should also pay your attention...

As a person who loves antiques and adores seeing old church things being reused for the glory of it, I have volunteered myself in helping out in the Baguio Cathedral as a junior flower arranger, restorer and cleaner in the Oratory which is used for Tridentine Masses. I have since then seen many beautidul altar pieces and vestments that were lost through the years but reinstated to utility due to the comeback of the Traditional Latin Mass. Usually these things are disposed in storage but here I see them being given new life.

An old altar piece is most beautiful when used for its real purpose, in the altar, well polished and gleaming as it was in the past. An old vestment would not be of great value if it was just boxed and stowed away, rather it gives off its very best when used in the Holy Sacrifice.

Now, as I have been rummaging through the old implements from the past of Our Lady's Cathedral, I suddenly saw a delight for my eyes, Recently, the old sacristan's lanterns were taken out for use in the celebration of Christ the King in Baguio. I was very delighted to see these beautiful hand-carried lanterns used once again. I have heard that these were rarely used particularly during Holy Week and on Christ the King. Because I know that these were formerly used in the Tridentine Mass back then in the Cathedral, I suggested to myself that I should borrow some of these pieces to be used in the Tridentine Mass in the Oratory especially on the upcoming Aguinaldo Masses. I am still trying to gain complete permission to borrow and use these lamps from the Cathedral and I feel that I would get the permission soon enough and I guarantee that the lanterns would be a great addition to the splendor of the Tridentine Mass here in Baguio.

If these lanterns could just talk, they'd sing praise to the Holy Trinity together with the other articles re-used and reinstated in the Act of Divine Worship which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

(P.S. I will update this entry with pictures of the sacristan's lantern and the other pieces re-used in the Oratory. God bless.)