We are still running standard fare for Paschaltide: Mass I, Credo I, Vidi Aquam. The Mass was that of the Sunday.
Today was the day of our May procession and crowning. In anticipation of that, we sang, in honor of the King to whom Our Lady owns her queenship, To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King, as the processional.
Today was remarkable because this is one of the two Sundays on which the longest Offertory antiphon of the year falls. My notes from past years said there was not enough time for an Offertory hymn. I should have believed myself. We delayed Father more than I like as we sang our customary Stella Coeli Extirpavit.
At the Communion, since it is Paschaltide, we sang the exquisitely beautiful hymn, Salve Festa Dies, by the great poet, bishop, composer and Saint, Venantius Fortunatus, whose feast is this week. He also composed the well-known Vexilla Regis.
Immediately after Mass we began our May procession. We took a simple route to the pavilion where Our Lady was crowned. As we left the church, we did Rejoice O Mary Heavenly Queen. This is fitting on several levels. This is very much a hymn for Paschaltide, which season we are still full in. And it is the month of Our Lady. And, we were on our way to crown her. On the way, we sang, Immaculate Mary, and in honor of her Son, the King, we sang Eternal King of Realms. As the lovely little ladies of the chapel brought flowers of the rarest, well, of course, we sang Bring Flowers of the Rarest. We held off on singing the chorus until the last of the girls presented the crown of roses to Father, at which point, we sang, O Mary, we crown Thee… Our Lady thus crowned, we sang the Marian Anthem of Paschaltide, Regina Coeli. We concluded with Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above.