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Views from the Choir Loft

That Little Tabernacle Light

Corrinne May · August 5, 2020

CYCLED about 20 minutes from my home to the church of the Blessed Sacrament the other evening, hoping to catch a glimpse of my Beloved in the Tabernacle. I reached the church and found the gate unlocked, but the church was closed and the doors of the church were locked due to restrictions imposed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. I walked around the outside perimeter of the brick church building. It was all dark within the church. But I knew that if I could just spot that little tabernacle light, I would be able to know that the Lord was close by.

It was pitch-black in the church and I walked all around, peeking through every narrow window I could find. But I still could not spot the tabernacle light. “Where are you Lord? Are you there?” I pleaded. Finally, behind a statue on the far side of the building, I looked through the small narrow slots of the window and I spotted the familiar red light, pulsing away in the darkness. “There you are Lord!” Tears streamed down my face. I knew that the Lord was close to the red tabernacle light, and even though I could not see the tabernacle in the darkness of the church, my heart was satisfied that I had found my Lord.

I have come to realise that we are all called to be that little tabernacle light. Especially in this day and age where so many cannot see Our Lord because of the coronavirus shuttering our churches. We are that tabernacle light for the world to see, for even though the world does not see or know Him, we do. We are the people of whom He spoke the words “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29)

Masses are still suspended at this point in time in Singapore and they have been suspended since mid-February. Many of the faithful here have not partaken of the Eucharist for many, many months. The churches have just started re-opening for private worship, but even then, only a small number of people are allowed to be before the Lord. It is hard when we cannot see Him, feel Him or partake of Him in Holy Communion. The Eucharist is hidden from us. But, the Body of Christ is not.

We are the Body of Christ. That knowledge has enlivened me, knowing that He walks among us. And this thought has been on my heart: “How am I to point the way to Him, the way that the tabernacle light points the way to Him?”

The world cannot see His Sacred Heart, 1 but they can see our hearts, like that candle, pulsing with love for Him. Is my heart and my love for the Lord on fire, just like that candle that faithfully glows and pulses beside the tabernacle? Am I willing to melt away with the fire of that love, the way His Heart melted away for me upon that cross? Am I willing to be that little tabernacle candle that burns itself out with the fire it’s been kindled with?

Lord, set our hearts aflame
with love for You,
that we may truly be
your Light in the world.

ADDENDUM: In the time which has elapsed since I wrote this article, Singapore has begun (somewhat) to resume Masses over the past month, with limits on how often the laity can attend. Right now, the quota is one weekend Mass per month, with a limit of 50 parishioners at each Mass. So churches are gradually opening up, but many adoration chapels remain closed and churches still have limited Mass times. Masks are mandatory and communion is restricted to reception in the hand, which I am truly sad about, but I’m hoping measures will ease and allow for reception on the tongue as soon as possible.

 


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   This calls to mind a beautiful hymn from the 12th century: Lux Alma, Jesu, Mentium. In the Brébeuf hymnal it is #746, and a literal translation is provided. The third verse is quite beautiful: “How happy the man that is host to You, for You are the companion of the Father at His right hand. You are the light that consoles heaven, but is unseen by man on earth.” The Brébeuf hymnal includes a metrical version by Saint John Henry Cardinal Newman, who renders that verse as follows:

Joyous is he, with whom,
God’s Word, Thou dost abide;
Sweet Light of our eternal home,
To fleshly sense denied.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: August 5, 2020

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Corrinne May

About Corrinne May

Corrinne May is one of Singapore’s most celebrated singer-songwriters. She is also a wife and homeschooling mother.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski
2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski
31 December 2020 • “COMITES CHRISTI”

The feasts for Saint Stephen Proto-Martyr (26 December), Saint John the Evangelist The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved (27 December), and the Feast of the Holy Innocents (28 December) seem untouched by any liturgical reforms. These are very powerful feasts—I believe they once possessed octaves—and I believe they could sometimes “overpower” a Sunday feast. The rules for octaves in the olden days are extremely complex. These feasts are sometimes referred to as a single entity as: Comites Christi (“Companions of Christ”). This is just a guess, but there seems to be a triple significance: STEPHEN martyred after Christ lived, JOHN was a martyr who knew Christ personally, and the HOLY INNOCENTS were martyred before Christ’s birth.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Worse, composers are now setting the introits of the missal [instead of the Graduale] to music, even to chant, though these texts were explicitly for spoken recitation only.”

— ‘Dr. William Mahrt (Fall, 2015)’

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