Fr George Kwari has revived a tradition at St Barnabas not celebrated for many years. An All Souls’ Requiem Mass was celebrated on Sunday with a rich and moving liturgy. The names of the faithful departed were read aloud, and a candle was lit for each of them. The service ended with the Absolutions of the Dead. “Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and may the light perpetual shine upon them. Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal in that day tremendous: When the heavens and the earth must pass away: When Thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.”
Music as always was an integral part of our worship: Organ voluntaries by Bach and Buxtehude, brilliantly performed by choirmaster and music director Shawn Potter, and hymns, plainchant and the haunting ablutions motet, “As we remember them”, by Tarik O’Regan by our amazing choir, that worked especially hard to bring us these beautiful sounds.
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Fr George Kwari (centre), with Fr David Raths (left) and subdeacon Ellery Furlong and servers following the mass.
You can watch Fr Kwari’s sermon on Mary, Martha and Lazarus and the entire liturgy here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73ejdvuzZNk
Kontakion of the Dead
Give rest, O Christ,to thy servant with thy saints,where sorrow and pain are no more;neither sighing, but life everlasting.Thou only art immortal,the Creator and Maker of man;and we are mortal, formed of the earth,and unto earth shall we return;for so thou didst ordainwhen thou createdst me, saying:'Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'All we go down to the dust,and, weeping o'er the grave we make our song:Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.