The Abbey is laid out once more in the comforting greens and whites of Ordinary Time. Currently, the Abbey is filled with the susurrus of many people trying to communicate while being excusably quiet. The acolytes bustle about the altar, setting out the religious material to be used shortly.

Everyone important is here, whether they'd like to be somewhere else or not.

Geoffrey was present of course. He busied himself with proper prostration and ceremony. He was certainly no clergy, or even lay clergy, but he had studied his religion thoroughly. Not quite exhaustively, because who had the time if they were not of the cloth, but certainly thoroughly. More so than he had the ebb and flow of court.

Giles was not part of the procession, or the organization for the rites. He had been so numerous times back at Abergavenny however, so he watched with a judgmental and critical eye, his mouth moving along soundlessly with the songs and chants.

Simon is important, if indeed not involved with the choir. While a man of the faith, he never truly studied the bible, beyond memorizing what verses were demanded of him before he became a Baron.

In truth, he was enjoying himself here.

Andre's soft bulk jiggles as he lowers himself to his knees in the Abbey and finds a place from which to hear the Mass.

The procession to the altar today is nothing like the majesty of the Coronation. Instead, the Abbey Cross, that of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that of the Bishop of Durham are the only major relics making their way up the aisle, followed by the Abbot, the Archbishop, and Hugh de Puiset respectively. The songs of the monks and the swinging of incense bring much to the effort, and soon the Abbot and the Archbishop sit together in great seats to the right of the altar, while Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham, takes up position as celebrant.

After kneeling briefly at the altar, he rises and makes the sign of the cross, saying:

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

He then joins his hands, saying I will go to the altar of God.

To which the assembly replies To God, the joy of my youth.

Andre follows along as his training and study suggest he ought.

Geoffrey is appropriately pious in his own energetic repetition of the line.

Immediately, Puiset adds:

Our help is in the Name of the Lord

To which the congregation replies

"Who made Heaven and Earth.

Then, bowing profoundly, Puiset continues:

"I confess to Almighty God, and to Blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed..." And now striking his breast three times, he continues. "...through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech Blessed Mary Ever-Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me.

To which the congregation replies.

"May Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring to you life everlasting.

Puiset says "Amen" and stands upright. Technically, he says it in French at the same time, but, you know, he was thinking in Latin.

Then the acolytes, the Archbishop, and the Abbot say their confessions as well, to which Puiset responds with the formula above, they say "Amen" and he replies "May the almighty and merciful Lord grant us pardon, absolution, and remission of your sins.

Andre crosses himself, which takes longer than it perhaps ought, given the distances involved.

He jiggles with his self-flagellation.

Amen, says the Congregation.

Puiset then bows down before the altar and continues a quick call and response with the congregation:
Puiset: "Turn to us, O God, and give us life.
Others: "And people will rejoice in you."
Puiset: "Lord, show us your mercy."
Others: "And grant us your salvation."
Puiset: "Lord, listen to my prayer."
Others: "And let my cry come unto you."
Puiset: "The Lord be with you."
Others: "And with your spirit."

He then extends his hands, saying "Let us pray." Then walks up to the altar and lays his hands atop it, praying silently for a moment, then says:
"We pray to you, Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, he kisses the altar And of this relic, and all the Saints, for you to condescend to overlook all my sins. Amen."

He then turns and blesses the incense, saying May you be blessed by him, in whose honor you will be burned. Amen."
Taking the thurible from the acolyte, he incenses the altar three times in silence. He then hands it back to the acolyte, who incenses him back.

Now speaking in Greek, he turns back to altar and says: "Lord Have Mercy"

Then the entire congregation rises as the Gloria is sung.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly king, O God, almighty father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Giles's voice raises in tune with the congregation, distinctive in itself but at the same time melding with the whole.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly king, O God, almighty father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Geoffrey sings along as well. He seems entirely comfortable with all steps of the mass, never skipping a beat.

Puiset again kisses the altar.

There is an awful lot of altar-kissing in the mass before the Vatican II reforms.

The Lord be with you.

Andre follows along, of course, though his brow wrinkles slightly at the anachronism.

Then the congregation sits, because it's time for the readings.

The Prior of the Abbey rises and moves to the lectern to read from the Bible. He just launches into it in pretty rapid-fire Latin.

Who can know God’s counsel,
or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid,
and unsure are our plans.
For the corruptible body burdens the soul
and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns.
And scarce do we guess the things on earth,
and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty;
but when things are in heaven, who can search them out?
Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom
and sent your holy spirit from on high?
And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight.

Following this is the Psalm, which is sung as a call-and-response by the monks of the Abbey.
R. (1) In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You turn man back to dust,
saying, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
You make an end of them in their sleep;
the next morning they are like the changing grass,
Which at dawn springs up anew,
but by evening wilts and fades.
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Then came the Epistle, read again by the Prior.
I, Paul, an old man,
and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,
urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment;
I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.
I should have liked to retain him for myself,
so that he might serve me on your behalf
in my imprisonment for the gospel,
but I did not want to do anything without your consent,
so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.
Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while,
that you might have him back forever,
no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother,
beloved especially to me, but even more so to you,
as a man and in the Lord.
So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.