...the Holy Father is going to be in Lourdes for the 13th - 15th September, 2008.
The new school term will have started...
*sigh*
My one consolation is that The Tablet had (wrongly) assumed that the Holy Father would be there in August, for the Assumption...
It is a sad fact that pro-life organisations often appear to be at loggerheads with each other. This is a crying shame, and a real demonstration that the devil is doing his best to sow dissension among those who oppose him, following the maxim "divide and conquer."
I note that Passion for Life is campaigning hard (and doing some good work) against the HFE Bill. However, by concentrating on reducing the number of abortions, they allow people to assume that abortion is alright in some circumstances.
The problem is, once you abandon the moral high ground which maintains that all human life is sacred, the whole thing just becomes a subjective quagmire: if one person maintains that abortion shouldn't be allowed after twelve weeks, that is merely his subjective opinion, and someone else could have equally valid reasons for making the cut-off at sixteen weeks...
So, regretfully, I have to say that I think Passion for Life have put their collective foot in it with their latest postcard campaign. I haven't managed to find it on their website, but I have seen the postcards (I wish I had managed to get a photo.) It reads: "Abortion should be rare."
Which rather begs the question, how many abortions, exactly, would qualify as "rare," and, by implication, "acceptable"?
Given all the hyperbole about the "desperate need" for embryonic stem cells and human-animal hybrids to allow the development of many treatments for human diseases and disorders, and all the claims made by scientists about how scientific progress will be unbelievably hampered if Dr. Frankenstein isn't allowed complete freedom in the laboratory, it is refreshing to find a simple, but authoritative, summary of where the research actually stands at the moment.
The Scottish Catholic Media Office has produced the following video, showing Professor Colin McGuckin, from the University of Newcastle, explaining it all in words of one syllable. The music in between sections is rather grating, but it's worth putting up with it, as this is the most accessible and comprehensive summary of stem cell research I have encountered.
Hmmmmm. Hang on a minute. Newcastle was in England the last time I looked. So why wasn't this stuff produced by the Catholic Media Office of England & Wales?? Maybe something to do with the excellent support given to the pro-life movement on this issue by the Scottish Cardinal, and... (I'll leave you to work out the end of that statement.)
Twitch of the mantilla to John Smeaton for the video link.
The Association of Catholic Women have the following survey out on Catholic education. Take a few minutes to fill it in... I think it's open to anyone - there's a question asking if you're from England & Wales or elsewhere at the end.
Mantilla-twitched in Auntie Joanna's direction
A while back, Newhousenewjob said that she had been angered by the implication that the Rosary is a prayer only said by people too stupid to think up their own prayers. She did wonder whether her friend had gotten the wrong end of the stick, but looking at the name of the group her friend went to for instruction ("Journey in Faith") I suspect that this was one of those wishy-washy, cafeteria-catholic type groups, who love to imagine that they're oh-so-sophisticated-and-adult in their faith.
Well, plenty of intelligent people I know pray the Rosary: several with doctorates, many with at least first degrees. People who believe that the Rosary is just repeating prayers mindlessly haven't had the intelligence to find out what the Rosary is all about.
Anyway, I saw this video on Fr. Ray's blog, and it is so uplifting and cheerful... and gives fifty reasons (from fifty young people) why we need to pray the Rosary.
I only took half an hour to fall asleep last night. Admittedly, I was late getting to bed (11pm.) At least I didn't keep waking up... and I managed to get to the early-morning Mass at Blackfen. The headache has gone. However, I'm still feeling grouchy, though that might have something to do with the fact that we've been trying to help students squeeze out the last few extra marks for their coursework... because these are the students who didn't bother to do any work when it was originally set. That is now at an end, though, as the final marks have to be sent off to the examiners tomorrow.
I'm now fantasizing about tall glasses of iced coffee... with scoops of vanilla ice-cream. And cans of Coca Cola.
I have discovered yet another way to waste time online: web games. The one I discovered is a free one: I have been told that Ikariam is a bit like the old SIMS games, in that you build a town from scratch and watch what happens.
Ikariam is set in a world of Greek islands. You get to name your town and build it up brick by brick. You have workers, citizens, soldiers and academics... and you can even train up a spy or two. The whole thing happens in "real" time, so if you see that a building will take 2 hours to complete, it will take two hours. You can only build one building at a time, and most buildings can only be built once you have "researched" relevant skills in your Academy. Population growth is limited by the size of the town hall, and the income of the town depends on the number of citizens (as opposed to workers, soldiers and academics.) Each island has a particular resource, and you need them all, so you have to arrange to buy them from other islands... or pillage another town on the offchance that the resource you need is lootable.
It's great fun... but be aware that it's not a fast-moving game. Decisions made can take several hours (or even days) to have an effect.
If you want to have a go for yourself, you just need to register HERE. Oh, and make a note of which "world" you are on when you register... it can cause frustration when logging on if you forget to check that box. I'm in World Beta if you want to join me...
John Smeaton, Director of SPUC, has pointed out that, although the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Bill has passed through to its committee stage, there are still debates going on.
He explains that it is vital that MPs vote against the pro-abortion amendments on Monday and (especially) Tuesday next week. Examples of amendments being proposed are the removal of the requirement for consent from two doctors and allowing nurses to administer drug-induced abortions.
John also reminds us of the need to pray for the failure of this Bill. I have a suggestion: ask your parish priest to offer Mass for the defeat of the HFE Bill, and give a stipend for the Mass.
(Remember that, in England & Wales, the priests don't get a salary, so stipends are an essential part of their income. Priests will say Masses for a particular intention if asked even without a stipend if someone cannot afford it, but if you can afford it then you have a duty to give that financial support.)
I'm feeling out-of-sorts. And grouchy with it.
I've always classified myself as a "night-owl" type. Left to my own devices, my body clock seems to set itself quite happily to the hours of darkness.
At least, this is what I tell myself. Psychology, see! Larks and night-owls and body clocks...
Unfortunately, my spiritual director has also studied Psychology... and has pointed out one or two home truths. Humans being able to train and adjust their body clocks being one of them. And the necessity of allowing enough time for sleep so as not to induce a state of sleep deprivation being another.
"Oh, but I can never get to sleep before midnight!" I countered, the last time we discussed this aspect of my life. "...Even if I'm in bed earlier, I just lie there..."
A few days later, my SD observed me ordering another after-dinner coffee. "You might want to consider your caffeine intake," he suggested, ever so gently.
My gut response (as always) was one of definitive denial. Two cups of coffee in the evening was nothing to be concerned about... I always drank coffee... that's hardly anything...
...and then he pointed out that I had also consumed two pints of Coca Cola, my usual beverage when I'm driving. And that made my caffeine intake rather high for an evening.
As is the usual way for me, I initially refused to acknowledge that there could be any foundation in fact for this idea. After all, I run on coffee all day at school. I even have my own coffee machine. And I don't have trouble sleeping... I just don't feel sleepy until midnight... and at weekends I don't normally drink coffee, unless I go out for a meal... though I do drink plenty of coke... and tea...
The more I thought about it, the more I began to acknowledge that there might be something in it. So I decided to put it to the test. My caffeine intake at school has been seriously reduced (I don't think I could ever survive without any coffee) and I have resolved not to drink any caffeinated drinks until I've sorted out my sleeping pattern.
The result? I have been tired and lacking in energy for the past two days. By the end of Monday I had a splitting headache, and went to bed at 9:30pm. I then couldn't sleep until 10:45pm, woke up at about 11:30pm, then 2am, 3:30am, 4:30am, 5am and finally 7am (which is cutting things a bit fine for school.) I've also been grouchy and irritable.
I shall give it until Half Term. Until then, don't mess with me. Or my blog.
To any students out there who still have to complete coursework as part of their exam course (I know some subjects no longer have coursework) - a little friendly advice:
If your teacher "suggests" an alteration to your work might be a good idea, then don't just ignore it. It wasn't actually a suggestion, but exam regulations mean that we can't "tell" you what to do.
The intrepid Catholic Mom of 10 has run out of house-room... to be more precise, she can't put up any more photos on her blog as she's reached her Blogger limit. Undaunted, Jackie has set up a new blog. The old one is not being deleted, it just won't be updated, so she's asked us all to amend our blogrolls accordingly. You can find the new blog OVER HERE.
We have a very beautiful High Mass set of red vestments. Hopefully, we're being treated to a High Mass tomorrow for Pentecost, but I thought I might not manage to get a clear close-up of the chasuble, which is stunning... so I scooted into the Sacristy and snapped this one. Enjoy!
(It's a little blurred... the centrepiece shows the Agnus Dei)
I spotted this one over at Mark's blog, and it made me chortle... not quite sure what Leutgeb will make of it!
First the car, now the cat...
Sylvester's eye looked a little odd a while back... However, I couldn't see anything obviously wrong, and he didn't seem listless, or in pain. I concluded that he'd probably had a run-in with one of the neighbourhood cats and come off a little the worse for wear.
And then, about a week or so ago, I thought that his right pupil looked different... but Sylvester didn't take kindly to being stared at. He still didn't seem to be in pain, and he was eating plenty. I wondered if he'd had a stroke, and steeled myself for the inevitable decline...
...and then yesterday I saw a big, black "shadow" appear over his eye. From one angle it just looked like his pupil, and then it moved over the iris. I decided that this was one for the vet.
I managed to get the last free appointment slot for this evening. I needed to go to Bluewater first, to sort out a mix-up with my contact lenses, but figured that I could just about get back home in time to scoop up the cat, stuff him in the kitty-carrier, and dash straight back out again.
This required military precision and planning. I was counting on him being greedy enough to greet me when I arrived home. He was. My first move, after greeting him was to lock the cat flap. He may be fat and indolent, but he can still move pretty smartly when he wants. Next was the super-sneaky retrieval of the kitty-carrier. I opened it, lined it with a towel, and positioned it carefully. Only then could I approach the cat, scoop him up - ostensibly for pre-feeding cuddles - and then try to get him into the carrier.
Why is it that a normally four-legged feline suddenly seems to sprout legs when one approaches a kitty-carrier? And I swear that Sylvester's tail became prehensile!
I did manage it, eventually. However, the car journey to the vet's surgery was a real ordeal (for me) as Sylvester mewed pitifully the whole way.
The vet was completely flummoxed. "I've never seen anything like this before," she admitted, and went to fetch a more experienced colleague: disconcertingly referred to as "the eye specialist." I had visions of having to sell the car in order to pay for the cat...
The senior vet knew exactly what was wrong: a corneal sequestrum. The exact cause is unclear, but it can result from some injury or irritation to the eye which results in a patch of the cornea dying. The dead tissue can slough away, and may leave an ulcer. However, the vet thought that, as the condition sometimes sorted itself out, it was worth trying a fortnight of treatment with an antibiotic cream for Sylvester's eye... though if there was no improvement, he would probably need surgery, maybe to remove the eye completely.
So, spare a thought for the two of us... for Sylvester, that he recover without the need for surgery, and for me, that I manage to retain some of my fingers after a fortnight of trying to apply ointment to the eye of an uncooperative cat...
I have a hectic week ahead. I found that the only delivery slot for my groceries which was practical (and would arrive before I found I needed to actually venture out to the shops for myself) was the 9pm-10pm slot this evening.
Tomorrow is Parents' Evening for my Year 7 classes. Year 7 parents are invariably keen to attend. I have no problem with this (it's better than the alternative) but it will be a long evening... and tonight I'm really tired...
Anyone care to bet against the delivery van arriving at the end of the slot?
UPDATE: Wow! All bets are off. The delivery arrived at 9:10pm. So all I have to do is unpack it all, and then I shall have a very early night...
I haven't had much time for the blogs this past week... I have been committing the gravest sin known to teacher-kind: going out on school nights. Several times. Tut tut! I shall have to give myself a detention and 300 lines. (That's Parents' Evening and a class set of reports, in case you were wondering!)
Monday, I went to Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, for their Rogation Day Mass. This was followed by a most agreeable session in the Coal Hole, a local hostelry. I have it on the best authority (several Camra members) that the beer there is very good. I wouldn't know, as I'm nearly always driving, so I was on the Coca Cola.
Tuesday was the quietest day this week... but I needed to do some housework (mainly laundry) and cook lunch for the week ahead. I'm not a brilliant cook, but I have a few favourite dishes which I can rustle up when necessary. I was in the mood for a lamb-and-macaroni-cheese bake thingy which is a variation (ie. it's my attempt to remember it) of a Greek Cypriot recipe which a friend told me about many years ago. My main problem is that she didn't know what the herbs were - it was a special Greek mix - and so I have to guess. The end result, as far as I'm concerned, is edible, which is all that matters. A job-lot of that sorts out lunch for the week, except Friday.
Wednesday was pretty hectic. First a Year Team meeting after school. Then a session of spiritual direction. Then on to a session of Child Protection training at the parish. Information about procedures and form-filling. I was amused by the fact that I had to fill out an application form for the post of catechist, and toyed with the idea of not applying... but I suspect that I wouldn't be allowed to back out of Confirmation classes quite so easily!
Thursday was the Feast of the Ascension. Totally not obligatory. But it would have taken a whole troupe of wild horses to prevent me from going. Especially since it was a Missa Cantata. And this was then followed by a session in the Parish club. I believe that the beer isn't quite as good as that at the Coal Hole, but I was on Coca Cola again, so it made no difference.
Friday there was a Mass at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place. I'm not quite sure why I allowed myself to be talked into going to that one rather than attending Mass in Chislehurst, but it seemed like a good idea at the time... and I'd never attended a Mass there before. This was followed by a brief sojourn in the Mitre Pub. There's a historical connection between the pub and the church, something to do with the Bishop of Ely's palace, but it escapes me for the moment. I am assured that the beer is very good... but I was almost Coca Cola'd to death by this time.
Saturday proved to be a day for recouping lost energy. The usual Saturday morning Low Mass was followed by some time for prayer and reflection (though Exposition & Benediction had been cancelled) before the First Communion Mass. I stayed for that because of the "promise" that a Plenary Indulgence was attached to First Communion Masses... and I need as many Holy Souls as possible waiting to meet me when my time comes!
After Mass on Sunday morning, I drove down to Marble Arch and parked the car outside Tyburn Convent. I then made my way back to the Old Bailey for the Tyburn Pilgrimage. The rain held off, and the weather was almost perfect for walking. However, mindful of the fact that I have one dodgy left knee and one dodgy right ankle, I cheated, and cabbed it from church to church. After Benediction at the Convent, and a brief visit to the Crypt Chapel to venerate the relics of the martyrs, I drove home with a friend who had done the walk properly.
Driving home, I noticed that the car was making rather worrying noises. I'd had it serviced and MOT'd while away in Ryde a couple of weeks back, and the exhaust had been partly replaced. I'd told my next-door neighbour (whose garage had fixed the car) but he couldn't hear any noise when he drove it. I was pretty sure it was the exhaust, but didn't understand why it only made a noise when I turned right with my foot on the brake. I wondered if I was imagining things...
...but as my neighbour's garage was open on the Bank Holiday, I drove down and demonstrated what I meant by "noises." The upshot was that I wasn't imagining things, but that the exhaust was just moving around a bit too much, so something was bolted into place. Luckily this didn't take long at all, and I was able to drive down to Aylesford for the Mass at the Altar Servers' Rally. I went back home almost immediately after Mass (coursework marking season!) but it was a lovely day for a drive... and I was also able to check that the noises had truly disappeared.
The coming week is going to be almost as hectic, but it'll be closer to home, so less tiring... at least, that's the theory!
I have been pretty annoyed with the results of some of the photos I've taken with my phone camera. The colour seems to go completely mad, with everything far more yellow than it should be. I tried using my computer's photo-editing software, and couldn't quite get it right... so most photos have just gone up unedited.
However, I decided to give Adobe Photoshop a try... I saw that there was a cheap one going on Amazon, and snapped it up. And then forgot about it. The CD arrived during the week, but I've been a bit busy.
So this evening I decided to have a little play around. It isn't particularly user-friendly, but by dint of pushing buttons just to see what happens, I discovered that
look like this:
which is rather an improvement.This is just sooooo funny... but so true too! If you ever wondered what it was about rosaries that Catholics love so much, and why those same rosaries can cause Protestants to have palpitations and come out in a bad case of hives, then Stuff Catholics Like is the site for you.
Mantilla twitched to the Curt Jester (who writes some of the articles!)
I was able to get to Mass at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place, this evening. I was looking at the beautiful stained glass, and the statues, and it struck me that these images, and the decoration of the vestments, were the "textbooks" in times past, when the majority of people couldn't read, or didn't have access to books.
How could we possibly have forgotten that all this beauty was practical as well as aesthetic? Why were churches stripped of all their statues and pictures? - and I'm not referring to the Reformation, but to the wreckovation which happens in parishes even today!
Anyway, I thought I'd share...
We celebrated the Mass of the Ascension at Blackfen, in the Extraordinary Form of course... It was wonderful, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate made a visitation to the parish to sing the propers for the Missa Cantata. Fr. Tim quipped that they are one of the Orders that has refused to observe the Vocations Crisis...
As Fr. Tim had pointed out about four times during his sermon last week, there was absolutely no obligation to go to Mass on Thursday, it was not the Holyday of Obligation, that would be Sunday... Plenty of other bloggers have indicated what they thought about Ascension Thursday Sunday, and Christ ascending to heaven 43 days after the Resurrection...
And the number of people who turned up for the Mass rather indicates what their thoughts on the matter were... There were at least 65 people present at this non-obligatory ex-Holyday. Methinks their Lordships have shot themselves in the collective foot: by transferring the obligation to Sunday, they have opened up the possibility for extra Masses to be scheduled on the old Holydays... but in order to celebrate the Feast, they have to be from the old calendar... so many more people than would otherwise have made the effort to attend the Extraordinary Form have done so... and will have rediscovered the beauty of their Catholic liturgical heritage...
Oooops. Somehow I don't think that was the intention...
...since we had a blonde joke, so here it is.
A blonde lady motorist was about two hours from San Diego when she was flagged down by a man whose truck had broken down.
The man walked up to the car and asked, 'Are you going to San Diego?'
'Sure,' answered the blonde, 'do you need a lift?'
'Not for me. I'll be spending the next three hours fixing my truck. My problem is I've got two chimpanzees in the back which have to be taken to the San Diego Zoo. They're a bit stressed already so I don't want to keep them on the road all day. Could you possibly take them to the zoo for me? I'll give you $100 for your trouble.'
'I'd be happy to,' said the blonde.
So the two chimpanzees were ushered into the back seat of the blonde's car and carefully strapped into their seat belts. Off they went.
Five hours later, the truck driver was driving through the heart of San Diego when suddenly he saw a horrific sight! There was the blonde walking down the street and holding hands with the two chimps, much to the amusement of a big crowd.
With a screech of brakes he pulled off the road and ran over to the blonde.
'What the heck are you doing here?' he demanded, 'I gave you $100 to take these chimpanzees to the zoo.'
'Yes, I know you did,' said the blonde, 'but we had money left over, so now we're going to SeaWorld.'
Please don't bother telling me that standards in the exams are the same as they always have been. It just isn't true. What is true is that the exam burden on students has increased to ridiculous levels. And don't get me started on the subject of coursework. I'm having to mark quite a lot of the wretched stuff at the moment...
Anyway, I spotted this over at Paulinus' place...
1. Teaching Maths In 1970:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?
2. Teaching Maths In 1980:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or £80. What is his profit?
3. Teaching Maths In 1990:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is £80. Did he make a profit?
4. Teaching Maths In 2000:
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for £100. His cost of production is £80 and his profit is £20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.
5. Teaching Maths In 2008:
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of £20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.)
6. Teaching Maths 2018:
أ المسجل تبيع حموله شاحنة من الخشب من اجل 100 دولار. صاحب تكلفة الانتاج من الثمن. ما هو الرب
I love Lourdes. I may have mentioned this before!
Anyway, the annual Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes is at the end of the month, and I am the lucky soul who gets to do all the organising.
There was a rumour that the Holy Father was going to be popping along too... I heard it from the hotel owners last year, and also from a nurse who assured me that the hospital room where John Paul II had stayed last had been booked for the 31st May.
It seemed too good a chance to miss, and so we extended our stay by a day and moved it to include the weekend. Sadly, it seems that the Holy Father has changed his mind (I refuse to believe that two totally independent sources could both plump for the exact same day by pure chance!)
Anyway, I've managed to arrange the times of Mass for the group - the main difficulty with this is persuading the Shrine authorities that we want Mass in a particular chapel, and will move the Mass to whatever time is necessary. Of course, the official tour operators are more interested in herding their pilgrims round to various attractions according to a military-style timetable, which is why they often end up taking groups over to some of the more austere* chapels... and it is also why we no longer use the tour operators!
*I'm attempting to be charitable. For "austere", substitute "Protestant, minimalist, garage-cum-broom-cupboard"!
Heheheheheh... It would appear that, even if the Nuncio isn't interested in what the Blogosphere has to say about the succession, Paddy Power is keeping a beady eye on things.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols is now at 7-4 (from 2-1), Bishop Arthur Roche is now back at 10-1 (after a brief stint at 12-1) and Archbishop Peter Smith is staying steady at 12-1.
Blogging Supremo Fr. Timothy Finigan is still in there (according to Paddy Power) at 10-1.
The merry month of May approaches, and with it the commemoration of the martyrs who died at Tyburn. This is a great annual event, walking the route that the martyrs would have taken from Newgate Prison to the Tyburn Tree, stopping off at a few key churches and finishing with Benediction at Tyburn Convent.
