Happy New Year !

2007 has been a strange year for me... a lot has happened, but it has definitely finished on a high note. Here's hoping that 2008 will be just as happy... but perhaps a little less eventful!

Oh Happy Day...!

I remember watching this episode of Newsnight on the evening of the election of Pope Benedict XVI...


Christina Odone got told!

Twitch of the mantilla to Ches of The Sensible Bond for reminding me of her name so I could find the clip on You Tube!

I Wonder When They Stopped Making These?

This is the death-mask (one of two) of St Charles Borromeo. The thing that struck me, having seen a few dead bodies in my time, was how serene he looks...

...I also wondered whether this counts as a first, second or third class relic?

...and when the practice of making death masks stopped...?


Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Z.

And Another Blog To View...

Ok, I'm not sure how Tomas scooted under my new blog radar (actually, according to his first post, it's Tomáš (pronounced Tomaash))... he seems to have been blogging since the end of July... but now I've found him. He's a Czech, but studying in Birmingham, so he's currently in my UK Blogroll... he might not feel too pleased about that! Some very interesting stuff on his blog, and I love his sidebar.

Pop on over to An Empty Cave and say hi!

Spreading The Christmas Spirit...

I'm feeling Christmassy... all the beautiful Nativity scenes available on the internet have inspired me... and I thought it was about time that I tried to make another video. So, sit back and enjoy part of J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio.

Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage!
Rühmet, was heute der Höchste getan!
Lasset das Zagen, verbannet die Klage,
stimmet voll Jauchzen und Frölichkeit an!
Dienet dem Höchsten mit herrlichen Chören!
Laßt uns den Namen des Herrschers verehren!

Rejoice and be joyful, come, praise these days!
Extol what today the Most High has done!
Leave fear aside, banish sorrow,
sing forth in joy and rejoicing!
Serve the Most High with cheerful choruses!
Let us honour the name of the Lord!

Home Sweet Home !

I'm back home, and desperately checking all my favourite blogs to see what I've missed since Christmas Day... I was only away for three nights, but it felt like an eternity because my stepfather's internet connection was appallingly slow (although he supposedly has broadband!) and the computer wouldn't load any of the blogs for me to read, let alone post stuff!

Christmas Day itself was fabulous... having been to Midnight Mass, I checked out a few blogs and left some Christmas messages. I finally got to sleep at about 3am. I knew this was likely and so asked a friend of mine, Anna-Marie, to phone me early as we were both singing at the 9am Mass, and I needed to go and collect her at 8:15am. She promised to ring me at 7am. However, no phonecall came...

...as she got into the car, I joked about the lack of phone call. Anna-Marie was adamant: yes, she had phoned me, and she'd had a conversation with me. Now, I know that I have overslept in spectacular fashion before, and I've dreamt that I've got up when I haven't, but the phone was in the sitting room, and I'd have had to clamber over bags of presents in order to get to it. Then a thought struck me: what number had she phoned? She told me. It wasn't my number...

So, some poor soul was woken up at 7am on Christmas Day when they didn't need to get up. I'll bet they were happy...

Three of us were leading the singing at the 9am Mass, and we did a couple of pieces before Mass and at Communion. We'd been asked to help out, as there isn't a choir at that Mass, or an organist. It was great to be able to belt out the descants to Hark, the herald angels sing and O little town of Bethlehem, even though I nearly didn't hit the top note due to a chesty cough. I think it sounded ok... Anna-Marie and Julia covered up my mistakes in one of the songs, and spared my blushes!

I then stayed for the next Mass, as a special treat...

The rest of Christmas Day was spent dog-sitting for my parents down in Eastbourne. The dogs aren't real dogs, they're yappy yorkies. I'm not really into dogs, and I definitely prefer real dogs to little yappy excuses for canines. However, we have come to an understanding over the years: I feed them and give them the occasional pat, and take them for a walk or two when I'm looking after them. I do not make a fuss of them. After an initial greeting, they calm down, and leave me alone, probably sensing that any attempt to get my attention is a bit of a waste of time and energy...


Boxing Day saw me venturing into Brighton. The Mass in Eastbourne was at lunchtime, and my parents were due back then, so it seemed to be more sensible to pop on over to St. Mary Magdalen's for a 10am Mass. Fr. Ray's church is beautiful, especially all decked out for the festivities, and after Mass we gathered round the Crib to sing a carol. I then went in for a coffee and a chat, and Fr Ray rather unkindly took advantage... I tried to avoid being snapped, but he just stood there with the camera poised, and I realised I was going to be "got" so compromised by demanding a side-shot!

My sister and her husband came down the next day, and I was able to give my nephew his Christmas present: it met with his approval, although he hasn't quite got the idea that the balls should be hit with the mallet. He pushed the balls into the holes by hand, and used the mallet to hit the floor instead...

I was also surprised to learn that my nephew likes sprouts...

All in all, a very enjoyable Christmas.

Vatican Nativity Scene

I'm just back from an awesome Midnight Mass. Unfortunately I left my phone at home (and I really could have kicked myself!) Googling the Vatican Crib scene hasn't brought up any good photos yet, but this clip of the unveiling is up and about, so until the photos arrive, enjoy!

Raw Video: The Vatican unveils nativity scene

The Nativity Of Our Lord Jesus Christ

A Very Happy Christmas

to you all

With Love and Prayers

The Secular Side Of Christmas...

I wasn't quite as organised as I'd have liked this year. Mind you, it's been an improvement on last year - I was feeling so out of sorts that I didn't send any Christmas cards, and only gave out a (small) handful.

I managed to sort out my computerised addressbook - this is despite Microsoft's best attempts to scupper the process - by using an older version of Word to do my address labels, and temporarily making Outlook my default mail client... or something like that. Whatever. It worked... and having the labels pre-printed means that I can write nice messages inside the cards instead of getting writer's cramp copying out the addresses...

I made a couple of half-hearted attempts to do my Christmas shopping early, but didn't succeed. This is partly because I needed information from my mother and my sister about what to buy their menfolk. Unfortunately they were out of ideas, or were keeping them for themselves.

The December pay date is always early, which allows us teachers to buy lots of nice presents... and then practice our numeracy skills during January as we contemplate the amount of month left when the money has pretty much expired...

This year payday was Friday. I couldn't have gone to Bluewater on Friday even if I'd wanted to: evening Mass and a music practice for Christmas Day had already been arranged. Saturday was an option... but the Saturday before Christmas is probably not the best day to go anywhere near a shop. Bexleyheath apparently came to a grinding halt because of the fog and the increase in shoppers. I was in church pretty much all day Sunday. So I took a chance on Christmas Eve being my best bet for shopping. Of course, I was aware that it could all go horribly wrong...

I went to a very early Mass (which always makes one feel virtuous) and then had a cup of tea and a chat with our Sacristan who was getting various things ready for Midnight Mass. I got to Bluewater at about 9:30am, and as the place doesn't open properly until 10am there were plenty of parking spaces. I shot into a couple of shops to buy prezzies for my parents, sister and brother-in-law, and then made an emergency phone call to check whether my nephew already had a particular toy (he did) and the desirability of a suitable replacement (It involved a mallet and some round balls and holes to bash them through... my sister approved!) I was out by 11:30am - just as the place was beginning to get crowded...

I'm now home in plenty of time to do some housework and wrap the presents. Smug just doesn't cover it!

Children's Crib Service

Next to Midnight Mass, Dawn Mass and Day Mass (this year I get to go to all three... YIPPEE!), I think the parish Crib Service is my favourite Christmas activity. No rehearsals, everyone just shows up. There are two principle players (Mary & Joseph) who must have been picked at some point, if only to ensure that the costumes fit and that the girl holding the baby Jesus isn't likely to drop him...

...the baby Jesus is another part which has been worked out beforehand...

The rest of the children are either angels, shepherds or kings, according to personal inclination / parents' wardrobe skills. We were seriously short of shepherds this year...










Some of the older children get to read the story in little bits, and then the various children get moved into place during the carols. It ends with all the children being invited up, in costume or not, and a countdown while photos are taken by doting parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and what-have-you. And then we have tea and biscuits in the small hall.

Absolutely brilliant!

Flying Pigs...!

I love my Saturday morning routine. A chance to lie in later than on a school day (that may have to change, as it mucks up my sleep cycle), then Mass in the Extraordinary Form, Exposition, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the opportunity for confession, Benediction and then home or shopping or visiting friends. The only disadvantage is that the morning's news has pretty much become "old" news by the time I get to hear it.

So, Tony Blair has become a Catholic. I would be the last person to say that a true conversion of heart is impossible - I experienced one myself, and as a former acquaintance proclaimed, "You??? You're the last person I'd have thought of as being Catholic!! God really can work wonders...!" However, as I've noted before, and as numerous others have too, Mr. Blair's voting record and public statements on issues such as abortion, embryonic research, homosexual "marriage" and so on have been contrary to Church teaching, and have been public. As a result, his conversion needs to be accompanied by the equally public refutation of this former way of life: a statement that he accepts that his previous actions were wrong according to Church teaching, and that he recognises this and would not do the same thing again...

If we get one, then I am prepared to eat Fr. Tim's biretta (I don't have a hat, and I need my mantilla for church!)

I'm in good company: Damian Thompson has his doubts, and so do the good people at SPUC, according to Fr. John... and Fr. Ray has a few thoughts too

I will, however, pray that I might be given the opportunity to eat Fr. Tim's biretta...

Vegetables...

I do not like vegetables. I very rarely eat them: the exceptions are potatoes, especially chipped and deep-fried. I heard a report this evening that, due to some unseasonably wet weather (or was it dry weather? I seem to recall a drought warning at some point...) there is likely to be a sprout shortage. This will cause Fr. Tim some unhappy moments, no doubt, as he seems to like the vile vegetable, but I think I shall be able to restrain my own disappointment...

Broccoli is right there with the sprouts, in my opinion. However, it would appear that there is an alternative festive use to which the vegetable can be put, according to Fr. Justin...



I don't like carrots either. Unless they're grated and smothered in cake...

"New" Blog On The Block

Katie has just introduced herself via the combox on my post celebrating the five years since I first took my vows. She is in the process of discerning a vocation as a Consecrated Virgin. Her profile picture shows that she too wears a mantilla... though as she's younger and prettier, she doesn't feel the need to have the photo taken from behind!

Her blog is called Searching and Seeking. Pop on over and say hallo!

Interesting Viewpoint...

This is a short post, more of a passing thought, really, as I have arrived back from Benediction a little late. Well, I did stop off for a few coca colas in the Parish club afterwards...

'Tis the season when schoolchildren around the country (those still in school, that is!) are being subjected to DVDs and videos by frazzled teachers. I dislike the fact that the kids clamour for videos pretty much from the start of December, and try to limit them to the last day and a half. In reality, they prefer this too, because otherwise they get bored. Only so many DVDs you can watch in a day!

Anyway, Year 10 had their last Chemistry lesson before the holiday, and there was a science programme which one of the department had videoed... and it went on about how the Earth was perfectly set up to allow complex life to develop. There was this presenter enthusing about how, contrary to the popular belief that there might be other similar planets capable of supporting life, there might, in fact, only be one such planet in the whole universe... ours!

It had a collision with its sister planet, which made it big enough to prevent the atmosphere leaking away into outer space, and which created the Moon... which is necessary for causing seasonal variations. Jupiter is a big enough planet close by to protect the Earth from most meteorite collisions. Conditions on Earth were stable enough to allow complex life to develop, but not too stable so as to prevent adaptation and evolutionary kick-starts at various points...

Why do some people find it so difficult to accept that maybe, just maybe, the Judaeo-Christian tradition of the Earth being created specifically for Mankind could have something going for it...?

Just For Karen...

That Oceanic Gem reminded me that Ma Beck had tagged me for a meme a while back, but I hadn't answered it. The reason it had slipped my mind was that I had completed it some time ago (in fact, I think it was the first one I ever did) ... but just for Karen, I'll put the link to the Book Meme HERE, and then I can declare that she's tagged...

Our Heritage

As a bolshy teenager, I viewed much of Church history as pious claptrap. Records of the early Church couldn't possibly have survived... and what was left was doctored anyway. I would have been right in there with Dan Brown.

Now I know better. The documents of the Church have been lovingly preserved by monks in monasteries, and the Tradition has been passed down through the centuries. And we have records of the early Martyrs, preserved in the Canon of the Mass... and records of every single one of the Popes, from Peter onwards...

This beautiful summary brings it all home. Ma Beck threatens to set a test, but I think she's bluffing. Watch the video anyway!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Not A Well Body...

There have been some really nasty bugs at school. I had been rejoicing that, despite starting at a new school (which tends to mean that you catch everything going while your immune system readjusts) I had gotten off pretty lightly, with only the occasional bout of the lurgy...

... alas, I rejoiced too soon. Monday morning started off with a croaking voice and a scratchy throat... I managed to get to the early-morning Mass, convinced that things would improve once I was up and about. They didn't. I was sent home from school later in the day so as not to spread any germs along with the seasonal good cheer. Two days in bed with a temperature, decidedly wobbly knees, and a bunged-up-yet-runny nose, headache and sneezes have left me feeling very sorry for myself.

On the plus-side, the scratchy throat seems to have gone...

I am not good at being ill. I want sympathy...

Pause For Thought...

I came across this video while meandering around the web. This chap decided to celebrate the purchase of a new camera by taking a photo of himself each day... for eight years!


Living My Life Faster - 8 years of JK's Daily Photo Project from c71123 on Vimeo

That got me thinking... how much have I changed in the past eight years? Not my looks, but in my spiritual life. John Henry Newman wrote something about change... but unfortunately googling it just brings up the last part of the quote, about how to be perfect is to have changed often... and I just know that there's more to it than that.

Come on you lot... help me out here!

Not Done Your Homework, Damian?

Oh dear, someone's skimped on his research! That's 100 lines for you, my boy... "I must check the blogs more carefully before making rash statements..."

Mr Thompson has been having an unkind chortle at the expense of the seminaries in England and Wales... he points out that they are over-staffed, and probably having kittens at the thought of Pope Benedict's latest pronouncement that all seminaries have to teach students how to celebrate the Extraordinary Form...

Yes, the student-staff ratio quoted does seem a little ridiculous. But I doubt that they are all full-time staff. At least one of the four seminaries employs parish priests as lecturers: Fr. Tim Finigan, Fr. John Boyle and Fr. Dominic Rolls being three I can name off the top of my head...

...the first two of whom actually celebrate the Extraordinary Form in their own parishes... I doubt that they are opposed to passing on this knowledge to anyone else.

(Of course, I don't know what they get up to in the other three seminaries...)

All She Wants For Christmas...

Heheheheheh... Leutgeb has been checking out her blog stats. I go through phases of it, usually near a blogging "milestone" - it is fascinating to see what brings people to visit a blog.

I have to confess to an unkind chortle or two when I notice a spate of visitors who have fetched up on Mulier Fortis after googling "Estelle White hymn lyrics" or "Colours of Day"... They definitely would have gotten more than they bargained for, but you never know, they might just get to see the error of their ways...!

Leutgeb seems to attract the baking crowd. Yup, naming your blog after a type of Welsh bread will tend to confuse a lot of folks...

In the meantime, she is hoping to hit the 1000 mark before Christmas. Pop on over HERE and make her happy...

Blast From The Past...

I used to love The Muppet Show. And one of my favourite sketches was "Mahna Mahna" - I would drag my hair down over my face and sing away happily to entertain my younger sister.

I heard one of the boys at school singing "Mahna Mahna" as he walked down the corridor, which made me wonder if it had been shown on TV lately, on one of those compilation "100 best..." or something. I decided to check out You Tube for a trip down memory lane, and sure enough...



I have to admit that the aging hippie being given pitying looks by the backing singers as he stubbonly tried to do his own thing did make me grin... Face it, hippies... it's over!

More On The Ugly Vestment Front...

I know, I know... I've been spoiled by all the lovely stuff we have at Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen. It helps that Fr. Tim has an eye for this sort of thing, and will happily relieve his fellow-priests of spare vestments, marble, and what-have-you if they are having a clear-out of all their trad stuff...

But poor Fr. Daren in Illinois has to wear this dish-rag for Gaudete Sunday...

(That's not Fr. Daren, by the way...)

Patron Saint for 2008

In 2007, my blogging Patron Saint was St. Ambrose. This year, as Matthew went off to a non-blogging seminary, Angela Messenger picked up the mantle of Saint-picker...

Scrolling through the list of requests for patron saints made me realise what a horrendous task it must have been, and she probably won't thank me, but you can probably get your saint HERE though I don't know how long the draw will go on... you post your request as a comment, and a while later check to see if your saint has been added on at the bottom.

Anyway, my Patron Saint for the coming year is St. Peter Chrysologus. Not a saint I know much about, so some research will be needed... excellent!

Non-Blogging Priests...

A while back, a certain non-blogging priest found himself appearing on several blogs. We bloggers found it hilariously funny, but Fr. Richard was a little spooked, especially when, visiting Rome, he was stopped in the street by the great Fr. Z with the cry, "You're that Fr. Whinder!"

Another priest I know has no such qualms: his ambition is to get on as many blogs as possible... given that one of his brothers is Fr. John Boyle (the South Ashford Priest) and he's a friend of the British Blogging Supremo Fr. Tim Finigan, you'd think he'd have no problems getting on the blogosphere...

Anyway, I managed to catch up with him the other evening for a chat over a cup of tea, and he obligingly posed for a photo...

Fr. Stephen Boyle is Parish Priest of Good Shepherd Church, New Addington. New Addington is one of those strange places which exist on the outskirts of London: it's residential, but no real amenities, lots of houses, but no shops, not even a local newsagent. The most noticeable thing in the area is the tram station which goes into Croydon...

...the church is tucked away in the backstreets, and despite its having a huge tower (I keep forgetting to ask if it has a working bell), you wouldn't find it unless you knew where to go.

I was delighted to see that Fr. Stephen believes in letting his light shine free of bushel: the beautiful stained glass window is backlit at night, so the image of the Good Shepherd shines out for all to see. I don't want any snippy comments about wasting electricity or carbon footprints: the locality is ghastly, and seeing the church window lit up in such an architectural desert is a heart-warming sight...

Here We Go Again...

Reported in the Daily Telegraph, among other places, is "news" that the British Government is going to crack down on weak teachers... Ho, hum... colour me unimpressed. The British Government is far too quick to tinker around with the educational system and then blames the teachers for the ills of society... Quite frankly, I'm getting mightily cheesed off with it.

I have been teaching for about nine years. The National Curriculum in Science has been changed several times over that period, as have the Key Stage 3 SATs - KS3 is the period from 11 to 14 years, the first three years at Secondary School. The curriculum has changed so much that, in my current school, we have four different sets of textbooks in the department published in the last decade (don't even get me started on books published before that date!) Schools have learned not to throw stuff like textbooks away in case some bright spark in the Department for Education decides to start all over again...

GCSE's had just started a new specification when I started teaching: now they have an even newer one: Twenty-First Century Science. My views on this specification have been posted here before. There is very little Science: put it this way, when I showed the GCSE exam paper from last year to parents at the recent Parents' Evening, I could see their eyes widen with shock as they realised that, without having studied any of the syllabus, they could confidently answer the questions off the top of their heads. To think that, when I started teacher training, I was concerned that the Science specifications would have changed drastically since the time I took the exams myself...

I also found an old GCE 'O' level textbook in a cupboard at work. The information was at a higher level than is now required for the 'A' level...

The 'A' level specifications have changed, with two major changes in the decade, and a new specification for all subjects coming in next September. The Universities claim that they have so many Grade A candidates that it is difficult to identify the really academically talented students - and so they need to introduce an A* grade.

Despite all these changes (don't bother, I know what you're about to say!) teachers are becoming much better at delivering the curriculum (according to Government ministers at exam time) and students are working much harder, so the pass rate is increasing year on year, and the percentage of Grade As is doing likewise.

However, it would appear that many of these students are totally unable to string a coherent sentence together, literacy levels are falling and basic numeracy leaves much to be desired. That is the view of many employers, who lament the appalling lack of skills among school leavers and university graduates.

So it must be the fault of the teachers. Ed Balls, the Schools' Secretary, suggests that the remedy must be in increasing the qualifications of teachers: all new teachers will now be expected to gain Masters-level qualifications. Oh, I'm sorry... I thought that most teachers already did that... it's called a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status.) As the name suggests, you have to be a graduate in order to study for a PGCE, and your competance in the classroom is assessed before you can gain QTS accreditation. And the reason for PGCEs? Well, you see, otherwise the qualifications were just academic, and knowledge of a subject doesn't mean you can teach it... and so the Government insisted that the Teacher Training courses had more hands-on experience... and less college-based study...

Meanwhile, it has been suggested that there are about 17,000 bad teachers in England. They are to be weeded out. Their inability to control classes is damaging the education of thousands of children.

Ed Balls declared that, "Our aim is to make this country the best place in the world for our children and young people to grow up." Well, sorry. But piddling around with the curriculum and demoralising teachers isn't the way to do it. Tackling poor housing, unemployment, poor health-care, societal breakdown, crime, drug abuse, broken homes and educational standards might achieve it. But of course, that would mean admitting that all the other policies had failed...

Happy Feast Day!

Last year I got a little confused when I found that the feast of St. Jane Frances de Chantal had been moved to August 12. There was no explanation in the diocesan directory, and so I read through the calendar until I found the explanation... It was because December 12 was needed for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

In case you missed it, I did a post on the apparitions at Guadalupe after reading an excellent book. I thought today might be an opportune moment to draw attention to it. There was also the strange phenomenon noticed when Mexico City's legislators voted to allow abortion...

Sorry...

...there won't be any blogging today... I'm just off to my Science Department Christmas Bash. But while I'm gone, I thought that the following little snippet might make a few people chuckle...

Pass The Sick Bucket...

Carolina Cannonball has provided the perfect way to purge all those excesses from your system this Christmas. One look at the Ugly Vestment Competition entries, and you'll be heaving... It's a close contest... mostly because it is difficult to look at them long enough to judge which is the worst. Voting starts now and will continue through to December 20th at noon EST (I have no idea what that is in real money!) All winners will be announced on the 21st. There are three categories:

Men's Vestments
Ladies Category
Stoles & Mitres

Excuse me a minute... I'm feeling queasy. Where's the indigestion remedy...?

Ahhhh... That's much better!

Basil In The Ratatouille...

Hilary sent me a Facebook post saying she loved the fact I'd called my model skeleton Basil. That reminded me why I'd chosen the name... and a quick trawl through You Tube yielded exactly the clip I wanted...


I love Manuel's anguished cry of "He put Basil in the ratatouille??!" ...and Sybil's later explanatory "He's from Barcelona!" has become one of my favourite quips...

The Bells, Esmeralda...

This post from Ma Beck reminded me of one of the first You Tube videos I managed to put on my blog...


I was fascinated to find out the history behind the carol. But I'm sorry, Ma... I think my video is funnier!

Ooooh, I've Been Tagged...!

Karen, that gem, has tagged me with this rather long meme... ordinarily, I'd have wimped out, but I haven't done a meme for ages, and I'm still suffering from blog withdrawal symptoms, so...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper for most things. I used to be a famous wrapper-upper in my family. Gift bags are superb for bottles though.

2. Real tree or artificial? Always real in my childhood... mind you, artificial trees were really gross when I was a kid. Then I went through a phase of having my own artificial tree - no point having a real one since I went to my mother's for Christmas. Now that Sylvester is on the scene I don't actually put a tree up, because of what he might do in my absence...

3. When do you put up the tree? Family tradition dictated that the tree went up on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Which is sensible, given that it was always a real tree... and this was before the slow-dropping-needles varieties were available. Now I've come back to the church and I follow the liturgical calendar, no Christmas decorations go up until December 17th.

4. When do you take the tree down? Doesn't apply now... but my mother used to whip the tree down pretty much the day after Boxing Day. I now leave my decorations and cards up until the start of Ordinary Time.

5. Do you like eggnog? Urghhhh! No thanks... I'm more of a Bailey's girl myself. However, I must confess to only having encountered the vile Advocat eggnog, which is virulently yellow, and as revolting to taste as it looks. Scanning Google images for eggnog, however, has revealed some interesting concoctions, so maybe I should reserve judgement...

6. Favourite gift received as a child? I think my all-time favourite was "Basil," received when I was 16. Basil was a Design Centre skeleton. I had asked for a skeleton (I wanted to be a doctor) but my mother was scared of skeletons, so I was resigned to going without. Basil was a complete surprise... a sort of origami version, joined together by brass paper tacks and clever folds, and all the bones had their names printed on them. It took me a couple of days to put him together (he was life-size) and he hung from a hook behind my bedroom door. My mother regretted buying Basil: he was far more lifelike than she'd been expecting. I adored him. I've never seen another one exactly the same.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene? Yes. Goes up on December 17th (second part of Advent) but baby Jesus doesn't make an appearance until after Midnight Mass! Comes down when Ordinary Time starts.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My stepfather. My stepfather is terribly fussy. My mother has problems deciding what to buy him, and any good ideas she tends to keep to herself...

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I think I can honestly say I've never had a bad present for Christmas... but then I don't really go in for exchanging presents with anyone outside my immediate family members.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail... if I remember to write them in time, and actually get round to posting them. I have been known to find pile of cards in January, written and addressed, but not stamped... I am spitting feathers at the moment, as I have just discovered that my version of Microsoft Outlook (on which I store all my contact details, as it is compatible with my phone) is somehow not compatible with my version of Microsoft Word (2007 version) so I'm unable to do a mail merge for the address labels...

11. Favourite Christmas Movie? I don't think I have one. I used to be very cynical about films, especially Christmas ones, as I loathed sentimentality and didn't believe in God. I am now busy rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas (a bit like Scrooge.) I have just bought "It's a Wonderful Life" about a man who is prevented from committing suicide on Christmas Eve by an angel called Clarence (who hopes, thereby to win his wings!) Very corny, but strangely uplifting. I'd seen it on TV a few times, but never all the way through. I also like "While You Were Sleeping" about a woman who saves a man's life on Christmas day (hmmmm, I sense a theme here!) and somehow gets mistaken for his fiancée, as he's in a coma. In true corny fashion, she falls in love with his (much nicer) brother, who doesn't want to make a move on his brother's supposed intended. Very funny. Very uplifting.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually the December pay-day. This year it's the 21st December, which means that it's going to be a bit of a rush!

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No. With my memory, it'd be too risky... I'd probably return it to the giver. But I've never been given a present which I didn't like.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The little sausages wrapped in bacon. I love those!

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? My mother is German. She believed in real trees... and real candles. The candle-holders were tiny, and from Germany. You couldn't buy the candles in this country, and so we would be sent supplies for Christmas in a parcel from my grandmother. The rule was only silver tinsel, and baubles were silver, gold or red. When I had a tree, I didn't have the real tree or the real candles, but the lights were imitation candles, so they had to be clear ones. Strangely enough, now my mother now goes in for more gaudy decorations...

16. Favourite Christmas song? Ooh... "Hark, the herald angels sing" because I love to belt out the descant... though I don't do that often, especially if there is a choir singing (assuming I'm not part of it) as it might clash with whatever they're singing, and that would be rude. I also love "Silent Night" (sorry Karen!) but in German. The English words don't sound right.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel, usually... one year to my sister and brother-in-law's house, but usually to my parents' place. It's not too far - Eastbourne is about an hour and three-quarters' drive away. Last year we celebrated Christmas early as my sister was expecting, and didn't want any nasty (or nice) surprises for Christmas itself, so I was on my tod at home.

18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? I used to be able to as a kid, as we had to learn it for a song at my last Primary School production... now I can remember Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer, and Donner and Blitzen (I might have been the only child to know what those two meant! Oh, and before you say, "No, it's Donder" I'll just point out that it depends on the version you know... Donder is the Dutch for thunder, but Donner is the German... and the Dutch version of the name of Donder's partner is Bliksem!) Rudolph was a late addition... but no, I can't remember them all.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. The angels these days look too much like fairies... and I wouldn't want to upset St. Michael and his crew... anyone who can scare the heck out of a bunch of burly shepherds is not to be trifled with...

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Family tradition was midnight. But then we weren't a church-going family. I rather upset the applecart these days by insisting that I go to Midnight Mass, which has been the source of a few family rows. Now I have my own transport and am not reliant on trains (which don't run on Christmas Day), I go down to my parents on Christmas Day itself, thus circumventing the rows... being a night owl rather than a lark, I'd happily open presents after Midnight Mass... but as "Auntie" I won't be the one setting the traditions...

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Crowded shops... I mean, how dare people leave all their shopping until I'm doing mine! Oh, and the fact that Easter eggs hit the shops on Boxing Day or thereabouts!

22. Best thing about this time of year? Midnight Mass. I love it. Christmas carols sung in church are good too. And the excitement of very little children.

Ok, I am going to tag Leutgeb, Hilary White, the original Catholic Caveman, the Curt Jester, Fr. Justin, Fr. Paul and Fr. Ray. Don't forget to post a link in the combox when you're done!

UPDATE: Hilary has cried off on the basis of not having experienced "Christmas" as such since she was 15. That's pretty gruesome. Leutgeb has protested that it's like sitting an exam on Christmas, but I think she'll complete the meme eventually. The Curt Jester has completed his meme (with much more succinct answers than mine) which you can find HERE. Four down, four to go...

Five Whole Years, And Counting...

On December 1st, 2002, I took private vows, dedicating my life as a single woman, living and working in the world, to God and his Church. A bit like being a Consecrated Virgin, but I haven't vowed obedience to the Archbishop (which would have made the vows public rather than private).

The vows I took were these:

1) to live a life of prayer and self-denial, following Christ’s teaching that "anyone who wishes to be a follower of mine must take up his cross and follow me;"

2) to live a life of chastity in the single state so as to witness to Christ with an undivided heart and be a sign of spiritual fruitfulness in the world; and,

3) to live in obedience to the teaching and authority of Christ and his Church so as to accord with the will of Christ who was himself obedient even unto death on the cross.

Today I renewed my vows (I don't worry too much about the actual date: a suitable Saturday around the start of Advent is the most practical option.)

The day was a busy one: as well as being the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at the morning Mass a little boy made his First Holy Communion. (Hey, tick the Plenary Indulgence box for a Holy Soul in Purgatory... available under the usual conditions for assisting at a First Holy Communion Mass!) and I spent an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament (Hey, tick the Plenary Indulgence box for a Holy Soul in Purgatory... Waddaya mean, only one a day? Hey who thought up that rule? Holy Mother Church??? Ok, ok... so make it a partial indulgence grumble, grouse, chunter...)

The start of the ceremony for my renewal of vows was a little later than planned... partly because Confessions proved to be very popular, and over-ran. I love it when that happens: think of all those lovely shining souls... However, the fact that I forgot to print out the order of service and the readings was the main hold-up. Poor Fr. Tim had to go and search his computer to see if he had a copy of it. Luckily for me, he did!

The Union of Catholic Mothers had prepared a fabulous buffet lunch. A Faith Family Day had been organised for the afternoon, and so, after lunch, Fr. Tim talked to the children about Christmas, and then to the parents about vocations. I didn't hear what he said about vocations because I was one of the helpers for the children's activities: they were making Christmas tree decorations... a crib with pictures of all the different vocations in the Church stuck around the manger. Christina had printed out lots of pictures, and so there was much cutting, sticking and application of glitter-glue.

I have come to the conclusion that PVA glue is an invention of the devil...

I also resented the fact that the picture representing a single woman (I had been pointed out to the children as someone who had chosen this vocation) was somewhat redolant of a person engaged in liturgical dance...

After a short tea-break, the parents continued with a discussion group. Some of the children were getting a little boisterous, and so I suggested a game of Sleeping Tigers. This is a brilliant game. It involves children lying down and pretending to be asleep. The adults and older children get to walk around looking for signs of movement... if the child moves, he or she loses, and has to sit up. Last one up is the winner.

A clever adult can prove to be remarkably short-sighted, overlooking all but the most blatant movements...

After two games of this (heheheh), we went into the church to pray the Rosary together (Hey, tick the Plenary Indulgence box for a Holy Soul in Purgatory... ok, ok, it was worth a try... I'll settle for another partial indulgence then!) and after we tidied up a bit, I drew the short straw (not having fractious children) and finished hoovering the Large Hall before the Parish Social Club came to open up.

It was a truly blessed and happy day. I felt privileged to be able to join in with the family day, and to help out while the parents had an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the faith: they will, in turn, be passing that faith on to their children. It seemed to sum up the reason for my own vocation.

Five years since I first made my vows. Someone asked me, just after I'd made them, what would happen if I found I'd made a mistake. "I mean, what if Mr. Right shows up tomorrow?"

I answered pretty swiftly that he'd be Mr. Wrong, because he'd have turned up too late. Reflecting on the past five years, I know that I've found my vocation. My "Mr. Right" is my Lord and God... somehow I don't think divorce is an option!

I'm Back...!

...Woohoo! After a week of not blogging, I'm back at the old keyboard, flexing my fingers, and...

...I've gone blank!

The minute I stopped blogging (as preparation for my renewal of vows), there were a million and one things I wanted to say. Now, of course, I can't remember any of them. Typical!

I wasn't completely blog-free: I allowed myself to read my favourites, though commenting was definitely not allowed! And of course, there was a little hiccough on Wednesday when I simply had to put up a post about the trialling of abortions in doctors' surgeries. But, apart from that...

(Yes, I feel like I'm in the Python sketch, "What have the Romans ever done for us?")

And a big thank-you to everyone who prayed for me during my week off. I shall reciprocate, just as soon as I can tear myself away from my computer!

What Price Human Life?

Yes, I'm supposed to be having a blog-free week, but sometimes events take over, and this is too important to ignore. And no, it can't wait. At least I'm not blogging after my official bedtime!

So, what has rattled my cage? Quite simply, it is the proposal to have abortions carried out in doctors' surgeries. I have to admit that, when I heard about it, this made me feel physically sick. It is so easy to obtain an abortion in England. I have never heard of any case where an abortion was prevented because two doctors' signatures could not be obtained. Pregnancy, unless a woman goes into her doctor's surgery clutching a positive pregnancy test and beaming, seems to be thought of as a "problem" to be dealt with.

However, it is common sense to see that, the further along a pregnancy is allowed to go, the harder it is for everyone concerned to pretend that they are "removing" a "bunch of cells" or a "blob of tissue". Too many people have seen the ultrasound images. So, to salve their consciences, they have to get in there much more quickly. Also, there aren't enough properly qualified staff to carry out those awkward later abortions. People get upset at the sight of tiny fingers and toes ripped apart by a vacuum pump, or, even worse, being delivered in bits.

This poses a problem... the hospitals and abortion clinics can't quite keep up with the workload. And there are delays in getting appointments... And so, some bright spark has thought out a way to make the problem disappear...

You can get your abortion done at your GP's surgery. No need to go into hospital, not even a clinic. It also has the advantage of anonymity... watch those ghastly pro-lifers squirm as they realise that they cannot hold prayer vigils outside every doctor's surgery, and so have no chance of telling women that there is another choice possible. And, of course, many GPs work alone, so there's no chance of getting a second signature, so that requirement will be waived... and, because the woman is just coming in for a little tablet, there's no need for any of that time-consuming (and expensive) counselling...

It's not even being debated. It's happening at two locations already... as a clinical trial.

John Smeaton, SPUC's National Director, said, "The blunt instrument of government policy is being used to engineer conveyor-belt abortion, giving women less time to think and creating even more pressure on them before having an abortion. This is also an attack on conscientious objection, trying to wear down the medical profession's increasing resistance to abortion."

Human life is considered of such little worth that it can be disposed of without reflection, without difficulty. How long before "unsuitable" women are given tablets by their GPs without their consent? Impossible? But it used to be considered impossible that a person could be starved and dehydrated to death: food and drink was basic care, not "treatment." Oh, and consider what "unsuitable" might mean... after all, any woman who has a third pregnancy is treated as something of a pariah by many health workers, who ask anxiously if the woman knows about contraception; the consideration that a large family might be a free choice is anathema.

This is evil. There is no other word for it.

We cannot remain silent in the face of evil. We need to protest, or we will one day be held accountable for the lives destroyed. SPUC are encouraging people to write to their GPs and to their MPs. If you are unsure of who your MP is, you can check via this website. You can also send an email through the site.

Preparation...

Posting will be suspended temporarily. I've been "advised" to give up my biggest distractions this week as I prepare to renew my vows. A sort of mini-retreat. Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to give up teaching, marking, or report-writing...

The ceremony is 12:30pm next Saturday (8th December) at Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen. If any of you are around, you'd be very welcome.


I can feel the blogging withdrawal symptoms setting in...

The Naming Of Cats Is A Difficult Matter...

...but not, apparently, as difficult as the naming of teddy bears in Sudan.

Gillian Gibbons was found guilty today of insulting religion, after allowing her class to name their teddy bear "Muhammad."

You couldn't make this stuff up.

Being Positive...

I've got a very critical streak in my nature. I also like to call a spade a shovel, and say it like I see it... which means that I can be somewhat lacking in tact. I have also been a little scathing towards one or two of our Bishops...

Being scathing towards the episcopate has an honourable history: St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena didn't exactly mince their words when they felt that their Lordships were lacking in backbone... but, alas, I am no saint, and perhaps I should moderate my tone... just a tad.

Because of my tendency to be critical, I was delighted to hear about the latest initiative from Lancashire. Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue has drawn up a plan to ensure that children at Catholic schools learn about Catholicism. He's drawn up a 68-page booklet to help headteachers in the diocese's schools and colleges. The document is called "Fit for Mission? Schools: See With His Eyes, Love With His Heart, Share In His Virtues." I was going to link to it, but the Diocesan Website doesn't seem to be working...

Initially, I was a little sceptical. Another booklet. A long one. With a long title. I felt a sense of déjà vu stealing over me. Been there. Read the books. Nothing happened.

However, the Diocesan Director of Education, Fr. Luiz Ruscillo, persuaded me that this was not just more of the same old stuff. He was very enthusiastic, and told me that, while the emphasis was on spirituality rather than academic targets, that spirituality was going to be firmly based on the Truths of the Catholic Faith. All Religious Education in Catholic Schools would be taught around the four pillars outlined in the Catechism: The Profession of Faith, Sacraments, The Moral Life and Prayer. The role of Foundation Governors was going to be more carefully defined. Headteachers and teachers would be expected to support the teachings of the Church. Whole-school Masses would be celebrated, at least two per term. Sex Education would be rooted entirely in Church teaching. Outside Agencies would not be able to promote any views contrary to Catholic doctrine. And there would be no truck with the Government's agenda of promoting homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle choice...

And just to make sure that the schools are doing more than just paying lip-service to that little lot, the Section 48 Inspections are being re-vamped so that they assess how well the schools address the new policy. Fr. Luiz, as Diocesan Director of Education, is in charge of Section 48 Inspections...

This is the best bit of news about Catholic Education that I've heard in a long time, and Bishop O'Donoghue is to be congratulated on taking this on.

...I wonder if they need Science teachers in Lancaster...?

Receiving Communion

I've noticed that Fr. Tim Finigan (and then Holy Office at Gravissimum Educationis) have put up posts on the way to receive Communion.

When, fifteen years ago, I first returned to the Church, I didn't actually have a choice. I was on crutches, and if I'd let go in order to take Communion in the hand, I'd have fallen over. However, the Parish Priest made it clear that this was "second best" and that adults should take Communion for themselves, in their own hands. So, once I got rid of the crutches, I eagerly started to receive Commuinion in the hand. I even became a Euphemistic Monster... in my defense, I will just say that I was keen to bring Communion to sick and housebound people (which was how I got roped in), but somehow or other we never got to that bit...

I found myself distributing the Host at Mass on several occasions, but became more and more uncomfortable as a layperson "handling" the Blessed Sacrament. So, once it became clear that Communion to the Sick and Housebound just wasn't going to happen, I stopped.

However, I still received Communion in the hand. I moved, and changed parishes. I started to attend Exposition and Benediction regularly. Gradually I began to become more aware of the Real Presence. I became acutely aware that my fingers, after I had lifted the Host to my mouth, felt grainy and gritty, as if there were minute particles left behind... so I started to lick my fingers after receiving Communion. But there was still the problem of a grainy feeling on the palm of my hand...

...and then Fr. Tim (for he was my Parish Priest by this time) pointed out that Communion on the tongue had never been abolished...

I started to receive Communion on the tongue again. And it just felt so right. It seems far more reverent - and it's nothing to do with my being less "worthy" than the priest to touch the Blessed Sacrament... it's just that his hands have been consecrated, and mine have not.

The finer theological points can be found elsewhere. I'm aware that this post merely reflects my own gut reaction. But I'd be interested to hear if other people have tried both methods, and which one they are now most comfortable with. Answers in the combox...

Gunpowder, Treason & Plot...

Not quite sure what to make of this... it ranks pretty highly on the "yuck factor" scale... until you consider that it might be thought of as a relic...

Fr. Garnet was implicated in the Gunpowder Plot. According to the entry in the Catholic Encyclopaedia, he confessed to some knowledge of the plot, which seems to have put the kybosh on him being declared a martyr. His execution was so closely guarded that no relics were obtained, other than some bloodstained straw (the congealed blood apparently took on the likeness of Fr. Garnet's face.)

However, a 17th Century book gives a Protestant account of the plot and Garnet's involvement. The book was published by the king's printer, Robert Baker, just months after Garnet's hanging and is titled "A True and Perfect Relation of the Whole Proceedings Against the Late Most Barbarous Traitors Garnet, a Jesuit, and His Confederates." The book is bound in skin, possibly Fr. Garnet's own... and some people believe that an image of Fr. Garnet's face can be seen on the cover...


Twitch of the mantilla to Roman Miscellany.

Blog Tutorial...

It's been a long day, so this will be a short post... I've just returned home after visiting Joanna for an emergency blogging tutorial. This had the advantage of combining some of my favourite activities into one evening: driving (you say "global warming" like it's a bad thing!), meeting friends (I don't do much of that in term time), teaching (I adore being able to show people how to do stuff), eating (Joanna cooks a mean lasagne, and I didn't even have to wash up), drinking tea, blogging and enjoying chocolate cake of various descriptions.

The evening was very enjoyable. It did take on a slightly surreal twist: a MORI-poll canvasser knocked at the door while we were drinking tea (waiting for a video to upload.) I am very suspicious of such polls. I know enough about Psychology to understand that the questions can be phrased in such a way as to produce exactly the result you want. I rarely give the canvassers the time of day...

Joanna was far more friendly. She also knows the question-twisting proclivities of such organisations, but she's a kindly soul, and so invited the chap in. He seemed extremely confused by his welcome: I suspect that the majority of people react with the same suspicion I do, and he was slightly caught off-guard. He refused her offer of tea, coffee or cake, and when Joanna said, rather kindly, "I suppose not, you'd be drinking huge amounts of tea all day!" he seemed almost embarassed to have to admit that this wasn't the case... but was too polite to say that most people sent him away with a flea in his ear.

It was extremely entertaining: Joanna wanted to give answers that weren't "on the answer card" and the poor man kept scrolling through his list of tick boxes looking for somewhere to record her responses. Finally, Joanna presented the canvasser with a couple of cards of the Holy Father, and he wandered off, looking slightly shell-shocked.

I wonder what she does to Jehovah's Witnesses?