Another Uber-Blogger To Add To The List...

Yet another multi-blog blogger... but this time I don't feel so inadequate by comparison! Coffee Wife has a main blog, called The Walled Garden. Her second blog is devoted to her wedding and honeymoon, so isn't a current one. I love the title though: My Orcadian Wedding. Coffee Wife had the excellent taste to marry a Scot (did I mention that my father was a Scot?) which is why she ended up in the Orkneys (I think I got that right) despite being American!

Aha ! So That's How The Mouse Works

Courtesy of American Papist, who said he got it from his dad... Check out this site, and then, once it's loaded, try moving your mouse... and stop... and click...

Had me entertained for ages!

And Another One... Or Four...

Exploring things a little, I have stumbled upon the Apostle to Suburbia, aka Leeann Balbirona. It appears that she is a very busy lady... looks like she's into homeschooling, and she has not one, but FOUR blogs, all current! The other three are Catholic Mother, Lake Stevens Catholic and Holy Cross Building Committee...

...boy, do I feel inadequate! I have problems keeping up with just one blog...

Heheheh...

Another new blog... only two posts so far, but all he needs is a little encouragement. He seems a good sort... anyone who lists his interests as drinking fine wine, meditating on the Four Last Things, going to the tuck shop and roasting heretics has got to be OK !

So pop on over to visit the enigmatically named Owl of the Remove and welcome Father Benedict to the Blogosphere!

Tyburn Walk

Today was the Feast of the English Martyrs (it used to be the Beatified Martyrs of England and Wales, but now it's the whole lot: Saints and Blesseds together. I wouldn't mind, but the Feast of the Forty Martyrs on October 25th has been dropped completely, which seems a bit mean!!)

Fr Nicholas has put up a stunning post on the martyrs, complete with pictures of some relics: be sure to check out the eyeball of Blessed Edward Oldcorne, SJ!

The first Sunday in May (so this Sunday) is the occasion of the Tyburn Walk, organised by the Guild of Our Lady of Ransom. The Guild prays for the Conversion of England back to the True Faith, and it also supports priests in poor parishes. A few years back, the Walk was a full procession, in silence (apart from the recitation of the Rosary), in the road with a police escort, and we stopped traffic, literally. Now, because of reduced numbers (and the inconvenience stopped traffic poses to the Sunday trading on Oxford Street) we just walk along the pavement. Every cloud has a silver lining: the smaller numbers mean that we can actually go inside the churches which have a special significance on the route.

The walk starts off in a churchyard just across from the Old Bailey, which is where Newgate prison used to be. The church bells would toll before those to be martyred were taken from the prison to be drawn on hurdles to the place of execution at Tyburn (now Marble Arch.)

From Newgate Prison, we walk to St. Etheldreda's in Ely Place. This church is the oldest Roman Catholic church in England and the first pre-Reformation church to be restored to Catholic worship. This is the first stop, and after a brief introduction from the Master of the Guild, Monsignor Stark, a rosary is recited. The walk then proceeds towards Kingsway (Lincoln's Inn Fields), and stops at the church of St. Anselm & St. Cecilia, where the Rosary is recited once more. This church was once the chapel of the Sardinian Embassy, and you can read more about its history HERE.

From there, we go on to St. Patrick's, Soho Square. The Rosary is recited, some hymns are sung, and everyone is blessed with the relics of St. Oliver Plunkett (the last person to be martyred) and someone else, whose name escapes me. Finally, the walk proceeds down Oxford Street, until we get to Marble Arch.

A few hardy individuals brave the barriers and the traffic, and risk life and limb in order to go and pray on a little traffic island in the middle of the Edgware Road: there is a small plaque set in the ground, announcing that this is the site of Tyburn Tree (the name given to the gallows.) I only found out about it because, when the procession walked in the road, we would stop and venerate it. Unless you knew it was there, you'd never see it, because the barriers prevent anyone from crossing at that point...

And the walk finally ends at Tyburn Convent, with Benediction. The Blessed Sacrament is perpetually exposed. There is a huge grille separating the chapel from the Sanctuary, and you can just catch a glimpse of the nuns' choir (oh, and they're proper nuns... full habits and everything!) It's a really stunning experience. The crypt downstairs has many relics of the Tyburn martyrs, and lots of information. It isn't practical to see the crypt on the day of the walk (just too many people... it's standing room only in the main chapel) but it is well worth a visit.

For those of you unable to get to London, I recommend paying a virtual visit to the Tyburn Convent, where you can find out much more about all the martyrs, and about the nuns.

Anyhow, with a Latin Mass (Novus Ordo) scheduled for Sunday morning (assuming Fr Tim makes it back from the Eternal City) and the Tyburn Walk in the afternoon, I think this Sunday is going to be a real treat!

Palliative Care?

For temporary relief for the symptoms of Motu Mania... take two tablets and call me in the morning... did I mention that tomorrow morning is May 5th?

Be Careful What You Pray For...

Once upon a time I had a little blog. In my first month I got about 200 hits. Given that I started part-way through the month, that worked out at around 10 hits a day...

...I longed to be tagged for one of those meme thingies. I eagerly noted the invitation "...and anyone else who's interested" and promptly counted myself tagged. I wistfully observed all those "popular" bloggers who were tagged by just about everyone...

...and now I get nearly 200 hits a day. And there are lots more memes... and they're getting longer! Before you shoot me down in flames, I am not complaining... it is, after all, nice to feel loved! I am merely explaining the background to yet another meme... heck, it's a quiet news day!

I've been tagged for a book meme. I did spot the tag over at Esther's blog, but smugly assumed that I'd completed that one already. I hadn't. This is a different book meme. I'm supposed to list all the books I'm reading at the moment...

I rarely read more than one book at a time, so this one is easy. Not interesting to read about, but easy to complete... And luckily this is one of the rare occasions where I actually do have more than one book open!

First up, I am still trying to finish "The Story of a Soul" by St. Thérèse of Lisieux. I do not take well to saccharine-sugary confections in either my reading matter or my choice of films. I summed up Titanic to a bunch of teenage girls who were demanding if I would go to see the film by saying "I don't need to go and see the film. I know what happens. Boy meets girl. Ship hits iceberg. Ship sinks. Boy dies. Why do I need to waste three hours in the cinema?" This caused serious outrage...

But I digress. My Spiritual Director suggested that I read St. Thérèse. When I protested that I had done so already, and had found it rather cloying, he demanded to know how long ago I'd read the book... he then delivered a stunning sermon enthusing about the saint. I realised that I wasn't going to get out of it that easily, so I tried again.

From reading her autobiography, I get the impression that she was a terribly spoiled little girl, who was totally used to getting her own way, and succeeded in talking her father into taking her to Rome to badger the Pope himself into letting her get her own way in the matter of her vocation...

Re-reading her writings has brought it home to me (I missed it the first couple of times) that she was convinced that the matter of her vocation was God's will, not her own, and so she had to do everything possible to get admitted to the convent at Lisieux. I guess that I was originally put off by the fact that she was joining her sisters in that convent, and I couldn't see beyond the human affection which would (in my eyes) be bound to affect her.

And re-reading the book has highlighted the way in which she accepted everything from God, even unjustified reproaches. I am afraid that my initial reaction to hearing her meekly apologising for stuff she hadn't done (and appearing to be proud of it) was, "What a wimp!" I can, with the passing of years, see how heroic her attitude was. I still think she's a wimp. A sainted one, to be sure. And yes, I know that was the attitude at the time... But St. Bernadette lived at a similar time, and she had far more bite. I guess that my taste in saints is similar to my taste in wine: I prefer them dry!

I'm desperate to finish the book so that I can move on, and report honsetly to my SD that, yes, hand-on-heart, I gave it my best shot...

The second book is one I'm using for my Consecration to Our Lady (Preparation for Total Consecration According to St. Louis-Marie de Montfort.) I blogged about it in a previous post. Today is Day 7. I've noticed a few references to it lately, so I guess that starting on the Feast of St. Louis and finishing on the Feast of the Visitation is a popular choice. Excellent - it is so encouraging to think that others are doing the same spiritual exercises.

The third book I am reading (albeit very, very sporadically) is "The Spiritual Combat" by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli. I am fighting the urge to race my way through it, because it is very good, but I really need to take it slowly and think about each chapter. There's a lot to take in, and it really is "fighting talk"... and when it comes to temptation, I'm a bit of a wimp myself, so I need time to digest each morsel of advice...

I have absolutely no idea who to tag (I don't want to irritate anyone in particular right now...) so, I guess I'll just tag Fr. Ray and Ttony (he's been far too quiet of late)!

Cat Crisis !

No, thankfully, nothing is wrong with Sylvester...










But Stephen, a regular in the combox here - and author of CSSML - is having to move away from Ely back to Alton Abbey at the end of June. The cats, unfortunately, cannot go with him, so he is desperate to find a home for the pair. More information, including contact details, over HERE.

Blogging Holiday...

Hmmmn. I put off doing any blogging when I got home, and then I decided I really fancied a drink in the Parish Club after Benediction... and now I'm home, I really want an early night...


...so no posts today! I should be my normal blogging self tomorrow...

More On The Motu

No sign from Fr. Tim or Fr. Z that the Motu Proprio is imminent, despite them both being "on site" as it were... if the latest speculation is right, we're looking at Saturday - which seems to be a rather odd day to pick for the release of such an important document... I thought weekends were sacrosanct in the Eternal City!

However, there has been this leaked letter from the Holy Father...

Twitch of the mantilla to Stephen (for an Anglican, he does seem to be inordinately interested in all things Roman!!)

Another View Of Lourdes

Combining two of my favourite blogging subjects: the Classical Rite Mass and Lourdes...


Fr. Paul found this photo of Mass at the 12th Station of the Cross in his father's collection. (Jesus dies on the Cross) Unfortunately, I won't be able to try and take a similar shot: the Espéluges Hill, where the Stations are located, is just too steep for my poor old knee... or rather, going up is hard work, but possible; the descent at the end is treacherous.

The End Of Chocoholism?

Greatgable, you're not allowed to read this post. Go away and chew on a winegum...

Now, I never thought I'd find myself saying this. In fact, I think I can feel my synapses going into some sort of shock response even as I type...

I adore chocolate. I went into rhapsodies over a little chocolatier in Bluewater in a previous post, after comparing the merits of various brands of chocolate in another.

But all the time, I still would eat bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk (if there wasn't anything else to hand) and Galaxy. My waistline bears testimony to my devotion, unfortunately. Anyway, as I was saying, I discovered a rather nice chocolatier in Bluewater. The chocolates appeared to be rather better quality than Thornton's, and I was smitten with the chocolate-covered, kirsch-soaked cherries. On reading the small print on the label, I noticed that there was a website...

...and on that website was a page advertising a chocolate tasting club...

I didn't think too much about it, to be honest. The idea appealed to me, but I figured it was just a marketing gimmick to snare punters who had grown wary of setting foot inside the store. However, I joined the club anyway.

A few days ago, a box landed on the mat. Chocolates! I planned to munch through a few that evening when I had a little leisure. When I opened the box, there was a surprising amount of information... and a score card. I realised that this was a serious matter, not one to be munched through absent-mindedly. So I delayed the tasting session until I had sufficient time to do it properly...

Well, I read the booklets... I studied the descriptions of the chocs... I decided to savour them slowly and carefully...

...and came to the conclusion that Dairy Milk is to chocolate what Liebfraumilch is to wine! I still have half the box left... these are not to be scoffed. I also have some "imitation" chocolate which I now view with something bordering on distaste. I'll find them a good home: after all, plenty of people drink Liebfraumilch; but I may have discovered the cure for chocoholism: become a chocolate connoisseur...

The Voting Continues...

Wow... I have actually got 19 votes. This is way, way behind the leaders of the pack but last time I looked, I was on Page 9 (which isn't bad, out of a total of 48...)

More importantly, the atheist's blog has been knocked down to Page 2 in the Best Religion Blog category. As far as I can make out, all the blogs on Page 1 are Catholic... and orthodox Catholic at that! However, you can vote for as many different blogs as you like, though you can't vote more than once for any one blog. Try and bash the atheist down to Page 3...

And So It Starts...

Well, the SORs are now law. Fr Stephanos has quoted from an excellent newspaper article by Joanna Bogle (better known as Auntie Joanna) and Newhousenewjob has some pertinent comments to make about our illustrious leader (yeah, right... pass the sick bucket!) and his unbelievable attitude towards religion in general and Roman Catholicism in particular. The proper stuff, I mean, not the Cafeteria pick-'n-mix Catholicism promoted by his wife, Cherie.

With the new anti-Catholic legislation (no, it may not have been intended to be exclusively anti-Catholic, but the government were in no doubt that it will affect practicing Christians, of whom the largest single group is Catholic) we have been warned that prison sentences will be a likely outcome...

...and it seems as though it is starting already. The Catholic Caveman doesn't pull any punches when he highlights what is happening in Colombia... and draws the obvious conclusions, given legislation in the States on "hate crimes." Watch this space... and pray.

Here's A No-Brainer

...for anyone who knows me even slightly...

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth. You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around. You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes How you live your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Mantilla-twitch to the Clam Rampant

More Good News

News of two more prospective Seminarians: this time from our side of the pond. Both have been accepted for the Diocese of Middlesborough (well, you can't have everything!), Phil this Summer, and Ryan next year.

I don't think either of them blog. Say a prayer for them, and another in thanksgiving... heck, make it a whole Rosary!

Mantilla-twitch to Richard for posting the excellent news.

Favourite Hymns Meme

Ok, my friend Newhousenewjob has been kind enough to tag me for this meme, no doubt as punishment for the long hours I forced her to stay in Starbucks drinking coffee (there weren't many places to get a reasonable cup of coffee when I lived in Peckham...)

Now, since she hasn't posted any rules, I'm going to have to figure them out: it seems like you have to identify 5 favourite Latin hymns, 5 favourite traditional hymns in English, 5 favourite 20th century hymns and 5 favourite hymns for particular occasions (Christmas, Easter, Funeral, Baptism, Wedding)... and then you have to find links for them...

Not sure about the links... I can feel myself losing the will to live...
(I might possibly add the links at a later date...)

Favourite Latin hymns:

Ave Maria (Bach/Gounod)
Ave Verum (Mozart)
Victimae Paschali Laudes (plainchant - the sequence for Easter Octave)
Panis Angelicus (this one I know a bit - I have sung it - but I don't know it by heart, unlike the previous three...)
In Paradisum (I don't know how it goes, exactly, never having sung it, but Fr. Tim always chants this at the end of Requiem Masses and it is seriously spine-tinglingly beautiful!)

Favourite traditional hymns in English:

Ok, this is physically impossible for me to do. I have to cheat a little: five traditional Marian hymns and then five traditional hymns...

Marian hymns:

Mary Immaculate, star of the morning
Ave Maria, O Maiden, O Mother (though it has a few Latin phrases, it's really an English hymn... honest!)
Bring flowers of the rarest (the reference to "Queen of the May" in the chorus means that this hymn is rarely played... but the "May" it refers to could be considered to be the flower rather than the month... )
O purest of creatures
O Mother blest

Traditional hymns:

Guardian Angel from heaven so bright
Godhead here in hiding
Soul of my Saviour
O Sacred Head ill-uséd
Faith of our Fathers

...Not fair... there were soooooo many more I wanted to include!

Favourite 20th century hymns:

Ummm. You may have me there... this is almost impossible. I am shocked to see that, according to the hymn book I have to hand, there are only just these five, and I wouldn't class them so much as "favourites" as "least objectionable" ! Ok, before you shoot me down in flames, if these are played well, and sung well... perhaps as a meditation for a Holy Hour, these can sound quite good. Newhouse, my tastes have changed - when I first returned to the church, I only heard (and therefore learned) the new stuff. Now I've been exposed to more of the traditional hymns, I'm afraid that they win hands down. However...

Be still for the presence of the Lord
From heav'n you came (The Servant King)
Now the green blade riseth (it's dated 1928 in my hymn book... that makes it 20th century!!)
Turn to me
Tell out my soul (I was surprised at this one, I thought it was older. I guess 1961 was just before the rot set in!)

Hymns for particular occasions:

Christmas: Silent Night... (literally! No, only kidding!!)
Easter: Thine be the glory
Funeral: Abide with me
Baptism: Guardian Angel from heaven so bright (yes, I know I've had this one already!)
Wedding: Heheheh... it should be the Ave Maria... but I quite like Dear Lord and Father of mankind (because of the next two lines: "forgive our foolish ways, reclothe us in our rightful mind" !) but that's being wicked!!

That's finished, Deo gratias! As I said, links may follow some time in the future... if I have nothing better to do! I tag anyone who has the energy - just leave a note in the combox (not the whole list!!) so we can pop over to see your answers...

UPDATE: It seems that I was tagged by Andrew as well...

More Motu Speculation

I really, really tried to resist this continued speculation about when the Motu Proprio freeing up the Classical Rite Mass would be released. The latest date seems to be May 5th because it's the Feast of St. Pius V (ooooh, umm, I thought that was today??), and apparently someone's friend was told by someone else who heard it from their second cousin twice removed... that the Holy Father told Alice von Hildebrand it was going to be 5th May...

I have no idea who Alice von Hildebrand is, so why the Holy Father would tell her is a complete mystery...

Anyway, if it is the 5th May, Fr. Tim will be spitting feathers... he's out there at the moment, probably lurking with intent near the Press Office, but he flies back on Friday, which means that he'll miss all the fun.

Anyhow, as a consolation prize, I'd recommend playing Motu-Pool. You'll find a game card and the rules over at the Curt Jester's pad.

Are You A Roman Protestant?

This post, courtesy of the Catholic Caveman, had me in pieces... but many a true word is spoken in jest. Cafeteria Catholics: face the facts... you are Roman Protestants if you think you can pick and choose the aspects of the Faith which don't upset you too much...

Lourdes Preparations Continue

It's very nearly the end of April, and there are only four weeks to go until our Parish Pilgrimage to Lourdes. I have the vaguely nagging feeling that I've forgotten to do something...

...I guess it'll come to me eventually!

In the meantime, I've contacted the Service Planification department to book the chapels for Mass on two days, as well as indicating our attendance at the International Mass in the St. Pius X Underground Carpark (sorry, Underground Basilica) and at a concelebrated English Mass at the Grotto itself, and also booking a guided tour round Lourdes to see where Bernadette lived, booking a slot to view a film introducing people to the town and the Domaine, and booking our slot for the Stations of the Cross...

I can't finalise the programme until they get back to me confirming that the times I requested are convenient (it is much better to be flexible in this way, and therefore get to use some really beautiful chapels, rather than insisting on a time and being dumped in a whitewashed garage masquerading as a chapel...)

I've contacted the hotel to confirm the names and room requirements of all the pilgrims in the group (there are 28 of us this year) and asked for them to arrange a coach to bring us to and from the airport...

I need to print out the programme once its finalised, print off some "corporate" luggage labels so that no-one picks up one of our cases by mistake (that was the only glitch last year, on the return leg of the journey, fortunately!) and send written instructions as to what can and can't be taken on as hand luggage.

I just can't figure out what I've forgotten... Never mind, in four weeks' time, this is what I shall be looking at: