It Just Got Better & Better...

Well, it's over. I managed to stay for the second night. I'm shattered, but in a good way, and my main concern at the moment is staying awake long enough to avoid a completely messed-up sleep pattern...

It's hard to describe the effects of the Quarant'Ore, but, at the end, after Our Lord was reposed in the tabernacle, many people said that they had experienced a slight twinge of regret that He was no longer "out in the open." That really sums it up: as Fr. Tim said in one of his sermons, "What people is so fortunate as to have its gods as close as our God is to us?"

The Real Presence never seemed so real, or so present, until, having had the opportunity to get "up close and personal" by spending time with Him, His Presence was withdrawn from me, (though only as far as the tabernacle) and that tiny distance left an emptiness, a sense of absence, a sense of loss. Not the sort of loss and emptiness associated with death; more the awareness that one is not with one's beloved.

I'm aware that I'm blathering on, and probably not making any sense at all. However, if you get the opportunity to attend a Quarant'Ore, just do it. Trust me on this one.

In the meantime, a few more photos...

With the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the High Altar, Mass on the second night was celebrated at the Lady Altar...

There was considerably less space available, and so the number of servers was reduced... and the angle from which I attempted to take the photo was terrible, so I couldn't "get" all of them in the shot anyway. I did manage to get this one during the sermon...

Some members of the parish Youth Group had stayed in the church all night, and so breakfast was arranged for them in the small hall... one of the mothers snaffled my camera to take this photo, so I'm afraid that makes it fair game blog-wise...

Later on, two of the regular servers passed on a few helpful tips to the newest (and tallest) recruit...

His Hermeneuticalness took the opportunity to catch up on praying his Office...

Mass on the Saturday, being the Mass of Reposition, was celebrated at the High Altar.

My favourite moment of the Mass...

We then had the Litany of the Saints and a procession around the church...

And the whole thing concluded with Benediction.

I am sure that our parish will gain many graces from having this devotion, and I'm delighted that Fr. Tim has decided it was so successful that it will become a regular part of our parish life.

Now I think I need to catch up on some sleep...

Blackfen Quarant'Ore Opening Night...

Ok, ok... I just couldn't resist posting a few photos... I managed to finish slightly early (I didn't get given a cover lesson) and took the opportunity to scoot home and have something to eat before I head out to the church for Round 2.

The Mass at the start of the Forty Hours was a Missa Cantata in honour of the Blessed Sacrament, and members of our regular visiting schola came and sang.

The Mass was very well-attended, and the Procession around the church nearly reduced me to tears, especially when the front end of the Procession had to wait for the back end to pass before returning to the Sanctuary.

Rather like the throngs of people who showed up to see the relics of St. Thérèse, this demonstrated for me the grassroots of Catholic devotion. This sort of thing would have been considered commonplace at one time, just one of those things Catholics took for granted as part and parcel of their Faith. Please God, the Bishops of England and Wales will realise that holding countless consultation meetings to discuss the future of the Church isn't going to get people to attend, but putting on the traditional Catholic devotions, such as Benediction, the Rosary, the Quarant'Ore, and so on, is.

We had many more than the stipulated minimum twenty candles, and, after Mass, a couple of candle stands were moved to the front of the Sanctuary.

I popped into the Parish Club for a couple of quick coca colas (I needed the caffeine content) before going back to the church to spend a little more time in prayer. The atmosphere was awesome, and I really didn't want to leave... but I knew that I had a busy day at school scheduled, and so left at about 12:30am.

I'll take a few more pictures tonight...

Posting...

Rather like the Royal Mail, my posting will be almost non-existent during the next two days - and whether or not I get to post anything on Saturday will depend on whether or not I can locate any matchsticks for my eyes... Blackfen's own Quarant'Ore starts this evening. I'm teaching tomorrow, so won't be able to stay long tonight, but I plan to do a stint tomorrow night, as it's the start of the Half Term holiday.

But, obviously, if I'm praying in church during my spare time, I won't be blogging...

...though given the number of bloggers in the parish, I do think His Hermeneuticalness should consider a temporary Internet Café installation in the Cry Chapel...

Yes, I Have A Cat... No, That's Not Him...

Variety is definitely the spice of life... at least, it is when considering desktop wallpaper. Each week or so, I like to have a different wallpaper on my laptop to amuse myself and my students while I'm setting up the smart board for the lesson.

I found one or two rather appropriate Lolcats from the I Can Has Cheezburger? site...

But, this week's edition just makes everyone want to smile back...

Important Vote Looming...

I received this information from SPUC. Amendments to oppose coercive abortion and sex-selective abortion in the European Union are to be voted on this Thursday (22nd October.)

CARE For Europe, along with other non-governmental organisations, is campaigning for specific wording to be included in the European Commission's annual budget for overseas development, to prevent any funds going to organisations or countries which are complicit in promoting family planning programmes which include an element of compulsion (eg. coercive abortion and involuntary sterilisation). This amendment was actually passed in 2007 and included in the 2008 budget. The pro-abortion lobby are now, however, saying that this amendment should be opposed, on the grounds that it is an attack on the so-called "right" to abortion. In fact, all that is being called for is that there should be no element of compulsion in these matters. Such compulsion is an abuse of human rights and makes women have something done to them that they have not freely chosen.

The amendment:

"Stresses that Community assistance should not be given to any authority, organization or programme which supports or participates in the management of an action which involves such human rights abuses as coercive abortion, involuntary sterilization or infanticide, especially where such actions apply their priorities though psychological, social, economic or legal pressure, thus finally implementing the specific Cairo ICPD prohibition on coercion or compulsion in sexual and reproductive health matters; calls on the Commission to present a report on the implementation of the EU's external assistance covering this programme."

Furthermore, another amendment supported by CARE for Europe and similar NGOs is against sex-selective abortion. This amendment reads:

"Projects funded by this budget title must not pursue gender-based eugenic discrimination, which is increasingly common in certain countries, or any other form of discrimination against girls (at any point after conception) and such projects must commit adequate resources to overcome the subsequent asymmetries for children conceived as a result of mass rape, including appropriate provision for their mothers [cf Opinion on "A Special Place for Children in EU External Action", § 9 and 13, EP committee for women's rights and gender equality, amendment tabled by Ana Maria Gomes (S-D, Portugal)]"

These amendments will be voted this Thursday 22nd October during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg. Please write to your MEPs to ask them to support these worthy amendments. To find out who your MEPs are and how to contact them, please visit THIS SITE, and pick your region. For an easy way to email all your MEPs, please click HERE.

Prayers Needed...

Sr. Amanda from the Sisters of the Gospel of Life has sent round an urgent prayer request: a young couple are having problems, and the young woman has decided to have an abortion, while the young man is desperate for her to keep their baby. Keep them all in your prayers.

Speculation Over...

No, Queen Elizabeth hasn't declared that she wishes to become Catholic.

Instead, Personal Ordinariates are to be set up for communities of Traditional Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church.

I have to say that I don't quite understand why they couldn't just be received into the Church as currently - but it seems to have something to do with maintaining their own liturgical norms.

There was a joint statement issued by the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, and Archbishop Rowan Williams, declaring that ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church is still going strong...

UPDATE: His Hermeneuticalness has got a post with more details, and a better explanation!

Something's Brewing...

...and I doubt that it is tea. From the Vatican Bolletino:

We inform accredited journalists that tomorrow, Tuesday 20 October 2009, at 11am, in the John Paul II Hall of the Press Office of the Holy See, a briefing will be held on a theme pertaining to the relationship with the Anglicans, at which His Eminence Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and His Excellency Mgr Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will take part.

Oooooooh. I wonder what's up? Maybe the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to convert... Or maybe, after all the stuff on women priests and bishops, etc. etc. the end of "ecumenism" is about to be announced...

Twitch of the mantilla to His Hermeneuticalness.

The First Time I've EVER Been Keen On Yoga...

Heheheheheheh... I bet THAT post title got a few people spitting out their coffee in shock!

But panic not... I haven't succeeded in tucking my leg over my ear (seriously, as a teenager I was told this would help the pain I was in... in vain did I protest that, with one leg in plaster, it wasn't going to happen...) nor in achieving the position in the picture (which looks mightily uncomfortable!)

Instead, this morning I went to cover a lesson for a Sixth Form class - Health & Social Care. I arrived to find everyone taking their shoes and socks off. Somewhat puzzled (this is not normal classroom behaviour, even in a Health & Social Care lesson) I asked what was going on.

And was greeted with the joyful news that, as there was a practical session on yoga being given by another teacher, I wasn't necessary as a cover teacher...

Definitely good news to brighten my Monday morning!