Not A Lot Of Blogging Lately...

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!

Playing With Photoshop

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

I could make this original photo here

look like this:

which is rather an improvement.

Watch this space for further experiments!

Fabulous New Blog...

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!)

Our Catholic Heritage

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...

Not An Obligation...

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...

It's Been A While...

...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.'

Falling Standards in Education...

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

My Favourite Place...

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"!

Westminster Update...

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.

Tyburn Walk

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.

We start at St. Sepulchre-without-Newgate (diagonally across from the Old Bailey) at 2:30pm on Sunday 4th May. We stop at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place, then St. Cecilia's, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and then St. Patrick's, Soho Square - where we also have a blessing with the relics of St. Oliver Plunkett and (I think... though I may have remembered it incorrectly) St. Cuthbert Mayne.

Benediction at Tyburn is some time between 5:30pm - 6pm depending on how quickly people walk!

How Very Interesting...

After blogging about the rumours concerning the terna for the Westminster succession, I have finally had a chance to calm down enough to read the Telegraph article more carefully...

Mandrake has heard this rumour about the shortlisted candidates from someone in Archbishop's House. Now, there are not many people who would have access to any such shortlist. It is not the sort of document to be left accidentally lying around under a pile of missalettes and newsletters. This suggests that the terna has been deliberately leaked...

Given that the Nuncio isn't based at Archbishop's House, we can safely conclude that he isn't the source of the leak...

I'm not entirely sure of the condition of fish in the state of Denmark, but something here reeks of political manoeuvring by members of the English and Welsh hierarchy. Are all the calls on the blogosphere for an appointment from outside the so-called "magic circle" making their Lordships a trifle nervous, perhaps?

Papa Preaches Up A Storm!

The Seminary in Yonkers, New York, has been inundated with applications since the Papal Visit, according to a report by CNA. The diocesan vocations director, Fr. Sweeney, commented: “We were hoping the Pope would convince many who were considering the priesthood to make the next step. It looks like he did.”

So what did the Holy Father say that had so much impact? Read it for yourself, HERE.

Mantilla twitch to Fr. Ray.

Please Tell Me That I'm Dreaming...

...or possibly having a nightmare...

*OUCH !*

No, no such luck... I pinched myself, and it's still on Fr. Ray's and Ttony's blogs. According to The Telegraph, the terna, the official list of candidates, has been whittled down to three and submitted by the Nuncio...

The choice is apparently between Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Bishop Arthur Roche and Archbishop Peter Smith.

The Nuncio is obviously not a devotee of Paddy Power. While Archbishop Nichols is favourite at 2-1, the other two are languishing at 12-1.

Well, Sylvester Will Be Pleased...

This might explain why Sylvester and I get along so well... and why I love Garfield !

You Would Be a Pet Cat

Independent and aloof, you don't like to be dependent on anyone. And as for other people, you can take them or leave them. You live your life by your own rules. And you have deep motivations that no one truly understands. Why you would make a great pet: You're not needy or greedy... unlike other four legged friends. Why you would make a bad pet: You're not exactly running down to greet people at the door What you would love about being a cat: Agility and freedom What you would hate about being a cat: Being treated like a dog by clueless humans

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

New Blog Alert !

John Paul left a comment asking me to give him a plug, so....

Oh, ok... he's over at Mad Trad. Pop over and say hallo!

Very Funny... Thank God I Took Vows!

Fr. Dwight Longenecker has some recent entries for "International Husband of the Year."

First up, we have the entry from Serbia:


Then the UK entry:


The USA has a strong contender:


But I think Poland might just scoop this one:

Pleasantly Surprised...

When I first saw the report (courtesy of the Curt Jester) of three middle-aged Irish priests signing a £1 million recording deal, my heart sank. Was this going to be another cringe-making, guitar-strumming trio, surrounded by liturgical prancers, I wondered?

And then I saw a link to The Telegraph's article on the trio, with video, over at Fr. Longenecker's. The priests are going to be singing sacred music. And wearing clericals. And they sound good...

Just In Case You Thought They'd All Gone...

The Cannonball pointed me to the following post, which really beggars belief. I think I may have been getting complacent, as the WimminPriest crowds at both Southwark and Westminster seem to have given up... or died (well, they were getting on a bit!)

While attempting not to lose my lunch over the keyboard of my computer, I did enjoy the following little caption which accompanied another photo:

Womenpriests gather in front of mobile billboard demanding the ontologically impossible. Hilarity ensues when Rose Hudson notices someone under the age of sixty has infiltrated the photo op.

The only positive outcome of this sorry episode is that I was given the opportunity to check out the blog of the Saint Louis Catholic...

Happy St. George's Day...

Strange how St. George doesn't get quite such a fuss made of him as St. Patrick, St. David or even St. Andrew...

He's a bit like St. Valentine... people have assumed that he was "made up" and so they are a bit embarrassed. They don't want to admit to believing a myth...

I think it might be the dragon that did for him... we don't really believe in dragons - they belong to children's stories. But the dragon was a representation of evil, of Satan. And the princess he rescued represented the Church. Although the details of St. George's life are a little sketchy, it seems that he was born of wealthy parents in Cappadocia, and moved to Palestine on the death of his father. He became a Tribune in the Roman army, and when he complained to the Emperor Diocletian about the treatment of the Christians, he was arrested and thrown into prison himself. He was tortured, dragged through the streets and beheaded.

St. George, Patron of England and martyr, pray for us.

Can Somebody Please Explain To Me Why...

...when you happen to be at home, waiting for a delivery (or similar), the stuff invariably shows up at the very end of your chosen delivery slot, whereas, if you are trying to get home in time for a similar delivery, you find that it arrived fifteen minutes before your allocated delivery time...?

(To be fair, the very nice Sainsbury's delivery man was just sitting in his van waiting for me... )

Heartbreaking...

... there I was, driving down the road to Mass this morning, when I spotted a duck standing at the side of the road looking across. Even though there is a park with a large boating lake nearby, it is not often one sees a duck on the pavement. It seemed to be looking intently at something...

And then I spotted a second duck, in the middle of two lanes, squashed...

The picture would have been worth a thousand words, but not the car-crash which would have ensued if I'd tried to stop to take out my camera!

Which brings me to the joke-in-very-poor-taste for today:

Why did the chicken go to see the clairvoyant?

- to get to the other side...

I Love This Picture...

The Holy Father, young seminarians, enthusiasm... what more could you want?

Mantilla twitched in the direction of Vincenzo... he also has the text of the Holy Father's address to the young people at St. Joseph's Seminary, New York.

Can You Remember Where You Were...?

...Has it really been three years already?

I remember it well. I was teaching RE in a Catholic School and had been talking about the Conclave all day. At lunchtime, Fr. James Clark (our priest chaplain) had popped into the staffroom, and we tried to see what was happening on various internet sites: there was a bit of a scare when the report of "white smoke" was mentioned, but it soon became clear that the smoke was a definite black.

After school I drove back to the parish club... I didn't have cable or satellite TV, and Fr. Tim had said that, as nothing was booked for the evening, I could go in and watch the TV there for a bit... he was at the seminary at Wonersh, I think, but the parish secretary gave me the key to the hall.

I was pretty sure nothing would happen for a while, but it was a luxury to be able to hear what the different TV stations had to say about the whole process... so I arranged my books for marking, turned on the TV and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. As I was fishing out the teabag, I heard the announcer state that black smoke had gone up. I was disappointed, but not terribly surprised, and I decided that I'd just drink my tea, do some marking with the news in the background and then go home.

As I sat down, consternation among the announcers seemed to be breaking out. They were sure that the smoke was black... but it did look a bit grey. The crowds were cheering wildly... and the presenters were explaining that the crowds were wrong, because the smoke was black... well, grey... and anyway, to prevent any mistake they'd been told that bells would ring as well as white smoke, and there were no bells... but that smoke did look a bit pale... no, it was grey... and the cheering crowds had got it wrong because there were no bells... but... oh, it's white smoke... but we were promised bells...

...and then the bells started up!

A group of people suddenly appeared - they had assumed that the hall would be empty, and they wanted to set up the tables for refreshments after a funeral on the next day... did I mind? I explained that I was just watching the TV, so I didn't mind, as long as I wasn't in their way.

I had jokingly said that it would be great if Cardinal Ratzinger was elected, but had been told firmly that this just wasn't possible, though he might turn out to be influential as "kingmaker."


That wily old Cardinal Estevez was milking it for all it was worth... but when I heard "Josephum" I screamed and jumped up and down... I didn't know that there was another Cardinal called Joseph, but the "Ratzinger" which followed after the pause confirmed it.

Phone calls and furious texting to friends ensued. The other people in the hall seemed a little bemused by my behaviour. "Errm... it's good news then?" "Very good indeed!" was my delighted response.

I went home happy. And, after an evening phoning friends and being phoned, I heard that Fr. Patrick was to be on Newsnight...

And The Winner Of The Best Church Militant Blog Is...

...not me. Fr. Erik Richtsteig sneaked up on me while I was away on retreat. Not fair, and I'm going to sulk...

Congratulations to all, and especially to Carolina Cannonball for hosting the event. It was fun while it lasted...

Back From Retreat...

...Should a return from retreat be known as an advance??

With the school "Easter" holiday (sorry, "Spring Break") so late this year in relation to the Easter festivities, I decided that it was a good time to make a retreat. Nothing formal, no set programme, just me. I considered Aylesford, but it can be a little busy in the holidays (with day visitors who just turn up for a chance to visit the beautiful grounds) and I thought I could do with some "serious" prayer time. A friend of mine had joined the Abbey of St. Cecilia six and a half years ago, and I'd been meaning to pay her a visit for ages... that, combined with the idea of an enclosed convent where the nuns chanted the Office in Latin, seemed to be just the ticket.

I made the decision to leave the car at home - partly because the ferry fares to the Isle of Wight are exorbitant (making the stretch of water between the island and the mainland the most expensive anywhere in the UK) and partly because it provided a perfect opportunity to get my car serviced and MOT'd.

Guests usually stay in The Garth, a small cottage next to the Abbey. There is another house, The Hermitage, but this is reserved for visiting priests and religious. My room, on the ground floor, was spacious and comfortable, though Sister Claire, (the Guest-Mistress) assured me that it was the smallest of the rooms.

The Garth is self-catering, and so I needed to make a visit to the local shops as soon as I'd had a chance to unpack. I didn't bring anything with me from home, as I just didn't have room in my suitcase, and carrying extra bags of shopping with me on public transport really wasn't an option. At my slow pace, the nearest shops were about 20 minutes' walk away. Fortunately, it was not only dry, but sunny and not too cold as well, so it made a pleasant excursion. You can see the sea as you walk down the road from The Garth...

The first time I visited the Abbey church was for Vespers. The view from the laity's side of the church was pretty uninspiring: a bare marble altar in the middle of the Sanctuary, and on the "back" wall there is a cross (not a crucifix) with the word "Pax" carved in the centre, and a statue of St. Cecilia just below it.

The Tabernacle, obviously bang in the centre as far as the Community is concerned (which is absolutely as it should be), is actually quite difficult to see from the laity's side: it is set into a recess which obscures the Tabernacle from view.

I enjoyed Vespers, and, later on, Compline - I was able to follow the psalms in a little booklet which gave the Latin texts and their English translations, but didn't attempt to sing along. The chanting was beautiful, and made all the more ethereal because the nuns were not visible from the pews on the laity's side of the church. My indication to the elderly Sister at the door that I wished to attend Lauds was greeted with consternation: apparently several books would be needed, and it would prove complicated to follow. I promised to bring my own Office and pray that instead, which reassured her, and she told me that the door would be opened just before Lauds at about 6:50am.

In fact this proved to be very agreeable: because chanting takes so much longer than simply saying the words, and because there are more psalms prayed in each of the Benedictine Offices, I was able to pray the Office of Readings and Lauds together, and then sit and listen to the remainder of Lauds chanted by the sisters as I prayed quietly. This is something I would not have been comfortable with prior to attending the Extraordinary Form; I would have felt "lost" without following every word.

As well as a short time for discussion with the Guest-Mistress each morning after Mass, I was also able to meet up with my friend, Sr. Madeleine. Her own sister (and family) were also visiting, so we had a little reunion in the parlour. I was delighted to see that the grill wasn't quite as ferocious as the types shown in old films!

It is quite dreadful to think that contemplative orders such as the Sisters at St. Cecilia's may soon lose charitable status in this country, because they are deemed by the State not to provide any public benefit or service. On the contrary: the ceaseless worship of God on our behalf and the prayers of intercession for the needs of the world are the greatest possible benefit to our society, and we need to pray that more young people will make this supreme sacrifice and answer Our Lord's call.

Facebook

This really made me laugh. It's not true in my case... at least, I don't think so...


Mantilla-twitch to Ukok.

I found this ode to dead iPods as a link to the Facebook video...

Well, I'll Be...

Created by OnePlusYou

There are, apparently, no instances of "cussing" on my blog. I should ###### well hope not!

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Erik (who scores 3.7%!)

Oh Horror Of Horrors...

With only 12 hours to go in the 2008 Cannonball Awards, I see that Fr. Richtsteig of Orthometer has surged ahead in the best Church Militant blog category. Now this is most definitely not on. Orthometer is up for lots and lots of awards, so feel free to vote for his excellent blog IN THE OTHER CATEGORIES. Best Church Militant blog award has MY name written on it. And I've prepared my acceptance speech. So go back and CHANGE YOUR VOTE accordingly.

Pretty please...

She's Got A Ticket To Ride...

...well, it's Ryde, actually! I'm off to St. Cecilia's Abbey on the Isle of Wight for a couple of days, as I thought a retreat was in order. No blogging until I get back...

Time For A Video Post...

After Mass this morning, a young woman was looking for Fr. Tim, as she needed something translated from Latin to English. Unfortunately, Fr. Tim is away in Rome. A parishioner decided that I might actually know a little Latin myself, and so I was approached. Luckily, the young woman wanted the words to Pie Jesu, which is pretty easy, even for a duffer like me.

I decided to check things out on the web when I got home, and found quite a few You Tube videos. I rightly assumed that the Andrew Lloyd Webber version was required rather than the one from Fauré's Requiem...

I prefer Hayley Westenra's singing to that of Sarah Brightman...



But in the new series of Britain's Got Talent, Andrew Johnston sang the first part of the Pie Jesu, completely wowing the judges (including the normally acerbic Simon Cowell) at the tender age of 13 !

Barbie Appeal...

Whoops! Not that sort of Barbie, apparently!!

The Sisters of the Gospel of Life are running an appeal. At the moment they have lots of Barbie and Action Man dolls which need clothes before they can be given to the older children of the families the Sisters sometimes help.

There are a few requirements: the clothing for the Barbie dolls needs to be suitably modest. We're not talking nuns' habits (though you never know!) but none of the really tarty stuff. And the clothing for the Action Man figures needs to be non-military... many of the children are refugees, and have had unpleasant experiences with various militia.

The Sisters thought that this might make a project for someone who likes sewing. Or, alternatively, various dolls' clothes are sold at jumble sales and boot sales. Or you might consider buying new stuff (if you can find any clothes without the dolls, that is!)

The address for sending any items is:
The Sisters of the Gospel of Life, 106 Dixon Avenue, GLASGOW, G42 8EL

Technological Breakthrough !

Wow. There's a website which can convert your computer monitor into a camera. So now you can take your own photo and post it on the web. Ukok first alerted me to this amazing breakthrough. You can check it out for yourself HERE.

About Time I Did One Of These...

You Are a Hazelnut

You are very unique and distinct. You may even freak some people out. Most people don't really know how to interact with you. You get along best with anyone who is super sweet. But you really do get along with almost anyone. You just need a chance to wow them.

What Nut Are You?

Twitch of the mantilla to the Ironic Catholic.

So True...

Great minds, and all that... I was pondering this very thing at Mass this morning.

"You can tell a good priest by how he cares for the fragments."

..."There is just so much to love in the Mass, but there is a special joy for me to watch a priest take the time and care when purifying the sacred vessels. When I watch a couple of priests that I know it seems to me that when they are doing this that it reminds me so much of Michelangelo's Pieta with Mary holding Jesus. There is such evident love and care in performing this seeming mundane action that it all the more brings to me the reality of Jesus being sacramentally present in the Holy Eucharist. The attention to detail to ensure that even the smallest fragment of Our Lord is treated with the reverence and worship our Lord deserves can say more than a dozen homilies on the Eucharist."

Twitch of the mantilla to the great Curt Jester, in one of his more reflective moments!

Family Life

I went down to see my sister on Friday. It was lovely to catch up. We met a friend of hers (with her baby) for coffee in a local coffee shop, and it was interesting to observe other people's reactions to the appearance of children: one young woman seemed to get rather huffy because there was noise, and made a big thing of rustling her papers and finishing off her coffee before stalking out. It's true, she really did "stalk" - there was irritation oozing from every pore.

And yet my nephew was in his pram, and wasn't making much noise... and the other toddler was toddling harmlessly around (followed by his mother, he wasn't just being allowed to run around) and pointing at various objects while his mother said what they were. They weren't being disruptive, and certainly weren't screaming the place down.

I suppose that, a few years ago, my reactions would have been very similar to those of the huffy woman. But, having taken private vows and getting so involved in parish events, I am fortunate enough to have had a fair bit of contact with young families (and large families too) and so I think I may have become a bit more tolerant... just a bit!

I was privileged to be invited to a joint birthday party this evening as well... several families getting together to have fun. The children got together to put on a magic show, and there were charades, and birthday cake, and champagne... and two of the youngsters provided the music while the adults practised their ballroom dancing skills.

Most of my photos didn't come out, as people were moving too quickly, and there didn't seem to be much point in putting up a load of blurred photos. Unfortunately, one of the photos which did come out had a friend moving her hand in such a way that she looked as if she was picking her nose. For the sake of friendship, I think I shall have to leave that one unpublished!