Saturday 14 April 2007

And Look What I Found...

I just decided to have a look at SiteMeter. I've been neglecting it for a while (especially as visitor numbers have been down a little!) To my amazement, I saw that yesterday I had over 240 hits. Now I'd only put up two posts, one on getting a parking ticket and one on the ICEL translation, and neither of them would seem to account for the massive increase in traffic.

So I had a look at the visitors on Friday. Rather a lot of the referrals seemed to come from Fr. Longenecker's blog, where he put up a link to the Low-to-High Altar Metamorphosis video (thank you kindly, Father!) But what really caught my attention was the fact that several visitors had strayed into my blog from a site called "Feminine Genius."

As you may have gathered, I am no fan of modern feminism. And I border on the vitiolic when it comes to politically correct "inclusive" language, especially in the Liturgy. So I rather expected a site on feminine genius to be rather dismisive towards my little blog, and I promptly followed up the link to see what was going on.

Well, how wrong could I be? Feminine Genius is an excellent blog written by Genevieve Kineke. It seems that she is also the author of a book, "The Authentic Catholic Woman." The name rang a bell, and I couldn't remember why, but after a little more digging, I discovered that Joanna Bogle reviewed the book back in February (and very favourably too!)

So, I am honoured to have been given a little link by Genevieve, and I think I shall add the book to my list of Amazon purchases... Watch this space!

Let's Have A Little Fun Here...

Just to wind everyone up, I thought I'd try my hand at creating my very own poll...

Shameless Joke Snaffle

Yes, I nicked this from Just Doing My Best... the difference between knowledge and wisdom...

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.

Wisdom is not putting it in your fruit salad.

Product Recall

This is just soooooo good, you have to go over to Fr. Gonzales' blog (Overheard in the Sacristy) to read the full text.

Just a snippet to whet your appetite:

"The Maker of all human beings is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units.

"This defect has been technically termed "Subsequential Internal Non-morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed."

Nephew Update

Well, my nephew is growing rapidly. My brother-in-law has been taking photos (several of the birthday-suit variety which will, no doubt, be brought out when the poor boy brings home his first girlfriend!) and I thought it was time to do a baby post...

So here you can see one of the first "proper clothes" outings. I have to admit that this was a sudden reminder that the baby is indeed a little boy: up until now, he has been in typical "unisex" baby clothes...

First Mass

Yesterday we were really privileged to have a visit from a newly ordained priest, Fr. Agnellus FI. He was ordained at the end of March, and at the end of Mass we were able to receive his blessing. As there is a plenary indulgence attached (as I seem to recall) to the "first" blessings of a newly-ordained priest, this was an opportunity not to be missed!

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are a new order in this country: there are now three of the community based in Brockley. They are more well-established in the Phillipines and in Italy. Fr. Agnellus told me about one of the founders, Fr Stefano Maria Manelli, and how he was an altar server for St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Wow!

Together with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the Friars seem to be the driving force behind the fantastic "Day With Mary" initiative. I posted about this when they came to Blackfen: it is such an uplifting experience.

You can read more about the work of the Franciscans of the Immaculate HERE and HERE. There is also a video site, Air Maria (and no, that wasn't a typo!!) which is well worth exploring...

Friday 13 April 2007

ICEL Translation Latest

The "latest" draft of the new translation of the Mass seems not so much to have been the cat let out of the bag, as to be the Beast of Bodmin clawing its way out, ripping the bag to shreds and savaging the hand round the top to boot...

Wow... I think we've been seriously short-changed over the years...

Now, as kitty is definitely out and on the prowl, how about getting a move on with actually printing the books and issuing whatever is necessary so that we can start to use the proper texts in the Novus Ordo Mass...

Fine. It's all over the blogosphere. It's way better than anything we've seen up till now. Time to quit stalling.

UPDATE: Heheheh... now the Telegraph (Damian Thompson's "Holy Smoke" blog, at any rate) has gotten a hold of it. Watch the pigeons panic now!!

Virtue Is Its Own Reward

Ummm. So they say. I am doing my best to offer this up. I had to dispose of an old inkjet printer, which worked perfectly well (albeit slowly) but was now surplus to requirements. There were even several brand new, unopened ink cartridges with it. And the cables. It all worked.

No time to mess about with ebay. It was suggested that I bring it to the local council dump/recycling centre but it seemed to be a shocking waste of printer...

...so I decided to donate it to a charity shop. I went to one, and was told that they didn't accept electrical items. Another one said the same... I made up my mind to try one more shop (there are lots quite near me) and go to the dump if all else failed.

I have a knee problem, and the only place I could stop was a double yellow line opposite. I wasn't blocking traffic, and I was delivering stuff, so I figured that it would be fine... Yippee, the third shop did accept electrical items... and they were very pleased to get a nice printer. I left the shop...

...to find that, in the four minutes it took to go into the shop, a parking attendant had materialised out of nowhere, written the ticket and was in the process of snapping the photo-evidence. The manageress of the charity shop came out to plead on my behalf, but to no avail. The attendant promised to make a note that I was delivering stuff (yeah, right, I won't hold my breath on that one) and advised me to write in to the relevant authority to issue a challenge...

I should have just gone to the dump...

Thursday 12 April 2007

He's Got It Taped...

Further to my post on duck tape: Dominican Idaho shows what it's really for...

Ooooh... More Blog Awards!

Just when you thought it was safe to cruise the blogosphere...

The Catholic Blog Awards are over, for this year, but the Blogger's Choice Awards are now up and running...

Jeff pointed out that an Atheist was favourite to win the "Best Religion Blog" category. This is not on, people, so get on over to the site, register and then vote for your favourites! There are lots of different categories to choose from, so have fun.

Graveyard Humour...

My friend Newhousenewjob has just come back from her great-uncle's funeral. I think I shall write a clause into my will to the effect that, should anyone not raise a glass at my wake, I shall return to haunt them!

I loved the following little quote:

"It's been said that the only difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish wake is that there's one less drunk at the wake."

Christopher, requiescat in pace.

Wednesday 11 April 2007

Transformation

All you trendies out there, watch out: all those "protestant" altars erected in "the spirit of Vatican II" can be transformed in the blink of an eye, or the twitch of a mantilla...


Mantilla-twitch to Anne, who commented here, but doesn't have a public profile, so I have no idea if she's got a blog of her own!

A Post Just For Fr James...

...though he probably won't get around to reading it, as he is far too busy to bother with blogs that just witter on about hair, nails and shopping...

However, as a one-time devotee of the "Cathedral" at Bluewater, he deserves to have this post dedicated especially to him. I was persuaded to help a friend of mine check out possible bridesmaid dresses (her brother is getting married soon, and she gets to play the role of Head Honcho!)

We could have gone traipsing round Croydon, but I much prefer Bluewater: careful planning can ensure that every dress shop visited is followed by a coffee shop stop to discuss and ponder the items seen, tried on, discarded, picked up again, tried on with accessories "just to get the feel of it," and eventually rejected as "almost, but not quite..."

I was pleased to be able to get myself a micro-memory card for my not-quite-so-new-but-absolutely-brilliant phone. This means that I shall be able to take lots and lots of photos when I go to Lourdes. You may not feel quite as pleased about this as I am, but if that's the case, then avoid my blog for the first fortnight in June...

In the meantime, I thought I'd share the following little snap: it would appear that sushi has come to Bluewater...

Now, if they would only add karaoke for that truly authentic feel...

Told You So...

I had always assumed that there was this strange substance known to man (but rarely by woman) and it was called "duct tape..." However, for some reason, when I asked for "duct tape," I was given "duck tape" and my pronunciation gently corrected. I assumed that I had misheard it.

...and since everyone seemed to call it duck tape, I wanted to know why. I issued a heartfelt plea in the course of one of my Holy Week posts. Sure enough, I was told that I had it wrong: it is actually "duct" tape after all...

Right. I think I got that. So now, can someone please stop me gibbering...

Tuesday 10 April 2007

Tracking Down St. Martha

In the post about statues bought during my retreat at Aylesford Priory, I mentioned that St. Martha appeared to be accompanied by a crocodile...

Having done a little digging (God bless Google and all who search on her!) I discovered that the beast is not, as I first thought, a representation of her faults and failings in asking Jesus to rebuke her sister Mary.

The legend associated with her is that she went off to Provence with Lazarus and Mary. The banks of the river Rhone were being plagued by a dragon, and St. Martha's aid was implored by the local populace. She showed the dragon a cross, and sprinkled it with holy water, and then chained the creature to her belt, after which the locals were able to kill it. This explains why, in my statue of her, she seems to be carrying a bucket and club... it's actually an aspergil (for the holy water, see...!)

I was delighted to note that, as well as being the patron of all in the hospitality business, housekeepers and cooks, St. Martha is also a patron of all single laywomen.

More Motu Mania

OK, I'm willing to play this game... if only to see if Hilary is reading my blog (I just love it when she gets going: she really laid into Fr. Tim a week or so ago... )

Fr. Zuhlsdorf is now speculating that the Motu Proprio will be out next Monday...

Ahhhhhhh, Holy Farrrrther.... go on now, release the Motu Proprio... you know you want to... ahhhh, go on... yer will, yer will, yer will....

Fr. Jay Has An Evil Streak...

...and a wicked sense of humour to boot ! He put this up on his blog with the caption:

"So Easter is about the bunny, eh? Let's wait three days and see if lil' Thumper here resurrects..."


Twitch of the mantilla in the direction of Histor the Wise

Monday 9 April 2007

Anticlimax...?

After the incredibly uplifting and emotionally demanding Triduum, Easter Monday can seem a little flat. Not for me...

...by dint of some careful planning, I got to go to an awesome Classical Rite Latin Mass, followed by lunch at one of my (many) favourite restaurants (oooh, I've missed my steak so much... well, I have to offset my carbon footprint somehow, and since I drive everywhere, that's an awful lot of cow to munch through!!) and this evening I intend to leave the car at home while I go to the parish club. It's karaoke night, and I do like to sing...

...Cover those ears, folks! Mulier Fortis has the microphone...

Shock Horror - True Cross Found In Blackfen !

It's amazing what just slips out in conversation... I happened to mention that the last parish I went to actually had a relic of the True Cross which was brought out for veneration each Good Friday.

Imagine my incredulity when Fr. Tim (rather sheepishly, I think) admitted that we have a relic of the True Cross at Blackfen... but there's no suitable reliquary for it...

Watch this space. I'm determined to get to see the relic. I can't believe that the True Cross has been present all this time, and we haven't seen it. The relics of a few English Martyrs (seen before they were cemented into the High Altar) pale into insignificance by comparison!!

This is most definitely "Not On!" Prayers will be said... Pictures will be taken... And posted...
;-)

Do You Come Here Often?










I loved this little snippet, courtesy of Fr. Longenecker...

On observing the larger numbers for Easter one pastor wisecracked, "I have to apologise to all of you about all the lilies in Church. I wanted to get poinsettias, so it would look just like it did last time you were here..."

Heheheh...

Sunday 8 April 2007

Photo-Fest

My not-so-new phone is great, and I'm getting the hang of the camera feature, but it isn't what you might describe as "discreet"... I do feel ever so slightly self-conscious, whipping out the phone to snap a particularly stunning visual moment in the parish liturgy... despite knowing that the parish priest will ask for a copy if the photos are any good (thus implying that I have "permission"!)

So I didn't get to take many photos over the Triduum. This is a real shame, because the whole thing was, if possible, even more impressive than last year. However, I thought I'd share a couple with you...

First, evidence that we had twelve good men and true for the washing of the feet...


Then, the Altar of Repose, which always looks fabulous. Hilda (our Sacristan) is an absolute genius when it comes to getting things to look just right...


A moving snap showing the prostration of the priest and deacons at the Good Friday Liturgy (this always brings a lump to my throat!)


Then we have the Easter fire and the lighting of the Paschal candle outside the church...

A bit of a blurry shot inside, taken during the Old Testament readings and prayers...


And finally, a glimpse (also a bit blurry) of the choir, who did such stirling work during the Triduum...

Well, That's A Relief !!!

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Extreme
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)High
Level 2 (Lustful)Low
Level 3 (Gluttonous)Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)Low
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Low
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Very Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Test


Mantilla-twitch to Jeffrey (The Roving Medievalist)

Good Friday

I opted to attend the Solemn Stations of the Cross this year (I went to the Children's Stations in previous years, but just fancied a change!) The meditations of St. Alphonsus are pretty moving - he certainly doesn't let me off the hook when it comes to the realisation that my sins are what helped to nail Christ to that cross.

I find that "modern" Stations are often too preoccupied with things like racism, solidarity with the poor, helping the marginalised, crimes against humanity. I know that these injustices need to be remembered, and fought against, but Stations just seems the wrong time to do it. It's too easy to think "oh, that's ok, I'm not racist," or "fine, I've just sent a cheque to Aid to the Church in Need." So we need to be brought up short: we all sin, and it is those sins which Christ died to forgive. The big ones, definitely. But the little ones too... the times when I snapped at someone, the times I was inconsiderate, the times I sulked, the times I gossiped, or groused...

Somehow, St. Alphonsus seems to bring my many imperfections home to me. Mea culpa...

Maundy Thursday Mass Of The Lord's Supper

Ok, I'm just showing off... we had twelve men having their feet washed... and there were loads more in the congregation who could have stepped in (oops, sorry about that!) if it had been necessary. See what happens when you don't have touchy-feely, "make-it-up-as-you-feel-the-Spirit-move-you" liturgy?

Just read the black, and do the red...

Chrism Mass

The "Demo" at the Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass went rather well, I thought. Despite the last-minute panic over the placards, they didn't look too bad in the broad light of day! It would have been nicer to have them made properly, but that will teach me not to leave it so late next year.

The first photo (mantilla-twitch to Fr John Boyle for these) shows some of the younger helpers... some of the older ones proved to be a little camera-shy (I include myself in that!) but by the time the priests processed in, there was an enthusiastic bunch to cheer and clap (as shown in the second photo.)

I wasn't hiding that time (in fact, I didn't realise Fr. John had taken a photo while actually processing in!) but I am hidden by the priests going past, as I was handing out some of the "Thank You" prayer cards. I was very pleased with the cards... they had far more class than last year's home-made effort...

The Mass itself was a little grim. For some reason, St. George's Cathedral seem to have a real problem with hymns. The words of one hymn seemed to deny transubstantiation (which rather misses the point, given that it's on Maundy Thursday) and the "tunes" weren't very tuneful. I was in the Lady Chapel (no room anywhere else) and it was really striking that the one hymn everyone in the diverse, multicultural throng joined in with (with real gusto, I might add) was "Soul of my Saviour." There's a lesson in there somewhere.

The homily was mercifully short. There was much said on the priesthood of the faithful, and precious little on the ministerial priesthood. Another missed opportunity. And the Archbishop says we need to have a vision of a Church with fewer priests. Sorry, that sounds more like my idea of a nightmare... Also, if you plan for a church without priests, you're going to get one. We should look at the new movements and countries where vocations are up, and work out what they're doing right. The first part of the quote I'd swiped from Sacramentum Caritatis for the back of the prayer card was quite pertinent in this regard:

"...We must never lose confidence that Christ continues to inspire men to leave everything behind and to dedicate themselves totally to celebrating the sacred mysteries, preaching the Gospel and ministering to the flock."

I was delighted to note that there weren't any protesters calling for "wimmym-priests" this year. It was a nasty, underhand and mean-spirited thing to do on such an important day for the priesthood: I'm rather chuffed that they've been discouraged by our presence. Of course, given their average age, they might have died out...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...