Mea culpa, mea culpa

See, I'm learning already!

...oh, ok, I'll 'fess up... I already knew that bit.

I've been a little slow in following up blog links, and have tended to stick to a few that I am familiar with. Well, time to get a bit more adventurous...

I'd seen Andrew's Profile Picture a few times in various com-boxes, but have, to my shame, only just had a peek at his blog. And what a treat was in store: he really likes his Papal Photos, does Andrew. And I especially enjoyed the captions....

Check him out at Unam Sanctam.

Couldn't Resist...

There's a good article at The Hermeneutic of Continuity on the Enneagram. And then, when browsing through Ironic Catholic's blog, I came upon a site which makes fortune cookies.

My Fortune Cookie told me: People are beginning to notice you. Try dressing before you leave the house. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

"New" Year's Resolution

I have a bad habit of making lots of New Year's resolutions (mostly dietary) and then failing to keep them... This means that the year starts on a low note, because I promise to be good, and fail miserably!

Last year I decided not to make any such resolutions, and when I failed to keep any of the resolutions I would normally have made, I felt quite good about it. Almost vindicated, you might say...

This year I'm afraid that I've made a resolution. However, it is nothing to do with diets. Instead, I have decided that I am going to try very, very hard to learn the Latin responses for the Mass. I've made some slight progress over the 14 years I've been back in the fold... when I first came back, the only Latin Mass response I knew was the Kyrie... the rest was all Greek to me...

*dodges tomatoes*

I was therefore very encouraged to find the following LINK for a Latin-English dictionary, courtesy of David at The Fullness of Faith. Unfortunately, on looking at the instructions and explanation of how the dictionary is set up, I decided it was probably easier just to learn the language...

;-)

Grrrr !

I love to sing. I've got quite a good voice (not trained, nothing special, but I'm loud and I can hold a tune) and so I really like this time of year when I can belt out all the favourite Christmas Carols which I learned at school (back then, *peer through swirling mists of time,* Christmas was still called Christmas, and state Primary Schools put on Nativity Plays, and everyone sang Carols whether they believed in God or not!)

Epiphany is a particularly good time to sing Carols... we get all the references to the Magi as well as the earlier shepherds and angels stuff...

Well, not any more. I went to Mass this evening as tomorrow morning I'm off to see my sister and brother-in-law (well, truth be told, I'm actually more interested in my new nephew!) and although I intend to leave in plenty of time to attend evening Mass, given what happened last Monday, I'm taking no chances...

We only sang four carols, but every one had been mucked about with by the politically-correct brigade. At other times of the year it's not so noticeable (partly because I don't know the hymns so well... I've only been singing them since my return to the fold, as it were!) but this really has got me steamed up. "Humankind" is just downright clumsy as well as needing an extra syllable. But when whole sentences are ploughed up for the sake of not offending "wimmin," I get pretty offended. The alternatives offered are clunky, change the meanings, muck around with the rhymes and generally grate on the nerves...

I fought back... I sang what I remembered... Loudly!

Penance Over!

Yes, I am delighted to be able to report that my car is safely back on the road. I have had to suffer the vagaries of public transport for the week, and am heartily pleased to be able to put my recently acquired Oyster Card into storage.

(For anyone who doesn't know, an Oyster Card is the latest system for getting people to buy their travelcards, bus tickets and what-have-you up front, and not on the bus itself! Fair enough, but trying to find somewhere that sold the cards themselves was an experience in itself... and I had to buy the card before I could actually put any money for my bus fares on it!!)

The people at the garage considered me fortunate indeed... they said that such a complete collapse of the wheel bearing was rare, but that it was pretty amazing that the wheel hadn't come off since I was whizzing round the M25 at the time...

...'Nuff said! I promptly drove round to the church, and fortuitously caught Fr Tim just as he was about to jump into his car. He blessed mine (paying particular attention to the newly-repaired bit!) and I then went in to the church to light a candle and say a fervent prayer of thanksgiving. And I shall have the luxury of driving to Mass tomorrow morning!

More on Miles Jesu and Continuity

Mark asked in the Com-Box for some more information on Miles Jesu, and in particular the Continuity Movement. Ever happy to oblige my faithful readers (or possibly the one reader who logs on to my blog 108 times a day) I'm including a couple of links:

http://www.mjcontinuity.com will get you to the Homepage which has links to MJ International (this might interest anyone outside the UK) and then here is a link if you want to cut to the chase and go straight to the UK page (which also has details about the concert) http://www.mjcontinuity.com/UK/index.html

And here is a rather good photo of the five members here in England (and yes, that is Fr Tim Finigan in the middle!)

(BTW, I took the photo, but on someone else's camera, when they came to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish for the Dowry of Mary week we had in Advent)

Blog Statistics (Not That I'm Boasting...)

I am NOT a nerd...

...however, I am rather keen on checking my blog statistics. I am nowhere near the big-time league inhabited by such Great Bloggers as Hermeneutic of Continuity, American Papist, Cafeteria is Closed, Curt Jester or Lair of the Catholic Cavemen...

...but, I am delighted to note that my daily average visitor number is now 98... and lately I've had over 100 hits a day! Not bad for blonde musings on nothing much in particular!!

Spiritual Direction

Well, I had a session of Spiritual Direction this evening...

When friends hear that I have a Spiritual Director, they always seem fascinated by the thought, and have lots of questions, so I thought I'd put down a few thoughts on the subject...

There is nothing "nice" about SD... it is amazingly good and helpful for one's spiritual life, and I think it's extremely necessary for anyone who is serious about progressing in their prayer life, but I can't say that I enjoy it, exactly!

In fact, although I am the one who initiates each session by requesting a meeting, I always find myself hoping that it won't happen very soon (I am always disappointed in this) and then I approach the meeting itself with some trepidation.

I guess that it's a bit similar to visiting the dentist - although I don't quite know how my Director would react to getting bitten...

This evening I had the very disconcerting experience of hearing my SD suddenly say, "Hang on, I need to check Tanqueray!" (I may have got the spelling wrong) and then he disappeared. It sounded serious, and I half expected him to return with bell, book and candle... However, it transpires that I haven't merited excommunication, but I have lots of advice on what I should be doing... including reading a book of St. Alphonsus Liguori's sermons... most of which appear to be concerned with Hell... (the other three Last Things get a mention too, but Hell predominates!)

Seriously though, if you are trying to discern your vocation or to make progress in the spiritual life, I would recommend that you find a good SD. He (it can be a 'she', but I personally prefer a priest) should be someone you find sympatico but don't expect SD sessions to be a friendly chat. They are meant to be detailed examinations of your life, and can be quite uncomfortable... (but maybe that's just me!!) And it may take many years to find a Director you are happy with.

After a session, I feel as if I've had a thorough "going-over" with a spiritual brillo pad (that's a brand of steel wool scourer for any of our Transatlantic Cousins) and had my insides turned outside for good measure. It sounds awful, but it really does help you to see your life clearly. How often you need to meet depends on your particular circumstances: I find an average of once every six weeks about right. Your SD needn't be your Confessor, but you can't hold back anything - your SD needs to know where your particular difficulties lie in order to help you overcome them.

Finally, and it sounds pretty much like stating the obvious, you have to be prepared to listen to your SD and take his advice. It may not be pleasant, and it might not be easy, but making the decision to be obedient to your Director is, in my humble opinion, absolutely vital.

Those are just some of my thoughts... I'd be interested to hear from any priests out there who have experience of SD from "the other side"! You know where the Com-Box is...

Miles Jesu

Brad, one of the chaps from Miles Jesu (the one who took the photo of my nails) asked me to let everyone know of an evening concert being held to raise funds for the Miles Jesu-Continuity Movement.

It's in Westminster Cathedral Hall, Sunday 14th January, at 6pm. Ruth Rogers and Matthew Schellhorn will be playing a variety of pieces for violin and piano. Adults £12, Students (and children under 16) £8, for tickets call 0208 764 0341 or email continuity@fsmail.net

Miles Jesu has been here in England for almost ten years. For the last few years the Community has rented a house in Norbury, near Croydon. They are now saving funds to buy a permanent residence in England.

Please, support them if you can: they do some amazing work in their apostolate.

The Ubiquitous Fr. Whinder

Fr. Richard Whinder has ended up with his picture on yet another blog. It's a rather good picture, taken during his sojourn in Canterbury and can be seen on David's blog, The Fullness of Faith.

Incidentally, it's in the middle of David's conversion story, which makes for a pretty good read too!

NoisyKid on the Blog

It would appear that one of the noisykids has his very own blog... The Son of DadWithNoisyKids (Scorpion Stalking Duck) has his blog at Est Puzzlementum, where he posts as Histor the Wise.

Histor the Wise decided to make a comment on my blog... and I am totally unable to resist following up such a promising Blog profile... Actually he wasn't that wise, because he referred to me as "Mrs. McLernon" which indicates that he hasn't read my profile... however, I shall be magnanimous and forgive him, as he is obviously wise enough to read some of my blog!

I suppose I ought to apologise for the awful pun in the title... but hey, I found it amusing!

The Joys of Public Transport

Today I had the dubious pleasure of using public transport to get to morning Mass.

My first shock was that the fares had escalated: not being a regular user, I hadn't bothered to get a travelcard... and so I enraged the first bus driver by having to root around for the remainder of my fare. I didn't bother to offer him the £20 note I had, as I knew that would earn me a sardonic laugh (at best) or £18 in twenty pence pieces!

So I popped into a chemist's shop which was by the stop for my second bus. I knew they wouldn't just "give" me change, so I picked up some dental floss (I need some anyway) and went over to the counter. It was at this point that my morning started to get surreal.

The assistant told me that it was her first day, and she didn't have a till number yet, so she had to get someone else to serve me. And then the second assistant explained that the till wouldn't open, because they didn't know how to activate it... apparently the shop had opened only the day before, and someone had demonstrated how to close up the till at the end of the day, but no-one had thought to ask what to do at the beginning. So they needed to ring someone at Head Office...

They were all terribly embarassed and apologetic, and I felt that, if I just turned round and walked out, they would feel that they had "lost" a customer... added to which, I really needed some change... and I wanted to know what would happen next...

Bless them! They got given some instructions over the phone (which were duly written down) and then the chap in charge had to go upstairs to activate something (it's all computerised) and then they could start up the till...

...the till drawer finally opened... but there wasn't anything in it! That had to be obtained from the safe!!

I could see the bus stop, and there was no sign of the bus I needed, so I just grinned!! Anyway, I finally managed to buy my dental floss, and got some change. I then went to wait for the bus. Which didn't arrive for another half hour...

I managed to get to Mass on time, but only just. The return journey was of a similar length (without the chemist shop interlude) but one of the bus drivers thought he was in training for Brands Hatch and kept accelerating off at high speed, only to screech to a halt at the next bus stop about two minutes later. There was also a diversion because of roadworks, which meant that the bus driver had to negotiate "proper" speedbumps (the type that go across the whole road.) Needless to say, he didn't bother slowing down, and so the bus see-sawed in quite an impressive fashion!

A journey which usually takes me 10-15 minutes by car took an hour and a half (this was the return journey, so not including my chemist shop experience) Cars may contribute to pollution and global warming, but I think that I will continue to make frequent use of mine for the forseeable future!

Not the Best Way to Start the New Year

What a morning I've had!

I rang my favourite garage to find out if they could fix a collapsed wheel bearing. I was told this would be possible, but they didn't have the required part, which came only from Hyundai. As there is a Hyundai garage in Blackfen, I rang to ask if they could do the job. They had the part, but couldn't do the job today. Possibly, maybe, tomorrow. If I was lucky.

I decided to mull it over and called a cab to take me to Mass. Then a happy thought occurred: I could go and buy the part I needed from the Hyundai garage (just round the corner from the church) and bring it to my favourite garage. Problem solved...

I bought the parts (there were three of them) and went home. Then I rang the breakdown service I am with. They were happy to come and get me and the car and take it to the garage. I had to wait for a bit, but that was ok...

...but (there's always a "but") it transpires that the bearing had really collapsed. And welded itself onto some widget or other. And in this model car it has to be a complete axle doobrey unit thingy (you may have gathered that I'm not really au fait with the terminology!) and this is only available from Hyundai...

...and it won't be available until Thursday...

Aaaaaarghhhh ! I hope this isn't an indication of how 2007 is going to progress...

First Pictures of my Nephew

I didn't manage to get to see him yesterday, and I don't know if I'll get to see him today (long story... more later) but the proud father has sent the following photos.

My sister and her baby are due home today, so obviously all is well. Luckily the baby doesn't resemble his maternal aunt!!

What the Future Doesn't Hold for 2007

Ever wondered what would happen if you woke up in a parallel universe? Well, I think it's a safe bet to say that, even in a parallel universe, hell would have frozen over before you'd see any of this lot happening...

Check it out HERE. (I think Fr Tim has been hallucinating... too much incense!)

Famous Last Words...

I had planned to go to visit my sister (and see my new nephew) this afternoon. The drive would have taken a couple of hours, but I was looking forward to the journey. Then my car started to make an odd screechy sound. Fr Tim (of Hermeneutic of Continuity fame) heard it, and assured me that noises "like that" were only minor problems.

So, off I went, reassured. Ha! Fr Tim may be an excellent Seminary professor, Parish Priest, Blogger par excellence, and what have you, but he knows nothing about cars...

I got as far as Junction 9 on the M25 when the screeching noise started up, much louder, and then the car "wobbled." I'm not a brilliant driver, but I knew that I hadn't caused that wobble, and I didn't like it one little bit. So I pulled over on to the hard shoulder, and rang the breakdown services. Being a woman travelling alone has its advantages: I was promised priority treatment.

The next task was getting out of the car. I remembered reading that one should always leave one's vehicle and move well clear. Easier said than done, with massive lorries thundering past! Luckily, I also remembered that one should exit via the passenger door...

...Now, as anyone who has met me will readily acknowledge, I am not exactly svelte. Far from it. Actually I am probably three svelte people rolled into one. To complicate matters, I have a dodgy left knee from a road accident (and subsequent surgery) in my long-distant youth, and a dodgy right ankle from when I broke it falling down the sacristy steps 18 months ago (made slightly worse by the car crash I had a year ago.) Getting from the driver's side over to the passenger seat was, well, interesting... it would probably make a good yoga position from which to recite the prayer of the frog. At one point, both feet were on the dashboard... you don't want to know where the rest of me had got to!

That athletic feat achieved, I sat down to wait for the breakdown truck, and whiled away the time by reciting the rosary.

A Highway Patrol vehicle pulled up first, and checked to see that I was alright, and then the breakdown truck arrived. It was decided to take me off the motorway so that the car could be examined properly, and hopefully fixed...

No such luck. On closer examination it transpired that a rear wheel bearing had collapsed. Although it is a relatively straightforward job to put right, I had "chosen" to break down on a Bank Holiday: all the garages were closed, and the breakdown chap didn't have the relevant part in stock, so he couldn't even take me to his garage as a favour.

He loaded the car onto the truck and drove me home. I now have to pray that my local garage has the relevant bit, and that they can fit me in.

On reflection, I'm beginning to think that maybe I should stay off the roads at Christmas...

So, I haven't yet seen my nephew. My brother-in-law has promised to send me photos when he gets home this evening. I shall post them as soon as he does.

The Patter of Tiny Feet

Oh wow! I am an Auntie!

My little nephew was born (11 days early) at 4:48am this morning, 6lb 11oz (that's 3.05 kg). Apparently my sister had a rather hard time of it - her waters broke yesterday, she had to be induced, and it was a forceps delivery, and she had to have a blood transfusion, but she and the baby are ok. The baby is called Giacomo Daniele (I've just realised that his parents have named their baby after a brand of whisky... Jack Daniels!!)

I rang the hospital to find out how everyone was, but on hearing that I was merely the sister I was told that a message to say I'd phoned would be passed on.

Thanks to everyone who said a prayer!

The Inquisition

Among other topics which came up for discussion on the car journey back from Stonyhurst was the Spanish Inquisition... Benedict remembered quite a bit of the Monty Python sketch, and I couldn't resist having a look on You-Tube to see if the sketch was there.

It was... and so I'll share it with you (I'm a sharing kind of girl!!)

Top Ten Reasons for Remaining Catholic

One advantage of clicking on a particular post in order to get the exact URL to come up is that you get to see the comments at the bottom of the post instead of having to call up a separate window. So I spotted the following site which looked interesting...

The T-shirt is not for the visually impaired, not unless you want to get up-close-and-personal, but it amused me enough to include the text here:

10.) It's politically incorrect. (Annoy the Catholic bashers).
9.) You can sing badly, and no one cares. (9 out of 10 American Catholics are musically impaired).
8.) You can impress your friends. (Tell them you belong to a militant international institution).
7.) Your Mother. (Low cost way to keep her happy).
6.) Great Weddings! (When it comes to ceremony, the Catholic Church is smokin').
5.) Great Pope!
4.) Saints. (Talk about friends in high places!)
3.) Confession. (No, it's not fun, but what a deal).
2.) Dependability. (Jesus founded our Chuch on Peter, the rock, and promised that the gates of hell should not prevail against It.)
And the number one reason to stay Roman Catholic is the awesome gift of... (Drum roll, please...)

(On the back side of the shirt)

THE EUCHARIST!

"He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood will have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day. For My Flesh is real food and My Blood is real drink. He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood lives in Me and I in him."
- John 6:54-56

H/T The Fullness of Faith

Say it with T-Shirts

I enjoyed reading David's amusing post on Catholic evangelisation the American way... Forget "Say it with flowers" this is more "Say it on your T-shirt!"

I think my favourite is the one which reads "What part of 'Hoc Est Corpus Meum' don't you understand?"

And Finally...

Last couple of photos... Here I've captured a picture of South Ashford Priest trying to capture a picture or two for his own blog...






And these two are the fabulous Sisters of the Gospel of Life. Sister Roseann Reddy is on the left and Sister Andrea Fraile (who gave an interesting talk on inter-religious dialogue) is on the right.

I Took More Photos Than I Realised...

A few more photos: Fr Tim Finigan, known to most of you as the prolific and profound blogger of The Hermeneutic of Continuity, gave the third talk of the conference. I noticed that, with typical reticence, he hasn't actually put up much about his own talk, so I shall have to do it for him. The title was "Meeting some common objections: One God or three? How can God have a Son?"

There was a lot of information to take in, but the talk was snappily-paced and had some excellent visual aids (well, what else does one expect from a blog-supremo?) It was fascinating to hear about the beginnings of Islam and how St John Damascene had answered some of the major objections of Islam to Christianity so many centuries ago. I'm sure that his talk (and all of them) will end up on the Faith website - I'll link to it then.


There are countless pictures and artifacts connected with the Reformation and Counter-Reformation - each of the classrooms is named after a saint, many of them the English Martyrs. I discovered my favourite Martyrs' picture in the Campion Room... I have a postcard with it on, but I think this is actually the original:



There are also lots of beautiful statues just dotted around the corridors. I particularly like this one of the Madonna and Child which is outside the entrance to the chapel.



After all that theology, it's necessary to kill off a few brain cells just to redress the balance. Everyone repairs to the bar for some congenial company and good conversation. Failing that, alcohol makes an acceptable substitute...



And here's another photo of Fr Tim... I think it's much more flattering than the one on his own blog...

A Few More Photos

Ok, here are a few more photos. I only seem to be able to upload five at a time, so be patient!!

One of the really great things about Faith Conferences is that there are plenty of opportunities to chat to the priests outside the talks and discussion groups... they're all really approachable. Here we can see Fr Dominic chatting during coffee on the Thursday morning...



It was Fr Mark's birthday, and, as he usually misses out on birthday celebrations because it's so close to Christmas, Melanie arranged a cake. Not a pushover, Fr Mike's first response was "Oh, no candles..." but he quickly changed his tune when Melanie offered to help him wear the cake...

Here you can see him waving a carving knife provided by the ever-obliging kitchen staff who are unfailingly chirpy despite having to cope with over two hundred hungry individuals, and despite getting some very odd requests... several years I had a duck for a hot water bottle, and they hardly batted an eyelid when Egg was handed over with the request to "Fill him up please!" They even noticed when one year I didn't bring him!



Then, especially for Mark who wanted to know how all the priests could possibly fit on such a small sanctuary...




And then there is the ceilidh on the last evening. The photos I have of the dancers are not very good, but they seemed to think that a request to stop dancing while I focussed my phone camera was a tad unreasonable!

Photo-Fest !

I arrived home at about 10:30pm - we stopped off for a more leisurely and civilised meal by driving in to Cambridge at about 6:30pm - and I immediately downloaded my photos from my phone and checked my emails and comments on my blog. So now, as promised, I will put up a few of the photos, and I'll continue tomorrow...

First, and most importantly, a couple of photos of Sir Dan of the Nesbitry:



He was very keen to tell me that tomorrow (Saturday) is his birthday - news that he agreed to keep from Fr Tim in order to aid me in my attempts to get a blogging "scoop" ! He wouldn't tell me how old he is, but did suggest that I run a competition in the com-box to see if anyone can guess... so that is this week's challenge!

And then there are two pictures of Sir Dan manning the Faith bookstall: first, the reflective eyeing up of likely customers to gauge whether he can sell them anything...



...and then he moves in for the kill: that poor unsuspecting soul hasn't got a chance of getting away without buying at least one pamphlet!




I mentioned how impressive it was to have 29 priests concelebrating... well, this is what it looked like from the choir-loft:



Ok, I'm shattered. More tomorrow!

Feast of St Thomas of Canterbury

I've read a couple of complaints on other blogs about the "downgrading" of St Thomas to a Commemoration. I don't actually understand what the problem is... in my Breviary it's down as a Feast (admittedly in the section proper to England) and he's identified as Patron of the English Pastoral Clergy, and it has the same format as the other feasts we've celebrated during the Octave...

Obviously some people need to read their Breviaries a little more carefully...

;-)

Fond Farewells...

Ok, that's the lot... we've just had a rousing final Mass - with twenty-nine priests concelebrating (yes, I know some of you out there don't think much of concelebration, but trust me, if it's got to be done, then this is the way to do it... Novus Ordo can be so moving when it's done right!!), a deacon, two acolytes and a thurifer... bells and smells a-plenty!

Anyway, I was singing up in the choir-loft, so had a fantastic view... and managed to get some pretty impressive pics on my little phone, all of which shall be downloaded tonight when I arrive home. And in a gesture of incredible magnanimity, I even promised to send some pictures to Fr Tim... mind you, he is normally quite rude about the quality of my phone pictures...

...I suppose it would help if I didn't shake the wretched thing when pressing the button!

I'm just waiting for the lunch queue to go down a bit. Not sure what's on the menu, but it smells promising. And then it'll be time to say goodbyes. It's all whizzed by so quickly, but it's a real tonic for one's "spirituality"... beats enneagrams hands down!

Bloggers' Convention

The Conference has been really good fun. Lots of old friends here to catch up with, and lots of new faces too. The Conference was oversubscribed this year, and people have had to be turned away.

It is amazing just how many people seem to read blogs. It has also been very gratifying, when I have mentioned my blog name, to see a glint of recognition and an exclamation of "Ohhh ! So you're Mulier Fortis..."

It seems that several bloggers are present. Fr Tim has suggested getting a bloggers' photocall arranged at some time. We shall see...

Anyway, I better go. Morning Prayer...

Slightly Miffed...

I guess that it serves me right! I was feeling ever so slightly superior because Fr Tim had forgotten his camera, and I was sure that I'd be able to post loads of pictures from the Faith Winter Conference as soon as I got home... not that I'm being competitve or anything...

...and then, Sir Dan of the Nesbitry dropped the bombshell that Fr Tim was blogging from somewhere in the school...

*sigh* ...there goes my chance of a blogging scoop!

I'm Switching Off, Really....

...well, just one more post!

I see that Northern Cleric at Ubi Petrus, Ibi Ecclesia is dreaming of oak and marble sanctuary floors... so I thought I'd show him a picture or two of my parish church, which is still a work in progress.

First, the High Altar... set up for Benediction. Note the altar rails in the foreground...



And then the Lady Altar (the marble rescued from a reckovation in a nearby parish)



Now, now, Father... remember, envy is a sin!

Baby Jesus Like You've Never Seen Him

I'm off to the Faith Winter Conference tomorrow (well, later today, actually) and so I was having a last visit to all my favourite blogs before turning off the computer (aaarghh! I shall be unable to blog!)

This image over at Laus Crucis stopped me dead in my tracks: having heard Fr Tim's sermon on devotion to the Baby Jesus three times at Mass (with slight variations... Sunday morning, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day), as well as reading it on his blog, it really hit home. I hope that Laus Crucis will not mind me showing the image here:

Amusing Myself

I have beeen playing around with my computer. I'm delighted to say that my phone appears to be compatable with my PC, and so I can use the phone as a camera... and then I can upload loads more pictures to the blog!

Technology is certainly getting more and more impressive. I remember when mobile phones first hit the streets... (yes, I really am that old!!) ...they were anything BUT pocket-sized. In fact, the battery packs which were needed to power them up were the size of large rucksacks.

My current phone is a Samsung Z400. It's bigger than I would prefer, but it has video capability... and the photos are rather reasonable. When I get my next upgrade the same quality will probably be in a much smaller and sleeker model.

Anyway, I took a photo of the crib in my parish.



And here's a picture (as I promised some time ago) of my cat, Sylvester, who is doing his utmost to eat me out of house and home (in between providing me with mice to play with!)

Merry Christmas...

A very blessed and joyful Christmas to you all.

More Festive Merriment

This has to stop. I'm trying to get ready for Midnight Mass. But a friend sent the following to me by email, and I just had to share it with you...

A Wreath for Christmas

When Mary made a holly wreath
The blood ran red - ran red.
Another Mary wove the thorns
That crowned her Master's head.
But the mistletoe was far away
Across a western sea,
And the mistletoe was wreathed around
A pagan apple tree.

In Glastonbury grew a thorn,
When Joseph came to trade.
And the holly bush was common growth
In every wooded glade.
But the mistletoe was sacred where
The sun arose each morn,
And the mistletoe knew nothing of
The Babe in Bethlehem born.

Saint Patrick sailed the stormy seas
To preach the cross - and so
He found Eve's tree - with serpent coiled -
And hung with mistletoe.
"I bid thee, serpent, leave this land,
And open, plant, thine ears."
He preached the tale of Christ - and, lo!
The mistletoe wept tears...

The holly bush has berries red,
Blood-red upon each bough.
The thorn it blooms with golden flowers,
And kissing's fashion now.
What will you give to Christ the Lord,
O pagan bough so green?
"The tears that I have shed for One
Whom I have never seen..."

Let Man then give his life for Man,
The blood-red berries say.
And men have love for fellow men
Where gorse flowers bloom so gay.
And the tears of Man be shed for Man
Where mistletoe gleams white.
Come pity, love and sacrifice...
God bless us all this night.

(Agatha Christie Mallowan)

'Tis the Season to be Jolly...

...and Credo really made my day by posting an encouraging report about the Pro-Life Initiative run by the Sisters of the Gospel of Life.

At the risk of seeming to name-drop, I will just say that the Sister Roseann and Sister Andrea are good friends of mine... with any luck they'll be at the Faith Winter Conference, and I shall get some decent photos of my own instead of having to snaffle other people's!

Anyway, you can read the article HERE and there is a podcast to be had HERE.

"Favourites" Meme

I see that the Dúnadan has put out a universal tag for this meme... and I'm feeling neglected and am convinced that no-one will tag me this side of 2007, so I shall count myself tagged...

(well, it's more fun than housework)

Your Favourite Film?

Tricky one. My all-time favourite film has got to be Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ. I saw it at the cinema nine times. And then I bought the DVD. It's only a tricky one because of the next category...

Your Favourite Film with a Religious theme?

Umm... I suppose that I can't have the same film as last time? OK, I'll plump for Bernadette. It's actually a French film, directed by Jean Delannoy, and starring Sydney Penny. They shot the film on location, and used local Pyrennées actors.

Your Favourite Film Priest?

I guess that has to be Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty (played by Gregory Peck) in The Scarlet and the Black.

Your Favourite Film Nun?

Well, since I only know of two film nuns, it's an easy choice. It just has to be Bernadette (played by Sidney Penny) but I'm not cheating - it's in the sequel: The Passion of Bernadette because she isn't actually a nun in the first film!!

(The other nun was Maria in The Sound of Music which doesn't really count !)





Ok, I shall tag the Catholic Cavemen, the Scorpion Stalking Duck and Orthfully Catholic.

Good Decision

In the end I plumped for the 10:30am High Mass option. I've only just got back (having stopped for a cup of tea in the parish hall - I knew I wouldn't be able to resist the chance for a chin-wag!) and now I have to crack on and sort out my flat.

It was definitely the right choice... all the incense, and hymns, and children getting excited, and a cracking good hymn by Fr Faber (Like the dawning of the morning)... I'm feeling all Christmassy!

Scotland the Brave

Something happening north of the border?

This morning I noticed a new blog (a genuinely new one, that is, not just one I hadn't spotted before) as I tracked back through some of the comments on other blogs. Mark, who describes himself as a Scotsman who works for the police, has started Rise and Pray, on which he promises to start posting properly in 2007... though he just couldn't resist putting up the odd snippet!

And then the tired PP from Valle Adurni has noticed that the Scottish Cardinal has been flexing his muscles (I'd be interested to hear what the clerical equivalent of muscle-flexing might be... have a go in the com-box!!) Anyway, Pastor in Valle has spotted an encouraging article in the Scotsman

Beyond that, there is the question of our identity and self-perception. A medieval peasant, living in harsh conditions, believed his soul was immortal. That gave him an immeasurable dignity and a huge sense of responsibility: the need to ensure his salvation for all eternity. Today, when a Nobel prize-winner will most likely believe he will end his existence at the moment of death, like a cat or a dog, such a reduced self-esteem must have enormous implications for humanity in the developed world. We have gained some 30 years of life expectancy through advances in medicine, and lost an eternity.

Christians, however, have retained that dignity. Unlike God, we had a beginning; but, for better or worse, we believe part of us will continue to exist throughout eternity. That is an awesome concept which must radically influence any believer's perception of himself, investing him with a majestic cosmic destiny. That is the background to tonight's salutation of the Saviour, as lyrically expressed in the prayer at Midnight Mass, taken from Psalm 109: "With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints from the womb before the day-star I begot thee."

...and then there are all those Scots who blog! The Scots who turn up for the Faith Winter Conference in Stonyhurst and the Faith Summer Session at Woldingham are a pretty neat bunch too...

...must be something genetic! (Did I mention I was half Scottish?)

Harvington Hall

Many thanks to Matt Doyle at Lacrimarum Valle for reminding me about this wonderful house. I had visited it with a group from Maryvale, but it had been a busy week, and I wasn't able to remember the name of the house, though it was a very moving experience.

The ingenuity of the priests' holes is just breathtaking. I would recommend a visit for anyone remotely interested in British Recusant history.

Delightful Decisions

Normally I go to the 6pm Sunday Mass. I started to go to it because I needed one day in the week when I had the opportunity to oversleep. The 6pm Sunday Mass is the quietest (no hymns) and most prayerful. And then I got roped in to helping set up and clearing away (and doing the preparations for Monday morning Mass)... I say "roped in," but don't get me wrong, I'm a willing conscript: I get to find out about all the beautiful vestments and sacred vessels and stuff (Fr Tim has very good taste), and there is a slight sense that by helping to prepare things, I am imitating one of my heroes, St Anne Line.

But, being Christmas Eve, today we don't have a 6pm Mass. So to fulfil my Sunday obligation I have to choose between the 9am and the 10:30am. I didn't know whether I'd wake up in time for the earlier Mass, but it would seem my Guardian Angel is on overtime...

9am is the "children's" Mass, and it has the advantage of finishing by 9:50am, leaving me plenty of time to get sorted for Christmas (and I've got loads of housework to do.) The 10:30am is "High" Mass (and I won't be home before midday), but it has the choir and incense... and Father sings the Asperges...


Actually, now I've thought about it, I'm experiencing incense cravings...

Seriously Hacked Off...

Chatting in the parish club this evening produced a little snippet of information which is seriously bad for my blood pressure.

One of my friends told me of what he thought would be an interesting programme due to be shown in the evening on Christmas Day. When he told me it was on Channel 4, my heart sank, because I knew it was highly unlikely that anything on that channel would be in any way favourable towards Catholicism...

Sure enough, it transpires that the programme is "The Secret Family of Jesus." Presented by Robert Beckford (described by Channel 4 as a leading theologian), the programme listing goes on to explain how he

"...tells the story of the conspiracy that Dan Brown missed. It's the story of the people who shared his bloodline and knew him best, and who existed for at least 300 years after his death."

My friend, who is a recent convert to the Faith, told me that the trailers he'd seen had described how "one" of the Gospels had mentioned the brothers and sisters of Jesus, briefly, and that any further mention of them had been firmly suppressed.

Quite apart from the feeling of déjà vu (yet another conspiracy from that wicked, scheming institution known as the Catholic Church) the sheer unadulterated cynicism which could deliberately arrange for such a programme to go out on Christmas Day really gets up my nose.

It is a deliberate attack against the teachings of the Catholic Church (and it is Catholic teaching which is being attacked, as many Protestants hold that Jesus had actual brothers and sisters) and this will be used to undermine many others - after all, if the Church lied about Jesus having brothers and sisters, then the stuff about Mary being "ever-Virgin" is untrue, and maybe even the Virgin Birth... and hey, while we're at it, why believe the stuff about the Resurrection?

This sort of slur would not be allowed against, for example, the Prophet Muhammed on the feast of Eid-ul-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. But Catholic beliefs and teachings are fair game...

Just in case any readers of my blog are in any doubt, the Gospels do refer to brothers and sisters of Jesus. However, the Fathers of the Church are quite clear that the terms "brother" and "sister" are actually being used to refer to cousins: the same thing happens in some other cultures even today (some Nigerian friends of mine caused me a great deal of confusion when I first met them by referring to cousins in this way.)

Frog Liturgy

Further to various mentions of the Prayer of the Frog on different blogs, it would appear that Paulinus couldn't resist, and has succumbed to the lure of liturgical creativity...

Check out the Inner Frog Workshop at the Recusant Cricket Club... But, be warned. This is seriously hard-core liturgical mangling, and not for the faint-hearted!! Or anyone trying to drink coffee while reading blogs...

Enjoy!

British Preoccupation with the Weather

When I was at school (yes, ok, a very long time ago), I remember learning that Britain had a temperate climate. This meant that we got all sorts of weather. In Summer, it tended to be warm and sunny. Spring and Autumn were a bit more variable - lots of rain - and Winter was cold (and generally wet.)

Now maybe I'm guilty of remembering selectively... but, although the weather was famous for being a British topic of conversation, that was as far as it went. I do remember a hot Summer when we had a hosepipe ban (1976... oooh, that's let the cat out of the bag!) but apart from that, the British took the weather in their stride...

This is no longer the case. Any extremes in weather seem to be hailed as major catastrophes... this might be understandable, as being in a temperate climate doesn't prepare you for extremes, but I detect a cetain wimpish streak emerging.

One time the railways ground to a halt with the excuse that there were leaves on the line. Yes, in Autumn trees shed their leaves. Surely the fact that they have to land somewhere was pretty obvious, and that, as most railway lines have trees alongside, some of those leaves might possibly end up on the lines??

And then there was the time when the trains couldn't run because of snow. New trains. Designed to run in all weather. But apparently it was (wait for it...) the wrong kind of snow.

Last year the roads were in chaos because of snow. The weathermen had forecast snow, but it still was enough of a surprise to make motorways into giant carparks, and people were in danger of freezing to death.

Then, this Summer, it was too hot. We had to have drought warnings and hosepipe bans. We seem to have hosepipe bans every Summer, no matter how much rain we get in the Winter, because too much rain falls all at once...

...and now, the pièce de resistance: all short-haul and medium haul flights are being cancelled at Heathrow because of fog. But I thought we always got fog in Winter. We don't always get snow, but fog is pretty much part of the territory!!!

And just one other thing to consider... How come the long-haul flights can cope with fog?