Blogging Stats...

My last post has attracted some attention (deservedly so, IMHO, if only for the comments which have ensued!) His Hermeneuticalness even deigned to give me a link... (yes, I grovelled shamelessly... but my stats have gone down a bit since my posting became erratic...)

Now, have a look at the SiteMeter summary, and see if you can work out roughly what time he published his blog post...

Ok, I'm going to throw down the gauntlet to the indomitable Fr. Z, just to observe what sort of a spike I'd get...

Time For Some "New" Hymns...

Chris plays the organ at the 9am Mass. He apparently asked, "Shall I play Colours of Day during Communion?" I'm pretty sure he was joking. "Yes," came the reply, "do that... and I'll send the boys round to break both your legs, and you can follow on with I watch the sunrise (through my hospital window)."

This led to a few more suggestions for hymns which might have unpleasant consequences if sung, (other than the usual stomach-churning nausea...)

Bind us together, Lord (with splints that cannot be broken)

One leg, one body...

This is my body (broken by you)

I danced in the morning (but couldn't walk in the afternoon)

All over the world, the Spirit is moving (but I'm not)

Father I place into your hands the things I cannot do (because I'm in plaster)

Here I am, Lord (because I'm unable to move)

You shall cross the barren desert (not on crutches, you won't)

I will raise you up (on traction strings)

Any other suggestions - in the com-box, please...

Further discussion reminded me of Stephen Colbert's classic take on The King of Glory and a parody of liturgical dance...

One point worth remembering: the "modern" hymns which are supposed to appeal to the teenagers of today, well, they were mostly written in the 1970s and early 1980s. That's around 30-40 years ago... ie. 15-25 years before your average teenager was born. In some cases, it's about the time their parents were born... by my reckoning, that no longer qualifies as "modern!"

A Lazy Saturday Afternoon (For Me)...

I had a lovely afternoon, definitely continuing my Birthday Octave. Benediction was well attended and I had the chance to try out my monopod: there weren't any instructions on the box, or in the box, and, at first I couldn't get the thing to stay upright. I discovered that I had the foot-rest round the wrong way... well, I am blonde.

Anyway, I love this shot, which shows the profound reverence one ought to have for the Blessed Sacrament (we'd reached the "veneremur cernui" phrase in the Tantum ergo) ...

And then there was Benediction itself...

After Benediction, the UCM had a Cream Tea event: we started off with sandwiches, and then there was a choice between fruit salad with ice-cream or scones with strawberry jam and whipped cream. You can see which one I chose. The scones were amazingly light and crumbly, the jam was scrumptious and the freshly whipped cream just finished it off nicely.

David, one of our senior servers, was determined to get a photo of my plate in order to make me feel guilty (his fruit salad looked so very worthy by comparison) but I refused to be browbeaten: the parish UCM deserves my wholehearted cooperation, and since I can't cook, the very least I can do is be an appreciative audience...

There was a cake stall, but the ladies who were selling the cakes both proved to be camera-shy, and, understanding their reluctance to be plastered over the internet, I waited until they'd moved off before photographing the wares. We have some seriously good cooks in the parish.

I had planned to buy some cakes with which to finish off my Birthday Octave, but, somehow or other, I got sidetracked... there was a drinks tent in the garden (it was advertised as a beer tent, but, as Jonathan (our senior MC) pointed out, it didn't sell any proper beer) ... I didn't mind, as I was persuaded to try some Pimms. I even ate a bit of fruit which found its way into my glass, so that's my vitamin intake for the month sorted.

Finally, Fr. Tim started putting up posters for the Fourth of July, and, as Meredith is originally from the US, and she always asks after Sylvester, I thought I would take a photo...

More For The Fourth Of July...

A rather amusing history lesson... though American history isn't actually something taught in the UK, so I have no idea how accurate a portrayal it is!

Another Photo-Op...

While I'm off, I am doing my best to get to daily Mass. Anaesthetics are dodgy things, after all... Usually it's the morning Mass at Blackfen, but on Fridays there is an evening Mass in the usus antiquior at Chislehurst.

Fr. Charles Briggs, the Parish Priest, always asks if I'm taking photos, and whether they'll end up on my blog. I've previously had to explain that my mobile phone just wasn't up to the subdued lighting in the church...

This evening's Mass seemed to be too good an opportunity to miss, and so I took a couple of photos.

I was sitting rather too far back for my little camera, but use of the zoom helped; it was a struggle, though, to keep the camera still. I really should have used my monopod, but I forgot to bring it with me.

Unfortunately, Fr. Charles moves rather more quickly than Fr. Tim, and I'm not quite as good at timing him, so I missed the elevation of the Host, but just about caught the end of the elevation of the chalice...

Tomorrow morning sees our monthly Missa Cantata at Blackfen, so I shall try to get a few more practice shots in...

One For My American Friends...

In honour (sorry, that should be "honor") of the Fourth of July celebrations tomorrow (possibly today already in some places) I thought I'd put up this video...



Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Seraphim (he put the link up on Twitter) so you can blame him...

Cardinal To Be Beatified...

The decree of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable John Henry Newman has been officially approved for publication by the Holy Father.

This means that he will become Blessed John Henry Newman.

Another miracle is needed before he can be canonised (declared a saint).

Speculation is now rife as to whether the Beatification ceremony will be in England or Rome.

Mantilla-twitch in the direction of Rorate Caeli.

Birthday Octave Continues...

I rather like the traditional Catholic practice of observing an Octave for major feasts.

Sunday night isn't good for most people: work looms large for the morning after, which sort of puts a dampener on any celebration, so I didn't actually celebrate my birthday on Sunday.

The parish club opens on Thursday evening, however, and quite a few of my friends tend to pop into the club after Rosary and Benediction. I decided I'd celebrate "within the Octave" and went and bought a couple of cakes.

Before anyone asks, no, I didn't have a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte - the picture in my previous post was from Google Images, as I can't cook to save my life, and you can't buy a proper Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte here... Black Forest Cherry Gateaux in this country is usually a pale (and sober) imitation...

Wendy & Carl offered to collect me, so I was able to leave the car at home. Their boys, on spotting my cakes, gleefully announced that they'd already brought one along, much to their parents' chagrin (never try to tell a 7-year-old "not" to mention something!)

Rosary and Benediction was lead by Michael, one of our deacons, as Fr. Tim was busy elsewhere. It provided the perfect opportunity for me to try out my new camera, and so I took a few photos - the only editing these have received is a reduction in file size to make them quicker to load on the blog.

Afterwards, we went to the club, and Caroline added a chocolate cake to the collection. I refuse to acknowledge exactly how old I am (Chris told David I was 62: my reply was that I was very definitely pre-'62) and so only one (large) candle made an appearance... Once Jonathan and Patrick arrived after tidying up the Sacristy, everyone sang "Happy Birthday" which was sweet...

It was a very enjoyable evening. Birthday Octaves are definitely to be recommended...

Just for George...

First Photos...

When I opened the box, I got a bit of a shock. The camera seemed so small compared with my memory of Fr. Tim's phone, and I was a little unsure whether I could operate the buttons easily as they were really tiny. I then found that the battery pack would take an hour and a half (at least) to charge. More waiting. However, this gave me time to read the instructions. I needn't have bothered: they were extremely unhelpful.

The next problem was in the small print: no memory card was included with the camera. And the camera wouldn't save any photos without a card - unlike my mobile phone, it didn't have any "device" memory.

It seems crazy that an item which needs a memory card in order to operate is supplied without the memory card in the pack. It is reminiscent of the way in which children's toys in the 1980s came without batteries, and unwary parents then had to endure temper tantrums from children on Christmas Day because there wasn't anywhere to get batteries.

The camera battery finally charged up, and I found a micro memory card from an old phone along with a micro adapter...

To my delight, I discovered that my computer has a special slot for the memory card, so I don't need to fuss about with software and cables. One less thing to worry about.

So, now, I want to take photos. Unfortunately, Sylvester didn't like the sound of the camera (this was prior to my discovery of the "mute" function) and he promptly disappeared through the catflap.

You are therefore spared the photos of Sylvester glaring at me.

Out of interest, I thought I would post a couple of photos for comparison... First, one of my statues snapped with my mobile phone camera:

And the second photo taken with my new super-snazzy digital camera...

The lighting conditions were obviously different - the first photo was taken in daylight. But I am impressed. I can't wait to test the camera out at the next Missa Cantata...

UPDATE: I took this one in daylight...

Birthday Octave...

I have always hated having my photo taken.

In the whole of my life, I think that I've had only two photos that I actually liked: one was taken at a birthday party (I was in serious pain and hadn't been eating properly, and so I actually had a decent figure, and cheekbones!) and the other was taken (when I wasn't looking) for a college prospectus: I was demonstrating how to dissect a rat diaphragm so it could be used for neuropharmacological experiments... sadly, as the student I was helping was a mature student, it looked as if he was teaching me... and, anyway, the photo never got used, presumably because of sensitivities about animal experiments.

Eventually I twigged to the idea that, by taking the photographs, I didn't actually have to appear in any of them. I never quite got to the point of developing my own photos, which was a shame, but then I discovered the joys of blogging... and mobile phones started to come with camera functions.

I have enjoyed taking photos more and more over the past couple of years, particularly pictures of Mass celebrated according to the usus antiquior. Fr. Tim's blog is way ahead of mine in content and readership, but I had the supreme advantage of being able to take photos: priests are rarely in a position to do that! And I have had great fun getting the "key" moments: the genuflections, the elevations, and the occasional blessing.

I've put up so many photos on my blog that Google Images provides a large proportion of my visitors... and when I show up for Mass on a special occasion, people assume that I will be taking photos...

However, lately I have been frustrated in my attempts to take pictures. The mobile phone camera, amazing though it is, has difficulties in low light. I click the button, but the camera takes ages to focus: the photo taken is therefore not the one I want, and it is often slightly blurred because people have moved.

So, I decided that a proper camera might be a good idea. But there are so many cameras out there that it's difficult to know what to look for.

That difficulty was solved when I used Fr. Tim's small camera to take some photos. It was pocket-sized, as opposed to the big beast he uses for newspaper-quality shots, and appeared to be relatively blonde-proof. I looked up the specifications on the internet, and used that as a guide. I also took Fr. Tim's advice in looking for a camera with a proper viewfinder, as the digital screens are hopeless in sunshine.

The trip to Lourdes highlighted my dissatisfaction with the phone camera. I resolved to get myself a proper digital camera as soon as possible... and I thought it would make a good birthday present.

Sunday was my birthday, but I had to wait for payday before I could splash out. I am now waiting for the camera to arrive: Amazon have started doing evening deliveries inside the M25 area on selected items...

I shall be celebrating my birthday for a few days more, I think...

Support Groups... Who Needs 'Em?

This made me grin...

Catholic iPhone Apps...

This You Tube video almost convinces me that I should get an iPhone. Almost... I guess the stuff is actually available for my XDA Orbit 2, if I could only be bothered to look for it...

Mantilla-twitch to the American Papist.

Thank You, Father

This open letter, published in the National Catholic Register for the Year of the Priest, has been going round the blogs, and deservedly so.

I think it bears re-publishing in its entireity, as it sums up why this year is so important. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: No priests = no sacraments = no Church.

As the Year for Priests begins, we lay editors of the Register want to take a moment to thank priests.

We want to thank not only the priests who have been our friends, but also those we barely knew, who did more for us than our friends ever could.

We want to thank not only the priests who inspire us with their words, but also those who moved us more deeply with the daily work of their priesthood than they ever could with words.

We want to thank not only those men who gave up their retirement, and their well-deserved rest, to enter the priesthood as late vocations, but also — especially — those who as young men saw their whole life ahead of them and handed all of it to Christ.

We want to reassure them that the attacks on the priesthood will not prevail, because Christ doesn’t take their kind of generosity lightly.

We know that there have been terrible, scandalous priests. This has been true from the beginning — from the original Twelve Apostles through the early Christian heresies, from the scandals before the Reformation to the scandals of the 20th century.

But we also know that the priesthood is under attack.

Priests know it, too.

Whenever someone looks at them suspiciously, whenever a mother hurries her children away from them, whenever they read an antagonistic article about how the life of a priest makes them prone to become monsters, they know it.

Their noble, loving sacrifice is so often made to look ugly and twisted — the opposite of what it is. The whole group is too often defined by the exceptions in a way few of us ever have to deal with.

But the priesthood will survive, and grow stronger. In fact, it is already growing stronger. There are more new priests than we have seen in a long time, and the new generation of priests is more committed to the Church’s mission than any in memory.

We want to tell the faithful priests who unjustly suffer from these attacks that we’re on their side and, more importantly, remind them what Christ said: Rejoice and be glad on this day, for your name is great in heaven.

Thank you, priests, for sacrificing the fulfillment of “making it in the world” in order to give us a chance to make it in the next world. You don’t take on jobs — they are appointed to you. You put your own will at the disposal of the Church, for us. We are grateful.

Thank you for bringing our children into the Church, and sustaining their souls with the sacraments. And thank you for welcoming them into the Church informally, as well. We see them look at you like celebrities, and we’re glad the first “celebrity” they got to meet was a man of God. Thank you for patiently listening to them, for taking such joy in teasing them, and for showing them the true face of Christ: the gentle one who said “Let the children come to me.”

Thank you, priests, for presiding at our marriages, even while you yourselves live such that you can be ready to serve your people at a moment’s notice. Sometimes married people sigh and think envious thoughts about living alone. But in the end, it’s hard for us to imagine how you do it. Thank you for risking loneliness to serve us and our families.

Thank you, priests, for putting yourself in the unenviable position of dealing with us at our worst moments — when we’re anxious, upset, depressed, even a little out of our minds, focused on our own problems to the exclusion of all else.

When we see the care you have to take in listening to the problems of so many kinds of people, we can’t imagine how you do it. How do you listen to angry people, whining people, weeping people, nervous people, suspicious people and clueless people? How do you listen to us?

Thank you, priests, for sitting in empty confessionals on Saturday afternoons. You wait there, not even knowing if we’ll come, like the Prodigal Son’s father on the road. Thank you for all the times we hear “I absolve you from your sins” and feel a great burden lifted from our hearts. This gift of God’s forgiveness brings the greatest joy back into our lives. We can give you nothing in return that even comes close to that.

And thank you, priests, most of all, for bringing Christ himself into our lives. Where would we be without your astonishing ability to make the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ present on our altars and in our tabernacles? You are there for us every Sunday, every morning, giving us this infinite gift. Thank you.

In the end, that’s what is so great about you: not you, in yourself, but who you bring us — Christ.

People call from the hospital and say, “I need a priest.” They point to the confessional and ask, “Is there a priest in there?” They approach in the airport and ask, “Are you a Catholic priest?”

When people need a priest, any priest will do.

Because a priest is nothing but a representative of Christ. Christ is the main actor in the consecration at Mass. It is Christ who forgives sins. It is in Christ that we are baptized.

“The story of my priestly vocation?” wrote Pope John Paul II. “It is known above all to God. At its deepest level, every vocation to the priesthood is a great mystery; it is a gift which infinitely transcends the individual. Every priest experiences this clearly throughout the course of his life. Faced with the greatness of the gift, we sense our own inadequacy.”

Your inadequacy is your secret weapon.

You aren’t acting on your own behalf or through your own powers. You are acting for Christ. And that’s why, despite all the attacks, the priesthood will prevail. We depend too much on you to ever let you go.

Thank you, Father, for being Christ for us.

Twitch of the mantilla to Love Undefiled.

A Little Light Relief...

Something or other reminded me about the Camp Granada song, and I decided to have a look on You Tube to see if there was a better version. I got sidetracked by these three - Allan Sherman, Dean Martin and Vic Damone - having a whale of a time...

...it is always great to see people really having fun, and these entertainers are having real difficulty keeping straight faces (and one really can't sing with an attack of the giggles!)

The sound quality isn't brilliant, but be patient.

Happy Birthday To Me...

It's my birthday, so I thought I'd indulge myself with a "cookery" chocolate cake post... (alas, a virtual cake, not a real one!)

As a child, I spent many happy hours observing my mother, who was a very good cook. Alas, my attempts to copy her methods rarely succeeded in producing anything edible, and, on one memorable occasion, my Christmas mince pies were declared a danger to public health, likened to something embargoed under the Geneva Arms Convention, and duly transported, by my mother, directly from oven to bin.

To be honest, chocolate cake is rarely as good as it looks: it's generally too dry, and often sinks like lead into the pit of one's stomach. The exception is Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. It was my favourite for many years, and I would beg my mother to make it as a special birthday treat.

The bottom layer should be chocolate sponge (I've also seen it with a chocolate shortcrust base), soaked in Kirsch (a delicious liqueur) - and, since most English "Black Forest Cherry Gateaux" leave out this most vital part, they're always disappointing, as my family discovered when, one year, my stepfather tried to save my mother the hassle of making the cake by ordering one from Harrods. Not a good move.

On top of the Kirsch-soaked sponge goes a layer of cherry conserve - made by cooking the cherries (which have previously been soaked in Kirsch) - followed by a layer of whipped cream. A layer of sponge is then added (this may or may not have Kirsch added... it depends on how alcoholic you like your cake.)

More Kirsch-cherry conserve is added, followed by more cream. The last layer of Kirsch-soaked sponge goes on. Then the whole cake is slathered in whipped cream, and it's decorated with chocolate shavings (only proper Swiss or Belgian chocolate, the darker the better) and maraschino cherries to pretty it up a bit.

If you're a smoker, you might want to consider allowing a little time to elapse between consuming the cake and lighting up...

The New Catholic Manliness...

Vincenzo seems to be back on form, and I was very interested in the article he posted this morning on how the over-feminisation of the Church has driven away the average Catholic man from the pews, but that this trend now seems to be reversing.

It's a long article, by Todd Aglialoro in Catholic Culture, (a site I hadn't noticed before) but it is worth reading it in full.

I find the ideas fascinating, partly because I personally loathe all the touchy-feely stuff, with the emphasis on "how-I-feel," "sharing" and made-up, "inclusive" liturgy (apparently the more "feminine" side) while I am very drawn towards the traditional liturgy, with it's specific, scripted and highly symbolic actions (described to me as the "more masculine" approach), along with a rational approach to the Faith.

Maybe it's my scientific training...

Having said that, I feel the need to go and paint my nails a nice shade of pink...

Latin Lessons...

Someone asked Fr. Tim how he went about teaching our young altar servers what they need to do at the Mass.

First rule seems to be "keep it short and sweet." Twenty minutes or so. No long lessons, especially as he holds them after Benediction on Saturday. Some of the servers will have been serving at the morning's Low Mass, and then been running around outside during Adoration, before coming back in to serve for Benediction... and the youngest of our servers are about 7 years old...

"Keep it varied" is the second rule. So today, Fr. Tim led the boys in a short stint of "let's say the prayers at the foot of the altar out loud together," followed by "thurible drill," followed by "how to pass the boat."

Most amusing was the final item: "spin the biretta"... vital for budding MCs!

Recitation Of The Divine Office...

Shawn Tribe of the NLM has written what I consider to be the best summary concerning private recitation of the Divine Office by the laity. You can read it HERE.

Twitch of the mantilla to Deo Volente

Comparisons... (Tongue Firmly In Cheek)

Further to my reflections on how to get used to the Usus Antiquior, my favourite Neanderthal has a few helpful reflections to share...

Being a guy, (I had to type that very carefully indeed... I really don't want to upset him!) Cavey chose a car metaphor. The Usus Antiquior compared to the Novus Ordo is like a Lamborghini compared with a Chevy.

I'm blonde. I know very little about cars. I've never driven a Lamborghini. And, lacking the sort of looks which encourage men to excuse one's blonde tendencies, I've never been given a lift in a Lamborghini... to be honest, I didn't even know how to spell it. I've never been in a Chevy either...

Cavey was way ahead of the game here. He provided photos. And a pretty good description. It had me laughing out loud and scaring the cat.

Go check it out.

Aren't There Any Real Catholics In Public Life...?

The Apostleship of the Sea, a charity which describes itself as an agency of the Catholic Church, has invited Cherie Blair to launch its annual appeal.

This is despite the fact that Mrs. Blair continues to attack Church teaching. I'm not referring to the legislation brought in by her husband, but to the stuff she herself has said and written.

A while back there was a rumour that Mrs. Blair was going to get a top Vatican job at the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences... until it was pointed out by several blogs that she had happily supported the Family Planning Association at the Labour Party Conference, and had spoken out against Catholic teaching on contraception and women priests.

In an interview in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph, Cherie Blair said,

"...though I like to think of myself as a good Catholic, I couldn't have had the career I had without contraception. The fact is, even in Spain, France and Italy there must be a lot of Catholics who bend the rules."

For a start, failing to observe the teachings of the Church is not bending the rules. It is breaking them. Yes, I'm certain that many Catholics do break the commandments of the Church, but this is a matter for repentance and the confessional, not a reason to throw out the rules. One wouldn't want to throw out laws against fraud, for example, just because a lot of politicians seem to indulge in it...

That Mrs. Blair believes she can consider herself a "good" Catholic despite ignoring the teachings of the Church shows a serious lack of understanding. One would not be considered a "good" citizen if one blatantly and openly disobeyed the laws of the land. The laws of the Church are no less important.

If a charity wishes to have the endorsement of the Catholic Church, and the open access to parish-based collections and fund-raising opportunities which such endorsement affords, then that charity needs to ensure that its spokesmen do not openly contradict Church teaching.

John Smeaton suggests writing to Captain Paul Quinn, O.B.E, National Director, Apostleship of the Sea, to protest the decision to invite Cherie Blair to launch their annual appeal. This can be done by email or by letters sent to Herald House, 15 Lambs Passage, Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8LE.

That Celibacy Thing...

Time Magazine has used the excuse of Fr. Alberto Cutie's departure from the Catholic Church to justify calling for the Church to allow married priests.

The idea is, you see, that, while many priests feel freed from sexual longing and a desire for personal intimacy on entering the Church, many do not. At least, that's the argument put forward by Donald Cozzens, professor at John Carroll University and author of Freeing Celibacy.

In my humble opinion, that has to be one of the most stupid arguments against priestly celibacy ever written. It is somewhat akin to suggesting that, because some married people still experience sexual feelings towards people other than their spouse, fidelity in marriage is an unreasonable expectation.

It is related to the modern inability to accept that one is capable of living without sex.

A priest is required to be celibate (I'm not considering convert clergy who were married before they became Catholics) and he makes a promise to that effect at his ordination to the diaconate. He has had plenty of time (generally five or six years) in which to consider whether or not he would be better suited to the married state. The promise is made freely, for the sake of the Kingdom of God. It is a sacrifice, to be sure, but it's made freely.

The priest does not promise that he will never experience feelings of a sexual nature. He promises that he will not act upon those feelings. The same thing actually applies to Religious.

If you read the Time article carefully, you'll see that it's not really about allowing priests to marry. Advocates of celibacy reform are actually calling for the Church to abandon the law prohibiting priests from marrying or being sexually active.

It's pretty obvious where this is coming from...

Brick By Brick..?

Just a quick aside (I'm posting what I can while I have the energy!) It seems that the "modern" free-standing altar which was in the middle of the sanctuary at Westminster Cathedral has been given the heave-ho... permanently.

A lot of people were apparently pretty happy when it failed to appear at Archbishop Vincent Nichols' installation, though it was expected to make a reappearance. However, it seems that the wooden platform on which the altar stood has been removed, and the wooden floor underneath has been restored.

Very interesting...

Twitch of the mantilla to Damian Thompson.

Parental Rights & Responsibilities...

There is an excellent letter in this week's Catholic Herald, in which Edmund Adamus, director of the department for pastoral affairs of the Diocese of Westminster, highlights the dangers posed by some of the recent attempts to introduce mandatory sex education in this country.

Mr. Adamus points out that there are striking similarities between the stealthy undermining of parental authority by the state today (particularly the authority of Christian parents) and the aggressive subversion of the same in National Socialist Germany in the 1930s.

He also points out that three families in Germany have recently been charged and convicted under a law, introduced by Adolf Hitler in 1938, which outlaws homeschooling. The parents tried to exercise their legal right to withdraw their children from sex education classes where content was at odds with their moral convictions.

Although homeschooling is not illegal in Britain, it is being made more difficult. At present, if a child has never been to school, the Local Authority has no right to interfere in the child's education. Once a child has been to school, the Local Authority has the right to visit the child at home to carry out inspections. This is a loophole which the government is seeking to close. There are also calls to make it impossible for parents to withdraw their children from sex education classes... and, surprisingly, the Catholic Education Service is quite happy with this idea.

Pius XI protested against the erosion of parental rights in 1930s Germany. Pope John Paul II informed parents that their rights included the unrenounceable responsibility to protect their children's morality... the Catholic Education Service, if it is to continue calling itself Catholic, has no right to hand over responsibility for our children's moral education to the State.

Twitch of the mantilla to John Smeaton.

More About Indulgences...

In my last post, I mentioned that the condition of Sacramental Confession, necessary for a Plenary Indulgence, had to be completed within a wek either side of the indulgenced work.

Dorothy questioned me about this, as she had read that Confession could be as much as 20 days either side.

I couldn't remember where I'd read the requirement, but it started to bug me (I'm like that) and so I went and hunted through a few of my old prayer books - old as in "the ones I bought when I first returned to the Church," many of which were actually rather traditional (without me realising that fact.)

The only references to indulgences mentioned "a few days" or, as in the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI Indulgentiarum Doctrina, "several days before or after" (n. 8)

That seemed a bit vague. I still had the strong feeling that I'd read a week either side as being the usual time allowed. So, I decided to see what Fr. Tim had written about indulgences... I knew he'd posted on the fact that Plenary Indulgences were not impossible to get, and I was sure that he'd have mentioned the conditions, especially since he's so hot on Confession!

Sure enough, he linked to both Indulgentiarum Doctrina and also to a document from the Apostolic Penitentiary given in January 2000, The Gift of the Indulgence. The latter document makes a specific reference to the "several days" being about 20 (p. 4) which clears that question up.

A little further digging on the internet revealed that the idea of seven days before or after (eight including the day of the indulgenced work itself) was in fact the norm, and that this had been relaxed by the Apostolic Penitentiary in 2000... a relatively recent development which had slipped under my radar!

So, apologies, Dorothy... and it seems you won't have to rearrange your Saturday timetable after all!

Indulgences...

Terra of Australia Incognita has very kindly reminded us all that there are indulgences available during the Year of the Priest.

Firstly there are plenary and partial indulgences available for priests. It's the Year of the Priest, so that seems fair enough. However, there are also indulgences available for the rest of us...

I'm going to concentrate on the "rest of us" bit... the priests can go to Terra's blog and check out Section A for themselves, if they haven't already found it!

The Plenary Indulgence is granted to all the faithful who are truly repentant who, in a church or in a chapel, devoutly attend the divine Sacrifice of Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ the Eternal High Priest, for the priests of the Church, and any other good work which they have done on that day, so that he may sanctify them and form them in accordance with His Heart, as long as they have made expiation for their sins through sacramental confession and prayed in accordance with the Supreme Pontiff's intentions:

- on the days in which the Year for Priests begins and ends, (19 June 2009 and 19 June 2010)

- on the first Thursday of the month, (hey, twelve to choose from!)

- or on any other day established by the local Ordinaries for the benefit of the faithful.

So, basically, by going to Mass, Confession (within a week either side), praying for priests and praying for the Holy Father's intentions, one can clock up a plenary indulgence either for oneself or for a soul in Purgatory. In fact, there's a minimum of fourteen indulgences going begging! If you want to consider it in purely self-interested terms, that's fourteen souls sprung from Purgatory who will be busy showing their gratitude by praying for you for all eternity...

Anyway, there are also partial indulgences up for grabs, for all the faithful, every time they devoutly recite five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain that priests be preserved in purity and holiness of life.

The Year For Priests...

Today, the Feast of the Sacred Heart, is the official start of the Year for Priests, declared by the Holy Father.

He has written a wonderful letter, which you can read HERE. I shall be looking carefully for a good quote for next year's Chrism Mass Thank-You card... the difficulty will be deciding which quote to use, I think.

For me, the whole thing can be summed up very simply, and it's the reason I feel my vocation involves praying for priests: no priests = no Sacraments, no Sacraments = no Church. Therefore, no priests = no Church.

Pray for our priests. Pray for vocations to the priesthood. And remember to thank our priests for answering God's call.

Sylvester In The Spotlight...

A couple of people wanted to know how Sylvester is getting on...

My admission to hospital was a bit of a surprise. Fortunately, I had my mobile with me, and I was able to phone my next-door neighbour. Jan promised to go in and feed Sylvester for me until I came out of hospital.

When I arrived home, there was a frantic note in the kitchen. Sylvester hadn't been seen for his evening meal, and had even missed breakfast. There was no sign of him in the flat. Poor Jan was frantic - there had been an almighty storm in the evening, and the area had apparently been flooded out in several places, and she'd already gone around the nearby blocks searching for him, to no avail.

I was a little concerned when I heard this - it isn't like Sylvester to miss two meals, and he doesn't like being out in rain. However, I checked his food bowls, and noted that he had obviously been in to eat at some time during the day, though he hadn't had much. Jan was still upset, and was getting ready to check the locality again (I was in no fit state to go and look for him myself) when I spotted him sitting outside the catflap, coolly pondering whether or not to come in.

I spent most of yesterday in bed, much to Sylvester's annoyance. I know, from the cat-shaped hump in my duvet covers, that Sylvester likes to sleep in my bed, under the duvet, while I'm out. However, he never seems to do so when I'm in the house, curling up instead on the sofa or the armchair, depending on where I sat last.

This morning, for example, I said my prayers seated in the armchair. Sylvester jumped up, walked onto my lap, curled up, decided he wasn't comfortable enough, got up, walked around the chair, and finally sat on the floor, staring at me. I finished, and went to make a cup of tea.

When I returned, Sylvester was curled up on the armchair, apparently fast asleep.

I considered pushing him off...

...and then went and sat by my computer instead. I know my place...

Sporadic Blogging...

I haven't been too well of late, and a couple of days ago I ended up in hospital, for "tests" and observation and what-not.

I'm now back home, waiting for surgery. I'm not on death's door, but blogging will be somewhat sporadic, as the mood (and energy) strikes me.

Prayers would be very much appreciated though!

The Laywoman's Guide To The Usus Antiquior...

I read a comment a short while ago to the effect that someone wanted to attend a Mass in the usus antiquior, but was afraid that she would make a fool of herself, because she wouldn't know what to do. It occurred to me that more and more people are becoming interested in the traditional liturgy, mostly because of all the information on the blogs, but, unless one happens to be in a parish where the Extraordinary Form of Mass is offered, the thought of seeking out such a Mass could be rather a daunting prospect.

So, I thought I would share some of my thoughts and experiences, and offer some friendly advice.

I do not claim any special knowledge, I'm not a cleric, nor am I a trained liturgist, and I don't have any Latin to speak of (until fairly recently, the only Latin response I knew at Mass was the Kyrie eleison... the rest of it was all Greek to me...) - I can't even claim to have been attending the usus antiquior for that long, being a relative newcomer to the traditional liturgy.

That being said, I have been lucky enough to attend a parish where the usus antiquior is offered on a regular basis, and, while I am familiar with what is going on, I also remember how I reacted when I first encountered the Old Mass.

So, remember that my own experiences may be very different from yours: that doesn't make them any more right, or wrong... and I wouldn't criticise anyone for feeling differently.

I have heard some people say that the best introduction to the Extraordinary Form of Mass is a Solemn High Mass: bells, smells, candles, torches, plainchant, the full works. Mass in all its splendour, giving the greatest and best to God in worship.

In my humble opinion, (see caveats given above) this is probably not the best way to start.

The novus ordo Mass is linear: one thing happens at a time, and events follow on one after another... and participation has come to be interpreted as "following and understanding everything that's said and done" - after all, it's now all in the vernacular for that very reason, and missals, missalettes, booklets or whatever are provided so that you can make all the responses along with everyone else.

If you're not making the responses, there's a suspicion that you're not "taking part" - a key example of this is the sign of peace: this is the point in the Mass where one is supposed to meet and greet as many people in the congregation as possible. Trying to remain recollected in prayer is seen as "being unfriendly." One time, I found myself being profoundly moved by the Mass, and tears were streaming down my face. I didn't want this to be noticed, however, and attempted to bow my head and not look round at the sign of peace... I thought this would be ok, as there wasn't anyone standing anywhere near me. Imagine my discomfort when someone actually walked across the church to my pew, and poked me in the arm to attract my attention and offer me the sign of peace.

At High Mass in the usus antiquior, there are lots of things happening. My very first High Mass (many years ago) was a real shock: I was there because a friend was singing in the choir, and I waited patiently for the singing to stop so that the priest could begin the Mass... I then found that Mass had actually started some time before, and we'd actually reached the Epistle...

Trying to follow what is happening is extremely confusing, because the choir will be singing Mass propers, or the parts of the Mass, while the priest is reading the texts at the altar, and the deacon and subdeacon may be moving around the sanctuary, while the servers are preparing something else... everything is following a precise pattern, everything has its proper place, but, unless you know what you're looking at, it's easy to get totally lost.

Personally, I think that the best way to become acquainted with the Extraordinary Form is by attending a Low Mass. However, it's not an easy thing to do. We have a lot of preconceptions and hang-ups which need to be overcome.

The most disconcerting thing is the silence, and the stillness. At Low Mass, the server is the only one who makes the responses. He makes them on our behalf: some people like to make the responses for themselves, but this should be done in a whisper, so as not to disturb any of the other people present. This is hard to explain: everyone present is praying, but not all in the same way. Some people like to follow the prayers of the Mass word-for-word. Some people want to meditate on a particular aspect of the Mass. Some people like to pray the Rosary (what better way to meditate on the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord?) Older prayer books have different passages to mull over... it doesn't have to be the same way for each person, and it doesn't have to be the same way every time for any one person. The beauty of this Mass is that one can unite one's prayers with the sacrifice being offered in whatever way is most effective at the time.

However, this freedom to worship in whatever way you like does take some getting used to. Modern living has made silence and stillness seem strange, and equates it with wasting time and doing nothing. In reality, this silence and stillness in the presence of God is a way of giving time to Him, a demonstration of our love for Him.

Low Mass has the fewest distractions: kneeling for the majority of the time, sitting (or kneeling if preferred) for the epistle, and standing for the Gospel readings. Of course, as Dr. Laurence Hemming pointed out to me, there are really no rubrics for the congregation, so, if one wants to go and light a candle, then that is perfectly acceptable.

The first time one attends a Low Mass, I would recommend sitting or kneeling near the back and just watching, while offering a prayer from the heart. The readings and prayers can be looked at before or after Mass. After a few times, once the general structure of the Mass is familiar, then one can start to follow the prayers in a missal, if that approach appeals.

The Missa Cantata is one step up from Low Mass: there may be more servers, and the choir (and possibly the congregation) sing various texts. In my experience, the choir sings the "propers" (the texts, such as the Introit and Alleluia, which change according to the day, the season or the feast) and the congregation sings the responses (Et cum spiritu tuo; Amen; etc.) and perhaps the parts of the Mass such as the Kyrie, the Sanctus and so on.

This is the most common form of the usus antiquior offered in a parish setting for a Sunday Mass: getting three clerics together on a Sunday for a full-on High Mass is pretty tricky. If one is familiar with Low Mass, a Missa Cantata will be pretty easy to follow. The only thing to remember is that the choir may be singing one text while the priest is getting on with the next part of the Mass. Don't let this faze you: the choir will stop singing for the most important part of the Mass (the Consecration is totally silent, which can be a spine-tingling experience) and you don't have to sing if you don't want to. There is generally more movement during a Missa Cantata, but it isn't compulsory, and if you want to remain kneeling, you can, though it is customary to stand for the Gospels. If you are unsure of what to do, look at the rest of the congregation.

Of course, everything I said about praying during Low Mass applies for a Missa Cantata (and also for a High Mass) so you can follow the prayers in a missal if you find that helpful, or opt for a different form of prayer.

Solemn High Mass has a priest, deacon, and subdeacon, as well as lots of servers. The priest will often be doing one thing while the deacon or subdeacon is doing something else, and occasionally all the clerics (and servers) will sit down while they wait for the choir to finish singing a particular part of the Mass; the congregation usually sits at this point as well...

Once again, if you are familiar with Low Mass, the basic structure of High Mass will be reasonably easy to follow.

Trying to find all the prayers in a missal can be tricky; the first collect (prayer) is easy enough if you know the calendar being used, but there can be a variety of things being celebrated. Saturday, for example, will usually be a Mass for Our Lady, but if a saint's feast occurs on that day, they may be added in as well: I think it's possible to have as many as seven collects. There are always an odd number, most commonly three.

Communion is generally given on the tongue and kneeling at the Old Mass, though I don't know of anyone who has been refused Communion because they wished to receive in the hand...

Many women prefer to cover their heads when attending a traditional liturgy. It isn't compulsory, but it may be helpful to note that there is a choice of head-covering: scarves, hats and berets are acceptable alternatives to the mantilla.

Most importantly, persevere. The Old Mass can seem very strange, and it takes a while to "tune in" to the different pace and emphasis. It is no longer about what we are doing for God, but is a glimpse of the heavenly liturgy, given to us by God, for our salvation, and in which we are privileged to participate.

More On Statues...

Yesterday's cri de coeur was occasioned by the fact that I finally managed to do some light dusting... the dust in question was caused by the electricians who came along at Easter, but, frankly, housework has been rather low on my list of priorities.

The dusting meant that I needed to rearrange my statues, and I discovered a few which had been put away for safe-keeping, as well as finding a few broken ones (hence the last post) ... a friend has kindly offered to bury the remains of those in her back garden, provided I don't want her to dispose of a life-size Padre Pio (future archaeologists may have quite a conundrum to puzzle over!)

Out of interest, I decided to count my statues: I have 29.

I have 11 of Our Lady: one large plain white pottery Madonna and child, very minimalist; one pottery statue of Notre Dame des Eaux, coloured to look like beige stone (my favourite... a copy of the one in St. Bernadette's convent at Nevers, France, and the one she said most resembled Our Lady... it's in the photo above); a Pietá; two statues of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (one 22 cm, the other about 10 cm); two statues of Our Lady of Fatima (one about 13 cm, the other about 20 cm); one statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; one Madonna and infant Jesus; one statue of Our Lady of Lourdes (an unusual one); and, finally, one large statue (about 50 cm) of Our Lady of Grace (the "Miraculous Medal" pose.)

Jesus is next... though I'm not counting the statues where he appears with someone else. I have two statues of the Infant of Prague and one Sacred Heart statue.

Then there are the saints: three statues of St. Jude; two statues of St. Thérèse of Lisieux; one statue of St. Joseph and the child Jesus; a large statue of St. John Fisher (I was a Form Tutor for 7JF in one school); St. Benedict; St. Juan Diego Cuahtlatoatzin (no, don't ask me to pronounce it...); St. Anthony of Padua; one very minimalist statue of St. Bernadette; St. Patrick; St. Martha; St. Philomena; and, finally, St. Michael the archangel.

I haven't included my four broken statues: two Sacred Hearts, Our Lady of Grace and Our Lady of Fatima. I also haven't included the many statues which I have bought for friends...

The reason I have so many duplicate statues is that I used to have several statues in my classroom, back when I taught RE in Catholic schools. I thought that, as one can't stay focussed on one thing for very long, it would be a good idea to have lots of statues (and pictures) for my students to gaze at when their attention wandered.

Anyway, doing this has given me an idea. We haven't had any memes doing the rounds for a while, so I'm going to start one.

The rules are simple. Count the number of statues in your house (NB. priests are not allowed to count the statues in their church as well as the ones in their house... unfair advantage!!) Describe the statues, and/or put up some photos. Then tag three people. I'm keeping the tag number low so that everyone has a chance to tag someone...

My three nominees:

1) Fr. Ray Blake

2) Paulinus

3) Ttony

Of course, if you feel like playing along, go ahead, and leave a message in the com-box.

UPDATE: I was asked to put up a photo of my statue of St. Philomena by Amanda, whose daughter goes to St. Philomena's school. I'm very happy to do so, as St. Philomena is one of my recent favourites...

A Question For You...

What should one do with blessed holy statues which are broken, and not suitable for repair? Ideally, I understand, they should be buried... but this isn't possible, unless someone is prepared to do it for me: my garden is a shared one, and digging holes, mole-like, in the turf or flowerbeds will not endear me to my neighbours, nor to my landlord.

Does landfill count?

(And, before you ask, no, that isn't a picture of the statue concerned... )

Have You Heard The One About...

My first response when I read about this one was to look for the punchline. Unfortunately, it appears to be true. CAFOD's Hexham & Newcastle Branch have an annual pilgrimage to Holy Island. This year, they have invited a member of the Yanomami índios in Brazil to lead the reflection at key points along the way with reflections from his own tradition, focussing on how we live in harmony with God's creation.

There's nothing wrong or objectionable in listening to what a person from another religion or culture has to say on issues such as climate change and tribal matters... but is it suitable for a Pilgrimage? And leading the reflection??

The CAFOD Diocesan Manager said, "It will be very interesting to hear what he has to say about climate change, and also to hear how his customs value the stories of his ancestors just as he will hear how we revere our Northern saints."

Ummmmm. I hope they've offset his carbon footprint... bringing him all the way over from Brazil is hardly "sustainable."

Twitch of the mantilla to Catholic Action UK.

High Mass For Corpus Christi

Fr. Ray Blake has unearthed some beautiful vestments which he plans to use for Corpus Christi on Thursday: he has Fr. Seán Finnegan and Dr. Alcuin Reid to act as celebrant and deacon, while he will be subdeacon.

He says that the vestments are terribly worn, and need restoration. I don't know if he has considered adding a PayPal button to his site, but I did suggest it.

Anyway, it sounds as if he's a tad nervous... his Jubilee Mass was the first Solemn High Mass he'd celebrated. Pop on over to offer some encouragement.

More Evidence To Be Ignored...

The mainstream media are very good at ignoring unpleasant news... or rather, I should say, ignoring news which doesn't support the slant they want to convey (as with HIV/AIDS and condoms.) It is why the interweb-thingy in general (and blogging in particular) is so very helpful.

A lot has been said about the need for research into embryonic stem cell therapies for various degenerative diseases. Opposition to such research is totally inhumane (or so the argument goes) because those diseases are so dreadfully devastating, one has to be totally uncaring, and a right monster, to ignore the suffering... yada, yada...blah, blah...

Of course, what is never mentioned is the inconvenient truth that adult stem cell research is providing lots of indications of successful therapy... while the embryonic stuff has yet to provide any evidence of success at all...

Check out these articles from LifeSite News...

Adult Stem Cells Found to Cure Blindness – Three Patients Cured

Success Stories with Adult Stem Cells Coming in Almost Too Fast to Track

I Wasn't Going To...

... but I just couldn't resist this picture from LOLcats. After the day I've had today, I think I know how kitteh feels...

Big Brother...

I was just sitting at the computer, blogging away, when I suddenly became aware that I was not alone... I was being watched...

Ember Saturday...

We were privileged to have our usual monthly Missa Cantata on Saturday, with our visiting schola. It was Ember Saturday in the Octave of Pentecost, and so there were five readings before the Gospel... it seems that, traditionally, men would have been ordained to various ministries: doorkeepers, acolytes, exorcists, deacons and subdeacons among them... 

We didn't have any ordinations, but one of our servers was acting as MC for the first time, so I took the opportunity to take a few photos. I was impressed to see that, despite several of our usual servers being away, we were still able to field four torch-bearers for the Canon...

I'm not quite sure what happened to the lighting levels in that last photo...