Ten Years On...

Today I celebrated the tenth anniversary of my vows. I usually arrange to renew my vows on the first Saturday in December, as this coincides with the monthly Missa Cantata at Blackfen, making it a handy time to have a bit of a get-together afterwards. This year the first Saturday fell on 1st December, which is the actual anniversary, which was rather pleasing.

My good friend @fitzrufus who also blogs at Vox in Rama Audita Est came all the way over from the Netherlands, and she stayed with me overnight (this seemed to be the best way to ensure that we actually had time to talk, as I knew that today would be far too hectic!)

@Londiniensis, who occasionally comments on blogs, but now concentrates more on Twitter instead, also made it down to Blackfen for the day. Gem of the Ocean (who tweets as well) also came along, and the mighty Zephyrinus was MC. Tom was there to help with the singing, and his children joined in at the last Salve Regina of the year with gusto. Their mother gleefully informed us that they've been practicing the Alma Redemptoris Mater all week. Father Tim Finigan was there, of course, and with me that made it a six-blogger occasion... (Eight if you include Londiniensis and Delia (another commenter, who sadly couldn't stay for the party.)

Father Whinder, an old friend (as he so ungallantly reminded me), was once the most blogged-about non-blogging guest of English Catholic blogs, and he journeyed over from Mortlake to help me celebrate. The ubiquitous non-blogging priest from Chislehurst was absent, but we snaffled some of his parishioners, one of whom was happy to serve on the sanctuary...

Chislehurst's torchbearer on the right...

The Guild of St. Martha took care of the catering, and provided a rather scrumptious spread after the ceremony, and Danika from the parish club made sure that spiritual sustenance was available for those of us who fancied something stronger than tea. (I was a little disconcerted when I recalled that I used to teach Danika Science and RE...)

It really was a very special day, and I'd like to thank everyone who helped me celebrate!

Stepping Out In Style...

Life for Cardinal Furretti and Monsignor Miaowrini was beginning to get a little precarious. The ledge outside the cat flap was rotting away, and the available space being reduced bit by bit. I had placed a chair nearby because Miaowrini couldn't comfortably manage the distance between the ground and the ledge, and that was starting to disintegrate as well. On more than one occasion, when the two cats were vying for the prime spot on the ledge, I heard an ominous slithering sound followed by a thump as one or other of them stepped on the rotten piece of ledge...

Jonathan, Blackfen's Senior MC came to the kitties' rescue. He'd told me that he had some old bits of wood handy, and he'd weather-proof them and attach them to the wall outside the cat flap. I was expecting a couple of bits of MDF...

In fact these are not just any old bits of wood. They have been beautifully varnished (so much so that I wonder if the kitties will end up slithering off the ends) and fastened securely to the wall in a step-like fashion. Furretti has been out and in again, so that's ok. Miaowrini's still out gallivanting, so I don't know if she's figured out the new system yet...

More Advent Preparations...

I wrote a post about preparing for Advent. Less than a week to go now. This year I have the candles (purple, pink and white) all ready to go... though I have to admit that was because I didn't get around to using them last year!

The actual greenery will have to wait until the weekend.

Anyone who wants to do some spiritual preparation could benefit from reading the words of the Abbé Gueranger, so kindly reproduced by Zephyrinus. Part One is up already. Part Two will follow in due course...

Catholics Don't "Believe" - They Know!

One of the best explanations of why we, as Catholics, assert that life begins at conception, written by Creative Minority Report Guest Blogger, Rebecca Taylor.

I have to plead guilty to having used the phrase that Rebecca deplores. She is absolutely right, though. Her final paragraphs contain a challenge for all of us:

Every one of us is a continuous organism from the moment we are conceived to the day that we die. It is illogical that we be valued and protected under the law only for a part of that continuous process.

So the next time someone says to you, "Human life does not begin at conception," correct them and tell them that life indeed does begin at conception and what they really mean to say is "I don't believe the life that begins at conception has value." (And then explain to them why that stance is totally illogical.)

And if you must use the word "believe" when discussing the beginnings of life, please do not say, "I believe life begins at conception." Say instead, "I believe the life that begins at conception has moral worth simply because it is human."

Earworms...

YouTube is a real gift for tired teachers. A short video clip to illustrate a point can work wonders, and the sillier it is, the better!

Occasionally it backfires...

This afternoon my Year 10s (14-15 yrs old) were entranced by the following clip, and proceeded to join in with the chorus...

Unfortunately I can't get the tune out of my head. Aaaarghhh!

Preparing For Advent...

The traditional liturgical calendar gives us the season of Septuagesima in which to prepare for the rigours of Lent. It allows us some valuable "thinking time" - Ash Wednesday can catch us unawares if Easter is early.

Unfortunately, there is no corresponding season in which to prepare for Advent.

With the secular emphasis on Christmas (sorry, the "Festive" season), the round of present-shopping, parties and such-like, Advent can get lost. And yet it is a season in its own right. We are preparing for the coming of Christ - a remembrance of his first visit and an anticipation of the second!

There's a week to go before it starts. So take the time to decide what you are going to do to celebrate Advent.

Entente Cordiale...

Maybe it's the effect of Furretti's promotion to Cardinal. Alternatively, it might be due to the bad weather. Right now, the kitties are getting along nicely. Cardinal Furretti has extended the tongue of friendship and licked Monsignor Miaowrini's nose.

Both cats dislike the rain, though Miaowrini, being more of an outdoor type, tends to brave the elements for longer. Furretti only goes out for the minimum of time necessary to do her stuff, and then she comes bounding back in, demanding to be dried off. Miaowrini gets much wetter, and also miaows asking to be dried, but she is frightened of towels, so it's rather more tricky...

Anyway, it is very wet and cold outside, and so I've turned up the heating. Both the kitties came to keep me company while I blogged...

(The Cardinal decided she wanted to snooze on the cardigan and towel...)

Donor Cards...

I used to be a firm believer in donor cards. I remember being quite angry that, on the death of my father, no one at the hospital believed my mother was in a fit state to consent to his organs being used. When his personal effects were returned, we found his donor card in his wallet.

Now, I am not so sure about the wisdom of carrying a card. The more I learn about hospital procedures, the more suspicious I become. When, exactly, is a person considered to be dead? And if, in order to allow organs to be harvested for transplant purposes before the heart has stopped beating, the diagnosis of "brain death" is accepted, then what exactly is "brain death"? And now we hear of cases where the donor has recovered just in time to stop having vital organs removed...

Tony Bland had to have opiates administered so that he wouldn't show distress when he was being starved and dehydrated to death. Now "dead" patients are having to be anaesthetised to stop them reacting to the pain of surgery to harvest their organs.

Coma, the book by Robin Cook about a health centre which purports to look after coma patients whilst secretly harvesting their organs for transplantation is beginning to appear prophetic...

Blessed Miguel Pro

Today is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Mexican priest of the early twentieth century.

I heard the name a while back, but I didn't know very much about him until I read this excellent summary of his martyrdom on the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma blog. The similarities in the stories of the persecution of the Church in Mexico and the persecution carried out in England at the Reformation were quite striking. Nothing new under the Sun? Or does persecution of the Church always follow the same pattern? There's an extended blog post in there somewhere...

I was particularly amused by the tale of a young woman helping Fr. Pro to escape by linking arms with him and pretending to be his wife/girlfriend. There is a very similar account of one of the English martyrs (I forget which one) being saved from capture by the pursuivants when a maidservant pushed the priest into a water trough (or duck pond.) It was assumed that the woman, a known Catholic, would never do such a thing to a priest...

It is finding out about things like the persecution of the Church in Mexico that highlights the paucity of History teaching in the UK. The only thing British children get to hear about Mexico is that the Aztecs/Incas were there. The teaching is so vague that, even now, I don't know the difference between the Aztecs and the Incas...

Richard Collins also writes his own blog, Linen on the Hedgerow. It's well worth keeping an eye on his personal blog as well as the Guild one, because he doesn't always publish the same stories on both (I envy his industry... I have problems writing for just the one blog!!)

Happy Feast Day !

Oooops. Wrong celebration! This is the photo I meant to put up...

Happy St. Cecilia's Day. If you want to know more about the saint herself, do go and read my previous post about her.

And, to my many American readers, have a happy thanksgiving as well. Just one word of warning. If you are a vegetarian, and are happily planning on tucking into the tofurkey, be aware that it has nothing to do with tofu. The tofurkey is a cute little critter, and you have had it slaughtered...

Another Quick Plug...

A brand new blog is up and running, and is worth keeping an eye on.

It's by a friend of mine, Catholic Christian, who has just moved to the big, bad city,and he wanted to start a blog to record his thoughts and experiences.

Anyway, do pop over to Roamin in London when you get a chance

Women Bishops...

I returned to the Church twenty years ago, after what I describe as my Damascus Road conversion. I was pretty arrogant back in those days (some say that I still am) but I knew that the only way to avoid making a mess of my life again was to submit to the teaching authority of Holy Mother Church. She had, after all, survived 2000 years of human mismanagement, and Jesus had guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would preserve her. It was a no-brainer.

About a year or so after my reversion, the women priests thing kicked off in the Church of England. I didn't understand all the theological arguments - I still don't - but the Catholic Church stated clearly that you couldn't have women priests, because she didn't have the authority to do what Christ himself had not done. The lack of authority was the bottom line. That was enough for me.

The Church of England decided to go ahead and ordain women, but then, to put it bluntly, they dropped the idea of authority back when they split with Rome over the matter of a certain King's divorce. At the time it was argued that it was alright to ordain women as priests but they wouldn't ever go ahead and be ordained as bishops.

This struck me at the time as a rather disingenuous statement. Even to my untutored ears, it didn't sound right. After all, if you are going to dispense with the arguments against having women priests, then there are no arguments remaining against having women bishops. If there are no theological reasons to prevent women being ordained as bishops, then it boils down to a matter of equality. You cannot say women can not be bishops just because they are women when you wouldn't accept that argument about women becoming priests in the first place.

Today the General Synod voted very narrowly against women bishops. I think the Church of England is in trouble here. Anyone care to take bets on how long before we have the first court case under equal opportunities legislation?

A Compliment To Treasure...

I usually read all my favourite blogs via Google Reader. It cuts down on time wasted in clicking on links in a blogroll and finding that there's not been an update yet. It was a major consolation when my computer broke down, as I was still able to read all my favourites on my mobile phone (Google Reader is excellent on phones) and so I didn't have the attack of the vapours which total deprivation would have induced.

The downsides to using Google Reader are that I don't get to see the comments and that I don't see the design and layout of the blogs I'm reading. The former isn't too much of a problem - I can go and look at the original post if I think it provoked a good response. I don't usually bother too much about looking at layout on other blogs, it only comes to my attention when I am actually opening up specific posts in order to link to them.

I noticed that I received several referrals from my friends on Papa Stronsay this week. It surprised me, because I hadn't actually seen any posts from them linking to my blog. Just in case I had missed something, I pottered over to have a look. Imagine my surprise when, scrolling down the sidebar, I discovered that I'd been given my very own "icon" on the blogroll...

Both Cardinal Furretti and Monsignor Miaowrini made it into the picture. It is absolutely wonderful ! So a big thank you to the Community for the honour.

A New Blog To Read...

While I was checking out my stats and finding out where my readers are coming from, I discovered a new blog. Further investigation revealed that Recusancy is written by a young woman who has a love for the Church and the Holy Father, and a hatred of bad hymns. She also writes some seriously good stuff, particularly on healthcare.

Pop on over and explore for yourself - she's only been blogging since August, but she's already in the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma. Leave a comment or two and welcome her to the Catholic Blogosphere!

Maternal Mortality...

The case of Savita Halappanavar is a very sad one. It is always sad when a young person dies. The amount of hysterical outrage in the Press from pro-abortionists, however, strikes me as being artificially manufactured.

Firstly, the full facts are not yet known, and won't be until after the inquest. There is no evidence that an abortion would have saved Savita - and, in fact, the president-elect of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) for 2013-2014, Dr.Divakar, said that an abortion performed in a situation of acute septicaemia could well have resulted in hastening Savita's death.

Another reason that I consider the outrage of the pro-abortion lobby to be insincere and opportunistic is the lack of comment about the rates of maternal mortality in countries which do allow abortion. In 2010, the number of maternal deaths in the UK was double that in Ireland, and the US rate was more than three times that of Ireland. Ranking 6th in the world, Ireland is one of the safest places in which to give birth. The UK, which has what is effectively abortion on demand, ranks 23rd in the world, and sepsis is the leading cause of maternal mortality here.

Hard cases make bad law. Savita's death is a tragedy, but we need to examine the true facts before claiming that abortion should be made legal in order to reduce maternal mortality rates.

Red Hat Arrives From Rome...

Last Sunday, Cardinal Furretti's red hat arrived from Rome, courtesy of Annie Elizabeth and family who acted as couriers.

Annie and her family were in Rome for the FIUV pilgrimage Mass at St. Peter's in thanksgiving for Summorum Pontificum. You can read her excellent summary of the pilgrimage procession and Mass, along with some stunning photographs over on her blog. There are also two very amusing (and impressive) video clips of her youngest child singing the Salve Regina and the Regina Caeli (yes, I know it's the wrong season, but he's only three!!) from the roof of St. Peter's.

I tried to photograph Furretti with the hat on, but she was so ecstatic at its arrival that she wouldn't let go...

LMS Requiem Mass...

I attended the Requiem Mass for deceased Latin Mass Society members and their families at Westminster Cathedral this afternoon. The Mass itself was wonderful. Despite being able to attend the Traditional Latin Mass every weekend at Blackfen, I like to go to these big Masses every now and then, to remind myself that I am part of the wider Church... as well as enjoying a bit of extra pomp and ceremony!

It's a shame that, given the occasion, the Bishop's sermon didn't reflect on the need for us to pray for the dead. There was a lot about the love and mercy of God, which is all well and good, but we also need to remember that Hell exists, and we need to make a conscious effort to avoid it. St. Bernadette was reported as saying that she feared languishing in Purgatory for lack of prayers for the repose of her soul after her death. If such a saintly individual was so concerned to have prayers and Masses offered, then we more fallible types should really bear it in mind...

Joe Shaw was taking plenty of photos, and I'm sure that they'll end up on his blog in due course...

Wonderful News...!

I am completely bowled over! Due to the generosity of one of my readers, I have been able to get a new computer!

I opted for an Acer laptop, as I thought it would be more versatile. I bought it this evening but couldn't play with it immediately as Rosary & Benediction was on this evening... and I wanted to say a prayer or two in thanksgiving. I am still getting to grips with Windows 8 (grrrr) but need to get to bed, as I have school in the morning.

So, blogging will resume very shortly. Watch this space!

Update...

The computer chappie has confirmed that my computer is well and truly dead. Something to do with a motherboard. Apparently it's cheaper to buy a new computer than fix the old one. But that's not an option right now... Ho hum. Could be worse...

Blogging Has Been Suspended...

My desktop computer has died, and I can't afford to get it fixed just now - or afford to get a new one. I can't blog from school, and blogging on my mobile phone is too much hassle. I hope to be back up and running soon!

I Don't Want To Jump On The Bandwagon, But...

Lots of stuff has been written about the recent woes of Dr. Tina Beattie. She has complained that there is a blog campaign against her, and that is the reason she has had a couple of speaking engagements cancelled. There are some excellent summaries out there - Mark Lambert has the most comprehensive round-up, including links to Dr. Beattie's cries of victimisation.

Time to call a spade a shovel, I think.

Yes, several bloggers have written posts decrying her opinions, and expressing relief that she will not be given a platform at Catholic institutions to air her opinions.

However, this is not the "sovietisation" of the Church. This is what happens when faithful, orthodox Catholics (who are, quite frankly, totally hacked off at having her personal opinions touted as being compatible with Catholic teaching) get to demonstrate their democratic right to exercise free speech. That's what blogs are for - they allow those of us who wish to do so (without the benefit of friends in the mainstream media to give us a platform) to express our views to a wider audience.

Dr. Beattie's invitations to speak are extended to her in her capacity as a Catholic theologian. After all, that's the billing she gets in The Tablet. It's the description she gets given in the mainstream media. No-one contacts me to ask if I will talk on the teachings of the Church - I have no official standing. She is asked to speak solely on account of her position. If the views Dr. Beattie holds and expresses are not in accord with the teachings of the Church, (although she is at total liberty to hold and express those views) then it is no surprise that the invitations to speak at Catholic institutions are withdrawn.

Hardly rocket science, is it?

Dr. Beattie can think, say and write whatever she wants. She has that freedom. But she can't do it and honestly claim to be speaking as an authority on Catholic theology.

Prayers From Papa Stronsay...

Now there's an offer you can't refuse!

The Community on Papa Stronsay are offering to pray for the deceased relatives and friends of anyone who asks. They even want to encourage prayer for dead enemies!

Just send an email with the names to the dedicated email address and the names will be printed off and placed near the tabernacle in the chapel, to be remembered at each Mass during the month of November.

The Community is a real prayer powerhouse, so get those names in! Free some more souls from Purgatory!

All Souls...

The Mass was totally awesome.* You could almost hear the cheering from Purgatory...

There are a few more photos (only a couple) on my Flickr page.

*Yes, the Mass is always awesome, but some times it's more awesome than others...

New Blog On The Block...

A brand new blog has come to my attention - and just for once it isn't a blog which I just haven't seen before. Matthaeus just started blogging on Sunday at Sub Umbra Alarum Suarum - though he has been a commenter for much longer. Do go over and welcome him to the Blogosphere.

He has a beautiful shot of a church or chapel as his background wallpaper which one just glimpses as the page loads. Very tantalising, and a promise of good things to come, I think...

Celebrating The Feast...

We really are very blessed at Blackfen. A week ago we started our Quarant'Ore celebrations and then had four Missa Cantatas in four days. Then Low Mass on the Monday. Today we had the first of another four Missa Cantatas - today's was for the Feast of All Saints.

We were very lucky to have a surprise visitor for the Mass - Clare from Brighton joined us, and sang with Julia and the choir. It sounded really wonderful. Singing is thirsty work, so a visit to the Parish Club afterwards was in order...

The servers proved to be a little camera-shy on this occasion.

Tomorrow we have a Missa Cantata for the Commemoration of the Holy Souls, then we have our regular First Saturday Missa Cantata and the usual Sunday parish Missa Cantata. Eight Missa Cantatas in eleven days is pretty impressive for a parish church...

All Saint, All Souls & The Month Of November...

The month of November is often portrayed as a gloomy one. In the Northern Hemisphere it is marked by cold, wet weather and grey skies. The nights are getting longer. The year is coming to a close, and it feels like everything is doom and gloom, with the Church's emphasis on death, the Holy Souls and Purgatory. The joyful celebration of the Feast of All Saints lasts a single day. The Holy Souls get a whole month...

And yet, in reality, the month of November, properly considered, should be a beacon of hope and light for us all. It shows us to what we aspire, and it shows us how we will, most probably, attain it.

We start with the great Feast of All Saints. A glimpse of heaven, it is the Church Triumphant, and we are given a chance to honour all our favourite patron saints, but also, more importantly, we are given the opportunity to celebrate the many saints who are unrecognised...

There are two categories, I like to think, of unrecognised saints. The first one is that of the really saintly individuals who just don't attract a cultus after their death. They will never be canonised because the Church needs a couple of miracles (at least) before that happens, and it is rare that miracles are granted unless we ask for them. Without groups of people actively praying to the deceased for those miracles, and campaigning for the Church to recognise them as saints, the individuals just never make it "onto the books." We may be fortunate in our lives to meet such individuals and to recognise their saintly qualities, but they are the hidden saints.

The second category is, for me, the more interesting one, because it is where most of us hope (and expect) to end up. We all want to be saints (well, anyone who believes in an afterlife, that is.) We just might not describe it that way. Think about it - when was the last time you heard anyone actually declare that they want to go to hell for all eternity? By definition, everyone who is in heaven is a saint. Today is the day to celebrate the mercy and love of God that allows us to hope that we might one day scrape in. All Saints' Day also celebrates all those who have ended up in heaven after their time of purification in Purgatory, and, as such, is a celebration of "the hope which is in us".

Our sins mean that we deserve to go to hell, because all sin is an affront to God. But through the mercy of God, those of us who have not separated ourselves from him by unrepented mortal sin can still hope for heaven. Purgatory is where we are made fit to be in God's presence - it is a gift to us, as we would be unable to bear being in his presence if there was the least stain of sin on our souls. This is the Church Suffering - though every soul in Purgatory rejoices in that suffering which allows them to get to heaven. And so, tomorrow, we celebrate the fact that Purgatory exists - All Souls' Day is even more dear to me than All Saints' Day, and the two are inseparable.

The thing is that the Holy Souls in Purgatory can do nothing for themselves. The process of purification is beyond their control. The Church, however, allows us to help. The prayers and penances offered by us, the Church Militant, for the Holy Souls gets them to heaven. Every Plenary Indulgence offered on their behalf brings a soul out into the Beatific Vision for all eternity. Plenary Indulgences applied to one's own soul only last until the next venial sin - so, for most of us, it is a fleeting benefit!

November, with the extra emphasis placed by Holy Mother Church on prayers for the Souls in Purgatory, is a month of great rejoicing.

This Explains Rather A Lot...

I had heard from several sources that Bishop Kieran Conry was rather resistant to the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form, and that, as a result, requests for the TLM in Arundel & Brighton weren't encouraged (to put it politely) despite the provisions of Summorum Pontificum.

Having read a summary of the Bishop's thinking on the Mass at the time of the Reformation, it all becomes clear.

If, as Bishop Conry appears to, one believes that:

"...over the centuries, and especially after the Protestant Reformation, many of the elements of the Mass had become obscured. Much of this was a consequence of the continued use of Latin, which served to alienate and distance people from the action of the Mass"

then obviously one would be very averse to its continuation.

Unfortunately, Bishop Conry appears not to have read Eamon Duffy's classic, The Stripping of the Altars, which paints a very different picture of faith and worship among the laity in England and Wales.

He also doesn't appear to have read The Spirit of the Liturgy by Pope Benedict (written when he was Cardinal) or else he wouldn't talk about the priest having his back to the people.

Even more unfortunately, the Bishop doesn't appear to have paid any attention to the documents of Vatican II either... you know, the ones which called for Latin to be retained in the Mass, and Gregorian chant to be given pride of place (among other things)...

Pray for the Bishop. And pray for his flock.

New Cardinal For England & Wales...

In a shock announcement, it seems that there is, after all, to be a new Cardinal created for England & Wales.

My saved friend, Eccles, gave details of the six new Cardinals to be appointed in the next consistory, and, at first sight it appeared that England & Wales was not to be honoured. However, this was actually an administrative error, so there has been a special catsistory, held for the specific purpose of awarding a red hat for England & Wales.

I can reveal that the new Cardinal was none other than Monsignor Mastai-Furretti.

Cardinal Furretti is reported as being rather chuffed by the news, though she did want to send her condolences to Archbishop Vincent Nichols, who has lost out on yet another red hat opportunity...

Mgr. Guido Miaowrini was unavailable for comment. She is sulking. I will probably find a headless pigeon in my bed shortly...

Bara Brith...

Some time ago, Leutgeb had promised to bring back a sample of the spotty Welsh bread for which her blog is named.

The loaf made its appearance during a quick restorative drink in the Parish club, just after the second Missa Cantata of the Quarant'Ore on the Friday evening...

Celebrant, singers and a couple of servers were all in need of sustenance after the Mass, so the loaf didn't last long. One solitary slice remained, with all of us eyeing it hungrily, wondering who would make the first move. We decided to divide it equally...

As you can see, it proved to be delicious...

Feeling Lost...

Well, that's the end of the Quarant'Ore at Blackfen for another year. It's very strange, but, as the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the Tabernacle after being exposed for the forty hours, there is a terrible sense of loss. I'm not the only person to have noticed it - and yet, Our Lord hasn't gone anywhere. He still awaits us in the Tabernacle of every church, and at every Mass.

I said it in my last post, and I'll say it again - it really is a tremendous privilege to be able to assist at the Forty Hours, even if only for a short time.

You can read Fr. Tim's account of it, and see a few more photos taken during the Forty Hours over on Flickr.

Quarant' Ore At Blackfen...

On Thursday we are starting our annual Forty Hours' Exposition, commonly known as the Quarant' Ore. It's a wonderful event. It starts with Mass, and a Procession, and a Litany, and then Our Lord is exposed on the Altar for Adoration for the next forty hours (hence the name.) Then everything finishes with another Mass, Litany, Procession and Benediction (I think... I'm a bit hazy on how it ends because I'm usually keeping my eyes open with matchsticks by this point...)

It is a tremendous privilege for the Parish to have the Quarant'Ore. People can come along to the church whenever they can, for as long a time as they want... or, if only for a few minutes, that's ok as well. If you are fortunate enough to be able to attend at the end, there is a palpable sense of loss as the Blessed Sacrament is reposed in the Tabernacle. It is incredibly moving.

It reminds me of my own return to the Church, twenty years ago - and it's as vivid as if it was yesterday - I became aware that Our Lord is waiting for each one of us, waiting for us to turn and face him, to spend some time with him, to invite him into our lives. He will never force himself upon us, he just waits for us to recognise him and accepts whatever acknowledgement we give him.

It rather brings a lump to my throat just thinking of how immensely patient he is with us.

Now What...?

Rorate Caeli reports that Bishop Williamson has been expelled from the SSPX. Given how close the SSPX seemed to get to being brought back into full communion with Rome (is that the right term?), it will be interesting to see if this makes any difference.

No, I don't really understand all the ins and outs of the situation. Archbishop Lefevre defied Rome and ordained priests and bishops - and Bishop Williamson was one of those bishops. If he now goes off and ordains priests and bishops, will there be another breakaway group? And what happens next?

I do, however, hope this paves the way for reconciliation of the SSPX...

I also wish that someone would write an idiot's guide explaining the whole thing...

Requiescat In Pace...

When I saw Bernini's Elephant Obelisk in Rome last May, it reminded me of my dear friend Quentin, who blogged as Dominic Mary. He loved hippopotamuses (should that be hippopotami?) but elephants came a close second, and he posted a series of elephant photos when they appeared as part of a temporary outdoor exhibition around London.

Today's Latin Mass at Blackfen was offered for the repose of his soul - it's his anniversary - so it seemed like a good time to post my photo of Bernini's Obelisk as a tribute...

You can see some more photos I took during my visit to Rome over on Flickr. I've still got two days' worth of photos to label, but you can have a look at what I've done so far...

Lourdes Water...

The Grotto at Lourdes, the site where Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette, is currently under about 3 feet of water.

After days of torrential rain, the River Gave burst its banks, and pilgrims were evacuated from nearby hotels along with about 40 people who were forced to leave their homes.

The basilica itself is still accessible, according to the report on CNA. I assume they mean the Immaculate Conception basilica and Crypt, at the top of the ramps, rather than the Rosary Basilica itself, which is on the lower level, though, as the entrance to the Rosary basilica is up some steps, it's just possible that this is above the level of the flooding.

I love Lourdes, and have been there on pilgrimage several times. Being in a mountainous region, it does get rather a lot of rain. When I went there in 2009, it was pretty wet... it rained so hard one afternoon that my mascara was washed down my cheeks. I made sure I wore waterproof mascara after that. The locals were speculating then on whether the Gave would burst its banks, and we were told that Brancardiers had been piling up sandbags along the banks on the opposite side to the Grotto. I took a photo of the bridge across the Gave near the Grotto...

And, for comparison, here's a photo of the bridge in 2010:

You can see how much more space there is under the bridge. You can also see how high the wall is on the Grotto side of the river. The current downpour is said to be the worst in 25 years.

The photo below is a shot of the Grotto, taken from the point at which St. Bernadette had been kneeling when she saw Our Lady (if I recall correctly) - and I've included this one because of the altar and the candle stand. Admittedly, the stand does change in height depending on which candles are placed in it...

And now, for comparison, have a look at the following pictures of the Grotto yesterday... Check out the top of the altar in the first picture...

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Ray Blake for those last two photos.

CNA had the following video clips from Friday, showing the rising water levels. It's heartbreaking to watch.

Fortunately, there don't seem to have been any deaths, and at least this happened at the end of the pilgrimage season, so those affected will have some time to get things sorted out before next year.

The webcams in Lourdes are down at the moment, due to the flooding. Pray for all the pilgrims, and all those who live and work in Lourdes.

More About Cats...

Photo: Steve Back, Daily Telegraph

Maybe it is something to do with the weather...

It seems as though my two Monsignori are not the only kitties with relationship problems. Larry, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office at Number 10 Downing Street, had a spat with his next-door neighbour, Freya, the First Moggy of the Treasury.

Police were called to break it up. No-one, other than the two protagonists, knows whether "Hiss. Spit. Snarl. Miaow" translates as "You don't run this government, you plebs" and Google Translate doesn't have "Cat" as an option (yet) which is possibly why there have been no calls for the resignation of either Larry or Freya.

Larry does have form. His first major photocall was marked (literally) by him scratching a reporter. He also doesn't seem to be particularly effective at his job. I have only heard of one dead mouse being presented to David Cameron during the whole of Larry's time in office. A simple glance at the sidebar tally (Kitty Kill Count) will demonstrate what really keen kitties can achieve. The Opposition appears to be woefully negligent in not calling for a full enquiry...

In other news, my Monsignori appear to have called a truce. They actually rubbed heads and noses yesterday, and Furretti licked Miaowrini's tail. At the time of writing, Miaowrini is curled up on the sofa and Furretti is sprawled out above the computer monitor. It won't last...

LMS Pilgrimage To Aylesford

Last Saturday saw the annual Latin Mass Society pilgrimage to Aylesford. Joseph Shaw, the LMS Chairman, was there with his snazzy camera - the camera which was so snazzy it meant that he had to buy a new computer to cope with it - and he has written a brief report of the events, and included some rather snazzy photos.

Unfortunately, I think his snazzy camera is too snazzy for my computer. I've tried to load his blog four times, and my computer crashed each time - it seemed to get stuck trying to load the pictures. As a result, I can't put in a direct link. You'll find his blog on the sidebar blogroll, under British Bloggers. If you're wondering how I was able to tell that Joe had written a report including snazzy photos given that I can't access his blog, well, actually I use Google Reader to check my favourite blogs. I only visit real blogs when I want to comment, read comments or link to posts on my blog.

Dylan, the Reluctant Sinner, made a very brief report on the day as well. His blog doesn't cause my computer to crash, so I can happily direct you to the relevant post. Unfortunately he doesn't have snazzy pictures, but perhaps, in view of the age of my computer, that is just as well!

Fr. Tim Finigan was the celebrant and preacher at the Missa Cantata, and he also gave the talk during the afternoon. He has a much fuller report of the day, which was excellent. His blog also doesn't pose any problems for my computer...

I took some more photos which you can see on the Flickr set page.

Light Entertainment...

The caption reads "What house cats lust after."

My two hooligans don't seem to read, unfortunately...

Rosary Sunday...

Yes, I know it was over a week ago. No, I haven't blogged for a whole week. Yes, I know I said that I'd try harder to blog more regularly...

Would you lot believe me if I told you that the Monsignori are to blame? They're chasing each other round in circles, squabbling like teenagers, and I want to stay out of their way. This morning, I actually caught Furretti kicking all the dry catfood out of Miaowrini's bowl. Just because I'd stopped to stroke Miaowrini first. Boy, can that cat throw a strop.

At the moment, the two cats are chasing each other around my computer chair, each taking it in turns to hide beneath my skirts before launching an attack on the other. I'm not sure if they're playing, or if this is the next stage in the dominance stakes...

Anyway, for those of you who are interested, the photos I took last week for Rosary Sunday, (the Patronal Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen) are finally up on Flickr. Most of them were up halfway through the week, to be honest, but I then discovered that, due to a glitch with a wifi connection, I'd only loaded half of them, so I didn't bother alerting anyone!

Fr. James Bradley of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham was the celebrant and preacher for the Solemn High Mass...

There are lots of photos in the set - and I haven't actually labelled them yet - so do go over to have a look.

Right. It's gone awfully quiet. I think that means trouble. I'll be back again soon...

A Little Snippet...

I managed to record a snippet from First Vespers of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, held at Blackfen on Saturday.

I didn't record any of the music from Sunday's High Mass because that was sung by professional singers and recording rights would have come into play. The singers on Saturday, on the other hand, were enthusiastic, talented volunteers. They did get given a rather good lunch...

With such heavenly music as this available, one wonders who in their right minds would opt for such guff as "Alleluia ch-ch" or the clap-clap Gloria...

Photos will be forthcoming... but not tonight.  I need a bit more beauty sleep.

That Difficult Language Again...

We have had a wonderful weekend at Blackfen. It was the first Saturday of the month, so we had our regular Missa Cantata, and, to see in the Patronal Feast Day, we also celebrated First Vespers. Then, on  Sunday, we had a High Mass, with Fr. James Bradley of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham as celebrant.

More about Sunday's activities later... well, ok, probably tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep. The children at school have already commented on how they think I look like Darth Vadar...

After Vespers on Saturday, we sang the Marian Anthem... to the solemn tone. Fr. Tim thought that the children, in their enthusiasm, might not realise this, and might continue with the regular Salve Regina...

Nope.

These little ones are not only happy to sing in Latin, they can sing the same words to different chant tones (or whatever they're called... Leutgeb will probably tell me off for using the wrong term, which is slightly disconcerting because she makes Darth Vadar look like a pushover when she gets going. Scary? Even Fr. Tim won't mess with her!!)

The video picture is ghastly because the light from the windows messed up the phone camera - but you can just about see the children... and hear them singing...

Time Limits...

There is much excitement at the moment about a few politicians who are calling for the time limit for abortion to be limited to 20 weeks instead of the current 24 weeks.

At first sight, it might appear that to campaign for a reduction is a good thing - some lives might be saved, and softly, softly catchee monkey, winning hearts and minds... maybe a total ban can be worked towards, eventually...

SPUC has explained why this is wishful thinking - any pro-life amendment would be voted down in the current parliamentary climate, and the opportunity to add anti-life amendments would be given, and those would probably get through.

To those who think that we need to work slowly towards getting rid of abortion, I just want to point out the blindingly obvious:

Either abortion is wrong because it is the killing of a human being, or it is not. Life begins at conception. There is no "acceptable" time at which to kill a baby. To call for a reduction in the time limit ignores this basic point.

There is currently a poll on the Telegraph's website which asks when people think the limit should be - and just for once, "total ban" is actually an option...

BTW, the photo at the top of the post is what the politicians are saying can be aborted - a baby at 20 weeks' gestation.

Open Season...

I had high hopes that the Monsignori were getting tired of me rescuing their prey and throwing it out of the bedroom window (before you protest, I'm on the ground floor and there is a large patch of grass outside the window, and the kitties can't get to it very quickly from inside the flat!) There hadn't been any presents for ages.

The cats just about tolerate each other. When it gets very cold, they cease hostilities and both curl up on the duvet. The rest of the time they put up with each other - sulking if I appear to give the other a bit more attention.

However, it seems as though they are happy to cooperate when there is fun to be had...

Miaowrini came in with a mouse. I realised she had a mouse because Furretti immediately woke from her position at the end of the bed (where she had been deaf to all my blandishments, apparently fast asleep) and shot into the hall to see what was up. The two cats proceeded to play... well, cat-and-mouse !

Yesterday I came home to find a large pigeon by my armchair. Thankfully it was dead. I didn't clear it up immediately, as I had to go and powder my nose. When I did go back, I found that the bird had been dragged to a more prominent position... and both cats were waiting for my response...