Spiritual Support...

The Cardinals have the unenviable task ahead of them to elect the next Pope. They need to pray for guidance, and they need to do their utmost to ignore everything other than the good of the Church.

Although we ordinary Catholics cannot vote in the Conclave, we do have a duty to pray for the Cardinals during this time, and to beseech heaven for a good and holy man who will lead the Church. That's why I was so pleased to find Adopt A Cardinal. You send in your email address, and get given a random Cardinal to pray for.

You pray for him to make a good decision, not for him to become Pope (though that is a possibility, obviously!)

Anyway, I signed up, and was given Francesco Cardinal Monterisi of Italy. He's getting on a bit - he'll be 79 at the end of May - and there doesn't seem to be much information about him. I like the fact that, according to the Wikipedia page about him, he is a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. That means that he gets to investigate miracles. I like to think that looking at miracles would give one a firm appreciation of spiritual things and having prayers answered... it seems so very... well... Catholic! Helping the poor and working for justice and peace are important, but one doesn't actually have to have faith. Plenty of atheists would behave the same way, though without the benefit of grace.

Over 80,000 people have adopted a Cardinal, and its comforting to think that each of the 115 electors will have nearly 700 people praying for him during the run-up to the Conclave (and during it, naturally, as well as for three days after the election!) Do go over and adopt your very own Cardinal!

The Attacks Increase In Force...

I hadn't intended to post anything about the scandal which has broken around Cardinal O'Brien, but during Mass this evening I became convinced that I needed to say something.

I get the distinct impression that the attacks on the Church are increasing in vitriol and fervour, and that things are building up to a crescendo. The attacks are not just from human agencies - the devil is throwing everything he has at the Bride of Christ.

First of all, the Cardinal is accused of "inappropriate behaviour". He has denied the accusations. The law of this land still (notionally) accepts the idea of "presumed innocent until proven guilty," hence the idea that the prosecution has to prove guilt, and not the defendant having to prove innocence. False accusations have been made against priests (and others) in the past. So we must bear in mind that these accusations may be a vile calumny against Cardinal O'Brien.

Next, even if the Cardinal is guilty, it must be noted that this "inappropriate behaviour" did not involve children. The people involved were adults. In addition, it seems (from the vague and sketchy report in The Observer) that alcohol was involved. Human beings often get into inappropriate sexual situations when alcohol is involved. It is hardly earth-shattering news. It's a sin, of course, but not something unheard of.

I have certainly done things I regret whilst under the influence. When I sobered up, I regretted my actions, and resolved never to repeat them. Catholics have this wonderful Sacrament called Confession which allows them to express their sorrow for past sins to God, and He gives us absolution through the ministry of the priest. Then we can start afresh. We might repeat the sins, but as long as we intend not to do so, then that's all God asks. Even priests (and Cardinals) get to go to Confession.

This all leaves me with some very basic questions.

First of all, this happened about thirty years ago. Why have the accusations only been made now? If one of the men was in his 20s when it happened, why, at the age of 50 years, does he suddenly feel the need to complain? Why didn't he complain back in 2003 when O'Brien was made Cardinal? A quote in the Observer article said that the Cardinal's accusers "want the Conclave electing the new Pope to be 'clean.' " Oh really? In that case, why didn't they say something at the last Conclave? You know... the one where Pope Benedict XVI was elected.

Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that it's only since the last Conclave that Cardinal O'Brien has been speaking out forcefully on pro-life issues, and the defense of traditional marriage?

All this leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth. If you need an antidote, go and read Mark Lambert's excellent blog post.

And when you've finished that, pray for the Church. Then pray some more.

Oh yes... one final point, in case anyone is tempted to use the combox to accuse the Cardinal of hypocrisy for condemning homosexual activity while indulging in such behaviour himself. Please don't bother. One can be a sinner oneself and still recognise (and preach) about the Truth.

Cold...

Yeah, yeah... I know. Everywhere else copes with much colder conditions than we get here in England. But we're supposed to have a temperate climate, so "cold" isn't something we cope with very well, I guess.

The Blackfen Faith Group went to London on Friday. We did manage to see my favourite painting, but photos were definitely not allowed. We stopped for a photo opportunity by the fountains in Trafalgar Square. It was cold enough to freeze some of the water on the fountain...

Well, I was impressed...

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

Conclave Clarification...

Cardinal Mahony has clarified his previous tweet. He does not intend to tweet during the Conclave itself..

Crawling Out Of The Woodwork...

For the next week or so, things are going to be horrible for Catholics. I almost envy the Cardinals their secluded Conclave - no outside information, no papers, no radio, no internet...

...Well,I did say almost...!

The abdication of the Holy Father seems to have encouraged those opposed to Pope Benedict's reforms to speak out. They have all come crawling out of the woodwork, eager to spread their dissenting opinions and views, perhaps in the hopes of influencing the choice of successor to the Chair of Peter. Annie Elizabeth told me that there was a positive side to this...

Just look at this little offering from the Editor of the Bitter Pill... (and Annie Elizabeth's riposte!)

We can see this as a positive development. It will certainly make it easier for the new Pope to clean out the dross.

Nonsense Not Restricted To The Mainstream Media...

At the time of the last Conclave, I was teaching RE (among other things) in a Catholic school. With all the media interest, and the sheer novelty of the event for most people, I was determined to make sure that I got my facts straight. I had great fun discussing the whole process with each of my classes, and I was almost disappointed when things finished so quickly!

Now, I don't for one instant claim that this makes me an expert. But it does give me a good general grasp on how the whole setup is supposed to work.

Which is why I found this little piece in Vatican Insider so very odd.

After all, doesn't the name suggest that the reporters will actually know what goes on in the Vatican? And, even though Conclaves don't happen all that frequently, this will be the fourth in 35 years... and the last one happened only 8 years ago (amid considerable media interest!)

So why on earth are they suggesting that some Cardinals might tweet from the Conclave?

I can understand that PaddyPower has allowed bets that a Cardinal will tweet (currently 8/1 odds), but then they are allowing people to put money on Richard Dawkins for Pope. But I did expect Catholic sources to be better informed.

The Cardinals swear an oath just before all unauthorised persons leave the Sistine Chapel. In particular,

"...We promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorisation is granted by the same Pontiff."

The Camerlengo and three assistants act as vigilanti, checking for bugs and other electronic devices, and all communication with the outside world is forbidden - no papers, publications of any kind, news bulletins (audio or video) - and, although Twitter isn't mentioned specifically, I'm pretty sure that it's covered in the news bulletin category...

Unfortunately, it would appear that even some Cardinals haven't quite figured out the procedure. Assuming that his account hasn't been hacked, Cardinal Mahony was unwise enough to advertise his intentions...

He might benefit from reading this handy little guide to the Conclave from the CTS which can be downloaded free...

Feeling Slightly Paranoid...

Ever get the feeling you're being watched...?

Legitimate Speculation...

Reflecting on the passing of time and the impending abdication of the Holy Father, it occurred to me that the upcoming Conclave will be my fourth.

Admittedly, two of them occurred before I became Catholic. But I have vivid memories of my father (a lapsed Catholic) being very interested in the election of John Paul I, and then, soon after, sitting with him and watching the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel on television as John Paul II was voted in. I didn't understand the significance at the time, and was only vaguely aware that my father was a Catholic, but I did know that he thought it was important.

I've posted before on my experience of the last Conclave. I had remarked, more in jest than anything else, that it would be wonderful if Cardinal Ratzinger was elected; I was told that this was not even remotely likely, but that he would be very influential in determining John Paul II's successor.

That was as far as speculation on my part went. I didn't really know of any other Cardinals, except for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. The Catholic blogosphere wasn't as extensive as it is now, and, though the mainstream media bias against Catholicism was less widely acknowledged, I distrusted it as a source of reliable information on the Church, and had already given up my television. There wasn't really any time to consider who was papabile. It seemed to be in poor taste to speculate during the Pope's final illness, and once he had died, there was the period of mourning: speculation then as to possible successors seemed to be in equally poor taste.

This time, of course, there is no death, and no period of mourning. Many Catholics, like myself, have experienced a sort of grief and mourning at what seemed to be abandonment; however, the emotions are different to those which would have followed the death of the Holy Father. We have, in effect, been given "permission" to discuss the candidates for Peter's Chair.

Technically, any single, baptised Catholic man could be elected Pope. In reality it is highly unlikely that the man won't be a cardinal. There are 117 cardinals who will be eligible to vote. The Vatican website names 118 cardinal-electors, but it seems that, since the Holy Father's abdication takes place on 28th February, Lubomyr Cardinal Husar (whose 80th birthday occurs two days earlier) will be ineligible to vote.

Checking out the names on the Catholic blogosphere has made me draw only one conclusion: the field is really wide open, and it's anyone's guess. The inimitable Fr. Z seems to be keeping pretty quiet, though he has been looking at the cardinals' qualifications. Fr. Finigan won't make any predictions, though he has indicated his personal preference would be Mauro Cardinal Piacenza.

Just out of curiosity, I decided to have a look at PaddyPower - I'd used them to place a bet on the next Archbishop of Westminster (I lost.)

At the moment, Peter Cardinal Turkson is favourite at 5/2. Presumably this is because of the excitement about a possible black pope... disregarding the fact that a few of the popes in the past have presumably been black (think about where they came from!) But the old saying goes "He who enters the Conclave as Pope leaves as Cardinal."

HE Mauro Piacenza is being quoted at 40/1. Cardinal Burke is given odds of 80/1. Interestingly, Cardinal O'Brien from Scotland is at 66/1. PaddyPower even has a tongue-in-cheek rationale for predicting the next pontiff.

One shouldn't pay too much attention to the bookies' favourites, however. Richard Dawkins is given odds of 666/1. I'd have said that hell would freeze over sooner!

In A Reflective Mood...

The Blackfen Faith Group has been planning a trip to the National Gallery to see a small selection of Christian art. Hearing about some of the pictures reminded me of my favourite: Christ before the High Priest by Gerrit van Honthorst.

The first time I saw the picture, it took my breath away...

I'd read in the Gospel accounts how Christ hadn't answered Caiaphas, the High Priest, after he had been betrayed by Judas and captured in the Garden of Gethsemane. I hadn't given much consideration to the fact that Jesus was silent in the face of the false accusations.

Looking at the picture, I could suddenly see that Christ's silence radiates power. Caiaphas is supposedly the one in charge by virtue of his office, but Christ's silence appears to make him uncomfortable, challenging him to recognise that the accusations are false. I get the feeling that, the longer Christ stands there, saying nothing, the more pricked Caiaphas' conscience becomes, the angrier he gets, and the more determined he becomes to rid himself of this man who dares to challenge his authority. And Jesus stands there, in silence.

This is also, I think, the true depiction of meekness: we have been conditioned to think of meekness as synonymous with weakness and lack of spirit. On the contrary, true meekness involves self-mastery and strength of character - something exemplified by Van Honthorst's masterpiece.

He's Got A Little List...

Back in 2009, a version of the "little list" appeared on The Monstrous Regiment of Women. It was rather good, and I promptly snaffled the text and posted it, giving credit where it was due, of course.

Now Bruvver Eccles has produced an updated version which is just as amusing... though the original little list still stands, as I'm sure Eccles would be the first to admit...

Explain This One To Me...

If, as some of the mainstream media would have us believe, Pope Benedict XVI was sooooo very unpopular, and he failed to make the Church relevant by embracing changing attitudes, then how is it that more than 150,000 people turned up for what is, effectively, nothing more than a short talk on a Sunday lunchtime...?

Photo from L'Osservatore Romano

Just for a comparison, 62,000 people attended the opening ceremony at the London Olympics in July last year...

Avoiding Anger...

After my little rant yesterday about the rubbish portrayed as Catholicism by the mainstream media, and my efforts to avoid the sin of anger being thwarted by a particularly beastly opinion of the Holy Father's legacy given by Bishop Kieran Conry, I thought I might redress the balance a little by posting a few good reports from the blogosphere.

First of all, I rather appreciated this little video clip of an interview with Cardinal Arinze shortly after the announcement was made.

This is the sort of response one expects from a shepherd of the Church, and, dare I say it, Bishop Conry would do well to take note. I've had a soft spot for Cardinal Arinze ever since he offered to give a turkey to anyone who could show him where in the documents of Vatican II the removal of altar rails was decreed.

Confirmation of my view that the majority of mainstream journalists get it so very wrong was given by Tim Stanley, one of The Telegraph's bloggers. He sounded almost as annoyed with the MSM's approach to Catholicism as me. I think one of my favourite lines has to be "So The Guardian’s ideal Pope is someone who isn’t a Catholic."

And finally, at least, for this post (there are plenty of other excellent tributes to the Holy Father) there was a really excellent message from Fr. Julian Large, Provost at the London Oratory. I actually laughed out loud when I read the caveat to his thoughts on the significance of the lightning bolt which struck St. Peter's:

"The Provost of this Oratory has not been invested with extraordinary prophetic powers, and his knowledge of geophysics is slight; so anything that he might have to say on the subject of thunderbolts might safely be taken with a scruple-spoonful of blessed and exorcised salt.."

There is a great wealth of good material on the blogosphere. You just have to practise custody of the eyes...

The Sin Of Anger...

I know I shouldn't do it.

I know I should resist temptation, but I am fallible.

Every time the Church hits the news, I promise to avoid all occasions of sin - namely reading or watching anything in the mainstream media. I can guarantee that the Church's teachings and the Holy Father will be misrepresented, scorned and ridiculed... If I could persuade Paddy Power to take my bet, I would make a fortune... except that even they might notice that it's a dead cert.

One can almost understand an atheist or non-Catholic article to get things wrong - I say "almost" because responsible journalism used to involve checking one's facts before publication. But what makes me really angry is when the rubbish being spouted is given credibility because it is from a Catholic.

Ex-nuns and laicised priests are particular favourites for the MSM. People who write for that dreadful rag, The Bitter Pill (which ought to be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act) are also seen and heard from quite frequently. And any Catholic who has declared publicly that the Church is "wrong" on this or that doctrine is bound to come crawling out of the woodwork sooner or later (most probably sooner!)

With the Holy Father's abdication (or resignation, or renunciation, or whatever the correct term should be) on Monday, I had done quite well. I stuck to The Catholic Herald, the occasional piece in The Telegraph (only if the title seemed fairly positive) and the Catholic blogosphere.

I had done quite well, that is, until this afternoon, when a friend posted a link onto my timeline on Facebook.

The Bishop in question is Bishop Kieran Conry. I know that he is no fan of the Holy Father (his comments about the implementation of Summorum Pontificum make that clear), but one does expect a sort of statesmanlike attitude towards the Papacy from one's bishops. A degree of respect and diplomacy when speaking of the decisions of the Pope... you know, the sort of stuff which was actually demanded of the faithful by Lumen Gentium:

"...In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking." (LG n. 25)

I was under the impression that Lumen Gentium was one of the documents actually produced by the Second Vatican Council. Obviously the good bishop has only read those bits which count as "reforming ideals."

Fortunately for my blood pressure, the majority of the article is behind a subscription paywall. Therefore I can't read the hatchet-job he has probably done on the Holy Father.

Words I Never Expected To Hear At Blackfen...

This has been a week of momentous happenings.

Asked whether he thought a visit to the pub might be in order after the evening Mass, Blackfen's Senior MC was actually heard to say that he didn't think it was "quite in the spirit... "

Next thing, he'll be quoting the Spirit of Vatican II.

I don't think I can take many more of these shocks...

Further Reactions To The News...

I'm tempted to say that it looks as if even Our Lord was thunderstruck at yesterday's announcement...

The Holy Father Abdicates!

I'm still in shock.

The news that Pope Benedict XVI is to abdicate in just over a fortnight has left me feeling rather numb and somewhat bereft.

It is understandable that the Holy Father finds it a dreadful strain, especially at his advanced age, and obviously this is something he will have prayed about and reflected upon for some time. He will, one day, be held to account for his stewardship of the Church - a truly unenviable position. And it seems that he deems it best to hand over that stewardship swiftly, rather than allow a prolonged period of increasing ill-health and fevered speculation about his successor.

It is still a shock...

It seems that it was a shock even to those closest to him. The Holy Father will be the first Pope in 600 years to renounce the Papacy.

Nevertheless, the Church does not have "policies" or "programmes" which change with the shifting winds of popular opinion. She teaches Truths which endure for eternity. So the Press can save its breath and stop speculating on whether the new Pope will "allow" female ordination, gay "marriage," contraception, and such like. He won't.

Christ promised that he would be with his Bride, the Church, to the end of the ages, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against her. We need to demonstrate our trust in that promise.

And we should pray for our great Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI... and pray for his successor.

Progress... (Of Sorts...)

It seems that Miaowrini is finally learning some manners.

Tonight she brought in a mouse, and before tucking in, she laid it down very carefully in her food bowl...

Despite appearances, the mouse was still alive, and, since I didn't fancy the idea of listening to it being slaughtered in the middle of my beauty sleep, I felt obliged to rescue it.

A Typical Sunday In Blackfen...

One is never bored at Blackfen.

The parish is a lively one, and there is usually something going on. Of course, there are only 52 Sundays in the year (give or take) and so the calendar does occasionally get a little full...

This morning was an example.

First there was the 9am English Mass with children's liturgy and the children's choir chanting things like the Introit and singing the Mass propers. Directly after that, there was a Religious Sister and a Lay Brother from an Orthodox convent in Belarus selling icons and stuff to raise money for their work looking after orphans and disabled people. I had been tasked by Annie Elizabeth to get something "nice" which meant that I was in absolute agonies in case my ideas of "nice" didn't pass muster. I took comfort from the fact that directly after I nabbed one of the icons, several other people came up and asked about the same one. Meanwhile, the altar servers were changing various things over from green to purple as it was Quinquagesima in the old calendar, as well as setting up the gradines and arranging the altar for Mass to be celebrated ad orientem. Music for the usus antiquior Mass also had to be laid out.

It goes without saying that Mass was wonderful. It's almost the oasis of calm in the middle of the maelstrom. Even so, the Confessional door is opened and shut so often that I have occasionally wondered if a revolving door might help.

No Baptisms this week. Gosh, the Parish Priest is slacking!

Tidying up after the Mass and setting up for the Novus Ordo evening Mass is pretty routine. All the servers help (though some of the younger ones have been known to try to escape). Today, things were a little more hectic, as the Religious Sister and the Lay Brother were busy selling more of their icons, and that meant that rather more people than usual were in the Small Hall.

The choir practice was therefore held in the little room with all the cupboards which is between the church and the Small Hall. I know this because I fell over Leutgeb putting them through their paces when I was getting stuff from the cupboards...

The Senior MC wanted to refresh the gas canisters on his supply of lifebelts  It was considered desirable that the servers and Parish Priest received training for what to do in the case of flooding (well, Blackfen is built on... ummm... a fen...) to compliment their training for what to do in the case of fire.

Sadly, I had one of my frequent blonde moments, and managed to press the wrong button, so the video of the operation of the lifebelts didn't record. I did manage to get a photo or two of the aftermath...

I believe that the parish club was preparing to watch some rugby match this afternoon - something to do with six nations. I wasn't paying attention because, thanks to the eagle-eyed Zephyrinus, I discovered that I had yet another flat tyre.

At least this time I could wait for the breakdown services in the comfort of the parish club...

Quinquagesima Sunday...

I love the name "Quinquagesima" ! In fact, all the "-gesimas" have a certain ring to them. Quinquagesima, as the inimitable Fr. Z reminds us, is the symbolic fiftieth day before Easter.

We're on the home straight before the rigours of Lent begin. Hopefully we've all decided on our penances, our prayers and our almsgiving for the Lenten season. If not, now is the last chance.

Tuesday is not "pancake" day - it's Shrove Tuesday. To be shriven is to be absolved from your sins. Shrove Tuesday is thus named because it was traditionally the day people went to Confession before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The emphasis was on preparing for Lent, not just seeing Lent as preparation for Easter (though obviously it is that too!) But Ash Wednesday should not catch us unawares...

Excuses...

My MP, Teresa Pearce, replied to my concerns about same-sex "marriage" with what appears to be a standard letter, as she doesn't address the points I raised about teachers losing their jobs, churches being pressured by the ECHR, or priests going to prison. She also didn't bother to explain why this legislation was being addressed when so much else of far more importance was not being dealt with.

I really can't be bothered to type out the whole blurb. The main excuse she gives for voting in favour of the Bill is as follows...

"I understand that this is a sensitive matter... However, my stance on this issue is that I think that people should be treated equally, both socially and legally, no matter what their gender, race, religion or sexuality. My initial view was that the creation of civil partnerships removed the inequalities relating to property and inheritance that used to exist and therefore I was not convinced of the need to go that further step to gay marriage.

"However some very practical differences between civil partnerships and marriage have recently been brought to my attention. For instance, under the current laws relating to pensions, immigration and powers of attorney, people in civil partnerships are not given the same rights as people who are married..."

If this really was the case, it would seem far better to change the law regarding the practical differences rather than trying to redefine an institution which has been understood in the same way for millennia, the consequences of which have not been fully considered and which will lead to the persecution of people with religious beliefs.

Unless, of course, it is the intention to persecute those with religious beliefs...

Hunting Season Resumes...

It seems as if the recent lull in wildlife being brought in to the house may have come to an end...

The snow seemed to have discouraged the kitties from going hunting. It is understandable: the snow was deeper than the kitties are tall. Why get cold and wet when you don't have to?

I was getting ready to go out for tea with Leutgeb this afternoon when a sudden bang of the catflap and a squawk stopped me in my tracks. Miaowrini had her mouth full of pigeon, and was endeavoring to carry her catch through to the sitting room. At first I thought the bird was dead, and would have cleaned up the mess on my return, but another squawk suggested the bird was still alive.

Out came the towel - it calms the bird, which goes quite still when everything goes "dark," and the cat gets confused. I carried the bird to the window and opened the towel. The bird didn't move, and I feared it was so wounded I'd have to wring its neck. However, on throwing it upwards (I'm on the ground floor, I hasten to add), the bird fluttered its wings a bit, landed safely and ran off under a parked car.

As I left five minutes later, I looked for the pigeon, but it had gone - presumably it had got over its shock and flown away.

Miaowrini is still sulking...

Cameron On Toast...?

I do think that, whatever the outcome on Tuesday with regard to the redefinition of marriage, Cameron's career has basically been ended. He has been caught out, and the British electorate is a rather unforgiving beast. Politicians are almost expected to lie and cheat, but being caught is considered unforgivable.

Just before the last General Election, David Cameron stated that he had no plans to redefine marriage. He said it in an interview on Sky TV. The Coalition for Marriage has further details.

Mr. Cameron's word, far from being his bond, isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Just as Bishop Devine said, people will not trust him in the future.

Quite frankly, in my humble opinion, he's toast.

Twitch of the mantilla to Fr. Finigan.

Blackfen's Latest MC...

One of the things I love about the senior servers at Blackfen is their willingness to coach the younger ones. There is none of this "Well, for the first five years you'll be torchbearer, and then, maybe, we'll consider working you up to senior torchbearer!" The Senior MC likes to keep everyone on their toes, and so all the servers have to learn all of the different jobs. This means that the various roles usually get divvied out according to who shows up earliest in the Sacristy and expresses a preference...

Except for the awesome role of MC...

For the last two weeks, one of the younger servers has been having a little extra instruction after the Mass, and today he got the top spot. That meant that he had to keep an eye on the other servers... and also to tell Father what to do. Seriously daunting stuff for an adult, let alone a 12 year-old...

He did incredibly well. You can see a few more photos on my Flickr set for Septuagesima 2013.

Calendars...

I help in the Sacristy at Blackfen. That means that I have to work with both the Novus Ordo and the Usus Antiquior calendars... it can get a little confusing, especially at this time of year.

This morning was a case in point. I wasn't completely on the ball, and discovered that the Senior MC had set up green vestments, tabernacle veil and antependium for Mass (Third Sunday after Epiphany - no idea why!) when I had been expecting red for St. Polycarp. Zephyrinus was ready to remove the antependium and swap the tabernacle veil to white after Mass as it was due to be followed by Exposition and Benediction. He was then all set to change everything to purple for Septuagesima... only there isn't any such thing as Septuagesima in the Novus Ordo, so it was actually back to green for this evening and 9am tomorrow morning... and then we'll have purple at the 10:30am Mass and green at the 6pm.

I really don't understand why it was necessary to drop Septuagesima in the Novus Ordo calendar. Human nature being what it is, we need the different seasons of the Church's year to be marked out. There is a difference in emphasis between the Sundays after Epiphany and the Sundays after Pentecost. It helps no-one to simply lump them together as "Sundays in Ordinary Time."

And then there is Lent. It is rapidly approaching. I was quite surprised to realise that it's only three weeks away! But without the reminder that tomorrow is Septuagesima Sunday, I wouldn't have made the connection.

Septuagesima is like the warm-up before the race. Lent needs preparation: forty days of prayer, penance and almsgiving doesn't just happen overnight. Now there are three weeks in which to limber up, to work out what to do, and to make those resolutions.

After all, there's nothing worse than making the decision, on Shrove Tuesday, to give up chocolate for Lent, only to find those three bars of Galaxy in the cupboard on Ash Wednesday...

The Kraken Awakes...

It feels as if I've been in hibernation for a week.

I haven't... it just feels like it.

I did get my "snow day" on Monday. This allowed me to spend the best part of an hour on the phone trying to find a garage that was (a) open and (b) had the correct tyres for my car. I had no idea that it would be such a tricky operation! Once I had located the tyres, I then had to sit for two hours in my car, waiting for the breakdown service to arrive to help me get my flat tyres sorted. I hadn't broken down at home, you see. I did ask for someone from the breakdown service to call me when they were close to arriving, but I had a sneaking suspicion that, being so busy on Monday, they wouldn't phone, and, if I wasn't by my car they'd go off somewhere else instead.

I was right - they didn't phone... fortunately I was sitting in my car when they arrived.

Tuesday was slightly crazy. Everything had been thrown out of kilter by the day off, and it was tricky to figure out which classes were "as planned" and which needed to be reassigned. By Wednesday I felt as if I was making enough headway to be able to treat myself to a night out. It was my first time at a meeting of The Keys, and Delia (who sometimes comments here) had invited me to attend as her guest.

I found my way to St. Mary Moorfields without any problems, and actually arrived in plenty of time for Mass (a first for me at this church!) Then we went downstairs for a delicious meal, followed by Fr. Tim giving an excellent talk on New Movements and New Media. It was extremely encouraging to hear how very positive the Holy Father has been about the use of blogs, Twitter and Facebook for spreading the faith, and I'm looking forward to reading his message for World Communications Day which is all about the new media (I just haven't had time yet!)

Delia invited me back for a coffee, and I accepted eagerly, secure in the knowledge that I had already prepared all my lessons for the next day. Alas, I forgot that I am no longer a spring chicken, and it was a very bleary-eyed Mulier who staggered in to work the next day, late (well, 7:15am is late for me these days!) By the end of the day, I had a splitting headache, and, once I had sorted out a few more lessons, I dragged myself home and crawled straight under the duvet.

10 hours' sleep (albeit with some very strange dreams) was almost enough to sort me out, and I was in work at 6:30am this morning, bright-tailed and bushy-eyed; I am not, and never will be, a morning-person! I'm starting to flag just a bit, but there's a chance of a lie-in tomorrow morning, so I thought I'd obey the Pope and do some blogging while waiting for our new Faith Group to start...

More later...

Snow Chaos...

On Friday, school finished a lesson early because the snow of that morning was forecast to get a lot worse, and getting home for many people might be a problem. I took the opportunity to pop into a local supermarket on my way home. As I returned to my car, I noticed that I had a flat rear tyre...

Calling out the breakdown service I pay for along with my car insurance, I resigned myself to a long, cold wait - well, the snow was playing havoc with many people's cars, and the number of breakdowns and crashes being reported was much higher than usual. I felt rather smug as I'd made sure I had a spare tyre in the boot in time for my MOT at Christmas, and so I didn't anticipate any trouble.

Before you ask, yes, I do know how to change a tyre (in theory) but I have knee problems, which means that the practicalities are just too awkward. And anyway, I might break a nail...

Nevertheless, by the time I got home, I was a frozen block of ice, and I regretfully decided against venturing back out for Catholic Evensong at Blackfen, and curled up with a hot water bottle under the duvet for an early night.

By Saturday morning, much of the snow had melted, and I made my way to Mass, Exposition & Benediction without mishap.

This morning everything was blanketed in a fresh layer of the fluffy white stuff. The cats were not at all happy - Monsignor Miaowrini checked it by sticking her head through the cat flap...

... and then she decided to come back in again. Cardinal Furretti, very much a home body at the best of times, and disinclined to leave her creature comforts, watched from a safe distance...

I made my way to the car, cleared the windscreen and mirrors of snow, and started to drive off. It felt a bit odd, but I assumed that it was due to the snow. Halfway down the road I realised that whatever was wrong wasn't just the effect of snow. I pulled over and started to investigate. Sure enough, I had another flat tyre! This time it was a front one... but I hadn't managed to replace the spare...

I must just say that a man waiting by the bus stop actually offered to change the tyre for me, but, as I didn't have a spare I had to decline his kind offer. Still, it cheered me up to think that people still offer help to complete strangers!

I then had a tricky call to make: abandon the attempt to get to church and phone the breakdown services in the hope that they could get me to a garage which sold tyres (and had the correct size in stock) or abandon the car, and deal with it later. The forecast suggested that the weather was going to get worse, and I didn't know whether buses and taxis would still be running if things became icy after dark, so planning to attend the evening Mass seemed like a bad idea. I rang the taxi firm I use most frequently, explained where I'd fetched up, and asked them to come and collect me...

It was definitely the right call. Several of the local garages I phoned after Mass turned out to be shut (a combination of Sunday and snow). The ones that were open couldn't tell me if they had the correct tyre in stock without looking at the wheel (even the franchise dealership I'd bought the car from, which has the car in its computer records, professed themselves unable to access the information!) and I didn't much fancy waiting for the breakdown services to take me from garage to garage on the offchance. I decided to throw in the towel and go out for lunch instead...

When I finally arrived home, the kitties had decided that two bodies were warmer than one, and were curled up together at the top of my wardrobe (normally Miaowrini's domain!), obviously all power games are off for the moment.

The snow continues to fall, and I have great hopes of a "snow day" tomorrow. With any luck, I can get the car sorted out then...

A Night At The Opera...

Well, technically it was a night out for the choir at Bluewater's Showcase Cinema. However, the "film" we went to see was actually a live satellite broadcast of the New York Met Opera's performance of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda.

Leutgeb had suggested and then organised the trip. Annie Elizabeth volunteered to act as driver for anyone who wished to leave the car at home (like me!). His Hermeneuticalness led the hissing (for Elizabeth and Cecil) and the applause (for Mary Stuart) and, later on, Zephyrinus charmed one of the waitresses at Café Rouge with his knowledge of Hungarian (I think it was Hungarian, but he speaks so many languages it's hard to tell...)

It was a wonderful performance. It was my first experience of the bel canto style, and I found it very powerful. I did wonder what it must have been like for the two sopranos when they were belting out their lines cheek-to-cheek! I was also rather amused to note that a contentious line in the opera (which Italian censors at the time had found objectionable - I think it was the bit where Mary calls Elizabeth a "vile bastard") was sung, but not subtitled. You can read the New York Times' review here.

During the interval (I did point out that it was a live broadcast) there were interviews with the main characters, which provided a fascinating insight into the roles. Joshua Hopkins (Cecil) tried to defend his character's behaviour, saying that he just wanted what was best for England. That cut no ice with us - he was definitely the villain of the piece.

Fantastic sets, wonderful costumes, brilliant acting and superb music. I can't wait for the next choir outing!

Ooberfuse's World Youth Day Song...

About a month ago, I blogged about Ooberfuse and the fact that they wanted volunteers to go to North Greenwich Tube Station to dance for their official music video for Rio 2013.

I've been watching out for the result, and the video is promised soon... but the song itself is rather catchy, so I'm putting it up early...

Well, you can't really dance to Gregorian chant, and Haugen, Inwood & co. just don't cut the mustard in the catchy tunes department...

Even More Busy...

Still very busy at work. But being a Science teacher has a few perks... such as the opportunity to gross out the children. I will be doing this one (for real) with my Year 8s - they're about 12-13 years old - which should prove entertaining...

The Call To Arms...

The news of the letter (published in the Daily Telegraph) to Mr. David Cameron from 1000 Roman Catholic priests protesting against his foolish proposal to redefine marriage really encouraged me. The seriousness of such a redefinition has indeed acted as a wake-up call to many. It is abundantly clear that this proposal is a direct attack against religious freedom, and people are realising that we have to make a stand.

You can read some more responses by Damian Thompson, Fr. Ray Blake, Fr. Tim Finigan, John Smeaton and Protect the Pope. I'm sure that there have been others that I've missed, and there will be many more in the next few days.

Thank God for the many priests and bishops who have signed the letter. I'm sure that there are many more who would have signed if the timescale had not been so short. Have a look at the letter, and have a look here to see if your parish priest has signed. If he has, do be sure to thank him for his act of witness, and encourage him to continue to speak out. Remember, he may shortly find himself in prison for daring to state the truths of the Faith.

Busy, Busy, Busy...!

The start of a new term has hit me with the force of a large brick smacked against the side of my head...

Nevertheless, I was delighted to be able to hear Dawn Eden's talk when she visited Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen on Monday night. She gave a very moving talk on how devotion to the saints had helped her overcome the wounds of sexual abuse, and explained how the saints are actually a way in which God shows his love for us, rather than, as many Protestants believe, a way of leading people away from God.

I got a signed copy of Dawn's book, My Peace I Give You, and I'm really looking forward to reading it... unfortunately that treat is on the back-burner until things get quieter at work.

I was a little tired on Monday (though probably nowhere near as tired as Dawn herself: her talk in Blackfen was her second one of the day) partly because of my start-of-term fear of oversleeping, partly because of the shock to my system after the two-week break, and partly because I had developed a stinking cold. Even so, I was absolutely determined to get a photo of myself with Dawn, and persuaded His Hermeneuticalness to take a photo of us both...

What? Well, you didn't really think I'd allow myself to appear without my mantilla, did you? And Dawn said she'd brought hers along specially...

Do go over and read Dawn's blogs - she has two: The Dawn Patrol (a more personal blog, I think) and Feast of Eden (a blog which focuses more on saints and spiritual healing).

Those Twelve Days Of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... the following delivery dispatch note.

Secret Santa Enterprises, Inc.
North Pole Science Park

Dear Madam,

Thank you very much for your order, received 25 December 2012. Our Dispatches Department has had a few problems in fulfilling your requirements, and it is with regret that I have to inform you that the items you requested cannot be sent at this time.

Item: Partridge/Pear Tree Combo (1) The partridge is a ground-nesting bird, and has refused to consider arboreal transportation of any kind. It is also not the correct time of year to uproot pear trees, which are very susceptible to frost.

Item: Turtle Doves (1 pair) We did have one pair of turtle doves. Unfortunately there was a slight misunderstanding in the Cookery Department (Cook was very tipsy after a few pre-prandial sherries, and she's reading Alice in Wonderland at the moment!), and the turtle doves were mistakenly converted into a mock-turtle-dove soup. You will, I am sure, be comforted to know that the soup was excellent.

Item: Hens, French (3) The delivery of this item has been delayed by a dispute by lorry drivers at Calais. I can assure you that you would not have enjoyed this item, as the eggs generally smell of garlic and onions, with a certain je ne sais quoi sometimes identified as Galoises and felt berets.

Item: Birds, Calling (4) There was a slight misunderstanding here when the Chief Packer misread the delivery schedule, and attempted to send four call girls... fortunately the error was detected in time. As soon as the birds have been trained to use the latest in Nokia handsets, we will be sending them along to you.

Item: Rings, 24 Carat (5) Unfortunately, our stock of rings has been sorely depleted due to the depredations of a certain individual, last seen riding a white horse in the vicinity of Banbury Cross. She was described as a "fine lady," but, actually, must be a bit of a Chav to wear rings on all of her fingers...

Item: Geese, a-laying (6) Not much chance with this item either. Geese have proved very popular this Christmas (must be a new recipe out by Delia) and you won't be able to get your paws on one, a-laying or otherwise, for love nor money.

Item: Swans, Swimming (7) Madam, I do believe that you are, as they say, "extracting the urine." Swans are the property of the Crown, and while I might have been able to find one on the QT, seven is pushing your luck. Added to which is the problem of transportation. I mean, have you considered the size of one of those blighters? Some of them have a wingspan of six feet, and how, exactly, you were expecting us to be able to find a water tank large enough to accommodate all of them without drawing down the wrath of the animal rights lobby for cruel and inhumane transportation of live swans totally escapes me.

Item: Maids, Milking (8) Due to the latest edict of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (or whatever they're calling themselves this week) movement of livestock and all unnecessary movement of farm workers has been banned. Milkmaids are farm workers according to EU directive 21478/07. Blame blue tongue and foot-in-mouth disease... well, wouldn't you have a blue tongue if you put your foot in your mouth? I suppose it might be red tongue if you changed the colour of your socks...

Item: Dancing Ladies (9) I'm afraid that we're right out of dancing ladies as well. King Herod put in a bulk order back in June (he got the taste for that sort of thing after his niece did a demo) and stocks have not been replenished.

Item: Lords, Leaping (10) Don't hold your breath. From what I've seen on the Parliamentary Channel, you'd be lucky to get a couple of the old codgers to attend anything, and they'd be pretty moribund. Not inclined to leap. Sleep, yes. Leaping is definitely a no-go area. The insurance wouldn't cover it. Health and Safety. Someone might have a heart attack.

Item: Pipers (11) Have you taken complete leave of your senses, woman?? Have you ever actually heard anyone play the bagpipes?? It's the most ghastly din imaginable... and then to request eleven of the wretched things. No, please believe me, I have your best interests at heart when I say that this item has been discontinued.

Item: Drummers (12) Well, we could possibly dig up Phil Collins, and that chap from Queen... but twelve might be a bit difficult. Maybe you'd prefer a nice tambourine...
Once again, sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. We look forward to receiving your order next year.

Yours faithfully,
S. Claus.
Packaging & Delivery Section.

Yes, I'm afraid I rehashed this from 2007, but since I thought it was amusing, I decided to post it again!

Blackfen's Liturgy Committee Meeting...

Bet you didn't realise that there was a "Liturgy Committee" at Blackfen!

Actually, it's only for the Extraordinary Form Masses, and all that we do is work out when we want the visiting schola or the parish choir (other than Sundays), and which Mass setting would be appropriate. Extra fixtures, such as the Quarant'Ore have to be checked against cricket fixtures and beer festivals. Pretty simple, really.

So that's 2013 sorted.

The Clarion Call...

The British Province of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy has published a briefing paper on same-sex "marriage" which some people might find useful. It covers some of the most common questions we face on the issue, such as "Isn’t the Church just discriminating against gay people?"

The paper also makes it clear that:

"The Church calls on every Catholic, in conscience, to a clear and emphatic opposition to such proposals, [supporting SSM] and a refusal of any formal co-operation should such laws be passed."

Tuesday Tweeting...

The inimitable Fr. Z has suggested that all faithful Catholics who have Twitter accounts should coordinate their tweets to @Pontifex so that we get a trend going (and have a chance of the message actually getting through.)

So, the proposed tweet for Tuesday 1 Jan 2013 is simply @Pontifex Holy Father, I prayed for you today. Happy New Year of the Lord 2013!

Go for it, tweeps!

Happy New Year !

May the Year of Our Lord 2013

bring all my blog readers every blessing and happiness!

Just Another Day...

Sunday doesn't count as "the Lord's Day" because some Christians are happy to work on Sundays.

Well, then, how about you can't say stealing is unacceptable behaviour for humans, because there are rather a few people out there who are happy to steal things from others?

Oh, right. Not quite the same.

Fine. How about noting that some Muslims are happy to work on Fridays, but Friday is still understood as being special for observant Muslims? Or noting that the same applies to observant Jews and Saturdays?

And let's ignore the fact that "Christians" is a rather broad term with regard to the requirements of religious observance...

It might be worth pointing out, however, that when Sunday trading was being introduced, we were assured - nay, promised - that no-one who didn't want to work on Sunday would be forced to do so.

Small wonder that Government "promises" and "assurances" are actually considered to be worth somewhat less than the paper upon which they are written...

I'm with Annie Elizabeth on this one.