The Day With Mary Arrives In Margate...

My Summer holiday started in the best way possible - the Day With Mary team came to the parish of St. Austin & St. Gregory's, Margate.

The Day With Mary is a real spiritual powerhouse - it's a bit like going on a week's pilgrimage to Lourdes or Fatima... squeezed into the space of an afternoon. I really used to look forward to their annual visits to Blackfen; fortunately, this year, they were able to fit Margate into their busy programme...

We started with prayers and the crowning of the statue of Our Lady, followed by a procession around the local streets with the statue and the recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Then we had Mass - a wonderful Missa Cantata, with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate chanting the propers, and they sounded awesome.

Fr. Finigan gave a really good sermon, which will hopefully be made available on the DWM website soon. The thurifer and I both remarked afterwards that it really was a stonking good sermon, and ticked all the right boxes - which led to my proposal that we start giving out cards for "Sermon Bingo". First person to get a line has to shout "Church!"

Mass was followed by the Consecration of the Parish to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I found that particularly moving, especially when, in amongst the various groups of the parish, the Schola got a mention! Then, a break for lunch, and an opportunity to browse the extensive bookstall and the collection of rosaries, medals, scapulars, statues and prayer cards which the team had brought along. Due to the numbers attending, many people sat outside the church hall and a few more wandered around the presbytery garden. Fortunately the weather was absolutely glorious.

We returned to the church for Exposition, an outdoor procession of the Blessed Sacrament, a sermon given by a Fr. John Lawrence Polis, FI, the recitation of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and a meditation on each of the Stations of the Cross, Then it was time for tea.

Finally, we had the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, another sermon by Fr. Finigan, Benediction, enrolment into the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and conferring of the Miraculous Medal, blessing of any religious objects and the final farewell to Our Lady's statue...

That last bit always makes me want to cry.

Seeing scores of people waving white hankies as a sign of their devotion brings a lump to my throat, every single time. I can't explain why it should be such an emotional moment. But I know I'm not the only one to feel that way.

I took a few photos during the day, and if you want to get a glimpse of what a Day With Mary is like, you can have a look at my Flickr album. If you hear that the team is visiting a parish near you, I would heartily recommend going - just for a part of the day if you can't find time for the whole thing. I guarantee you'll leave feeling invigorated, refreshed and encouraged in your practice of the Faith.

Margate Sands & The Beginning Of Summer...

At the beginning of the month I ventured out onto the beach near my new flat. However, the sunshine was deceptive, and a bitter wind meant that I had little inclination to walk very far, or to do more than admire the waves from a safe (and dry) distance.

I'd initially had all sorts of good resolutions about walking to and from the station each day, but the reality of having to leave the house at 5:30am in order to catch the train soon persuaded me that this just wasn't going to happen. I'd have had to leave even earlier if I wanted to walk in the morning, and I was generally too wrecked in the evening to do anything other than crawl gratefully into my car (or a taxi.)

It is now the end of May, and although the weather is a little changeable, it's getting much warmer. Margate was packed for yesterday's Bank Holiday, but today was considerably quieter, and I decided that it was probably a good time to take another little stroll along the sea front.

In order to provide motivation (my psychology background does occasionally prove useful) I left my car parked at home, and took a taxi to lunch at The Hoy, (just opposite the Turner Contemporary) where they do a really good steak. Admirably fed and watered (*ahem*) it was then time to meander homewards.

I had originally intended to walk on the pavement beside the beach, but the tide was out, and the lifeboat launch area provided an inviting slope towards the waterline. The Harbour Arm end is quite deep when the tide is in, so the sand was nice and firm. I was fascinated by all the worm casts and ripples in the sand...

As I reached the boating pool, I found that the tide had moved further in, and it was a case of retreating right up the beach to the promenade or taking off my shoes and paddling round the rocks. I gleefully opted for the latter, feeling decidedly "naughty" as I had no intention of removing my tights and would have wet feet (and no towel!) Paddling in the sea is something I haven't done for years! I can heartily recommend it...

I reached the top of the slope near my flat about 45 minutes after I started off, and was quite amazed to see the distance I had travelled... You can just make out the Turner Contemporary building in the distance (click on the picture for a better view)...

More photos can be seen on my Flickr page.

Thanet's The Place To Be...

It's all go in Thanet...

This evening I attended Mass for the Feast of the Ascension at the gorgeous Shrine of St. Augustine at Ramsgate. A simple Missa Cantata... except that the music was courtesy of the Victoria Consort, and it was heavenly! Their superb voices completely filled the church. If you can't get to Thanet, you can always buy their CD...

This Sunday, 17 May, the parish of Ramsgate (St. Ethelbert's) is hosting a viewing of the latest DVD from St. Anthony Communications - so new that it isn't even up on their website yet. Called Marriage: God's design for Life and Love, the film presents the Catholic vision and understanding of marriage and the natural law, the beauty and meaning of human sexuality, family, and of the gift of children, and it addresses the challenges we face in our world today.

The DVD includes presentations by stalwarts of the Faith such as Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Bishop Mark Davies, Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Andrew Pinsent, Just to whet your appetite, here's the official trailer...

The Noble Art Of Kitty Shui...

We've all heard of Feng Shui... but less well-known is Kitty Shui (pron. shoo-ee) which involves chasing cats out of empty spaces...

Procrastination...

Yesterday provided the first real opportunity for unpacking a few boxes, and so I was absolutely determined to use my time wisely. Naturally, this meant that, at the first glimpse of sunshine, I immediately opted to let the unpacking go take a running jump and went out for a walk along the beach close to my flat...

I would just like to reassure my friends that I am not ill - I realise that I haven't voluntarily gone out for a random walk any time in the past decade, but there is something very appealing about a sandy beach... and anyway, the alternative was unpacking boxes.

I very nearly went for a paddle too... but it was just a bit too chilly.

Pastures New...

The kitty kill count in the sidebar is going to be rather uneventful for at least the next month or so. I have just moved house (down to Margate), and so, until they get used to the new place, the Cardinal and Monsignor are not allowed outside...

The cats have been a little freaked out by the whole moving thing - they yowled piteously for a full hour and a half as I drove them down the motorway. When I'm out, the two of them hide behind some boxes together in the darkest corner they can find, and they only seem to come out to explore once I arrive back home. And at night, the two of them sleep on the bed with me. I guess that, in the face of such upheaval, all hostilities are suspended!

It has been very entertaining watching the kitties learn all about laminate flooring. Furretti, in particular, seems to have problems cornering at high speed, and she has missed her intended target a few times as her back feet occasionally slip out from under her when she attempts to jump up,

This morning, Miaowrini saw her first seagull outside the bedroom window, and she got quite excited. Once the catflap is installed and is in operation, I anticipate some interesting additions to the kitty kill count. That's assuming a seagull doesn't dump her in the middle of the North Sea...

First Results From The Letter Of Support...

Well, the letter of support was carried by several bloggers, and all signatures collated by the organisers. The letter was then sent to the Catholic Herald.

If you are interested in seeing who has signed it, the complete list can be found here.

Thanks to all those who blogged about it, and all those who signed. Many thanks also to Andrew Plasom-Scott and Mark Lambert for their hard work in coordinating the whole thing.

Supporting Our Faithful Priests...

In support of our priests, our families, and our Church...

You may have seen the recent letter from more than 450 priests in support of the Church’s teaching on marriage. We would like to invite you to sign the letter below, to be sent to the press in support of them, and to encourage others to sign it.

To sign, please leave your name and your diocese in the comments box below, or if you prefer email them to one of the coordinators: Mark Lambert or Andrew Plasom-Scott.

The Letter:

Dear Sir,

We, the undersigned, wish to endorse and support the letter signed by over 450 priests in the recent edition of the Catholic Herald.

As laity, we all know from our own family experiences, or those of our friends and neighbours, the harrowing trauma of divorce and separation, and we sympathise with all those in such situations.

It is precisely for that reason that we believe that the Church must continue to proclaim the truth about marriage, given us by Christ in the Gospels, with clarity and charity in a world that struggles to understand it.

For the sake of those in irregular unions, for the sake of those abandoned and living in accordance with the teachings of the Church, and above all for the sake of the next generation, it is essential that the Church continues to make it quite clear that sacramental marriage is indissoluble until death.

We pray, and expect, that our hierarchy will represent us, and the Church’s unwavering teaching, at the Synod this autumn.

Yours faithfully,

Catching Up...

Well, despite my best intentions, I didn't get to write anything further about Cardinal Burke's visit to Ramsgate last week. This was partly because, after getting home and uploading my photos it was 1:00am. I had about 3 and a half hours' sleep before it was time to get up and go back to work.

Nevertheless, the whole of Tuesday passed in a warm fuzzy glow of fired-up enthusiasm... but I then spent the week catching up on missed sleep and marking books. In the meantime, His Hermeneuticalness has stolen yet another march on me, and has posted the full text of Cardinal Burke's sermon. Read it, and you'll get an idea of why it was such an uplifting occasion.

In a case of pots and kettles, over dinner I berated Dominic Bevan for not advertising more of the singing of the Victoria Consort at Ramsgate - there is a mouth-wateringly good programme of events planned for Holy Week and Easter. I pleaded for a scoop for my blog, and so I have the privilege of posting their programme...

Solemn Pontifical High Mass...

I'm just back from Ramsgate, where, at the Shrine of St. Augustine, Cardinal Burke celebrated a Solemn Pontifical High Mass.

It was awesome, and totally stunning. I've never seen so many people packed into such a small space. Fr. Finigan did a great job of summarising the whole event over on his blog, but I had further to travel home (and went out for dinner as well!) so I shall blog tomorrow.

I have, however, got the photos up on Flickr, so feel free to go and have a good look!

Is This What A Feminist Looks Like...?

I enjoyed a delicious lunch today after the Missa Cantata at Margate. I was just pondering whether to indulge in dessert when the waitress placed a plate of chocolate cake in front of me.

His Hermeneuticalness pointed out to the young woman that I hadn't ordered cake. She explained that it was a free treat for all their female customers, to celebrate International Women's Day.

It briefly occurred to me that this was a terribly sexist thing...

What a stereotype to perpetuate... I'm a woman, and so I must like chocolate cake! Is this really the equality which hundreds marched for today in Central London?

Actually, I'm afraid that I didn't much care. It was chocolate cake. I ate it.

In order to strike a blow for equality for downtrodden men everywhere, His Hermeneuticalness stole a spoonful of my chocolate cake. I let him live, but only because I suspect that attacking one's parish priest with a cake fork probably carries some sort of canonical penalty...

Lack Of Blogging Oomph...

I haven't had much inclination for blogging of late. I had hoped to get up a bit more enthusiasm during Half Term (was it really only last week?) but was either busy doing stuff (which meant that I didn't have time to blog) or was busy recovering from doing stuff (which meant that I didn't have the energy to blog!)

However, just to show willing, I thought I'd put up some photos from last Sunday:

After a lovely Missa Cantata in Margate, I went out for lunch in Ramsgate, overlooking the harbour...

I love the sea when it looks all grey and moody, but apparently I missed a really good photo opportunity earlier in the day when the sky was an iridescent blue, and quite spectacular.

Then, after lunch, it was time to attend Vespers at the Shrine of St. Augustine. The Schola Augustini, led by Thomas Neal, sang beautifully...

It was a great occasion, and there is sung Vespers at the Shrine on the fourth Sunday of each month, so do go along if you get the chance!

Naughty Cat...

This is the sort of thing my two get up to, but never when I've got my camera handy. The expression on the cat's face is really priceless.

The Season Of Septuagesima...

One of the things that I love about the Traditional Latin Mass is that it adheres to the old liturgical calendar, with all the Vigils, Octaves and seasons. I particularly like the season of Septuagesima - the two and a half weeks before Lent. The idea is that we need to prepare for the great feast of Easter by observing Lent, but the forty days of Lent form such a pivotal part of our spiritual conversion that we actually need time to prepare for it as well, hence the gentle mournfulness of the season. The Alleluia is "buried" until Easter, the Gloria is not sung at Sunday Mass (nor the Te Deum at Matins), and purple vestments are worn.

I was fascinated to read the history of Septuagesima as written by Dom Guéranger, OSB, and the relationship to the forty days of Lent. Apparently, in the Greek Church, they didn't fast on Thursdays, Saturdays or Sundays, and so, to make up the forty days, Lent actually started on Septuagesima. In the Latin Church, however, Lent began on Quadragesima Sunday, but, since Sundays were not counted as fasting days, Lent was only 36 days long (as noted by St. Gregory the Great in one of his homilies, quoted by Dom Guéranger.)

Therefore, in order to make up the "shortfall", the Latin Church started her Lenten fast on Ash Wednesday...

If you want to read more about the liturgy for Septuagesima, Zephyrinus has posted the texts (and explanatory notes) from the Saint Andrew's Daily Missal, which form a wonderful resource for prayerful contemplation. He has posted each Sunday separately (Septuagesima Sunday, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima) - the latter is from last year, but will be changed when this year's post is up.

There's only a week to go before Lent (I'm a little late in posting this!) but at least, due to the old calendar, Ash Wednesday won't catch me unawares...

Competitive Cats...

Kitty-watching can be most entertaining at times.

Miaowrini has been using the cat bed on top of one of the wardrobes for quite some time, but suddenly it's being taken over by Furretti. On finding her spot occupied the other day, Miaowrini looked a little forlorn, so I fetched a second cat bed and placed it on a trolley at the foot of my bed (not quite such a good location as the first bed, it would seem). After a little while, Miaowrini made herself comfortable, with all the circling, paw-kneading and purring which she used to carry out in her previous spot. And then she appeared to go to sleep.

Five minutes later, Furretti got up to go to the kitchen and munch some cat biscuits.

Quick as a flash, Miaowrini jumped down from her bed, scooted across the room and jumped up to the wardrobe. In less than a minute, she had settled down again to sleep, this time in her favourite spot.

Furretti returned, found that she had been supplanted, and retired to the sitting room in a huff.

Possession, it would seem, is nine points of the law for cats as well as humans...

Which Bit Of "Impossible" Is So Hard To Understand...?

Another poor, deluded soul...

My blog had its fifteen minutes of fame after I posted a cri de coeur about the dreadful dress-sense of your average womynpriest candidate (masterfully answered by Fr. Z, as it happens), in which I was bemoaning the dearth of tasteful Roman vestments being sported. But now I wonder if there is a case to be made for cause and effect? A ridiculous suggestion, but no more ridiculous than the womynpriests' claims to being ordained to the Catholic priesthood...

In his 1994 apostolic letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis Pope John Paul II declared definitively that it was impossible for the Church to ordain women to the priesthood. Despite this, twenty years later, there are women who continue to claim that they have been validly ordained. And, as I noted before, they all seem to wear the most awful stuff.

This leads me to wonder what it is about the wearing of floaty, outsize polyester and/or tie-dye vestments which renders the wearer incapable of rational thought?

One cannot rationally claim that one is ordained to the priesthood of the Church when that Church declares that it is not so. For ordination to be valid, the recipient has to be male. Gender reassignment surgery doesn't cut it either (sorry, couldn't resist!) The Church has stated that this reservation of the priesthood to men is to be held as a definitive truth of the Faith by all of the members of the Church. For any rational human being, that ought to be enough.

Then there is the irrationality of claiming that the ordination is valid because they have a "calling to the priesthood." Lots of men feel called, but that doesn't mean it is so: the years of formation in seminary are also a time of discernment. If the Church doesn't confirm the feeling of vocation by ordaining you, then no amount of "feeling" will make you a priest.

Is it just that they feel like they can do the job? After all, I have a scientific background, and a keen interest in medical matters. I am frequently able to tell my mother what she's likely to be suffering from, if she tells me her symptoms. I always wanted to be a doctor. If I really and truly feel that I have a calling that way (and lots of people have told me that I'd be good at the job) does that allow me to set up as a GP? No rational individual would be surprised when my excuse of "feeling that I could do the job" was thrown out of court.

The claim that it is all about equality for women is equally irrational. I firmly believe that men and women are equal but you won't see me asking any men if they have a spare Tampax. I also do not consider it to be a matter of inequality that men cannot give birth, and I, talented though I am, cannot father a child. The basic, incontrovertible truth is that men and women are different. To say that different means unequal is irrational.

What the womynpriests (and their supporters) appear to believe is that it is necessary to be a priest in order to be able to exercise power and influence in the Church, and this is what they mean by "equality". The mistaken idea that the priesthood is purely about power and influence is one of the strongest arguments against letting such women be ordained - it is clericalism of the worst kind.

Finally, there is the irrational "outrage" or, worse, "deep sadness" when these women go through a mock ceremony (which is sacrilege in itself) and get a letter telling them that they have been excommunicated. The bishop concerned hasn't excommunicated them, he is merely pointing out the consequence of their actions. They incurred an automatic excommunication. In other words, they separated themselves from the Church and the Sacraments when they went through the ceremony.

So, given the absence of any rational arguments justifying the womynpriests' claims to being validly ordained, and given the preponderance of tie-dye and polyester floaty vestments seen in photos of womynpriest types, I can only assume that the attraction of wearing ghastly vestments erodes the ability to think in a rational manner.

Admittedly, a correlation does not prove a cause, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Let it serve as a salutary warning to any priests who have predilections towards such gruesome attire on the sanctuary. And remember, Reverend Fathers, every time you say Mass without a maniple, God kills a kitten... So watch it, or I'll send the Cardinal and Monsignor round to sort you out...

New Year's Resolutions...

It is only 10 days into the New Year and I have already failed to keep my New Year's Resolutions. Blogging has not been happening! I started well - New Year's Day commenced with the Veni, Creator Spiritus and Mass. But I was decidedly under the weather the following day with an upset tummy, and blogging about that would have been unpleasant for everyone...

On Sunday, my car had a conniption. It has been troublesome of late. Back in October, I had the heater unit replaced. Then, just before Christmas, the exhaust started to make the most awful noises, and I needed to get it replaced. On Sunday, after driving around happily during the day, I stopped at a local shop for milk for me and some tuna as a treat for the kitties, and the car inexplicably refused to start up again. The breakdown chappie who attended wouldn't believe me when I said that it wasn't the battery. Having ascertained for himself that it wasn't the battery, he proceeded to whack the car engine with a hammer...

The car promptly started up. "It's the starter motor!" was his conclusion. "You need to take it to a garage as soon as possible..."

There not being any garages open at 8pm on a Sunday, I made a note of the advice, and drove home. The next morning, the car started without any problems, and I resolved to get it to a garage at the weekend, as I wouldn't be able to get it there in school hours. Monday evening, on my way home from school, I stopped off at the shops... and then found, once again, that my car wouldn't restart.

A new breakdown chappie arrived, and promptly administered a couple of sharp taps with a hammer somewhere in the bowels of my car engine. It was dark, and I couldn't identify exactly what he was hitting. He also warned me that it wasn't guaranteed to work. I drove home, not daring to stop anywhere else, and arrived home four and a half hours after I left school.

On Tuesday morning, I didn't dare to take my car, and used public transport. Leaving just before 6am ought, I thought, to allow plenty of time to get to school. I arrived with about a minute to spare - a journey time of  two and a half hours. Unfortunately, my journey home took even longer, and by the time I had called the breakdown people again to restart the car, driven to the garage, dumped it (by arrangement) on the forecourt, and gotten myself home again, I just had time to heat some hot dogs, swallow them and go to bed.

On Wednesday, I left ten minutes earlier (to catch the first bus) and tried a slightly different route, involving three buses and a tube journey. It took a little less time than the first route, but still involved a journey of just over two hours. After teaching for six solid hours, with a brief break for lunch (I was on break duty in the morning) I was not in the best of moods. My journey home was only two and a half hours, but it was somewhat marred by the fact that, after one bus driver failed to pull up close enough to the kerb, I put my foot in a hole getting off and twisted my knee and ankle.

After a week of this, you can imagine how delighted I am to have my car back again...

Margate Missa Cantata

There was a superb Missa Cantata for the Feast of St. Thomas of Canterbury at St. Austin & St. Gregory's Church, Margate, yesterday. The church itself is very pretty, and I took a few photos, which are now up on Flickr.

Unfortunately, my camera phone, which is normally wonderful, can't quite cope with the low lighting levels inside the church. I shall have to make greater efforts to get to grips with my proper digital camera. I don't suppose anyone knows how to reduce the shutter noise on a Fujifilm FinePix S9500...?

Who Am I To Judge...?

This weekend, in the Archdiocese of Southwark, we had a Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Smith instead of a sermon. I have to admit that I groaned when I discovered this, as his letters are long-winded, badly-constructed and rather tedious; his last letter was particularly dire.

As it was read out, I started to feel rather guilty. The letter was still too long, but I noted with pleasure that the family unit was clearly and unequivocally described according to Catholic teaching, stating that children are undoubtably brought up most successfully within the stable union of a man and a woman in marriage. I was sure that this must have taken some courage to write, as it is bound to attract flak from the more liberal wing of the Catholic press, when they get to hear of it. Archbishop Smith then went on to explain that the Church's views are seen by many as illiberal, restrictive, authoritarian, irrelevant and arrogant.

Up until that point, I was feeling rather encouraged by his words, and berating myself for my previously critical attitude. Alas, the second part of the final paragraph undid all that...

"In particular we need to give a new start to those families which have been broken and grievously wounded through separation or divorce. For these especially we must all have the greatest love, respect, gentleness and compassion. These are our brothers and sisters, deeply wounded and suffering. Let no one judge them. Welcome them within the community of the Church..."

I'm no theologian, but nowhere in the Catechism do I recall reading that the families which have experienced separation or divorce are to be shunned. And I am also unaware of any Church demands that those who are separated or divorced are excluded from the Sacraments. The people who are excluded from the reception of the Sacraments are those individuals who have married civilly after a divorce, or are living together in a state of sin.

Since such people do not usually walk around with "adulterer" tattooed on their foreheads, I am not aware of any judging which might go on just because they do not approach the Communion rail. Curiously enough, it is within more traditionally-inclined circles that a failure to present oneself for Communion would attract least judgmental attention, as there are many times when a person might refrain from receiving: the stricter observance of the Communion fast being an example.

And anyway, as for "not judging" - really? Are we supposed to look on indulgently while a man who has heartlessly ditched his wife and family proceeds to "shack up" with a bimbo half his age? Or to smile encouragingly if a woman decides to abandon her spouse and go off to "find herself"? Of course we should judge - at least the actions! It is possibly the lack of society's negative judgement of such behaviour which has allowed it to increase.

So please, do not tell me I should not judge. Right judgement is, after all, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit...

In The Kitties' Bad Books...

I overslept this morning.

Ordinarily, it being my Christmas holiday, this wouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, as I'm leaving the house for work so early these days, Cardinal Furretti and Monsignor Miaowrini have become accustomed to being fed at about 5am on weekdays, with a little leeway at weekends allowed to about 8am.

Waking up at 10:50am today obviously meant that I was seriously overstepping the mark, according to my feline overlords. They were definitely not amused...

*gulp*

Happy Christmas...

A little later than anticipated, but still well within the Octave... I would like to wish all my readers a very blessed and joyful Christmas.

Advent (Part 2) ...

I love the season of Advent. I particularly love the way that it develops. The Advent wreath marks the passing of the weeks, but it starts off with a sombre tone reflected in purple vestments. Gaudete Sunday brings a relaxation of this tone, demonstrated by the switch to rose vestments for that one day. And the octave before the Nativity is marked by the recitation of the "O" antiphons at Vespers. It all helps to stress that we're getting closer to the amazing feast celebrating Our Lord's birth.

My mother, being German, always insisted on decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. When I was a child, the trees didn't last very long, and, unless you wanted bare branches with a pile of pine needles underneath, a real tree had to be brought inside as late as possible.

I don't often bother with a tree now (having two cats who might dismantle it for me acts as a deterrent!) but the pressure to not set up for Christmas too early remains. So my crib gets brought out once the "O" antiphons start, and not before. The baby doesn't get placed in the crib until Christmas Eve (after Midnight Mass) and the Wise Men only start their journey around the room on Christmas Eve, not arriving at the crib until Epiphany.

This year I was delighted to find out that there was a special blessing for crib figures of the baby Jesus. I dutifully brought my two Bambini along to church, and, after Mass, they were liberally sprinkled with holy water. And now I feel that I'm ready for the big day!

(In case you were wondering, I have two Bambini because I have two cribs - one in the oratory, and one in the sitting room.)

Happy Feast Day!

The TLM celebrated at St. Mary's, Chislehurst, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which was a wonderful treat. I was rather tired, and so didn't manage to get my normal number of photos, which was a shame, as St. Mary's is beautiful. There will, no doubt, be plenty of other opportunities...

... And when I got home, Miaowrini was waiting proudly to present me with her latest mouse!

Complementarity Of The Sexes...

I have argued for many years against the prevalent wisdom of the day which declares that equality of the sexes means that they are the same. As a teacher, I have had plenty of opportunity to observe differences in the attitudes (and aptitudes) of the boys and girls I teach, and, while recognising that there is a "nurture" effect, I also note plenty of evidence in support of the argument that men and women are very different by nature. Dr. Joseph Shaw has an excellent article on how the sexes complement each other.

On a purely biological plane, this complementarity is obvious, and I am not merely referring to reproductive systems. The proportion of muscle in a man's body is higher than that of a woman's - and the proportion and distribution of fat in a woman's body is very different to that in a man's body. This means that men and women are not equal in physical strength or ability.

The truth of this is recognised even in the sporting arena - there are very few sports where men and women compete on totally equal terms - men's tennis matches, for example, are longer, and you don't have men and women on the same football team... or, if you do, this is very much the exception to the rule, and the women concerned have had to work very hard indeed to overcome any disadvantages they have due to the differences in muscle mass.

I got to see this difference in ability in action yesterday and this morning. One of my friends is in the process of moving house, and I'm preparing to look after her four cats for a week (my chance to be a true mad cat-lady.) In order to prepare my two for the invasion, we thought it would help to get the cat tree installed first, so that strange smells could be explored before the arrival of strange bodies.

My friend arrived yesterday evening. Her husband had dismantled the cat tree prior to loading it in the car. This meant that my friend had no idea of the best way to reassemble the tree. Checking out pictures of the assembled tree on the internet didn't help. After an hour, she decided to give up. The tree was not designed to be dismantled and reassembled. We also didn't have an allen key. She considered taking all the bits home, but, on talking to her husband on the phone, decided to leave the bits here for her husband to sort out in the morning...

This morning, her husband arrived. Within ten minutes the bits had been arranged into their correct positions, and the whole thing fully assembled after another ten minutes. Admittedly, he did have an allen key, but I think it was only used on one bit...

An Advent Wreath For The Blog...

It's that time of year. The Curt Jester has performed his usual act of kindness in posting the code for his Advent Wreath gif so that anyone who wants to have an animated wreath can help themselves. He will replace the gif each week to ensure that the correct candles are lit, and there will be a Christmas message in due course...


Many thanks for this kindness, Jeff!

The Season Of Advent Begins...

For the first time in four years I have a real Advent Wreath. This is partly because, after my clear-out over the Summer, I have an oratory. It seems fitting to reflect the liturgical seasons in the decorations as well as in the prayers. It struck me that the use of real evergreen makes a tangible difference (I had artificial wreaths before), and it made me reflect once more on the importance of physical elements of our worship - we are both matter and spirit.

I was a little unsure as to the wisdom of having real greenery, but, as the cats don't spend much time in the oratory in my absence, I thought I'd risk it. On Sunday morning, I discovered that one (or both) of the little darlings had succeeded in pulling out a large bit of fern from the oasis, but it seems not to have tasted very good, and has since been left alone.

And Another Month Bites The Dust...

Oops...!

Despite my best intentions, I find that it's been almost a whole month since I last updated my blog. The same old excuse: quite simply, a lack of time. I've been getting to grips with a new teaching position since September, and, of late, my commute seems to take approximately three hours a day. Leaving the house at 5:45am and arriving home at about 7pm (with more work still to complete) means I have little energy for even reading the blogs, let alone updating my own.

Nevertheless, I have managed to get to Maiden Lane a couple of times this month, which has been a real treat. Not being able to attend Mass in the usus antiquior as a matter of routine every weekend as I did before the changes at Blackfen has been a sore trial, and it has brought home to me the paucity of experience provided by the Novus Ordo, even when it is celebrated with reverence.

(I am in no way suggesting that the Novus Ordo is invalid.)

I shall blog further on this topic when I have a little more time to think things through... in the meantime, there are some rather good photos of the Missa Canata at Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane last Monday evening. And yes, you're not imagining things... the stand-alone altar has been removed from the middle of the Sanctuary (hence the bare patch in the middle of the carpet!)

Feasting Continued In Margate...

My friend Fitzrufus was visiting Blighty for the Feast of All Saints, so, after the Mass in Ramsgate, the two of us made our way to Margate - which, for the uninitiated, was all of fifteen minutes' drive away. It would have taken even less time, if the following exchange had not happened...

First, we saw a field of green leaves. I'm a Science teacher but my knowledge of plants is rather limited. The classification system runs in my head as Tree, Flower, Fruit, Vegetable...

Fitzrufus:  Oooh. Cauliflowers.
Me:  Really? How do you know?
Fitzrufus:  There was one lying open on the ground, and it had the same leaves...
Me:  Ah...
Fitzrufus:  It's not quite the root which we eat, it's... ummm... it's...
Me:  It's the flower.
Fitzrufus:  Really?
Me:  The clue is in the name...
Fitzrufus:  Yes, but it's not spelled the same way, so...
Me:  Yes it is... You're thinking of the "cauli" bit...

Much giggling ensued, and the tears of laughter meant that I had to pull over, as I was in danger of losing my contact lenses... or crashing the car. Then I tried to decide on a direction to take at the next junction (my geography is non-existent)...

Fitzrufus:  Go left.
Me:  Are you sure? Why not right?
Fitzrufus:  Because right is Broadstairs.
Me:  How do you know?
Fitzrufus:  There's a sign which says Broadstairs...
Me:  Where?
Fitzrufus:  On your right...

Sure enough, there was. More giggling, and it slowed us down just a bit.

Once we were in Margate, we headed to Café G for a light lunch. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Neither of us could quite believe that it was November. We shot across the road to take photos of the beach. The tide appeared to be out...

Then, it being a Feast Day, we decided we wanted dessert. We started to walk along the sea front, and stopped to discuss which direction to take. Fitzrufus looked up and noticed that we were standing outside Bernie's Chocolate Bar. Fr. Tim had already tweeted about the place and posted details on Facebook, so in we went.

The place is wonderful, smelling of chocolate and other goodies. There are tables and chairs, a reading section and comfy sofas. There is also free wifi. And chocolate...

Bernie (on the right) and one of her assistants were happy to pose for a photo...

By the time we emerged, the sun was setting (the clocks had gone back to GMT the week before, so this wasn't as reprehensible as it sounds!) and we took a few more photos to try and capture the famous Margate sunset...

Then it was time to visit another shop made famous by His Hermeneuticalness. Crafted Naturally sells all sorts of lovely stuff, but is best known for having a cat as its Marketing Manager.

Pumpkin the Shop Cat has his own Facebook page and business cards and will shortly be getting a Twitter account. He is the most laid-back of felines, allowing himself to be picked up and petted, and posed for selfies with various customers. His picture adorns various items such as mugs, key rings, calendars and fudge. He had had a busy few days, and looked distinctly unimpressed by two more people approaching him with a camera...

However, I knew the correct procedure for doing homage to such a magnificent cat, and put my skills as a kitty-charmer to the test. Pumpkin condescended to purr...

We ended the day with Mass at St. Austin & St. Gregory's, followed by dinner with His Hermeneuticalness at Bentley's (which boasts a baby grand piano and more free wifi, as well as great service and lovely food), and then the drive back to London with Fitzrufus, praying the Rosary together. All in all, a most fitting way to spend a Feast Day...

A Feast For The Senses For All Saints' Day...

I have finally put up my photos (on Flickr) from my visit to the Shrine of St. Augustine, Ramsgate, for the Feast of All Saints. I meant to get them (and this post) uploaded much sooner, but real life has a habit of interfering with blogging. Still, better late than never...

The church is really quite exquisite. It will be even better once the High Altar is restored, and the scaffolding removed (I'm not quite sure what work is being done) and will be sure to take more photos once the work has been completed.

Fr. Finigan celebrated the Mass, as Fr. Holden was away, and the music was provided by The Victoria Consort. They sang some rather nice tunes, as my friend Zephy would say... (actually the singing, and the organ accompaniment, were really sublime!)

I was trying out my "new" camera - a bridge digital camera - and I haven't quite got the hang of it yet. As a result, some of the photos are a little blurrier than usual, as the camera is heavy compared to my phablet camera, and requires greater dexterity when pressing the shutter button, first halfway to focus, then all the way to take the photo (and that's the point at which I seem to move the camera.)

I was also rather disconcerted by the whirring noise made as the camera focussed, and the beeping and clicking which followed. There doesn't appear to be any way of muting these sounds. Being accustomed to my phablet camera, which can be rendered totally silent, I felt intensely uncomfortable using it during the Mass, especially during the Consecration. The last thing I wish to do is disturb anyone else by taking photos.

As a result, I switched between my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and my Fujifilm FinePix s9500. I deleted all (or most) of the blurred images, and mixed the two sets of photos in the Flickr set (they are separated in the timeline.) I didn't edit the colour balance of any of the photos, to allow for a comparison. I do need to play with the camera settings on the FinePix, and get accustomed to the heft of it... but that will need time and practice.

Given that some people were celebrating Halloween on the Saturday, I found this notice on the church door rather amusing, and not a little disconcerting...

... but this really has to rank as one of the most picturesque places in which to be buried...

Do check out the results of my "experiment" and let me know what you think in the combox.

All Saints

There are several Extraordinary Form Masses being celebrated for the Feast of All Saints on Saturday, so many that it's impossible to keep track... I know that there's a Missa Cantata at St. Mary Magdalen, Brighton, and another at St. George's Cathedral, Southwark, and possibly one at St. Mary's, Chislehurst. There is also a sung Mass at St. Augustine's, Ramsgate at 12 noon/

I've never been to St. Augustine's, and so I am looking forward to seeing the church. I hope to try out my "proper" camera. Fr. Marcus Holden has done wonders in generating the funds to develop and restore the shrine, and, amazing though my phone camera is, I doubt it will do justice to the Pugin architecture. Mobile phones aren't brilliant in subdued lighting conditions.

The Victoria Consort will be singing Victoria's Missa O Quam Gloriosum. A wonderful way to kick off November...