Leadkindlylight

Heart Speaks Unto Heart - new blog!

2011-05-25T15:41:00.008+01:00

I've given up with my google problems & thought that the time had come with our new house to start a new chapter! My new blog Heart Speaks Unto Heart will chart our new life & new beginnings. We had many good times during the 15 years we lived at Portland Rd but 3 emergency surgeries, 2 caesarian sections, 2 miscarriages & post-natal depression & two breakdowns took it's toll. However, prior to that I'd never been ill or needed so much as a paracetamol..so that's life..ups & downs. I've been extremely well like before we moved here for quite some time now & my doctors envisage a continued return to full health.

We have essentially outgrown every inch of this house with NINE children living at home. Our new house is an amazing gift from God as all of our houses have been. I remember reading " A Mother's Tale " by my mentor Victoria Gillick & always enjoyed the stories of their house moves. So exciting & wonderful. We are similarly blessed & experiencing a time of consolation & great joy. Thanks for supporting me along the way & do join me over at the new blog for the next stage! As Vicky Gillick once said to me " the large family is still a force to be reckoned with! " Deo gratias.

Technical advice..please

2011-05-24T21:25:00.004+01:00

I'm having problems accessing my blogs because the email I used to set them up is not a valid email address & google keeps sending for verification to this non-existent address. I don't know how it allowed me to blog so long unverified & how I came to use the address! It won't allow me now to sign in. Anyway I can change the email address & get my blog back? I'm using another user email address in order to post this but don't have full blog access to manage it. Can anyone help please?

Contact:

jacquelineparkes@hotmail.co.uk

Also from Friday it's likely I won't have internet access for over a week as we are moving from virginmedia & changing to SKY, which is good since we will have access to EWTN..

New blog: heart speaks to heart

Our Holy Father...with Our Lord

2011-05-23T21:50:00.002+01:00

Exam fever...chez Parkes!

2011-05-23T16:23:00.001+01:00

Revision at the new house..

2011-05-23T16:22:00.002+01:00

Mary's RE revision..

2011-05-23T16:21:00.001+01:00

Mary seems to be studying topics that I had for my Divinity degree!

Cosmological argument..

2011-05-23T16:20:00.002+01:00

Mary's AS RE..

2011-05-23T16:19:00.001+01:00

Fr Paul Vota MJ (R.I.P.) gave me this...

2011-05-23T16:18:00.001+01:00

The Church is truly alive & flourishing!

2011-05-22T17:50:00.000+01:00

What a great witness to our faith today! My 17 year old daughter Mary is to be a handmaid for the Archdiocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage. I attended a wonderful Mass at St Chad's Cathedral today. There were hundreds of young people - teenagers all prepared to go as helpers for the sick. The Liturgy was very moving. Canon Gerry Breen was main celebrant with his brother priests concelebrating. In terms of "mutual enrichment" we had Latin - with the Plainsong 17th Cent version of the Credo that I grew up with, singing at St Anne's. I much prefer this version & it was lovely hearing a packed Cathedral singing it. We had incense as is often the case at the Cathedral. Jo Boyce was marvelous as ever. We prayed for Mike Stanley as he undergoes his treatment. The hymns included the beautiful " Sweet Sacrament Divine " & there was quiet time after Holy Communion before the final blessing which I like. The Mass was nearly 2 hours long & there was a tranquil & devout calm all throughout. The Church is young & vibrant & it was refreshing to see, particularly if we seem to get a different perspective on many blogs. My children have a lively & vibrant faith with great depth. I owe much to their Catholic schools for this. A wonderful afternoon - beautiful faith-filled days. Deo gratias.

Claire takes a rest!

2011-05-22T17:30:00.002+01:00

Yes that's a Catechism! The girls are busy studying for their A, AS, GCSE's in amidst painting & building new furniture.

2011-05-22T17:28:00.003+01:00

The new house is Victorian & absolutely huge! Thankfully the children have been magnificent..painting, cleaning etc. They can even assemble IKEA furniture! Obviously they take after me in this respect! Err..not! We will be moved in totally on Friday!

2011-05-22T17:27:00.001+01:00

2011-05-22T17:24:00.001+01:00

Pope's 'reform of the reform' in liturgy to continue

2011-05-21T15:21:00.000+01:00

John Thavis | Catholic News Service From the St Louis review here & below:

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI's relaxing of use of the 1962 Roman Missal, known as the Tridentine rite, is just the first step in a "reform of the reform" in liturgy, the Vatican's top ecumenist said.

The pope's long-term aim is not simply to allow the old and new rites to coexist, but to move toward a "common rite" that is shaped by the mutual enrichment of the two Mass forms, Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said May 14.

In effect, the pope is launching a new liturgical reform movement, the cardinal said. Those who resist it, including "rigid" progressives, mistakenly view the Second Vatican Council as a rupture with the Church's liturgical tradition, he said.

Cardinal Koch made the remarks at a Rome conference on "Summorum Pontificum," Pope Benedict's 2007 apostolic letter that offered wider latitude for use of the Tridentine rite. The cardinal's text was published the same day by L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

Cardinal Koch said Pope Benedict thinks the post-Vatican II liturgical changes have brought "many positive fruits" but also problems, including a focus on purely practical matters and a neglect of the paschal mystery in the Eucharistic celebration. The cardinal said it was legitimate to ask whether liturgical innovators had intentionally gone beyond the council's stated intentions.

He said this explains why Pope Benedict has introduced a new reform movement, beginning with "Summorum Pontificum." The aim, he said, is to revisit Vatican II's teachings in liturgy and strengthen certain elements, including the Christological and sacrificial dimensions of the Mass.

Cardinal Koch said "Summorum Pontificum" is "only the beginning of this new liturgical movement."
"In fact, Pope Benedict knows well that, in the long term, we cannot stop at a coexistence between the ordinary form and the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, but that in the future the Church naturally will once again need a common rite," he said.

"However, because a new liturgical reform cannot be decided theoretically, but requires a process of growth and purification, the pope for the moment is underlining above all that the two forms of the Roman rite can and should enrich each other," he said.

Cardinal Koch said those who oppose this new reform movement and see it as a step back from Vatican II lack a proper understanding of the post-Vatican II liturgical changes. As the pope has emphasized, Vatican II was not a break or rupture with tradition but part of an organic process of growth, he said. Ctd here

I recently heard a friend of mine say that a priest had said to her that the "old rite" Mass would be the only Mass to survive..but it is clear that the Holy Father is looking at "mutual enrichment" of the two forms of the one rite. We are happy as a family attending all valid Masses, both EF & OF.

Lady of the manor!

2011-05-20T20:11:00.001+01:00

Men at work...

2011-05-20T20:08:00.001+01:00

View of Edgbaston reservoir..

2011-05-20T20:04:00.001+01:00

Garden...

2011-05-20T20:02:00.002+01:00

My room...

2011-05-20T19:59:00.001+01:00

" Don't Quit "

2011-05-19T21:21:00.002+01:00

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

MY HOPES FOR ARCIC III - ARCHBISHOP BERNARD LONGLEY, CO-CHAIRMAN

2011-05-17T11:47:00.003+01:00

Archbishop Bernard Longley, Co-Chairman of ARCIC III, pictured at Easter 2011.

Picture by Peter Jennings

MY HOPES FOR ARCIC III - ARCHBISHOP BERNARD LONGLEY, CO-CHAIRMAN

Archbishop Bernard Longley the Co-Chairman of ARCIC III shares his thoughts and hopes for this important new ecumenical dialogue during an exclusive interview with Peter Jennings, his Press Secretary.

The Archbishop of Birmingham travels to Bose, a monastery in northern Italy, today, Tuesday 17 May 2011, for the first meeting of ARCIC III.

What is ARCIC III and why was it set-up?

ARCIC III is the third phase of the international dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. It originally began in response to the Second Vatican Council and as a result of the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, to Pope Paul VI in 1966.

Archbishop Ramsey and Pope Paul issued a joint statement at that time speaking of "a new stage in the development of fraternal relations" and this vision has been a characteristic of the ARCIC dialogue every since.

ARCIC III takes as its mandate the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams in 2006 when they committed our two communions to continue the dialogue.

What particular areas of work have the Holy Father and Archbishop of Canterbury asked ARCIC III to study?

The Holy Father and the Archbishop asked ARCIC III to "address the important issues involved in the emerging ecclesiological and ethical factors making that journey more difficult and arduous".

In other words ARCIC III is being asked to reflect on the nature of the Church as understood by Anglicans and Catholics and to consider the way that the Church arrives at authoritative teaching, especially about moral issues.

On that basis ARCIC III will look at two connected areas of theology: the Church as Communion, local and universal and how in communion the local and universal Church come to discern right ethical teaching.

What is on the agenda for your first meeting in Bose?

This first meeting of ARCIC III lasts for some ten days and since it is the first time that this particular group of bishops and theologians will be meeting our first task is to come to know each other, to understand our backgrounds and range of expertise and to spend time together in prayer and reflection on the Scriptures.

All of this will enable us to begin the task of dialogue that has been entrusted to us. Over the course of the days we shall receive and discuss a number of papers already commissioned from the members of the dialogue group and begin to shape the pattern of our future meetings.

We will reflect carefully on the mandate we have received so as to understand its full scope and to plan a fitting strategy for this phase of ARCIC's work.

Where is Bose and why was it chosen as the place to host the meeting?

Bose is a monastery in northern Italy and the monks there come from a variety of Christian traditions. The monastic community is dedicated to the search for Christian unity and supports the Churches' efforts by prayer and by offering hospitality in the Benedictine tradition.

For these reasons it is a very fitting place to begin this third phase of ARCIC's work and it will provide a place of peaceful calm where we can listen carefully to one another and seek inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

What are your hopes for this first meet of the new Commission?

I hope that we can imitate what the very first phase of ARCIC sought to do - that is to explore our ecclesial relationships in the context of coming to know one another as ARCIC III members, to absorb collectively our ecumenical history and to build a common understanding of the method of our theological dialogue.

These aims will be a challenge to the twenty or so participants gathered at Bose and I hope that we can establish ourselves as a cohesive group that is confident in approaching the difficult issues within our relations in a creative and positive fashion.

ARCIC III working to specific timetables and when do you expect to publish your first report and what will it be about?

We have deliberately not set ourselves an overall timetable for this phase of ARCIC ahead of our meeting. We need first to assess the scope of our work and to decide its pattern before gauging the length of the overall process.

There will be interim reports on our work, following each meeting and when required by the Catholic Church's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Anglican Communion Office.

It is worth noting that the first two phases of ARCIC stretched over more than a decade each, so it would be unwise to try to predict how long ARCIC III will last.

What particular skills and gifts will you bring as the Catholic Co-Chairman and are you looking forward to the work?

I am very much looking forward to our working together on this new phase of ARCIC. I believe my seven years as a national ecumenical officer for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales in the mid-1990s and my consequent involvement as an observer on the Church of England's Council for Christian Unity gave me some insights that will be of enormous help with ARCIC's work.

I think my nine years teaching Dogmatic Theology (ecclesiology and sacraments) at St John's Seminary, Wonersh will also be invaluable to the task I have as Co-Chairman of ARCIC.

I am currently the Catholic Co-Chairman of the English Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee, our national dialogue group, and it will be of great interest to serve these two dialogues in tandem.

By happy coincidence I knew Archbishop David Moxon, the Anglican Co-Chairman of ARCIC III, when we were both undergraduates in Oxford in the 1970s and it is good to renew our friendship in this ecumenical context.

When ARCIC I and ARCIC II were set-up there were high hopes that full visible unity between the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion might be possible one day. Since then the Anglican Communion has ordained women as priests and bishops and put an insurmountable block in the way to full unity. So what is the point of ARCIC III?

The climate in which ARCIC III is working is very different from that of ARCIC I or ARCC II and yet the ultimate aim must remain the same. Both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion are committed to working and praying for the full, visible unity of the Church and we see ARCIC as contributing to that end.

Of course, we must face the obstacles that make that journey much more difficult. This phase of ARCIC will recognise the impact of the actions of some Anglican Provinces which have raised the issue of the nature of communion within the Church. We hope ARCIC III can make a contribution to resolving some of the issues that seem so intractable a present.

Is it envisaged that ARCIC III go over or redo any of the papers prepared by ARCIC I and ARCIC II?

ARCIC III has been given responsibility for gathering together the work of ARCIC II and reflecting on the various processes of reception that have greeted its reports.

It is recognised that there is still considerable work to be done in relation to the reception of ARCIC II but also that ARCIC III's priority must be the new task of theological dialogue on communion and discerning right ethical teaching.

Do you have any particular points that you would like to make to priests, deacons, religious and lay-faithful in England and Wales about the work of ARCIC III and Christian Unity in general?

As the members of ARCIC III assemble this week in Bose for the first time I would ask for the prayers of the priests, deacons, religious and lay-faithful in all our dioceses in England and Wales.

Ecumenical dialogue has been going through a difficult period but this new beginning for ARCIC indicates the steadfast commitment of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion to searching for deeper and fuller communion in response to the prayer of our Lord that they all may be one.

The Holy Father's visit to us last September, his Beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman and the time that he spent with Archbishop Rowan Williams were an enormous encouragement as we undertake this new phase of ARCIC's work.

How Great is our God- for my husband Andrew

2011-05-17T09:03:00.000+01:00

Man in uniform!

2011-05-17T07:48:00.000+01:00

2011-05-16T10:31:00.002+01:00

New email address: jacquelineparkes@hotmail.co.uk

Lead Kindly Light

2011-05-14T15:43:00.000+01:00

Universae Ecclesiae

2011-05-13T20:03:00.001+01:00

The faithful who ask for the celebration of the forma extraordinaria must not in any way support or belong to groups which show themselves to be against the validity or legitimacy of the Holy Mass or the Sacraments celebrated in the forma ordinaria or against the Roman Pontiff as Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church.

http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/27407.php?index=27407&lang=en#TRADUZIONE

Alexander is 14 today!

2011-05-13T18:50:00.000+01:00

Our Lady of Fatima & many family blessings!

2011-05-11T18:55:00.006+01:00

Our family has been enormously blessed this year in far too many ways to mention all! We have found a much larger, Victorian house with 4 floors including the basement, which we will be moving into this month! It is right next to the girls' school & in walking distance of the Oratory Primary.

Posts may be a bit limited as packing fever hits!

We have been praying to Our Lady of Fatima, St Joseph & the Divine Mercy & look forward to Friday's feast, when our eldest son, Alexander turns 14!

Don't forget ladies to visit the Association of Catholic Women Bloggers. We have 9 blog authors already, including one priest!

Association of Catholic Women Bloggers

2011-05-09T12:49:00.005+01:00

Please visit Association of Catholic Women Bloggers at link below & give your suggestions. If you wish to do a post for us on any aspect of Catholic family life & faith email me & I will add you as a blog author. There are no rules for membership. We just wish to share our faith in a positive way. After a "good deal" of correspondence, I feel we will offer an additional resource to any Guild of bloggers, rather than opposition! Also even if you don't have your own blog, you are welcome to post on the ACWB! Just send me your email address..to rosary@blueyonder.co.uk

A few comments:

Jackie – I agree with the post that said, ‘Join the men!’ I don’t like the idea of a division.

I could be in both! couldnt I or possibly neither depending on how things work out!
Would be glad to hear more.

Molly has left a new comment on your post "Welcome!":

Fantastic picture!
Best wishes for the Association but, I agree with Mike commenting on Lead Kindly Light. Female bloggers should join the Guild as well. How would we feel if that one had been the Guild of Men Bloggers!

Reluctant Sinners latest comment in reply to Phil sounds as though the rules are minimal, just a requirement to be charitable.

I think you would be great as a contributor.
Please reconsider and encourage other women bloggers to be in BOTH.

Link here

Association of Catholic Women Bloggers! Update!

2011-05-09T11:26:00.006+01:00

The above was a meeting at Westminster with some bloggers. Link here

Any women wishing to join an ADDITIONAL Association of Catholic Women Bloggers please email me on rosary@blueyonder.co.uk

We would likely set up a family blog in order to discuss Catholic family life & issues.

Please visit Association of Catholic Women Bloggers here & give your suggestions & if you wish to do a post for us on any aspect of Catholic family life & faith email me & I will add you as a blog author. There are no rules for membership. We just wish to share our faith in a positive way.

I like this...

2011-05-08T18:01:00.004+01:00

" The May Magnificat "

2011-05-07T08:42:00.002+01:00

" The May Magnificat " by Gerard Manley Hopkins

MAY is Mary’s month, and I

Muse at that and wonder why:

Her feasts follow reason,

Dated due to season—

Candlemas, Lady Day;

But the Lady Month, May,

Why fasten that upon her,

With a feasting in her honour?

Is it only its being brighter

Than the most are must delight her?

Is it opportunest

And flowers finds soonest?

Ask of her, the mighty mother:

Her reply puts this other

Question: What is Spring?—

Growth in every thing—

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,

Grass and greenworld all together;

Star-eyed strawberry-breasted

Throstle above her nested

Cluster of bugle blue eggs thin

Forms and warms the life within;

And bird and blossom swell

In sod or sheath or shell.

All things rising, all things sizing

Mary sees, sympathising

With that world of good,

Nature’s motherhood.

Their magnifying of each its kind

With delight calls to mind

How she did in her stored

Magnify the Lord.

Well but there was more than this:

Spring’s universal bliss

Much, had much to say

To offering Mary May.

When drop-of-blood-and-foam-dapple

Bloom lights the orchard-apple

And thicket and thorp are merry

With silver-surfèd cherry

And azuring-over greybell makes

Wood banks and brakes wash wet like lakes

And magic cuckoocall

Caps, clears, and clinches all—

This ecstasy all through mothering earth

Tells Mary her mirth till Christ’s birth

To remember and exultation

In God who was her salvation.

" You see the trouble with me! " Turn it up real LOUD!

2011-05-06T08:54:00.001+01:00

Cardiff University Catholic Chaplaincy

2011-05-05T12:41:00.002+01:00

The Chaplain Fr. Gareth Jones, the CathSoc President (2010/2011) Miss Emma McKeogh welcome the Rt. Hon Carwen Jones, First Minister of Wales and his wife Mrs. Lisa Jones to the Aquinas Hall at the Catholic Chaplaincy on April 7th 2011. Prior to the Talk there was a Reception.

Sunday, October 9 · 6:30pm - 7:30pm

More Info

The Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev. George Stack will celebrate the opening Mass of the 2011-2012 Academic Year at the Chaplaincy. His Grace the Archbishop asked to Celebrate this Mass and to have an early opportunity to be introduced to the Catholic community at the University.

Mary is the "Mater Admirabilis," the Wonderful Mother

2011-05-05T08:39:00.005+01:00

On the Immaculate Conception

(3) May 5
Mary is the "Mater Admirabilis," the Wonderful Mother

{13} WHEN Mary, the Virgo Prædicanda, the Virgin who is to be proclaimed aloud, is called by the title of Admirabilis, it is thereby suggested to us what the effect is of the preaching of her as Immaculate in her Conception. The Holy Church proclaims, preaches her, as conceived without original sin; and those who hear, the children of Holy Church, wonder, marvel, are astonished and overcome by the preaching. It is so great a prerogative.

Even created excellence is fearful to think of when it is so high as Mary's. As to the great Creator, when Moses desired to see His glory, He Himself says about Himself, "Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live;" and St. Paul says, "Our God is a consuming fire." And when St. John, holy as he was, saw only the Human Nature of our Lord, as He is in Heaven, "he fell at His feet as dead." And so as regards the appearance of angels. The holy Daniel, when St. Gabriel appeared {14} to him, "fainted away, and lay in a consternation, with his face close to the ground." When this great archangel came to Zacharias, the father of St. John the Baptist, he too was troubled, and fear fell upon him." But it was otherwise with Mary when the same St. Gabriel came to her. She was overcome indeed, and troubled at his words, because, humble as she was in her own opinion of herself, he addressed her as "Full of grace," and "Blessed among women;" but she was able to bear the sight of him.

Hence we learn two things: first, how great a holiness was Mary's, seeing she could endure the presence of an angel, whose brightness smote the holy prophet Daniel even to fainting and almost to death; and secondly, since she is so much holier than that angel, and we so much less holy than Daniel, what great reason we have to call her the Virgo Admirabilis, the Wonderful, the Awful Virgin, when we think of her ineffable purity!

There are those who are so thoughtless, so blind, so grovelling as to think that Mary is not as much shocked at wilful sin as her Divine Son is, and that we can make her our friend and advocate, though we go to her without contrition at heart, without even the wish for true repentance and resolution to amend. As if Mary could hate sin less, and love sinners more, than our Lord does! No: she feels a sympathy for those only who wish to leave their sins; else, how should she be without sin herself? No: if even to the best of us she is, in the words of Scripture, "fair as the moon, bright as the sun, and terrible as an army set in array," what is she to the impenitent sinner?

Newman reader here

Entrusting suicide victims to Divine Mercy

2011-05-04T18:40:00.001+01:00

Bishop Paprocki's January 2, 2011 Column from Diocese of Springfield in IL on Vimeo.

Divine Mercy for Lost Souls here & at Grateful for Purgatory here & a testimony here

" The fearless one "

2011-05-04T09:55:00.000+01:00

Archbishop of Westminster Suggests New Title For John Paul II

The Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols gave an interview before the beatification of John Paul II, where he spoke of personal memories of the Polish Pontiff and gave him a special honourary title.

He remembered the Holy Father’s seemingly unending energy during his 1982 visit to the UK, and the encouragement he gave to all. The Archbishop said: “I think his very first words on election, on coming out on the balcony were, ‘Do not be afraid’”. In fact, they were, “Praised be Jesus Christ.” It was this unity to Jesus and the constant prayer which accompanied it, that allowed him to be so brave and to have the virtue of courage that the Archbishop so rightly praised him for.

“The fearless one”

More at CTS Catholic Compass here

Well done Mary! Deputy Head Girl at St Paul's!

2011-05-03T18:34:00.002+01:00

Mary with Patricia!

Mary's report:

Glorious weather!

2011-05-03T18:30:00.001+01:00

Feeding a crowd!

2011-05-03T18:28:00.001+01:00

Beautiful weather for barbecues & outdoor living!

2011-05-03T18:27:00.000+01:00

Wedding cake update!

2011-05-03T18:24:00.001+01:00

I had two pieces of wedding cake & was knocked out that night! As Pioneers (total abstinence) we are allowed food with alcohol in it, though I rarely eat anything with even a trace. My husband always says the alcohol is cooked out! Yeah right! That brandy was potent!!

Bloggers gathering at the Vatican

2011-05-03T18:15:00.001+01:00

H/T The Path Less Taken here

Anyone know where I can buy this book?

2011-05-02T21:06:00.003+01:00

My dear husband ordered it for me on Amazon.....

Greetings from Roma!

2011-05-02T09:18:00.002+01:00

Several of my friends are in Rome. I just received a txt from one & am so looking forward to their pictures & reports - probably on Wednesday. I watched the live Vatican stream a lot of yesterday, in between the Divine Mercy plenary indulgence requirements. What exciting times!

Wonderful day! Happy Feast!

2011-05-01T15:39:00.004+01:00

New blog on tumblr!

2011-05-01T08:39:00.000+01:00

I discovered my children had blogs on tumblr..so I made one!

catholicmomoften.tumblr.com

I'm not sure how it works but it looks interesting!

http://www.tumblr.com/about

Watch the beatification live!

2011-05-01T08:33:00.002+01:00

http://papst.co/tv/ctv/

Divine Mercy Sunday

2011-04-30T19:48:00.001+01:00

Final Symphony - (Tribute to Pope John Paul II)

2011-04-30T16:41:00.003+01:00

Servant and Steward: JP2 on the Cross

2011-04-29T21:36:00.001+01:00

Servant and Steward: JP2 on the Cross: "The cross is like a touch of eternal love upon the most painful wounds of man's earthly existence. - The Servant of God Pope John Paul II ..."

Reflections on marriage..

2011-04-29T14:06:00.004+01:00

Fr Sean Coyle wrote: here & below

" The sequence of the words in the question is important. I believe that Church leaders, priests and married couples who prepare others for marriage should stress the foundational aspect of the spousal relationship. The family follows on this. Marriage is the vine, the family the branches, to adapt the words of Jesus in St John's Gospel.

It is essential for the Church to speak clearly about the sacrament of marriage of which Jesus is the ultimate foundation. Not everyone may listen. But if we don't speak about it nobody at all will hear. "

Fr Sean is involved in Marriage Encounter & has often spoken to me about the importance of the "couple" in marriage. I must say initially I didn't share his views thinking the children always come first. However, experience has taught me that if the spousal relationship is neglected everyone suffers. Having a very large family often means the parents needs are neglected & the sheer workload is repetitive & arduous. Andrew & I after many years of raising small children & very little sleep are now able to "make a date" & go out once a week. It is great fun!

Whilst I was watching the end of the Royal wedding after Mass, I looked down the lounge & saw EIGHT of my children & must confess to feeling enormously proud! Indeed, I said to my children, wouldn't it be wonderful if William & Catherine had TEN children? Each day as another of my children "hits" adolescence & begins a transformation before my very eyes, I am overcome with gratitude & joy. How glad I am that we didn't stop at TWO!

We love weddings!

2011-04-29T12:34:00.002+01:00

"This is the air I breathe" Turn it up real LOUD!

2011-04-29T09:20:00.002+01:00

H/T Jesus' Gentle Touch here

Women wanting to be priests!

2011-04-28T20:27:00.002+01:00

St Faustina "Divine Mercy in my Soul" Diary:

+O Eternal Love, I want all the souls You have created to come to know You. I would like to be a priest, for then I would speak without cease about Your mercy to sinful souls drowned in despair. I would like to be a missionary and carry the light of faith to savage nations in order to make You known to souls, and to be completely consumed for them and to die a martyr's death, just as You died for them and for me. O Jesus, I know only too well that I can be a priest, a missionary, a preacher, and that I can die a martyr's death by completely emptying myself and denying myself for love of You, O Jesus, and of immortal souls.

We know also that St Therese said something similar in The Story of a Soul. My friend, Fr Sean Coyle is a Columban Missionary who inspires me always. Does it make me want to be a Missionary Priest? Well not really though being the mother of ten souls is quite missionary! Once my husband said how wonderful it must be to grow a new life inside one's body & how right he was. I think as he could appreciate the great gift given to mothers, so St Therese & St Faustina could appreciate the enormous gift of the priesthood. Of course, some feminists have jumped on particularly St Therese's words as proof that women should be allowed to be priests. I don't think either Saint meant anything of the sort. Any thoughts?

Patricia is 15 today!!

2011-04-28T08:32:00.005+01:00

Patricia pictured with Evangeline!

On April 28, the universal Church celebrates the feast day of St. Louis-Marie de Monfort, a 17th century saint who is revered for his intense devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Louis-Marie is perhaps most famously known for his prayer of entrustment to Our Lady, “Totus Tuus ego sum,” which means, “I am all yours.” The late-Pope John Paul II took the phrase “Totus Tuus” as his episcopal motto.

More info here at A Catholic View

Also Feast of Santa Gianna Beretta Molla here

Divine Mercy Sunday afternoon

2011-04-27T10:24:00.001+01:00

At the Birmingham Oratory:

Divine Mercy afternoon:

2.30 pm (confessions from 2pm)

Veneration of the Divine Mercy Image

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Divine Mercy Chaplet & Rosary

Mass at 5.30 pm

A Plenary Indulgence may be gained under the usual conditions.

How great is our God - Turn it up real LOUD!

2011-04-26T18:40:00.003+01:00

The splendor of a King

Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice

All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light

And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice

Trembles at His voice

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

All will see

How great, how great

Is our God

Age to age He stands

And time is in His hands

Beginning and the End

The Godhead, Three in One

Father, Spirit, Son

The Lion and the Lamb

Name above all names

You are worthy of all praise

My heart will sing how great

Is our God

Chart of internal control of the soul by St Faustina

2011-04-26T13:25:00.006+01:00

J.M.J. Jesus, I trust in You. January 1, 1937 Chart of internal control of the soul. Particular examen-to be united with the merciful Christ. Practice: inner silence, strict observance of silence.

The Conscience
January: God and the soul; silence. Victories 41, falls 4.
Exclamatory Prayer: But Jesus remained silent.

February: God and the soul; silence. Victories 36, falls 3.
Exclamatory Prayer: Jesus, I trust in You.

March: God and the soul; silence. Victories 51, falls 2.
Exclamatory Prayer: Jesus, enkindle my heart with love.

April: God and the soul; silence. Victories 61, falls 4.
Exclamatory Prayer: With God, I can do all things.

May: God and the soul; silence. Victories 92, falls 3.
Exclamatory Prayer: In His Name is my strength.

June: God and the soul; silence. Victories 64, falls 1.
Exclamatory Prayer: All for Jesus.

July: God and the soul; silence. Victories 62, falls 8.
Exclamatory Prayer: Jesus, rest in my heart.

August: God and the soul; silence. Victories 88, falls 7.
Exclamatory Prayer: Jesus, You know...

September: God and the soul; silence. Victories 99, falls 1.
Exclamatory Prayer: Jesus, hide me in Your Heart.

October: God and the soul; silence. Victories 41, falls 3.
Exclamatory Prayer: Mary, unite me with Jesus.

November: God and the soul; silence. Victories, falls.
Exclamatory Prayer: O my Jesus, have mercy!

December: God and the soul; silence. Victories, falls.
Exclamatory Prayer: Hail, living Host!

The charting of victories & falls of the soul seems a very good spiritual practice to me..along with the discipline!

Trials sent by God to a soul which is particularly loved by Him. Temptations and darkness; Satan.

2011-04-26T12:07:00.004+01:00

The soul's love (for God) is still not such as God would have it. The soul suddenly loses the tangible perception of God's presence. Various defects and imperfections rise up within it, and it must fight them furiously. All her faults lifted up their heads, but the soul's vigilance is great. The former awareness of the presence of God gives place to coldness and spiritual dryness; the soul has no taste for spiritual exercises; it cannot pray, either in the old way, or in the manner in which it had just begun to pray. It struggles this way and that, but can find no satisfaction. God has hidden himself from it, and it can find no consolation in creatures, nor can any of these creatures find away of consoling it. The soul craves passionately for God, but sees its own misery; it begins to sense God's justice; it seems to it that it has lost all the gifts that God has given it; its mind is dimmed, and darkness fills it; unspeakable torments begins. The soul tries to explain its state to the confessor, but it is not understood and is assailed by an even greater unrest. Satan begins his work.

Faith staggers under the impact; the struggle is fierce. The soul tries hard to cling to God by an act of will. With God's permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are put to the test. These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in secret, so to speak. The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be impossible to stand firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow to befall a soul. The soul is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed truths and to insincerity towards the confessor. Satan says to it, "Look, no one understands you; why speak about all this? Words that terrify it sounds in its ears, and it seems to the soul that it is uttering these against God. It sees what it does not want to see. It hears what it does not want to hear. And, oh, it is a terrible thing at times like these, not to have an experienced confessor! The soul carries the whole burden alone. However, one should make every effort to find, if it is at all possible, a well informed confessor, for a soul can collapse under the burden and come to the very edge of the precipice. All these trials are heavy and difficult. God does not send them to a soul which has not already been admitted to a deeper intimacy with Him and which has not yet tasted the divine delights. Besides, in this God has His own plans, which for us are impenetrable. God often prepares a soul in this way for His future designs and great works. He wants to try it as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the end of the testing; there is still the trial of trials, the complete abandonment of the soul by God.

The Trial of Trials, Complete Abandonment - Despair.
When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on. At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice.

The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her - for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze towards heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense.

If God wished to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's sufferings, mocking it: 'Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!' But Satan only has as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word "rejected", becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces through her whole being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.

(Notebook One 96ff..The Diary of St Faustina)

" I am the Mother of God of Priests"

2011-04-25T21:25:00.004+01:00

From the Diary of St Faustina: Divine Mercy in my Soul:

A vision of the Mother of God. In the midst of a great brilliance, I saw the Mother of God clothed in a white gown, girt about with a golden cincture; and there were tiny stars, also of gold, over the whole garment, and chevron-shaped sleeves lined with gold. Her cloak was sky-blue, lightly thrown over the shoulders. A transparent veil was delicately drawn over her head, while her flowing hair was set off beautifully by a golden crown which terminated in little crosses. On Her left arm, She held the Child Jesus. ..She ..said, I am the Mother of God of Priests. At that, She lowered Jesus from Her arm to the ground, raised Her right hand heavenward and said: O God, bless Poland, bless priests. Then she addressed me once again: Tell the priests what you have seen. I resolved that at the first opportunity...I would tell; but I myself can make nothing of this vision. (1585)

I Am the Mother of God of Priests

Prayer from St. Faustina’s Diary

(St. Faustina’s Diary #1585)

Let us pray:

O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church:

Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of Priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord.

Lord, give us holy Priests; You yourself maintain them in holiness.

O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil's traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls of Priests.

May the power of Your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of Priests, for You can do all things. Amen.

(St. Faustina’s Diary #1052)

Should Church Leaders Speak Out More Frequently About the Importance of Christian Marriage and Family Life?

2011-04-25T15:50:00.002+01:00

Archbishop Bernard Longley, pictured on 25 April 2011. Picture credit Peter Jennings.

Peter Jennings asks the question...click on link below to give your views!

Should Church Leaders Speak Out More Frequently About the Importance of Christian Marriage and Family Life?

Happy Birthday Andrew! 12 years old today!

2011-04-25T08:51:00.000+01:00

My son made a dramatic entry into the world by emergency C-Section due to a cord-prolapse. He is very precious! One of his teachers let him go early from a detention because " you have a beautiful face! " Who am I to argue? lol

Reflections....

2011-04-24T17:55:00.013+01:00

Our tenth child Jacinta was baptised Jacinta Helen Gianna...Helen was in honour of St Faustina who was the third of ten children & baptised Helen Kowalska. We have always had a number of Polish friends & as a result have often been influenced by many lovely Polish customs & piety. We have prayed the Divine Mercy devotion & read the Diary for more than 20 years now. It is a particularly beautiful devotion & we have often availed ourselves of the Indulgence to be gained on the Feast of Mercy.

In re-reading the Diary, I was struck by the following:

289 "Jesus commanded me to celebrate the Feast of God's Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter. ( This I did) through interior recollection and exterior mortification, wearing the belt for three hours and praying continuously for sinners and for mercy on the whole world."

It is reported also in writings about St Therese of Lisieux that she "took the discipline". I find these practices interesting since both women went on to become great saints. The thought comes to mind, that even though Lent is now over & He is risen, that there are many souls to save including our own. Would it not be feasable to incorporate some form of physical discipline as an aid to prayer, fasting & almsgiving? I think such a course of action needs to be under the direction of our Confessor & Spiritual Director.

Also 565: " Interior mortifications take the first place, but besides this, we must practice exterior mortifications, strictly determined, so that all can practice them. These are: on three days a week, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, there will be a strict fast; each Friday, all the sisters - each one in her own cell - will take the discipline (A lash, whip, or similar instrument for the infliction of pain, used by religious as a means of penance) for the length of the recitation of Psalm 50, and all will do this at the same time; namely three o'clock; and this will be offered for dying sinners. "

If I remember rightly Pope John Paul ll is reported as having taken the discipline too which is not at all surprising.

Another thing that struck me in reading the Diary, was that there are THREE degrees to practicing the Divine Mercy devotion :

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first - by deed, the second - by word, the third - by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works." (Diary, 742)

As I am sure is the case for many people, I received wonderful graces over the Triduum. Particularly for me, was the realisation of a wonderful grace after venerating the Crucifix. Like many people I have had my share of mental, spiritual & physical sufferings, & also corresponding graces & consolations. Suffering was something I shrank from as much as possible, though the bearing of 12 children necessitated a good deal of pain but also great joy.

I have had often the suffering of suicidal ideation. St Faustina describes:

Once, I took upon myself a terrible temptation which one of our students in the house at Warsaw was going through. It was the temptation of suicide. For seven days I suffered; and after the seven days Jesus granted her the grace which was being asked, and then my suffering also ceased. It was a great suffering. I often take upon myself the torments of our students. Jesus permits me to do this, and so do my confessors. (192)

Suffering freely accepted is absolutely crucial to the Divine Mercy devotion as it was to the Little Way of St Therese. Of course both women died young..Therese at 24 & St Faustina at 33, both from tuberculosis. Interestingly I remember my own mother's battle with this dreadful disease & indeed my grandmother died of this illness, very rapidly. My mother was fortunate in being diagnosed & treated but was seriously ill for more than a year.

During the Triduum, we participated in a Prolife walk of witness to the abortuary. St Faustina at one time suffered the pains of the abortion experience.

Pope John Paul II has fostered this devotion within the Church, and has declared the Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. Many of the faithful, especially in the pro-life movement, practice this devotion.

Indeed, the link between this devotion and abortion is established by St. Faustina herself and recorded in her "Diary." Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, who was a principal translator of St. Faustina's diary, and the postulator of her cause of canonization, writes the following:

"On at least three occasions, from 8:00-11:00 in the evening, she felt like her insides were being torn apart. She suffered so much that she thought she was going to die. The doctors couldn't figure out what was ailing her, and no medication was able to alleviate her sufferings. Later, she was given to understand that she was undergoing those pains for mothers who were aborting their children (Diary, 1276).

"On another occasion, she had a vision of an angel coming with thunderbolts to destroy one of the most beautiful cities of her country. And she felt powerless to do anything about it (Diary, 474). What antidote did the Lord give her? The Chaplet of Divine Mercy. [She explained] that the city was to be chastised for its sins, primarily the sin of abortion." ("Wombs of Mercy," Marian Helpers Bulletin, Summer 1995, p.13).Now the Pope has personally emphasized this connection once again, by signing a special Papal Blessing for those who pray the Chaplet for an end to abortion. The blessing, signed on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 2003, is addressed to the Eucharistic Apostles of the Divine Mercy and to "all the faithful worldwide who join them in offering the Divine Mercy Chaplet…for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the Culture of Life, so as to put an end to the culture of death."

I have suffered two miscarriages, one requiring surgery which was life-threatening & ending in a stay in intensive care. I remember the agoinising pain at that time. I expect all of these personal pains of ours can be offered in reparation for our own sins & those of our neighbour.

The Feast of Mercy so loved by almost Blessed John Paul, gives us a wonderful opportunity to be forgiven & re-dedicate our lives to God & return to a state of Grace. I must say I find the Diary compelling & at the same time baffling. It seems to me as though Our Lord plays "hide-& seek" with St Faustina! One minute He is very close & the next she is left with a great yearning for the return of Our Lord's presence. Also hard to understand is the fact that sometimes her Confessors would confuse her & say they thought she might be mistaken. But then she received wonderful direction from some spiritual directors.The cause for the Servant of God, Rev Michal Sopocko was opened in 1987. I imagine all this was to increase St Faustina's Trust in Jesus.

Finally, the image contains the words " Jesus, I trust in you"..so simple yet so enormously difficult to do!

I hope you all receive many graces from this Easter week & the promise of great Mercy. Gaudia Paschalia..

Pope’s Urbi et Orbi message – full text | CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-24T14:45:00.002+01:00

Luke Coppen writes the Holy Father's message:

“In resurrectione tua, Christe, coeli et terra laetentur!
In your resurrection, O Christ, let heaven and earth rejoice!” (Liturgy of the Hours).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and across the world,

Easter morning brings us news that is ancient yet ever new: Christ is risen! The echo of this event, which issued forth from Jerusalem twenty centuries ago, continues to resound in the Church, deep in whose heart lives the vibrant faith of Mary, Mother of Jesus, the faith of Mary Magdalene and the other women who first discovered the empty tomb, and the faith of Peter and the other Apostles.

Ctd at link below:

Pope’s Urbi et Orbi message – full text CatholicHerald.co.uk

Resurrection Day Matt Maher Turn it up real LOUD!

2011-04-24T14:35:00.001+01:00

Easter Sunday. Resurrexit, sicut dixit. He is risen as he said, Alleluia

2011-04-24T08:42:00.000+01:00

Resurrection (after 1665), Luca Giordano

Regina cæli lætare, Alleluia;

Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia;

Resurrexit, sicut dixit, Alleluia:

Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia.

H/T Fr Sean Coyle here

For priests & religious..Divine Mercy Novena Day Two

2011-04-23T17:54:00.002+01:00

“Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind.”

Royal Wedding Stamp of Approval from Archbishop Nichols

2011-04-23T16:34:00.001+01:00

Archbishop Vincent Nichols pictured holding the Royal Wedding special commemorative stamps to be issued by New Zealand Post on 29 April, and the miniature sheet issued by Isle of Man Stamps & Coins on 15 April 2011.

Peter Jennings writes:

The Royal Wedding postage stamps issued by the Isle of Man and New Zealand have been given a stamp of approval by Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

Ctd at link below:
Royal Wedding Stamp of Approval from Archbishop Nichols

Holy Saturday

2011-04-23T09:13:00.000+01:00

H/T Fr Sean Coyle Bangor to Bobbio here

Holy Week Receptions: Report from Birmingham

2011-04-22T14:17:00.001+01:00

Chris Marshall writes here & below:

How else could the Rite of Reception have begun but with Newman’s wonderful “Praise to the Holiest.?” The service which followed was short and simple, yet profound and deeply moving, as more than 100 former Anglicans were received into the fullness of the Communion of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Bernard welcomed us and assured us of the place we have in the Holy Father’s concern, and within the Catholic Community. After Confirmation, there were tears and hugs and an overwhelming joy that we were home at last!

Then on a beautiful April evening there was a brief time for congratulations and conversation out in the warm sunshine. Then we returned inside the Cathedral to begin the celebration of the Easter Triduum at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. Two of our members had the privilege of sharing in the washing of feet and receiving a rosary from Archbishop Bernard. All had the privilege of receiving the Holy Eucharist in full communion with the Universal Church for the first time.

Finally thirty of us crowded into an already packed carriage of a late night train from Snow Hill Station. “Had we all been out to the theatre?” we were asked. “No- we were Catholics- now celebrating our journey to eternal life in full communion with our Holy Father!

Our grateful thanks to Archbishop Bernard for the warmth and sensitivity of his welcome as also to the Catholic clergy and laity of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and especially to Fr Lloyd and his people at St Peter and English Martyrs, Lower Gornal.

From Ordinariate Portal

Jim Caffery - Prolifer

2011-04-22T12:08:00.000+01:00

Jim Caffery thanked everyone for supporting the walk & made a special thanks to the young people who came. I had 4 of my 8 daughters keen to walk & it was quite moving to see them nearing adulthood & being so prolife. We used to pray outside the clinic before some of them were even born. It is nice to see the growth in support.

Birmingham Prolife Prayer Group

2011-04-22T12:05:00.002+01:00

Meet on Saturday mornings 9am & on Tuesday morning 10 am. The clinic had closed on a Saturday morning for the last 6 months which Jim Caffery said was an answer to prayer but under new management is open again.

Fr Richard Duffield, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory read a prayer & gave us a blessing.

Calthorpe abortion clinic..

2011-04-22T12:02:00.000+01:00

Andrew jr & Jacinta..

Prolife walk of prayer & witness

2011-04-22T11:59:00.001+01:00

Jacinta, Elizabeth & Mary....

Rosie...

Good Friday. 'Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows'

2011-04-22T08:41:00.000+01:00

The Disrobing of Jesus (El Espolio), El Greco, painted 1577-79

Reflection by Fr Sean Coyle here

The priest who changed the way we treat the mentally ill | CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-21T14:27:00.001+01:00

St Benedict Menni founded 17 psychiatric hospitals in Spain

Benedict Menni (1841-1914) gave his life to the outcasts of Spain, in particular to organising more compassionate treatment for the psychologically disturbed through the Hospitallers of St John of God and through the sister organisation which he founded. More details at link below:

The priest who changed the way we treat the mentally ill CatholicHerald.co.uk

Walk this morning...

2011-04-21T14:25:00.000+01:00

Holy Thursday

2011-04-21T09:34:00.000+01:00

Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples (detail), Tintoretto, c,1547

AN SOISCÉAL (Eoin 13:1-15. Bíobla Mhaigh Nuad ) [Irish language]

Roimh fhéile na Cásca, ó bhí a fhios ag Íosa go raibh a uair tagtha chun imeacht as an saol seo go dtí an tAthair, agus ó thug sé grá dá mhuintir féin a bhí ar an saol, thug sé grá thar na bearta dóibh feasta.

Le linn an tsuipéir agus tar éis don diabhal a chur ina chroí ag Iúdás, mac Shíomóin Isceiriót, go mbraithfeadh sé é – ó bhí a fhios ag Íosa go raibh gach uile ní tugtha isteach ina lámha dó, ag an Athair, agus gur ó Dhia a ghabh sé amach, agus gur ar Dhia a bhí a thriall, d’éirigh sé ón suipéar, agus leag sé uaidh a chuid éadaigh, agus cheangail sé tuáille faoina choim. Ansin chuir sé uisce sa bháisín agus thosaigh ag ní cosa na ndeisceabal agus á dtiormú leis an tuáille a bhí faoina choim.

Tháinig sé chomh fada le Síomón Peadar agus dúirt seisean leis: “Tusa a ní mo chos-sa, a Thiarna!” D’fhreagair Íosa é: “Ní fios duit anois cad tá ar siúl agam,” ar sé leis, “ach tuigfidh tú ar ball é.” Dúirt Peadar leis: “Ní nífidh tú mo chosa-sa choíche!” D’fhreagair Íosa é: “Mura ndéanfaidh mé thú a ní, ní bheidh aon chuid agat díom.” Dúirt Síomón Peadar leis: “A Thiarna, ní amháin mo chosa, ach nigh fós mo lámha agus mo cheann!” Dúirt Íosa leis: “Duine tar éis a fholctha, ní gá dó a ní [ach a chosa]; tá sé glan go hiomlán. Agus tá sibhse glan, ach níl gach duine agaibh glan.” Mar bhí a fhios aige cé a bhí chun é bhrath; sin é an fáth a ndúirt sé: “Níl gach duine agaibh glan.”

Ansin, tar éis dó a gcosa a ní, agus a chuid éadaigh a chur air, shuigh sé chun boird arís agus dúirt sé leo: “An dtuigeann sibh cad tá déanta agam daoibh? Deir sibh: ‘A Mháistir’ liom agus ‘A Thiarna’, agus is le ceart é, óir is mé sin. Má rinne mise bhur gcosa a ní agus gur mé bhur dTiarna agus bhur Máistir, ba chóir daoibhse chomh maith cosa a chéile a ní. Tá sampla tugtha agam daoibh, faoi mar atá déanta agam daoibhse, go ndéanfadh sibhse mar an gcéanna.
H/T Fr Sean Coyle Bangor to Bobbio here

Wearing the burqa in our streets is a hostile act: the French are right to ban it | CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-21T09:28:00.001+01:00

William Oddie writes at link below:

Wearing the burqa in our streets is a hostile act: the French are right to ban it CatholicHerald.co.uk

If only we could look at one another with eyes of mercy | CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-21T09:21:00.001+01:00

Why a new play about Pope John Paul II offers an original, thought-provoking perspective on the man who became pope,

Francis Phillips writes:

Well! The posts in response to my last blog, about the beatification of the late John Paul II, were very illuminating. And the blog itself has now been posted on The Remnant on-line hit list, under the heading “Praying with pagans is A-OK!” Fame at last.

With all this debate going on, I was heartened to receive an email from a friend, who wrote, “I’m a JP II fan. I was able to get into St Peter’s Square for his funeral (having slept the night before in my sleeping bag in via della Conciliazione to make sure I had a good chance of getting in.) As soon as I heard about the beatification date I booked a flight and a hotel. In my view he was an extraordinary human being, priest, Pope. Totally, totally exceptional.

Sure there were problems in the Church during his time but it’s unrealistic to have expected him to sort them all out – in fact he did sort out a number of them.”Thinking about the lasting legacy of JP II and in particular, the way he reached out to the young, my attention has been drawn to a new drama on this theme. Called The Quality of Mercy and written by Leonie Caldecott, fresh on the heels of her very successful play last year about the life of St Therese of Lisieux, it will be performed in the Newman Room at the Catholic Chaplaincy, Rose Place, Oxford on 27th, 28th and 29th April, at 8 pm. Tickets are £10 or £5 (concessions).

Ctd at link below:

If only we could look at one another with eyes of mercy CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-20T20:12:00.002+01:00

Stations of the Cross - VII - IX - Diary of St. Faustina

VII STATION: Jesus falls for the second time.

Jesus to Saint Faustina: The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too Little on Me. (1488). You must know that on your own, you can’t do nothing. (639). You are not even capable of receiving my graces without my help. (738).

Saint Faustina: Jesus, do not leave me alone (..). You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness; I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall (1489). So You, Jesus, must stand by me constantly like a mother by a helpless child – and even more so. (264).

May I lean on your grace, Lord, so that I may not fall continuously on the same errors: and if I fall, help me rise and glorify your Mercy.

VIII STATION: Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem.

Jesus to Saint Faustina: Oh, how pleasing to Me is a living faith! (1420). I desire that you would all have more faith at the present time (352).

Saint Faustina: I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in the highest regions and assigns self-love it’s proper place, that is to say, the lowest one. (210).

Merciful Lord, thank you for Holy Baptism and the grace of faith. I call you again. Lord, I believe, increase my faith!

Stations of the Cross - IX - XI - Diary of St. Faustina

2011-04-20T20:03:00.002+01:00

IX STATION: Jesus falls for the third time.

Jesus to Saint Faustina: Know that the greatest obstacle to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. This will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue ( ...). I am always willing to forgive you. Every time you ask for it, you glorify my Mercy (1488).

Saint Faustina: Oh My Jesus, in spite of your graces. I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with a battle and end it with a battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace. (606

Merciful Lord, I give you everything that is my exclusive property, that is, sin and human frailty. I beg you, that my misery may be drowned in your unfathomable Mercy.

X STATION: Jesus is stripped of His Garments.

Saint Faustina: Jesus was suddenly standing before me , stripped of His clothes, His body completely covered with wounds, His eyes flooded with tears and blood, His face disfigured and covered with spittle. The Lord then said to me: “The bride must resemble her Betrothed.”

Saint Faustina: I understood these words to the very depth. There’s no room for doubt here. My likeness to Jesus must be through suffering and humility (268).

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, transform my heart according to your Heart.

XI STATION: Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

Jesus to Saint Faustina: My pupil, have great love for those who cause you suffering. Do good to those who hate you (1628).

Saint Faustina: Oh my Jesus, you know what efforts are needed to live sincerely and unaffectedly with those from whom our nature flees, or with those who, deliberately or not, have made us suffer. Humanly speaking, this is impossible at such times more than others, I try to discover the Lord Jesus in such a person and for this same Jesus, I do everything for such a people. (compare 766).

Oh purest Love, reign in all your plenitude in my heart and allow me to love more than what human measure allows me to. (compare 328).

H/T Divine Mercy for our Times here

Divine Mercy prayer for addictions to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, food, sex, internet

2011-04-20T12:31:00.003+01:00

If you ask anyone what an addiction is, they'll probably say it's being unable to stop using a substance, for example an illegal drug such as heroin, or maybe legal substances such as alcohol.

Did you know around four million people use illicit drugs each year in England and Wales, and it’s estimated that more than 280,000 have problems because of their drug use?

Perhaps the best example is cigarette smoking. Anyone who has ever smoked will recognise the strong sense of compulsion to light up, particularly in situations where this is not allowed, such as in an plane, restaurant or pub.

These aspects of addiction have a physiological basis related to how the substance acts on the brain (in the case of cigarettes, it’s the effects of nicotine that the person craves) and a psychological aspect relating to the reasons for taking the substance (such as smoking to improve concentration or be part of a social group).

Prayer for the Release of a Loved One from Alcohol, Tobacco, Food, Sex, Internet, Drug Addiction Through the Divine Mercy and Love of Jesus

Lord Jesus, I put myself into Your hands this day. I ask You, with all my heart, to cure the terrible addiction to alcohol, tobacco, food (drugs) in (name the person). Create in them an intolerance for alcohol (drugs) etc that will prevent them ever offending those who love them again. And grant their loved ones the grace to forgive them for all the hurt they have caused. Through the Divine Mercy and blood of Jesus, I also pray that they will be healed of all withdrawal symptoms of this terrible affliction. I sincerely ask this, in the name of Jesus. Amen

The 12 Steps

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

Addiction to food:

Anorexia Nervosa, where the addict fears weight gain and so starves himself. Obsessed with weight gain and body shape anorexics will exhibit obsessive behaviors in maintaining themselves. In the process, they develop problems like disruption of menstrual cycle, emancipation, hair loss, unhealthy skin pallor, and a lack or fluids.

As with all types of addiction, low self-esteem is also a common denominator in anorexia. However, there are also extreme personal identity issues, a need for acceptance, and a longing for the love and attention that is being denied by one's family. .

Addiction to Nicotine:

Nicotine addiction is one of the most common addictions. For those who have repeatedly tried to quit smoking, the range of treatment options available today just isn’t enough for them to give up the habit.

Addiction to Sex:

Sex addiction can involve all or just some of the following symptoms; an increased desire for sexual activity either with the same partner, multiple partners, one-night stands or frequent affairs. The sexual activity normally becomes more spontaneous, rough and experimental when addiction has developed and sexual appetite becomes more difficult to fulfill.

Sexual images, pornography and an increase in pornographic films and magazines often accompany sex addiction with material of a more hardcore nature being sought to satisfy the addiction. Along with this, masturbation will usually become more frequent and more spontaneous.

Addiction to Alcohol:
What is alcohol?

Alcohol is a sedative hypnotic drug that depresses the central nervous system, making you feel more relaxed.

Most adults in the UK drink alcohol moderately and on a social basis and derive a lot of pleasure from doing so.

However, about one in five men and one in seven women regularly drink more than the Department of Health suggests is strictly safe for good health. This is up to two to three units of alcohol a day for women and up to three to four units of alcohol a day for men, to a maximum of 14 units a week for women and 21 units a week for men. A unit of alcohol is equivalent to half a pint of ordinary strength beer, a small glass of wine or a single pub measure of spirits.

Top

Short-term effects of alcohol

The short-term effects of alcohol are dependent on the amount consumed and can vary enormously from person to person and from one situation to another.

The main effect is on the brain, which can result in:

Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
Unsteadiness when standing or walking
Impaired attention and judgement
Loss of inhibition
Sleep

Relatively low doses of alcohol relax the user, make them more talkative and animated. Larger doses lead to uncoordinated movement, impaired decision-making and sedation.

The depressive effects of alcohol on normal brain function - especially those causing impaired judgement - are the main reasons it's always best to avoid alcohol when driving and never to exceed the limit.

Crisis in the blogosphere

2011-04-20T10:23:00.005+01:00

In America magazine here Austen Ivereigh writes an interesting "End of Lent resolution" ( H/T Fr Ray Blake Covenant of civility here )

He writes:

Since Fr Jim's excellent post earlier on the problem of incivility in the Catholic blogosphere, John Allen has written intriguingly at NCR about the need to overcome what he calls "tribal Catholicism" - the fragmentation of the Church which, he says, means increasingly "we're becoming strangers to one another".

Regarding the term " Taliban Catholic " he writes:

A better term, closer to Catholic home, would be "Jansenist", meaning the eighteenth-century French movement which provoked a major theological crisis in the late seventeenth century. One bishop referred to the Jansenists as "pure as angels and proud as devils" -- an apt description of certain defenders of Catholic orthodoxy who believe it's their job to "determine who's in and who's out", as Allen puts it.

This can reach extremes. I recently learned that one British Catholic blogger, who has regularly described me and my Catholic Voices colleagues as "dissenters", told someone I met recently in Spain that we were "lapsed Catholics". If he were to print that, it would be libel; but clearly he believes it -- which explains the astonishing acidity of his posts. He and others of his mindset describe themselves as "traditional Roman Catholics" who, as one put it recently without any apparent recognition of the irony, believe in being "loyally obedient to the Pope's authority when that authority is exercised in conformity with the Faith."

The full article by Austen Ivereigh here

I have recently found myself in "dialogue" with a group of "Catholics" who rubbish the Popes, particularly JP2. They seem to have a "cafeteria" Catholicism in which they only agree with certain teachings & encyclicals. They particularly are against the beatification of JP2. They seem to mix an extreme Fatima viewpoint in with their "traditionalism".

Then there are other "traditional" Catholic bloggers who are obsessed with the EF Mass & suggest as part of the Guild of bloggers that bloggers meet for "traditional" Masses. I believe that all Catholics are "traditional" since it is essentially integral to Catholicism. My family & I are happy attending both OF & EF Masses. I have friends with a preference for the EF Mass.

My personal view is that the blogosphere may split into two or more groups. I would like to be part of an "ordinary" Catholic group which has no conditions for membership. One wouldn't even have to be Catholic. I have many Christian friends & those of no faith who read my blog. I would like to include them in any group membership.

Any thoughts?

A Priestly People Expresses Itself in Practical Charity

2011-04-19T15:55:00.002+01:00

Peter Jennings

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, during his homily at the Chrism Mass in Westminster Cathedral, on Tuesday 19 April, emphasised that “A priestly people expresses itself in practical charity.”

The Archbishop of Westminster continued: This is of such importance and I thank all the priests and people present here today for efforts in reaching out to the needs of those around you.

“In the months to come we wish to strengthen this work and bring it extra support and encouragement. This is an expression of the depth of good will there is among us for the project of building a society of greater social responsibility, in accordance with Catholic teaching.”

Archbishop Nichols added: “This effort can properly bring great benefit to the quality of life we share in this country. We are ready for our part in it. Yet the project comes in the context of real financial hardship. Care and action are needed that the necessary financial stringency does not undermine this important social renewal, especially among charities and the voluntary sector.”

A Priestly People Expresses Itself in Practical Charity

" And it was night "

2011-04-19T15:46:00.001+01:00

John 13: 21 - 33, 36 - 38
21	When Jesus had thus spoken, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
22	The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke.
23	One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus;
24	so Simon Peter beckoned to him and said, "Tell us who it is of whom he speaks."
25	So lying thus, close to the breast of Jesus, he said to him, "Lord, who is it?"
26	Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
27	Then after the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly."
28	Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.
29	Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast"; or, that he should give something to the poor.
30	So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out; and it was night.
31	When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of man glorified, and in him God is glorified;
32	if God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.
33	Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going you cannot come.'
36	Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow afterward."
37	Peter said to him, "Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
38	Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow, till you have denied me three times.

St Patrick's

2011-04-19T13:15:00.000+01:00

" Holy Tuesday " walk..

2011-04-19T13:12:00.002+01:00

Look who we met this morning!

2011-04-19T13:10:00.000+01:00

Blessing of Palms by Archbishop Longley at St Chad’s Cathedral

2011-04-19T08:32:00.002+01:00

Peter Jennings writes here & below

Archbishop Bernard Longley presided and preached at sung High Mass for Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, in the Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica of St Chad, Birmingham, on 17 April.

The Blessing of Palms by the Archbishop of Birmingham took place outside the Cathedral crypt main door in warm sunshine on a beautiful spring morning at the start of Holy Week 2011.

The congregation led by the Cathedral Choir then processed into the Cathedral where all the crucifixes and statues were covered in purple cloth for Passiontide.

The music and antiphons sung in Latin by the Choir created a somber mood in complete contrast to the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey, as recounted in the Gospel from St Matthew read outside a few minutes earlier.

In that account the crowds who followed Jesus shouted: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on him who comes in to the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heavens!”

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St Matthew was read by Archbishop Longley speaking the words of Jesus and two priests from the seminary one as narrator, and the other reading the rest of the parts. The seminarians in the front row joined in with the voices of the crowd who shouted “Let him be crucified!”

Canon Gerry Breen, Cathedral Dean, Mgr Mark Crisp, Rector of St Mary’s College, Oscott, and members of the seminary staff concelebrated Mass with the Archbishop. Seminarians from the College served at the Mass.

Blessing of Palms by Archbishop Longley at St Chad's Cathedral

"The Passion of the Christ" Full movie

2011-04-18T18:20:00.003+01:00

At the beginning of Holy Week we welcome Christ into our lives | CatholicHerald.co.uk

2011-04-17T15:03:00.005+01:00

At the beginning of Holy Week we welcome Christ into our lives CatholicHerald.co.uk

I will meditate on Bishop David McGough's words at the link above. .

Please remember to start your Divine Mercy Novena on Good Friday.

"The Donkey" by GK Chesterton

2011-04-17T09:25:00.004+01:00

The Donkey
by G.K. Chesterton

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn,
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born;

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings,
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth,
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb,
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.

H/T Why I am Catholic here

Faith & Family Live! : Look Who's Talking To The Vatican!

2011-04-16T20:19:00.002+01:00

Full list of bloggers here:

Faith & Family Live! : Look Who's Talking To The Vatican!

John Paul II and Divine Mercy, the devotion that guided his pontificate

2011-04-16T15:32:00.000+01:00

John Paul II and Divine Mercy, the devotion that guided his pontificate

'Hosanna to the Son of David'. Sunday Reflections, Palm Sunday Year A

2011-04-16T13:59:00.002+01:00

Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Fresco in the Parish Church of Zirl, Austria

Wonderful reflection by Fr Sean Coyle here

PROLIFE MORNING OF PRAYER & WITNESS

2011-04-16T10:55:00.001+01:00

Faith in Society: Renewing Social Responsibility – Lecture by Archbishop Vincent Nichols

2011-04-15T15:30:00.005+01:00

Archbishop Vincent Nichols (centre) Archbishop Bernard Longley and Mgr Mark Crisp, Rector, pictured after the lecture at Oscott College, 28 March 2011 Peter Jennings writes at link below: Faith in Society: Renewing Social Responsibility ; Lecture by Archbishop Vincent Nichols

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