Music for Palm Sunday - Gloria, Laus et Honor

Processional Chant for Palm Sunday

Confirmation

Please pray for a roup of young people from Blackfen who are due to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this evening, that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will enrich their lives and help them to grow in Faith and the Love of God and neighbour.

Mac of Mulier Fortis, and I have been preparing them for the Sacrament, ably assisted by another young catechist. Please pray also for us and for Fr.Tim the Parish Priest.

The celebrant will be Bishop Pat Lynch, Auxiliary Bishop in Southwark.

 

Bishop Lynch

Music for Passiontide - Stabat Mater

Stabat Mater - Solemn Tone

 

 

I think this speaks for itself ....

 

 

....Mater Dolorosa, Ora pro nobis.

Habemus Papam

 

His Holiness Pope Francis - viva il Papa!

I have just got back home and onto my computer, so apoloies for not being as quick in posting as some others in the Catholic blogosphere. I called in on my Dad on the way home from work, arriving at about 7.15 this evening, and was told the news (apparently Dad was just about to 'phone me on my mobile to tell me). I have to admit that my first thought was 'WHO??' I have now had the chance to briefly find out a little about our new Holy Father, and like what I have read so far. There is a very good overview on the Canterbury Tales blog, and Fr. Tim seems to be blogging information about the new Pontiff at a rate of knots. I see that Mulier Fortis,  Bara Brith, Defende Nos  and Bones have all also been quick in wishing His Holiness well, as, of course do I.

It would appear that Pope Francis is a humble man, orthodox in his faith, and willing to speak out in defence of the moral teaching of the Church - all good signs.

When reflecting on potential papal names and the sort of pontificates with which they are associated, I have often thought that Francis would be a very good one, presumably looking towards the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi, a saint of great humbleness, but also a passionate defender of the Faith, known for his great love of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. Franciscan spirituality has played a significant part in my own life, and so I would welcome a pontificate that looks to this charism for its inspiration.

The fact that this was an unexpected election, made fairly quickly would suggest that the Holy Spirit has been very active over the last day.

I cannot help but also wonder about those who speculated at this, and the previous, conclave that we might have a Pope from Latin America - I suspect this was not quite the sort of person they had in mind.

Let us pray for our new Holy Father, and, as he requested in his first words to the faithful, with him, and let us give thanks to God.

 

 

Solemn 'Te Deum' by the Monks of Solesmes

 

 



Music for Lent - Kyrie XVII

 

Solemn and slightly mournful, yet beautiful and seemingly full of hope - the Kyrie for Sundays of Lent.

 

 

Adopt A Cardinal

 

 

This is a offer you don't get every day - your very own Cardinal to pray for!

 

In anticipation of the forthcoming conclave, the website Adopt A Cardinal has been set up as an excellent way to ensure that all those voting to elect a new pope are remembered in the prayers of faithful Catholics. You type in your name and email address, and are rendomly allocated one of the Cardinal Electors, who will then become your prayer intention for the duration of the conclave. It is important that all those involved receive our spiritual support, as the task of finding a successor to Pope Benedict in what will likely be tough times for the Church is unlikely to be an easy one.

 

I got Cardinal Theodore-Adrien Sarr, Archbishop of Dakar, Senegal. I not not heard of him prior to this, but have looked him up, and now know that he is a mamber of the Pontifical Council for Culture and has also spoken out on pro-life issues, and supported Pope Benedict's stance against the use of condoms in Africa. He is spiritual leader for some 300,000 Catholics in Senegal, and is Pesident of the Bishops' Conference of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau.

 

 

 

Why not go over to the site and adopt your own Cardinal.

 

Thanks to Mac of Mulier Fortis for telling us about this.

 

 



St David

Happy feast, especially to those of my readers who hale from Wales, and those who bear the name of this Saint.

Incidentally, I have just found out that St. David, as well as being a national Patron Saint, is also the Patron Saint of vegetarians, because he taught his followers to live an ascetic life, which includes abstinance from meat - perhaps appropriate that this year his feast falls on a Friday of Lent (it is only a Feast in Welsh dioceses, and a commemoration in the English dioceses Westminster and Portsmouth, so abstinance would apply for us in England).

He did also encourage abstinace from beer, so perhaps he doesn't have a great following in certain quarters of Blackfen and similar :-)

Joking apart, I will, of course commend to his care, anyone who is giving up a particular food, or alcoholic drink, as part of their Lenten observances.

St. David, pray for us.