Septuagesima

One of the beauties of the Extraordinary form of the calendar is the 'pre-Lent' season of three Sundays, which take on a more solemn tone, and allow us time to reflect and plan for our Lenten penance. At Mass, the vestments are violet, and more joyful prayers, such as the Gloria, are omitted.
This is a time to take stock, to reflect on the state one's soul, and to make a plan of action to use Lent to root out those parts of our lives that are still in the darkness of sin.

Still Alive

I realise it has been some time since I have posted on my blog. The start of this term has seen a number of changes at school, following restructuring - essentially this means that there are fewer staff, and so more to do for those of us who are left. The last couple of weeks has involved a lot of paperwork and meetings (as well as a full load of teaching), while we try to simplify procedures and delegate tasks in a way that will hopefully bring the workload down to a more manageble level - just hasn't got there quite yet!

Hence much of my time has consisted of a cycle of get up; eat; travel to work; work; travel home; eat; sleep - with not much opportunity for blogging.

God willing,  things are beginning to get a bit more organised and settled, and I hope to be able to post a bit more often in the coming weeks.

Epiphany

Happy Feast!



I felt like including a suitable piece of music, and thought of the hymn 'Personent Hodie' - while looking for a suitable video, I came across this version, which makes a change from a traditional 'organ/choir' arrangement, and I think works rather well, given that the hymn dates from the 14th. Centtury or perhaps a bit earlier (even if one or two slighlty 'suspect' pre-Christian images seem to have crept into the video - as they sometimes do in mediaeval churches, for that matter).

No vernacular here - Latin Christmas song







Youtube never ceases to amaze me - went looking for some more Christmas music in Latin and this is what I found ....

 

 



 

 

 



End of the 'Soho Masses' - Warwick St. moves on

I have just picked up the story that Archbishop Nichols has abolished the forthnightly 'gay Mass' at the Assumption and St. Gregory, Warwick Street, Soho. Deo Gratias!

The full article is on the Catholic Herald website.

As is to be expected, there has already been considerable comment on this decision within the Catholic Blogosphere, notably by Fr. Tim, Damian Thompson, Joanna Bogle and John Smeaton of SPUC: I anticapate there will be more to come.

These Masses have long been a source of scandal: far from providing support for people of same-sex attraction who wish to live within the Church's teaching, they have become an enclave in which such people can become 'cut off' from the wider Church, and in which immoral lifestyles are condoned, and, have, indeed, become a rallying point for so-called 'gay activists' and 'gay pride', which are likely to lead those who are struggling to live a moral life down precisely the road they wish to avoid. Let's hope that the contiuing pastoral provision for these people offers something more genuinely helpful and useful.

The other great part of the news is that the Warwick Street church is to be given to the care of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. This will, I am sure, mean that this venerable old chapel will again be used, loved and cared for, and that the Ordinariate will have another base from which to begin their journey as part of the Catholic Church.

Regina in Coelum Assumpta, ora pro nobis.
Sancte Gregori, ora pro nobis.

Happy New Year

May the peace, joy and blessing of almighty God be with you in 2013

 

 

Well said, Fr. Blake!

 

Fr. Ray Blake has recently written a very good post concerning our bishops, in general, being 'too nice'.

I quote the following, in particular:-

"Niceness means being all things to all men, being willing to burn incense before a pagan god, gathering into the big Catholic tent people whose lifestyle choices and whose theology in any other age would exclude them.
Radical orthodoxy would suggest that we proclaim teaching loud and clear wherever we can."
 

I would suggest we should all be careful not to fall into this subtle trap. Christianity is not about being nice to everyone: it is about doing God's will. Love is not about letting people do as they want: it is about seeing that they get what is best for them. The greatest love we can show towards others must involve wanting them to receive the ultimate reward of Heaven, and doing what we can to ensure that they get this. This may often have to be 'tough love': not letting them have their own way if this is a danger to their souls, helping them to overcome that which puts their souls at risk. Is it really an act of charity to be nice and accomodating towards someone, encouraging them to live their life any old how, regardless of morality and Our Lord's wishes, only to end with their immortal soul consigned to the flemes for eternity? Surely to do so would be putting our own souls at risk. It is not a case of 'I'm O.K., you're O.K', otherwise very soon neither of us will be O.K.

Here is a clip of one of Venerable Fulton Sheen's talks, in this case about 'Youth and Sex', where he points out (with his typical simplicity and humour) our need for boundaries and limits and training in what is right, and without which we are never happy. The part I would focus on is from the start up to about 2 minutes, 50 seconds. I would, however, commend the whole of this talk to you (it is on Youtube in four parts - this clip is the second part), and indeed any of Fulton Sheen's talks and sermons.