The next few days....

.....will be be rather quiet on the blogging front:  we are off to Rome for the funeral of my sister-in-law.
Hopefully, I shall be able to resume shortly....

Prayer Request

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Angela, my sister-in-law, who died early this morning.
Angela bravely suffered and endured cancer for many months,  until God's call came. 

Eternal rest grant to her O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Mgr. Marini's Address: 'The Spirit of the Liturgy'

What a wonderful read this is!
I found the text of the address given by Mgr.Guido Marini, Pontifical Master of Liturgical ceremonies, to the Year for Priests Clergy Conference in Rome.

Here's little from his opening remarks ( the emphasis is that of the New Liturgical Movement who have posted the full text of Mgr Marini's Address):

"it is now all the more necessary to speak about the spirit of the liturgy, especially for us members of the sacred priesthood. Moreover, there is an urgent need to reaffirm the “authentic” spirit of the liturgy, such as it is present in the uninterrupted tradition of the Church, and attested, in continuity with the past, in the most recent Magisterial teachings: starting from the second Vatican council up to the present pontificate. I purposefully used the word continuity, a word very dear to our present Holy Father. He has made it the only authoritative criterion whereby one can correctly interpret the life of the Church, and more specifically, the conciliar documents, including all the proposed reforms contained in them. How could it be any different? Can one truly speak of a Church of the past and a Church of the future as if some historical break in the body of the Church had occurred?"

Certainly the 'Reform of the reform' will need the faithful and obedient co-operation of our good priests indeed it may well start with them, but the laity would benefit hugely by supporting and co-operating too, especially with their priests.

Which brings me to this !!
Here's an idea of what 'Stand up 4 Vatican 2' is about, copied from its website, linked above:

"The changes in our Sunday worship were only part of the sense of renewal that was sweeping through our church. Pope John XXIII had asked for 'aggiornamento' the bringing up to date of our church and we felt that this was really beginning to happen. As the windows of the Church gradually opened the Spirit blew in, giving the People of God worship in the vernacular, breaking down post Reformation sectarianism, endorsing the work of biblical scholars, affirming the primacy of conscience, acknowledging the need to learn from the secular sciences.." 

These are some of it's concerns:


"Encouraged by the Vatican, and increasingly evident in many parishes in the UK the celebration of Mass in Latin under the old Tridentine Rite, in some cases this happens not as an occasional event catering for a select group of people but as the main Sunday Mass in a parish."

"It is not unreasonable to assert that many of the decrees emanating from the Vatican in recent times have sought to put a brake on the developments that grew out of the discussions at the Council."

A number of priests some anonymously, are supporting this campaign which appears to be highly critical of 'The Vatican' and of the Holy Father.
 Cafod has an advert on the campaign's website. Does that imply Cafod's support for this organisation? Cafod is an agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales- are our Bishops supporting it, too?
Thanks to Fr. Mildew and NLM

Shepherds watching their flocks..

Pope Benedict, the Chief Shepherd, in his Angelus address on the feast of the Holy Family:
"God, by having come into the world in the bosom of a family, shows that this institution is a sure way to meet and know Him, and a permanent call to work for the loving unity of all people,” he continued. “Thus, one of the greatest services which we as Christians can offer our fellow men and women is to show them the serene and solid witness of a family founded upon marriage between a man and a woman, defending it and protecting it, because it is of supreme importance for the present and future of humankind.”

 Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwauki U.S., in his homily given at his Installation Mass:
"The direction to Peter is to demonstrate His love for Jesus by feeding his lambs, tending his sheep, feeding his sheep. Jesus is asking Peter to care for His Church. The love for Jesus will be in the very sacrificial acts offered in service for the faithful.The truth is at times difficult but the Church does not follow the Lord’s request to tend his sheep if it fails to teach the truth with love."

 Archbishop Carlos Osoro of Valencia, Spain, speaking about abortion, in a sermon given on the Feast of the Holy Innocents:
 "the worst dictatorship that can exist" and "the greatest injustice in history because it ends the lives of the weakest.
In questioning life, liberty in itself is brought into question, and the most profound injustice that can exist is established, which is to take away the life of the most defenseless."

Sometimes the cost of telling the truth with love, in season and out, can seem heavy, but the price of hiding, subverting, or lying about the truth which is handed down to us from the Apostles, is surely a dead weight.

Thank God for our Holy Father, and for all those men called to be our  Shepherds. Thank God especially
for their courage in faithfully fulfilling the duties God has laid upon them, for standing fast when the wolves appear.

Thanks also to Lifesite news

Dominican Sisters doing Snow!

I just had to post this!

Thanks, Godzdogs

Dr. Gerard Nadal's new pro-life blog

I have just come across the great blog of Dr. Gerard Nadal, an 'unapologetic Roman Catholic, loyal to the Magisterium', who is a scientist , Molecular Biologist and Micro Biologist, and who hails from across the pond.

Dr Nadal with his family, courtesy of 'Coming Home'blog

Here's a little from his first post:

"The purpose of this blog is to explore the lost human essence in the headlong embrace of reductionism, to promote the dialogue between Christian Anthropology and the sciences, primarily the Biological Sciences. Abortion, Euthanasia, Eugenics, Physician Assisted Suicide, all threaten human life on a scale never before imagined. There have been 1.8 BILLION abortions worldwide since the year of my birth, 1960. That’s one abortion for every 3.7 people walking the planet today. Where did we go so terribly wrong?
This blog will pursue the truth, wherever the truth leads. I invite the gentle reader to walk with me on the road of exploration. I am Roman Catholic, unapologetically so. I believe that much of what has been lost in human anthropology can be found in my Church’s documents, and in the scholarship of her sons and daughters. So too do I believe that my Protestant and Orthodox brothers and sisters, enlightened by the leading of the Holy Spirit, bring their very powerful witness to the truth, as do our elder brothers in faith, the Jews.
Indeed, pro-life is not the sole province of any one church or religion. We are all children of God, sharing the same dignity as such. Restoring that lost dignity is what this blog, and my life’s work is all about."
Here is the link to Dr. Nadal's blog, Coming Home.

New Year Retreat at Balham

We arrived home late yesterday, having been at Balham, for the Youth2000 retreat, over the last few days. It was a wonderful experience to be among families, young people, priests, religious, parishioners, for the purpose of worshipping God, deepening our faith in Christ our Saviour and uniting ourselves to Him.
I heard one young man say that during some time spent with the Blessed Sacrament, (which is exposed throughout the retreat), he was able to recognise that Jesus was really present in the Sacred Host, that it was not 'just a piece of bread' . A young woman said that her degree in Theology meant nothing compared to the reality of Christ truly present in the Sacred Host, who loves us with a love beyond compare.
I am sure that many seeds were planted in the hearts of these and of all who came to Balham seeking  Christ, who Himself never ceases to seek for His children.

I managed to take a few pictures of the action, sorry they are a little grainy:

Fr. Stephen Langridge has also posted about this retreat (and with better photos!).