The Catholic Whistle

Europe's economic problems and the common good

2011-09-16T18:47:00.000+01:00

The common good embraces responsibility towards future generations. Decisions we make now toward the common good will ripple into the future. There are big decisions that will happen over the next 28 days regarding the Eurozone lack of economic growth. Some of these decisions will impact directly into family life. I think the biggest impact will be on the poor. From a Catholic view point I would echo:

"Rather than a spiral of production and consumption in view of narrowly-defined human needs, economic life should properly be seen as an exercise of human responsibility, intrinsically oriented towards the promotion of the dignity of the person, the pursuit of the common good and the integral development - political, cultural and spiritual - of individuals, families and societies".

Pope Benedict, 30th April 2010, sixteenth plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

Now that is a radical thought to chew on!

Our disappointment at Lisieux

2011-09-03T18:21:00.001+01:00

We have got back from our holiday in France. I did a small post from my mobile (see previous) and thought I had better explain myself now I have a proper keyboard! Thank you all for your previous comments.
Our disappointment was because of our visit to the Basilica. We had expected to find many people, daily Eucharistic Adoration, daily rosary in common, confession and several masses throughout the day. We found that there is only one mass per day at 11:00am, no Eucharistic Adoration, no rosary, no confession (although the web site says there is in French from 10:00 to 10:45 and 15:00 to 17:00 ) and very few people (about 50 people whilst we were there). The place felt like a museum rather than a living example of Catholic faith. We were also surprised by the few candles actually lit by the relic, we had expected this to be full - I counted 17. Lastly, the Blessed Sacrament "chapel" had one bench that was just big enough to seat the five of us. It is not really a "chapel" but a just a side altar that people walked pass without genuflecting. Because our expectations were not fulfilled we all felt a deep sense of disappointment. Perhaps our expectations are just unrealistic.

Liseux is not what we thought

2011-08-29T20:12:00.001+01:00

As a family we were looking forward to Liseux because our Little Flower was waiting for us. All we can say is that things are not they appear to be. Maybe our expectations were too high hence ......
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Fr. Bonvini RIP

2011-08-05T17:22:00.001+01:00

Today I went to Fr. Ernie Bonvini's funeral Mass at Tooting. I wanted to share with you how a simple song perfectly captured Ernie's humour for me. His coffin was carried from the church to the sound of, "Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye" by Vera Lynn and that a put a big smile on my face.

I have know Ernie since 1971 when he was appointed to Gravesend shortly after ordination. Before being a priest he was very active in the Young Christian Workers (see, judge, act, review) and worked as a lorry driver delivering ice. He was often referred to as a late vocation because he would have been in his 30s at ordination!

Salvation and the common good

2011-08-03T23:12:00.006+01:00

I believe that human nature is basically good. However, I have noticed there is a tendency within all of us to do bad things and also things we have failed to do! In my world I call this tendency (or inclination) "original sin". I guess this is just part of my human condition.

I believe that we are redeemed by grace. For me, this is a pure gift that I do not do deserve - it is not as though I earn it!

I have often thought of my relationship with God in a simple way. I am sitting at the bottom of very deep pit (like the picture above) , an enormous deep cylindrical pit. There are three basic choices to get out of the pit.

1) I try to climb out of the pit but keep failing.
2) I sit on my butt and wait for some one to save me but never get out the pit.
3) I see a rope and grab hold of it, by my own free will, and another person pulls me out of the pit as long as I hold on.

For me, it is about me making that movement (continuous) in my life to freely grab hold of the rope - so I freely choose number 3!

I know some will say that I am putting too much emphasis on my free will, they may say, "It is not you reaching out but it is the Holy Spirit moving you to do this". They may even say, "God chooses some to be saved but not others". They may also say, "Your free will has been so damaged you cannot do anything without grace". Again, I would say, "I freely choose to grab the rope". And that is being a Catholic!

My sin of pride

2011-07-22T20:59:00.000+01:00

Have you ever thought about proof of your identity? Josie has a reflective post on this subject that made me think about my identity. On reflection I found something deep within my soul that is hiding my identity, it is called pride. I have read over the years that the greatest sin is pride because it prevents you for crying out for help to His Majesty.

Why should I make sacrifice?

2011-07-10T16:14:00.000+01:00

I notice people place a high value on individual freedom. I often hear talk about their "so-called" personal rights and on allowing each person to "do their own thing".

People tend to think about society as being comprised of separate independent individuals. They think of society as individuals who are free to pursue their own individual goals and interests without interference from others. Some say this is tolerance, if it does not intrude on them! They seem to echo that infamous saying from Jean-Paul Sartre, "Hell is other people". I would echo "Heaven is other people".

It is extremely difficult to promote the common good in such an individualistic culture. Trying to convince people that they should sacrifice some of their freedom, some of their personal goals, and some of their self-interest, for the sake of the common good is a real challenge!

E pluribus unum

2011-07-03T17:27:00.000+01:00

Happy Independence Day dear friends. Our prayers in Christ are with you.

"Out of many one" was the de facto motto of the United Stated until 1956 when "In God We Trust" became the official motto.

We lived for many years in Southern California and our youngest child was born in the USA. When we first moved there our local Catholic church consisted of a small room in a shopping mall. The Church was, and is, called St. Maximilian Kolbe. We had a strong sense of community and our choir was very gifted. Over the years we began the physical church building process and ended up with a village!

Common good litmus test

2011-06-18T20:25:00.005+01:00

What is the litmus test for the common good?

The chemistry litmus test detects the level of acidity or alkalinity within a solution. The basic idea is to stick a piece of litmus paper into a solution and see how the paper colour changes, this will reveal whether the solution is an acid or an alkaline.

The common good litmus test detects the level of exclusion or inclusion within our world. The basic idea is to ask a simple question, "Does this decision/policy exclude others or include others?", this will reveal whether the world is excluding or including. The common good does NOT exclude.

Let me offer a simple example to test for the common good. "Does our Church exclude or include others?" If you find that our Church is excluding others then I would suggest it is not acting for the common good.

But some may say we have to exclude others because they do not believe what I believe, for example Hitler. I would argue that Hitler was excluding the common good!

And of course, if you argue my view is just "traditionalist" and should not be accepted, then I would argue you are not acting for the common good because you are excluding me.

Real Presence

2011-06-16T20:33:00.000+01:00

I have just read "Real Presence" by Sister Wendy Beckett. The picture above is an one of those rare icons from the sixth century. It is a Coptic image (Mid Egypt) that captures intimacy with His Majesty.

On page 42 Sister Wendy makes this statement in relation to this icon,

"It would seem that it is his closeness to Jesus that gives him that resplendent halo. Is that not the definition of holiness, to be close to Jesus?"

The person depicted next to Jesus is Abbot of Bawit, Father Menas. I have always puzzled how to explain what we mean by holiness until now.

I noticed the left eye of Father Menas is slightly turned toward Jesus and the right eye of Jesus is slightly turned toward Father Menas. Sister Wendy does not notice this, she sees:

"His face, gazing rigidly ahead.......There is no visible proof that he is conscious of that protecting arm". I am not so sure.

Is it difficult being a Catholic?

2011-05-26T22:36:00.000+01:00

I have been pondering about the "new evangelisation" over the last few days and was asked today, "What is the most difficult thing about being a Catholic?". The person who asked me this question was interested in why I was a Catholic. I replied, "My prayer life". I explained, I do not have any issues with my teaching on my faith or morals but I have a big problem on setting time aside for private prayer. I find it very difficult to keep prayer at the centre of my life. I do not have a structured prayer life in the sense some external bell calling me to prayer within a community at regular times. All I have is the rhythm of my life and I need to make room for prayer. This is not a new experience for me, it has been the same pattern throughout my life.
This person replied, "I have the same difficulty" and that surprised me because of who the person is (in the eyes of this world). Perhaps a "new evangelisation" begins with how to teach people how to pray?

What is happening on the "new evangelisation"?

2011-05-22T20:32:00.001+01:00

I know Pope Benedict XVI has got a new agency looking into how to promote "new evangelisation" to combat the "de-Christianisation" of countries that were apparently evangelised centuries ago but I am not sure what is really happening.
I would guess they are unsure what to do. I would suggest we need to engage public opinion on what is the common good and then reason with others why Christianity is for the common good.

Supermarket checkout reveals my soul!

2011-05-21T20:33:00.000+01:00

What do you do when people make you feel angry? I had one of these feelings today at the supermarket. I arrived at the checkout just ahead of another person. My shopping consisted of a few items whereas the other person had a massive bulk buy! I politely said, "After you" hoping that her response would be, "No, please you go first because you only have a few items". She did not reply and went ahead of me. I felt my anger level hit a magnitude 10 (that is the highest on my scale) because my expectation was that she would say "Thank you" or at least acknowledge my good deed. I watched her empty her goods onto the conveyor belt and said nothing. I came away from the supermarket feeling totally hacked off with human nature. On reflection, I think this experience says more about my soul then I had realised until today. My sacrifices are mainly conditional to feed my feel good factor :)

75th Anniversary Masses for Missio

2011-05-20T18:05:00.000+01:00

The majority of readers of "The Catholic Whistle" are from the USA. All of my family (Jackie, Lucy, Jack, Kate and me) hold dual citizenship with the USA and UK. I grew up in England (we currently reside here), my mum and dad always supported the Mill Hill fathers, there was always a little red box to put our "free" coins into, it gave me a understanding of the universal church (some of my pocket money went each week into the box). This practice also built within me an understanding of the global common good. Jackie also grew up in England and it was the same in her household. We have the same (not the exact one!) red box today and our children grow with it daily. Sadly, there was no "red box" in the USA.

Those of you that feel uncomfortable with supporting CAFOD (I do!) through Friday fasting may like to put your money into Missio. Each Friday, the money you save from fasting can simply be placed into Missio through the little red box that is then collected a few times each year.

In England and Wales, in eight days time (starting 28th May), The Missio will commence a very special time of thanksgiving for 75 years. Every English and Welsh cathedral will host a special mass, celebrated by its bishop, in thanksgiving for all those who have supported the missions through the APF-Mill Hill.

These are the dates:

Saturday 28 May Portsmouth St Edmund Campion, Maidenhead 11am
Saturday 4 June Leeds St AnneÕs Cathedral, Leeds 12 noon
Sunday 5 June Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Cathedral 10am
Saturday 11 June Hexham & Newcastle St MaryÕs Cathedral, Newcastle 10am
Saturday 18 June Salford Salford Cathedral 12.10 pm
Sunday 19 June Clifton Clifton Cathedral, Bristol 11am
Tuesday 21 June Menevia St JospehÕs Cathedral, Swansea 11.30am
Saturday 25 June Brentwood Brentwood Cathedral 3pm*
Saturday 2 July Northampton Northampton Cathedral 12 noon
Sunday 3 July Cardiff Cardiff Cathedral 11am
Saturday 9 July Wrexham Wrexham Cathedral 12 noon
Sunday 10 July Liverpool Christ the King Cathedral, Liverpool 3pm
Saturday 16 July Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Cathedral 2.30pm
Sunday 17 July Hallam St MarieÕs Cathedral, ShefÞeld 3pm
Sunday 24 July Birmingham St ChadÕs Cathedral, Birmingham 3pm
Saturday 10 September Arundel & Brighton The Friary, Crawley 12.15pm
Saturday 17 September Lancaster Lancaster Cathedral 12.15pm
Sunday 18 September Nottingham Nottingham Cathedral 3pm
Saturday 24 September Plymouth Plymouth Cathedral 12 noon
Sunday 25 September Southwark St GeorgeÕs Cathedral, Southwark 11.30am
Sunday 9 October East Anglia St JohnÕs Cathedral, Norwich 11am
Sunday 23 October Westminster Westminster Cathedral 10.30am

How to support the global common good?

2011-05-18T21:23:00.000+01:00

I was asked today, "How do you support the common good?". The question came from an atheist friend that I deeply respect because her heart is for others. This is always a challenging question within my soul. My simple answer was, "Within my family we support Missio". I told her it is very simple, in our family life we have a Missio box by the front door and put our coins in the box. She asked me, "What is Missio?. I replied, "It is one way we Catholics distribute wealth for the common good and it is very simple". She told me that it was the best idea she had heard! I asked her why she thought this was such a good idea. She said, "because the box lives with you daily."

My cousin Josie

2011-04-29T20:27:00.000+01:00

My cousin Josie has been blogging for about the same time as me. I just read her new post where Josie explains her reasons for changing her blog design/image.

Josie gave me a tape recording 25+ years ago on Justification. I do not recall who the voice on the tape was but I still recall the impact on my soul. As I listened over and over again to this message I marked up Romans (NIV), that is next to me now as I write this. There are many passages underlined but the key one for my soul is at Romans 5:17, I underlined this piece at the time,

"those who receive God's abundant provision grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ."

I put a * next to the word receive.

The impact of this message led me to complete a dissertation on "Justification by Faith" at Southampton University as part of my degree in Theology at that time and changed my soul. A very different degree from my rational engineering profession!

Josie has been a part of my spiritual life from a young boy and continues to inspire my soul.

"What "spiritual" book should I read"

2011-04-26T19:56:00.000+01:00

I was asked today, "What "spiritual" book would you recommend me to read?". This is a very difficult question to answer because I have learnt over the years that each person's soul needs very careful guidance. But the person wanted a "quick" AND "simple" answer, without me trying to understand their soul. So I said, "the Imitation of Christ" by Thomas à kempis. The person replied, "No, I mean something for today." I replied, " I think this would be a good book for today."

Easter Sunday, Alleluia

2011-04-24T06:00:00.002+01:00

Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia ! He is risen as he said, Alleluia!

Holy Saturday a time of waiting

2011-04-23T06:00:00.003+01:00

I wait, caught up in the liturgical celebrations of my faith. I feel the loss and fear.
All Afraid. Is this the end? I ponder the feelings of John, Mary and Peter.
A time of unease between two worlds. A world of darkness, sin and death. A world of light, holiness and living.

The Apostle's Creed explains, "He descended unto the dead."

Good Friday ripples through time

2011-04-22T06:00:00.006+01:00

His Majesty gave and shared his life for all. 2000 years ago this saving event occurred, the ripples spread throughout time. My ancestors experienced this liturgical day and Jackie and I pass the tradition onto our children.
He gives and shares his life for all. This saving event is present now, I am caught up in the ripples of time.
"I thirst". I recognise the suffering Christ in others.
He gave and shared Himself for the common good.

Holy Thursday shows me how to serve the common good

2011-04-21T06:00:00.006+01:00

If I was to choose the my favourite liturgical day it would be unquestionably Holy Thursday (for me). The institution of the Eucharist by His Majesty shows me how giving and sharing builds the common good. The reinterpretation His Majesty gave that Passover night is now the centre of my faith.

My historical Jesus washed his disciple's feet, he is giving and sharing as a servant!

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."

I try and sit with Jesus and to give and share. In the Eucharist I sit with Jesus, especially in Eucharistic Adoration (so very important in my life over many years). I get caught up in Jesus' prayer to the Father. Together with His Majesty I will try to build the common good as a servant.

Holy Week will recharge my spiritual batteries

2011-04-18T22:03:00.003+01:00

How many lay people get the opportunity to enter a Holy Week retreat? How nice it would be to just switch off from my everyday existence. No emails, no phone messages to get back to, no meetings, no business travel, no Facebook, no Twitter, no housework, no labouring.......Perhaps I will spend a few days in silence at a monastery or a convent, located in some beautiful peaceful countryside (if only!). A time for me to spend with His Majesty and with a holy retreat director giving spiritual pearls of wisdom to uplift my soul (if only!). Well, it is not going to happen, or is it?
The reality for me is that I need to make my spiritual retreat within my everyday life this Holy Week (a hectic time this week). So I need to do something special for myself to allow His Majesty to uplift my soul. So what should I do? Of course the answer will be different for each soul. But if I put a bit of thought and preparation into it, I can live Holy Week in a very special spiritual retreat. When my spiritual batteries are recharged then I will be in a better condition to work for the common good.

Cardinal O'Brien does not speak for me!

2011-04-16T18:17:00.001+01:00

I do not agree with Cardinal Keith O'Brien in his analysis of the UK nuclear weapons being "shameful". It seems to me that he is trying to portray his own personal view (unilateral disarmament) as representative of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and this (in my judgement) is very far from the truth. The press is quoting him as saying,

"As you'll see, it's a consistent teaching, a central part of our pro-life stance, that has human dignity at its very core.

He is misleading Catholics and the secular media. I do agree that our world would better off without nuclear weapons but I do not think CST teaches unilateral disarmament.

My Wheelbarrow

2011-04-14T15:50:00.000+01:00

Over at the "The Log in My Own Eye" Mary Christine has a new wheelbarrow and a post on "Hard Labor" (or "Labour" as we would say). So I thought I would share my English wheelbarrow and garden (yard) with you all (this could catch on!).

Our apple tree is just about to blossom, it sits in front of Kate's "Wendy House" that has a little kitchen outside the front door!

The daffodils are coming to the end of their spring glory. For some reason, people in England like garden gnomes. This is Norman who has travelled a lot in his life. He journeyed (by air) from England to Southern California and spent many happy years in the back yard. Our gardener (called Jose, a great man) always said "buenos días Norman, espero que estén disfrutando el sol de mi amigo". He (Norman) then departed Southern California and returned to his native country through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic by sea. He is very happy apart from when the squirrels take a shine to him.

Our back yard (as opposed to garden) consists of crazy paving and is a place to walk on in those seldom wet days we have in Epsom, Surrey! The building next to that white rocking chair is a World War Two shelter built of reinforced concrete. I seldom go in it because I am frightened of spiders and also that is where my lawn mower resides.

Where do we send missionaries?

2011-04-12T22:53:00.000+01:00

We need to send missionaries into our own land. But who will bring the Gospel message into the heart of Islamic communities next door to us? Bishops, priests, deacons, you or me? We have not done a good job on doing this and we have done even a poorer job delivering The Word into our secular society. We need to find common ground, a common language to meet others and then deliver the Good News.

Some of the values that people hold in common are liberty, equality and fraternity. It is often argued that these common values stemmed from within the French revolution and are now part of the accepted common good. Some are unsure whether Muslim girls should be allowed to wear their head dress in public.

Perhaps these conflicts are indicating that it is not easy to live in harmony with people of different traditions that have a different understanding of what it means to live a good life. Some would argue that Roma gypsies or Muslims are not yielding to the common good but instead promote their own subcultures. I would argue that this is a truncated view of the common good because it is excluding people.

I think what we are seeing is how differences can generate conflict and then fear grows rapidly. This fear then feeds even more conflict and we end up dissolving liberty, equality and fraternity; the common good disappears yet again. But I also see this same mechanism at work much closer to home (me) because I also have a truncated view of the common good. I should not assume that it is easy to share a common good by all people that does not exclude anyone. Also I should not assume that this common good is easily identified but it should not prevent me from continually trying. For me, I try to pursue the common good by reflecting on the person of Jesus and following Him; note the word 'try'!

Where there is no vision, the people perish

2011-03-27T18:08:00.001+01:00

Many readers of this blog are from other parts of the globe and may have heard through their news media about the "London cuts march". It is estimated that 250,000 to 500,000 protested against the government cuts. I think there are three basic group viewpoints about the government cuts.

Group 1) We need to cut in the way we are doing it now. (existing government view)
Group 2) We need to cut over a longer time period rather than how we are doing it. (opposition government view)
Group 3) We should not do any cuts. (some others)

For me, there is a real problem with these three viewpoints. There is not a clear vision of the future being communicated as to why the cuts are necessary. I think Proverbs 29:18 captures this thought perfectly, "Where there is no vision, the people perish". I look for a new vision that will convince all people to work for the common good. We need confidence and hope to build a better future and I am convinced the Gospel message of sacrifice and service graciously provides that for us.

The common good can motivate people

2011-03-25T18:47:00.000Z

This is my summary of a very important conservation I had today. The words are not exact but it will give you main points.

I was told today that we are living in a selfish society. She said, "Everyone is only motivated by their own selfishness". I replied, "Perhaps we need to change by offering acts of willing generosity to help others as a starting point to change things". She told me I was far too idealistic which puzzled me. I replied, "It is best we do these acts without anyone looking or knowing what we are doing. When we act to help others we are being motivated by the common good which is a natural driving force within all of us. And when we act in this way we feel better off individually". I told her that when we act in this way it is a better way to change things. I stressed to her that it is important these acts are secret otherwise they are not for the common good. If she ever told anyone about her generous act it would only be for self-interest which is not for the common good. She told me that she had never heard this before and asked me many more questions about how to change her life.

I failed this Lent

2011-03-23T20:05:00.001Z

Temptation always seems to get the better of me, but I just struggle on and pick myself up again with the grace of His Majesty. The other choice I have is not to bother and continue in my old ways! I failed one of my Lenten goals and ended up eating a Crunchie chocolate bar. As a family we have given up eating sweets (candy). My "failing" made it even more difficult for me because of my family. I do not think I would have such remorse if it was just my own failure in private. This life experience reinforces within me why I need to choose the global common good :)

Japan nuclear meltdown challenges the common good

2011-03-16T21:03:00.000Z

The common good is not easy to discern. As a Catholic, I look to my Church to guide me. I have many encyclicals to give me guidance. These require my respect and attention but I can only grasp their richness in relation to my limited understanding and prayer. When I see what is happening in Japan I struggle to understand how nuclear energy can be for the common good because I anticipate that many people may be suffering soon as the reactors melt down. I have a sneaking suspicion that humanity will learn how to build things better in the future but this thought does not help with the current situation that is about to unfold. I would also guess that the voice of my Church will offer sympathy, empathy, bidding prayers and a message of hope. I am not sure if this is enough for me. I am looking for the "voice" of my Church NOW to guide me.

Uninstalling Dictators, please wait....

2011-02-28T11:45:00.000Z

People are not too happy with dictators or should I say "structures" that are not transparent (I do not think this is just about democracy). This "new" value called "Transparency" has been emerging from within our world and from within our Church over the last few years. The paedophile priest scandal has generated an overwhelming push toward transparency within our Church. In the UK, the MP expenses scandal has generated an overwhelming push toward transparency within the UK government. I am sure there are many examples of how people are demanding national governments and religious institutions to be transparent.

Barclays Bank - not so simple!

2011-02-19T08:58:00.007Z

So Barcalys UK corporation tax bill for 2009 was £113m but the bonus pool for the bank was £3.4 billion, it seems to me that many people think there is a moral issue on this one BUT I am not so sure that it is that simple. I first asked myself a simple question, "What does my Church teach about taxation?". I do not think I have ever heard a sermon on this. I came across a principle that is extremely difficult to apply in a specific situation (like most things!). In 1961, Pope John XXIII's encyclical entitled "Mater et Magistra" put it this way (para. 132)

132. In a system of taxation based on justice and equity it is fundamental that the burdens be proportioned to the capacity of the people contributing.

Now, I know that Barclays would argue that they have a legal responsibility to keep costs down for their shareholders, including tax. I also know that 60% of Barclays' profits are from outside the UK and Ireland and their overall corporation tax burden for 2009 was 23%. I also know that Barclays bank is subject to close governance and clear disclosure in over 50 countries. And lastly, I also know there is no direct connection between Barclays Group profits and the amount of tax paid to the UK government.

I get the gut feeling that some people are manipulating our emotions by comparing the £113m number to the £3.4 billion number, they are not directly related - I need to use my reason!

Catholic Gypsy Weddings

2011-02-17T11:00:00.000Z

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding gripped UK TV audiences. The documentary series gave an insight into the Gypsy culture, including it's Catholic life. Below is a small video clip to give you a flavour of the TV show if you have not seen it.

I was left with a few questions in my simple head! Am I to assume Gypsies spend mind blowing chunks of money on weddings because of their ill-gotten gains or is there something much more going on? Are these Gypsies being impoverished by their vanity or wanting to have a better wedding than others? Perhaps they are just being exploited by others around them? I do not know the answers but I loved the show.

Blessed Sacrament processions are our Faith

2011-02-11T18:29:00.000Z

Recently the Catholic Blogshere has been pondering what we need to do in making our worship time a little bit more special. Father Z put online a poll about women covering their heads at Mass. Over at An Advent Journey there is a discussion on what we may do to make our Mass a special time. I have been pondering the exact same question. I think it comes to down to ensuring our Liturgy reflects our Faith. I am also convinced that the centre of my faith is the Eucharist, the Real Presence, The Second Person of the Trinity con-substantial with the Father. The video shows how the Blessed Sacrament procession is part of our life, I just wish this could be each day in my life (the Blessed Sacrament is at 3 minutes 18 seconds). In the video my family is on the right hand side at the start. The guys with the rifles in front of the Blessed Sacrament are called "The Snipers" (I think Left Footer would like the snipers!)

A Eucharistic Procession

2011-02-09T17:34:00.000Z

The video is from our summer holiday in Austria, a place called Fiss. In the video you will see the start of the Eucharistic procession from the village Church. We all processed around the village, stopping at an altar that had been placed outside the Gasthoff Lamm. Pomp and ceremony was used to create an experience of awe and wonder within everyday life. We were amazed by the reverence of the whole occasion and how everyone seemed to participate. I can also highly recommend the local brew.

Making daily duties a special time

2011-02-03T08:51:00.000Z

We went to visit Windsor Castle and the above picture shows "The Changing of the Guard". They march pass The Guildhall ( Prince Charles had his wedding here and Sir Elton John his civil partnership) on their way back from the castle to the Victoria Barracks. The ceremony is where the new guard exchanges duty with the old guard. The red tunic, bearskins and music have a celebratory tone to the whole event. Pomp and ceremony is used to make the necessary daily exchange of duty stand out from the rest of the day.

My First Video

2011-01-22T22:28:00.000Z

This is my first attempt at putting together a video. All the software used in creating the video is Open Source (Kdenlive, RecordMyDesktop, ffmpeg from Linux command line). I am on a steep learning curve!

The embedded player below may be too small to see the video detail. The video is posted on YouTube just click here.

Say "NO" to Jiminy Cricket

2011-01-14T14:30:00.002Z

I have been asked my local parish to give a talk on Confession/Reconciliation to 50+ adults whose children are in the process of making their first Holy Communion. I am going to do this as a multimedia slide presentation using Linux OpenOffice executing on a Ubuntu Linux operating system because I am committed to using Open Source software whenever possible.
The slide above is going to be used to explain that I do not think an examination of conscience is about listening to a little voice in my head. It is about using my faculty of reason whilst in prayer. The slide below is to say "NO" to the concept of Jiminy Cricket as being conscience, a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi in his novel Pinocchio.

Please pray for Bishop Michael tonight

2011-01-08T21:05:00.001Z

Bishop Michael Evans does not have long to live and I have been thinking about him over the last few days (read here, Waiting in Joyful Hope).
I spent five plus years of my life with Michael under the same roof, he taught me Christology and many aspects of how to live my faith. He likes football (sadly always supported Leeds!) and loves Taize. Please pray for him.

Bloggers are posting on prayer

2011-01-07T16:37:00.000Z

A number of bloggers, that I read, have been posting about prayer recently. Mary Christine points out the importance of having a regular structured time set aside each day. Shadowlands also points out how time set aside for prayer can be taken over by other things going on. Josie talks about how it is even sometimes an effort just to get prayer started. I would add this, it is a good idea to have a spiritual director.
We have a lot of people in our society who care for our bodies. Doctors, nurses and medical staff are there to get us better. Hairdressers, beauticians, manicurists and botox injections make us look better. Personal trainers, gyms and sport centres make us look, feel and think better. Dieticians, calorie counting, nutritionists and surgery help us to look thinner. It looks like we are doing a comprehensive job in looking after the body.
We also have a lot of people who care for mental well being. The mental health professionals, counselling and 'feel' good evangelists litter our book shelves and television screens. Enough said on that one!
Choosing the right spiritual director for oneself is not easy. It is best to take great care in getting this correct. Spiritual directors are not just for 'saintly' people. How often do we ever talk to another person about our spiritual life? And even if we felt the need to, who would we talk to?

Kate's offertory procession

2011-01-05T19:48:00.000Z

Tomorrow is back to school for our youngest daughter Kate so I asked her what she would like to do today. Kate loves watching airplanes so off we went to London Heathrow to have some fun. We went to a few well known places to watch the planes then ended up at Terminal 5; Cafe Nero to view the West End of the Northern runway. The picture shows Kate carry our refreshments to our viewing point. Kate had ice tea and a lemon/poppy seed muffin, I had a coffee. How fortunate I am to spend time enjoying something so simple; a bit like prayer me thinks.

Nigel's Facebook Status

2011-01-01T19:59:00.000Z

My friend Nigel has just updated his Facebook status that made me laugh,

Dear Lord

So far this year I've done well.

I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help.
...
Amen

It is never too late

2010-12-23T20:38:00.000Z

Just a touch from His Majesty that came to me in prayer tonight ( in my fear and my hope) .

It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain.

I live in hope

2010-12-22T11:30:00.000Z

When I started my Advent journey I had a major question lurking inside me, "Can this Advent replace my deep fear with a real hope?" I was feeling fearful about the future, a deep unsettling feeling that something awful was just around the corner. I reasoned this fear was being shared by other people because of the economic uncertainity. But deep down I thought this fear was something more to do with my human condition rather than economics.

I knew I had not pondered on hope and did not really know too much about Christian hope. I became aware that my hope was tightly connected to one of my faith statements, that I was being offered eternal life. This is what made my hope very different from everyday hopes and I could feel it deep down within me. I also realised my hope in eternal life gave me a different hope than an atheist and I thought of this as a "trustworthy hope". I now knew that His Majesty was offering me something in this life and something after death; this was absolute love, pure and utter gift.

Then came a major breakthrough for me. I asked myself, "How do I learn hope?". I knew that the real hope I was talking about was not my everyday hopes; it was His Majesty. So the obvious answer to me was, "You learn hope in prayer" BUT then it hit me, "You can learn hope in other people's blogs". So I thought about the blogs that I read and I saw clearly that some blogs did bring me hope. I did a few posts of some these blogs and gave thanks.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

My deep fear remains but it does not rule me because I freely choose to live in hope. I know His Majesty awaits me now and that single thought is my real hope.

Mary Christine's blog gives me hope

2010-12-21T09:47:00.000Z

Mary Chrisitne's blog brings me hope. I came across her blog through Ros at Shadowlands. Mary Christine uses her biblical skills to unlock the Word for us each day in Advent. By this I mean she looks at the Gospel of the day and finds that truth related to our salvation that the text is transmitting. In this way she brings hope (His Majesty) into my life. In a short period of time Mary Christine has captured many hearts, she is a good "fisherperson" and I have never once felt de-motivated by her posts. Now Mary Chrisitne, who lives in Colorado, is thinking through if she will continue to blog after Advent. I guess she is trying to discern His Majesty's will for her and my prayers are with her. Thank you Mary Christine.

Left-Footer's blog gives me hope

2010-12-20T09:14:00.000Z

I have been a reader of Chris since I started blogging. Although I have not met Chris I do feel an affinity with the person I have come to know through his posts. He has a wicked sense of humour that not only puts a smile on my face but often challenges the way I think I see things. There was one post that sticks out in mind where Chris simply posted,

John Lennon or Joan of Arc? Gandhi or Don John of Austria? Lytton Strachey or Churchill?

You're in a foxhole.
Choose!

This is a great place to learn hope from being constantly challenged. Thank you Chris.

Josie's blog gives me hope

2010-12-19T11:42:00.000Z

Josie's blog has given me so much hope during the past year because of the content she shares with us; her lived experience of prayer. When I read her posts I sometimes think, "Yes, I have had that same experience and/or understanding" and I feel encouraged and revitalised. There are times when Josie writes about prayer that I realise how His Majesty pours out His grace in ways that are just amazing. Josie I do know as a real person and not just a blogger; she is my cousin. She has always (and I mean from a little girl) been a person of prayer and anyone who knows her would say the same. This is a place to learn hope. Thank you Josie.

In Hoc Signo Vinces blog gives me hope

2010-12-18T19:15:00.001Z

Many a time during the last year I have found a village fountain to drink from and be refreshed at Paulinus' blog. I have not met Paulinus but I think he is a person of hope and spiritually motivating humour. I recall his (and family) anguish as his young child suffered. I prayed over a few evenings for His Majesty to intervene and pour out his mercy for Paulinus's young child. His postings always put a smile on my face as I picture my laughing Christ. I loved his world cup postings. Thank you Paulinus.

Father Raven's blog gives me hope

2010-12-18T17:04:00.000Z

In these last few days before Christmas I am going to ponder another simple question, "Can I learn hope?". At first, it sounds like a strange question because it seems hope just happens in my daily life. But these "lesser" hopes that I have are not what I am thinking off. I am thinking about a hope that goes beyond all my other hopes, a hope that seems to me as pure gift. It is a "trustworthy hope" that will deliver eternal life for myself and for ALL.

I think the core of learning hope is prayer and for me that also means blogging. When I pray/blog by myself there is no one listening to me apart from God until I publish the post. When I pray/blog, my "trustworthy hope" grows within me and when I neglect prayer this same hope dwindles. Prayer becomes a power for my hope. I guess most of you reading this blog will know what I am talking about. The first place for me to "learn" this hope is silent prayer as I blog.

There are many bloggers that power my hope and I am going to discuss them over the next few days. Today I want to thank Fr. Raven's blog that powers my hope (since Feb 2010 when I started blogging). I only know Fr. Raven through reading his blog. He is a person that has shown me how his ministry to traditionalist Catholics is lived. He shares with us his life and this simple act has supported not just me but also my family. Thank you Father Raven.

A totally different kind of hope

2010-12-18T08:47:00.000Z

I have been thinking about the main difference between my Christian hope and the many different hopes that people around me entertain. The first thing that I would say is this, when a person has experienced a genuine love in their life it gives a new meaning to their existence. However, this genuine love is destroyed by death and we all know people that have experienced this. My experience of of an absolute love (it is genuine love but ...), that has been with me through thick and thin, has a certainty for me expressed in this way,

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39

This is a personal experience and not some abstract philosophical argument that does little in nurturing hope (for me). It is this certainty of an absolute love that delivers a totally different kind of hope compared to other hopes. It is a hope that is characterised by faith, love, peace and joy - a totally different way of existence compared to those who are ultimately without hope living selfishness, bitterness and back stabbing others.

A newish form of hope?

2010-12-17T10:39:00.000Z

I think many people have a faith in progress which delivers a newish form of human hope. Many people see science as a faith in progress, built on the bedrock of freedom and reason. I heard the other day someone tell me, "Science enables Japanese children and American children to use the same common language and thought, unlike the shackles of religion". I thought she had a very good point. Science was giving the person a hope that one day all humans would be able to communicate using reason and freedom.

For me, I do not have such a faith in progress to deliver me a newish hope. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy science and have spent much of my life working with technology but it does not give me hope for my salvation (but of course science does not claim to at the moment). Science does not place an offer on the table for me and ALL to have eternal life. During these days of Advent I have pondered more about what my Catholic hope has to offer to the world and what it cannot offer to the world. I think that if one day Christianity should cease to be worthy of love than there will be a human rejection and opposition to Christianity - I guess that would be the reign the Antichrist.

Using hope to control others

2010-12-15T07:51:00.000Z

A major criticism about Christian hope is that it is directed beyond this present world and ignores the suffering in this world. I would guess most of us are familiar with Karl Marx infamous quotation, "Religion is the opium of the people". This is where people are told to accept their poverty/suffering within a society because things will be much better for them after their death. Hope becomes nothing more than a tool to control the masses and keep them suppressed.

It was also assumed, by some, that places like monasteries or convents were nothing more than a way of withdrawing from the world to live out Christian hope. It was seen (and is still seen by some) as a withdrawal from the world to avoid the responsibilities of the world. They were a place where a person could seek their own private salvation away from the hope destroying world.

I am sure these criticisms have an element of truth about them but I would argue that this is not about Christian hope but has more to do with greed and fear.

I hope others will be saved

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000Z

The first question I have thought about is whether my hope is isolating me from others? It is a a valid question because some people judge Christian hope as being self-centred rather than other-centred. The object of my hope is salvation BUT my hope is not just about salvation for myself. I have many relationships but some of these relationships are closer to the centre of my heart than others. I often think of this as "heartspace" where I mentally picture my heart as a circle, the centre of the circle represents the centre of my heart and the circumference represents the peripheral of my heart. At the centre is Jackie (wife), our three children and God. Around these are other family and friends (living and dead, including saints and Mary), some closer to the centre whilst other are on the peripheral. Over time my heartspace changes, others come into my heartspace and take up residence, but because my heart is limited this pushes others into outer areas of my heartspace. In my heartspace I hope ALL will be saved (obviously God, Mary and the saints are saved), I seem to have a stronger hope for those closer to the centre of my heart. Beyond the circumference of my heartspace is the general concept of humanity and I have a hope that they will ALL be saved but this is a much weaker hope than those who reside within my heartspace. It seems to me that my hope is not just about being self-centred, it is about being other-centred because I am a person.

For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:10

Is my hope self-centred?

2010-12-13T09:00:00.000Z

The title to this post is the question I am pondering this week. A major criticism by atheists toward my hope is that it is individualistic. I am starting to interpret atheism as a sort of moralism that speaks out against the injustices within our world and also within history. This form of atheism is attempting to entrench itself on the moral high ground where organised religions want to exist. Atheism thinks it has a duty to speak out against religion if it perceives religion as being unjust. Atheism may perceive Christian hope as self-centred, that in some way tries to side step the misery of the world we find ourselves in and take refuge in a sense of private salvation. This claim needs to be taken very seriously. I need to ask myself some basic questions, is it my hope or is it our hope? Is my hope just between me and God? Is my hope just a place of refuge for me? Am I just at peace being alone? Is my hope isolating myself from others?

I hope in his coming

2010-12-12T07:35:00.001Z

I really do hope His Majesty will come again soon. This hope of mine is in the present and the future (I do not hope in the past). I hope that in the present (now, this morning) He will grant me favours where my soul will be filled with His presence (I like living in this way). I hope in the future He will save me from death and give me eternal life. So I hope in his coming to me.

Last year my Advent pondering gave me what I call a sense of "maranatha". An awareness that His Majesty is continually coming to me, He is already here but not fully. I like to breathe this beautiful word in silent prayer. The words below are what I wrote in my Bible this time last year.

My Advent

First you come in flesh and weakness

Now you come in Spirit and power

On that Day you will come in glory and majesty.

An image of life after death

2010-12-11T07:15:00.000Z

The object of my hope, or content, is to have eternal life. One of the images that stand out in my mind as to what life after death may be like comes from Pope Benedict.

"It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time—the before and after—no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed with joy."

Pope Benedict, Spe Salvi, para 12

I like this image for two reasons, firstly it captures in my imagination some kind of suspension of time ticking and secondly I like the idea of plunging (Baptism) into an ocean of love; a great metaphor.

Of course one person's metaphor for life after death may well be different from another person's metaphor. John puts on the lips of Jesus the following saying,

“I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you”

John 16:22

I also like to blend John's saying with Jesus' saying to the criminal on the cross next to him,

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43

It gives me a sense of how close I am to life after death and how close His Majesty is to me. Now that sounds like a "trustworthy hope".

What is life after death like?

2010-12-10T20:08:00.000Z

One of the criticisms I fully acknowledge is that my "trustworthy hope" does not really offer a clear description of life after death. I recall a very senior person in our Church telling me, "If life after death is about sitting on a cloud and playing a harp for all eternity, count me out". The point he was making to me, many years ago, was that as a faith we did not really describe what life after death is actually like.
These days I hear people tell me that life after death is a state of being that does not depend on time or space. That does not really help me too much in knowing what this life after death is actually like. I can understand why some people would like to remove the concept of eternal life from temporal time just in case we end up getting bored! But it does little to build within me a "trustworthy hope". If you try to tell me what a ship is like by telling me what it is not like, I will never really end up with understanding what a ship actually is.
So where do I look to know what this life after death is, that seeking is part of the content of my "trustworthy hope" ("seek and you will find"). Some will say look in the Bible but to be perfectly honest with you I have never found any real answer to my satisfaction on this one in the Bible. I end up with "my father's house has many mansions" or a "big feast". It does not really answer what I am reaching out for, it does not really fulfil what I am yearning for.

"To imagine ourselves outside the temporality that imprisons us and in some way to sense that eternity is not an unending succession of days in the calendar, but something more like the supreme moment of satisfaction, in which totality embraces us and we embrace totality—this we can only attempt."

Pope Benedict, Spe Salvi, para 12

So I think I will attempt to imagine what this would be like, do I hear a John Lennon song?

The person I hope in

2010-12-10T06:55:00.000Z

My hope resides in a person who shows me the way beyond death. I think this is the key to understanding my own "trustworthy hope" and it is major difference between my hope and an atheist's hope. There may be some who tell me that I am stupid (atheists call me irrational) to follow this person (they get quite angry with me for some reason). They tend to hope in people that claim to offer them something in this life only. For me, His Majesty offers us something in this life and something after death. And so, I freely choose to follow the shepherd through the valley of death. But do not get me wrong, I am fearful of my death and I do not relish the thought of dying. Or should I put it this way, I am not particularly looking forward to my death.

“The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want ... Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, because you are with me ...” (Ps 23 [22]:1, 4).

What is faith based hope?

2010-12-09T07:37:00.000Z

I now realise an atheist's hope is different from a theist's hope in terms of its content not in terms of the ability to actually hope in, or for, something. A theist's hope can be called a "faith based hope" because the content of the hope consists of faith statements. Many of the major religions experience a hope based on their faith statements. I think it is in this sense that faith and hope are connected.

I am not convinced that faith is hope or hope is faith. It seems to me they are different. Some argue that faith and hope are interchangeable and base this on exegesis of biblical texts where the concepts do at times seem interchangeable. I think it is best to think of this biblical hope as a "trustworthy hope", it is that "trustworthy" bit that begins to redefine the meaning of hope from everyday usage.

I think a "trustworthy hope" is that which comes from a faith content that is deemed trustworthy. So when St. Paul tells the Ephesians they were “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12), I think he is talking about a "trustworthy hope". He does not mean that the Ephesians did not have hope before their faith in Jesus, he just means the hope they had was not a "trustworthy hope".

What I am getting at is this. A person might believe in fairies and express a set of faith statements about them. They may hope one day to meet a fairy. Their hope can be said to be a "faith based hope" but is it a "trustworthy hope" ? The person certainly has hope irrespective of their faith statements. The obvious issue is whether their faith statements are trustworthy. If their faith statements are trustworthy then they have a "trustworthy hope". I think faith statements can only be trustworthy if they are reasonable, reliable and demonstrable (unlike believe in fairies).

Augustine on hope

2010-12-08T07:40:00.000Z

St Augustine, who lived between 354-430 AD in north Africa (Algeria), spoke of Christian hope in this way,

"He (God) promised everlasting salvation, and an unending life of blessedness with the angels, an unfading inheritance, everlasting glory, his own dear face, his sanctuary in heaven, and, by the resurrection of the dead, no further fear of death."

St Augustine's Discourses on the Psalms, On Ps 109, 1-2

This promise, I prefer to say "offer", of salvation is basically the content of my hope. It is not just a hope in the future for me but a hope that gets lived on a daily basis (more about that on a later post).

Augustine goes on to say that after we have received it , "we shall seek nothing more or demand nothing more". It seems to me that this state of happiness is without desire.

Atheism does have hope

2010-12-07T17:54:00.000Z

Atheists are often accused by theists of having no hope. I think this is a ridiculous claim. It is the content of the hope that is different between atheists and theists. Most atheists do not hope in life after death (some do) and most theists (not all) do hope in life after death. Some atheists hope for a better world to be created and so do some theists. Some atheists hope they will be remembered after their death and so do some theists. Some atheists hope they will be recognised for their moral humanitarian position and so do some theists. Some atheists hope to be recognised for their contribution to science and so do some theists. Atheists tend to place their hope in man and theists tend to place their hope in God. I do not think atheism can save me so I freely choose God.

Happiness and hope together

2010-12-06T11:59:00.000Z

I think we all ultimately desire happiness, I certainly do. Is it difficult to know what this happiness actually is? Would I know this happiness when I have found it? I certainly know it eludes me at present but I do feel driven to pursue it. For me it is about being eternally saved and as Pope Benedict puts it in Spe Salvi's opening paragraph , "redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope". I think happiness must be a state when we have no more desire; when our hope is fulfilled.

I do not know the details of what life after death will be like but I think life will not end in emptiness. I have observed that people who are unhappy have little hope and people who are happy have bundles of hope. Some people pretend they are happy (for many reasons) but this pretense appears false to me because they come across as having very little hope. People with little, or no, hope make me feel unhappy which probably means their lack of hope impacts upon my hope.

Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness ......

Catechism 1817

All the wealth in the world cannot be compared with the happiness of living together happily united. -- Blessed Margaret d'Youville

Catholic Quotes

Hope can lead to a silent contemplation of God and I think ultimately this is because we want happiness.

"Our 'yes' to God makes the font of true happiness gush forth,"

Pope Benedict

Souls only change in this world

2010-12-03T21:01:00.000Z

I think I am correct in saying that our souls can only change in this world. After the general resurrection we will be in possession of bodies again and I would assume that this implies we move around which means some kind of change. But this, in my understanding, does not mean that our state of glory will change or our degree within the beatific vision (if that makes sense).

I have been pondering on my own soul but also on other people I know and have known. Change within the soul toward Our Lord (rather than change within the soul away from Our Lord) is not always easy to discern. I can see that change within the soul can happen irrespective of either time or service. Our Lord sometimes grants an increase in favour to a soul in a very short period of time. Sometimes He grants more favours to a soul in one year than He will grant to another soul in 40 years.

Ouch, that plank hurts

2010-11-30T06:33:00.001Z

I am judgemental of other people. I am aware of this hindrance within my soul and I am also aware that My Lord is gently redeeming me form this state. In the next paragraph I am aware that I am judging others.

You see, many people I know generally expect and hope for an up tick in the economy and their own personal wealth. They hope to be hearing soon that the so-called "feel-good" factor is returning. Generally, they do not look forward in hope to a more fairer and peaceful society. They just reluctantly accept their life will be dominated by economic forces out of their control. And I am one of those people in my judgement.

I would like to confidently say that I do not agree with this view of the future. I would like to confidently say that I hope for and expect a future that is created by people choosing the common good. I would like to confidently say we should not reduce the future to economic terms. Maybe as I move through Advent I can say these things confidently, being less frightened and with a firm hope.

People are frightened about the future

2010-11-29T06:19:00.000Z

Yesterday at Mass in Australia, Cardinal Pell said,

''A minority of people, usually people without religion, are frightened by the future,'' Cardinal Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, said during his homily at the St Mary's Cathedral Mass.

smh.com.au

He was making the point that without God the universe has no objective purpose. But I also think there is something deeper going on around us as to why people are frightened about the future. This fear is the same for atheists and people of faith, it impacts more than a minority of people. The fear is revolving around economic uncertainty and the hope for a good economic future is being replaced by fear.

Blair says faith doesn't do policy decisions

2010-11-28T08:44:00.000Z

Saturday night in Toronto must have been fun as Blair and Hitchens made a lot of money whilst having a debate.

From a Catholic Social Teaching perspective I was bemused by this little gem from Blair,

When an audience member asked Blair what role his religion played in the Iraq decision, the devout Catholic was adamant. “It was not about religious faith,” he said. “[Faith] doesn’t do the policy decisions. You don’t go into a church to pray and ask about the minimum wage.”

Now Magazine

I have prayed about the minimum wage, especially when policy was being looked at. I normally pray that politicians will be open to receive a particular gift of the Holy Spirit depending on what the policy issue is. I obviously do not have the answers but I definitely would go into a church and pray.

Can Advent sort out the fear?

2010-11-27T09:49:00.000Z

I am going to think about Advent in a different way this year. Many people are out of work and students are protesting on the streets because of the increase in university tuition fees. People are having their houses taken away from them because they cannot keep up the payments. Some people have lost their pensions and many people are living with a sense of fear about the future. It is this sense of fear that I see increasing all around me, good people are living in fear. I am also experiencing an increase of fear, especially for our children. Can this Advent replace this deep fear with a real hope? I am fearful it may not and yet I want to be hopeful that it can.

What is a Wiki?

2010-11-26T07:10:00.000Z

What is a Wiki? You have probably heard of Wikipedia that claims to be a font of knowledge. Recently Wikileaks had been in the news with "leaks" being published for all to see. I often use a Wiki when I am working in a Linux environment, for example, I have recently been working on a bootloader called GRUB2 and use this Wiki. A Wiki provides a web based interface to content that people create or modify themselves.
A Wiki is a good example of working for the common good where we all work together to create something much greater than any individual could ever achieve. There is a Catholic Wiki ,

Catholic Wiki was created as part of a family of websites under the Catechetics Online.com banner. It was created by a collaborative effort of the website staff.

BTW, the Wikileaks server is almost impossible to get onto these days because of the amount of traffic, you will probably get a time out error!

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-25T08:07:00.000Z

We lived in California for many years and the last Thursday in November became a very special time for us. Thanksgiving Day is a time of giving thanks, independent of secular or religious belief. We noticed that Thanksgiving Day was free from the over commercialization of Christmas or Halloween and that made it even more special. We were kindly invited to other peoples houses to celebrate Thanksgiving Day (we actually never cooked a turkey in all the time we were living there!) and each time there would be a reading before the meal to recall the Pilgrim Fathers. Many Catholics go to Mass on Thanksgiving Day and I am sure the Prayers of the Faithful will reflect the needs of the disadvantaged in this time of common austerity. We wish you all a peaceful Thanksgiving Day.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Soldiers to instill discipline in the classrooms

2010-11-24T11:30:00.000Z

The UK coalition government is going to implement a new policy to deal with the lack of discipline in school class rooms. Former soldiers (or as they say "servicemen") will be retrained as teachers (all expenses paid) to instill order. I guess it would take a minimum of one year to convert a soldier to a teacher (assuming the soldier already has a degree) and about five years assuming they do not have a degree.
I would strongly recommend that the soldiers carefully cover all the things they cannot do in the class room because of law suits. Here are ten pointers to get started with.

1) do not hit a pupil i.e. "What you normally do in your job"
2) do not use mental abuse against a pupil (shouting), i.e. "You 'orrible little man!"
3) do not punish a pupil i.e. "Gimme 50 up 'n downs you miserable piece of.."
4) do not use bad language i.e. "Who the f do you fink you are"
5) do not ridicule pupils i.e. "You stupid boy", "Who do you think you are?"
6) do not use racist language i.e. "Listen 'ere Gunga Din!"
7) do not use homophobic language i.e. "You 'orrible faggot"
8) do not exclude a pupil (especially into solitary) i.e. "Move yourself, move yourself!"
9) Encourage politeness i.e. "Permission to speak sir"
10) follow the orders (procedures) laid down by the school i.e. "Don't panic, don't panic".

Hold on a moment, I thought these were all the techniques soldiers used to instill discipline.

The rights and wrongs of condoms (yawn)

2010-11-23T12:10:00.000Z

My guess is that many people will not like this post.

It amazes me how much time and effort is spent talking about the rights and wrongs of condoms being used by male prostitutes developing some kind of "moral" awakening. What did the Pope really say? Is the media out to get us again? Lets clarify every detail on the use of condoms? Condoms are not intrinsically evil, do we have to look at the intention? What did Father Z say on the matter? Is L'Osservatore at fault for pre-releasing these comments? Is Fr. Lombardi messing up again? Is this a shift on what it means to be pro-life? How many posts did Fr. Tim Finigan put out on this?

Anyone looking in at the Catholic Church must be scratching their heads and wondering what the heck is going on. For some reason the Catholic Church talks a lot about condoms in the context of sexual morality. For some reason there is not the same level of interest in social justice questions within the Catholic Church. I wonder why this is the case?

Will the Pope resign (oneday)?

2010-11-22T19:07:00.000Z

I have never thought about a Pope resigning. I always thought they carried on until they die. How wrong I was.

in the book, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times", Benedict said: "Yes, if a Pope clearly realises that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right and, under some circumstances, also an obligation, to resign."

Telegraph

Pope Benedict is full of surprises in many beautiful ways. He clearly puts the Church first and not himself.

Atheists need to distinguish between religions

2010-11-21T20:27:00.000Z

I think a lot of harm is done by fundamentalist religion. However, I do not think we can group together fundamentalist peace loving Amish with fundamentalist Islamic terrorists. We need to differentiate between religions.
We also need to differentiate between atheists. Richard Dawkins is an atheist but so was Joseph Stalin but I do not think we can group them together. I would not attribute to Dawkins the atrocities that Stalin committed. If atheists want us to distinguish between "atheists and atheists" I think it is only fair that atheists should distinguish between "religion and religion".

H/T to my friend Nigel

Bedtimes and wake-up times

2010-11-21T09:40:00.001Z

I now realise (what I have guessed for many years) that I am not all that intelligent. This has been confirmed by examining what time I go to bed and get up in the morning.

people with higher IQs are more likely to have values and preferences that just didn't make sense for our ancestors to embrace. One of those is staying up late.

Psychology Today

Night Lights

Bedtimes and wake-up times for Americans in their 20s by IQ.
Very Dull (IQ < 75)
Weekday: 11:41 P.M.-7:20 A.M.
Weekend: 12:35 A.M.-10:09 A.M.
Normal (90 < IQ < 110)
Weekday: 12:10 A.M.-7:32 A.M.
Weekend: 1:13 A.M.-10:14 A.M.
Very Bright (IQ > 125)
Weekday: 12:29 A.M.-7:52 A.M.
Weekend: 1:44 A.M.-11:07 A.M.

Hold on a moment, how come they are getting up so late. Don't they have a living to make! And another thing, what about all those religious orders that go to bed early and get up early. And what about the Prayer of the Church, and what about ....

Time for same sex marriage?

2010-11-19T07:55:00.000Z

Some think the Church's teaching on same sex marriage is wrong. They say that if the purpose of marriage is procreation then we should ban marriage from older people, because they are too old to conceive a child. It seems to me that just because we do not ban older people from marriage within the Church it does not necessarily mean the purpose of marriage is not procreation (unless I am missing something in the argument). I think we do not ban older people from marriage within the Church because, although they may be too old to procreate, they are still a man and a woman who desire to enter into marriage. In this sense, I think we prioritize the union of the couple not the procreation of children necessarily.

"We have a doctrine of marriage that posits a two-fold end: marriage is ordered to the union of the couple and to procreation. Of course, only the first is really necessary–post-menopausal women and infertile people may marry."

dotCommonweal

It seems to me that the Church teaches that marriage is a union of man and woman (not just a union of a couple) , reflecting the complementarity of the sexes. This constant teaching within our tradition, I would have thought, precedes any current move toward same sex marriages within the Church.

Why is church income falling?

2010-11-18T06:11:00.001Z

This post is about why church income "may" be falling.

Back in 1996 we moved to Oak Park in California, located next to Thousand Oaks. It was and is a very wealthy area. Our local Church was located in the Pavilions Shopping Centre on Lindero Canyon Road, until the new church was built on 6-1/2 acres starting in 1997. The church is called St. Maximilian Kolbe Church and was established in 1992 to accommodate the growth in Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks. Monsignor Peter O'Reilly helped found the new church, which had about 650 families when we joined in 1996.

Father Peter made it clear to all of us in the shopping centre that although building a permanent church is an important goal, the focus is not on the building, it's the people who are the church. The necessary capital was raised and we got our new church building, or should I say village!

The key to Father Peter's success was his warm, welcoming and caring personality that really made you feel special. The new church building was up and running in 1998 and the parish grew to about 2000 families, enormous rapid growth in a very short period. Father Peter retired in 2005 and was replaced by Father Patrick O’Dwyer who died in 2009.

Income began to fall after Father Peter retired. By then we had left California but we knew things would never be the same after Father Peter's retirement because he was the glue that was holding things together. He was a good shepherd to his flock. The pastor in place now is Father Jariath Dolan and he is trying to tackle the fall in income.

"St. Maximilian Kolbe’s total income for the fiscal year, which ended on June 30, amounted to about $960,000, but expenses during the same time period were about $987,000. By comparison, church income in 2007-08 was nearly $1.4 million. By 2008-09, income had dropped to about $1.2 million. "

Thousand Oaks Acorn

But what are the causes for this fall in income?

"The Rev. Jarlath Dolan, pastor at St. Max, wrote in the letter that the current recession “has seriously impacted all of our U.S. citizens’ finances and consequently our parish financial security.” He wrote that the parish is challenged by “inescapable increases in insurance premiums, utilities and the financial investments required to sustain all our ministries.”"

But I do not think that recession is the real answer to why income has so dramatically fallen. The area is extremely wealthy but people have drifted away from the church because Father Peter is no longer there. Church income is also directly related to the pastor or parish priest in place. If a church is growing then I would have thought income would be growing. If a church is declining then obviously income will probably fall and if a church has no growth (stagnant) then income will probably fall during a recession.

Pondering my faith

2010-11-17T12:31:00.000Z

A short time ago it hit me that I have a weak faith. The reason this dawned on me was because I realised that I did not really believe that God would intervene into our world. This lack of faith centered around my sister in law who died aged 30 a few weeks ago. She died of breast cancer and has left three very young children (7,4 and 2). I told myself that God could intervene but he would not. So I am not sure if it is a lack of faith or that I have learnt by experience that God does not intervene in the way I would like. Sometimes I feel that I am absolving God of his guilt, which is a really stupid thought. Why do I feel that I should be making apologies for God.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

Technology can cause reformation

2010-11-16T07:50:00.000Z

The picture above could one day portray the "new" evangelist, taking the Gospel message to all parts of the universe! The operating system is Vatican 2.7 and the main application is Orthodox Catechism!

If social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc) is a "new" digital continent then the Gospel message probably needs to reach out to it. But there is a big issue for Church authority, because those who are evangelizing through this social media have not been officially appointed by those in authority. I think we have been through this before when the Bible was translated into the vernacular and widely distributed through the new technology printing press (Reformation). Our Church structures are hierarchical and these structures do not play well within the emerging new digital continent. Bishop Ronald Herzog has this to say

"Social media is causing as fundamental a shift in communication patterns and behavior as the printing press did 500 years ago. And I don't think I have to remind you of what happened when the Catholic church was slow to adapt to that new technology."

AFP

Papal HD streaming web cam technology needed

2010-11-13T19:33:00.000Z

Things have been very quiet in our home because our eldest two children have gone to New York on a shopping trip. They are staying near Times Square and I have just taken the picture above using a live streaming web cam that is located at the intersection of 46th Street and Broadway (click here to have a look yourself , my picture was taken using CAM 2). Many people stand in front of this web cam and call their loved ones on their mobile, a cost effective way of making a video call! We are hoping our children will soon visit the HD web cam site and show us what they have spent their money on! I just wish they had a HD web cam at St. Peter's in Rome because it is a great way of actually feeling you are there.

This is a link to Google Maps to actaully see the HD web cam. You can see it located between McDonalds and the Digital Camera/Computer shop, mounted on the wall below the 47th sign.

Less We Forget

2010-11-11T08:01:00.000Z

Private Eugene McCarthy

Eugene was the first husband of my Grandmother (maternal side), Elizabeth Hannah Griffin, late McCarthy formerly Davidge. He was born at Pontlottyn, Glamorgan, Wales. He was killed in action during the First World War on 2^nd October 1915 at the Battle of Loos. His rank was a Private in the Welsh Regiment, 1^st Battalion that was attached to and remained with 84^th Brigade in 28^th Division.

Eugene McCarthy Medal Card

Rank: Private, Regiment Number: 2699, Theatre of War served in: France, Date of Entry: 18^th January 1915, KIA 2^nd October 1915, Victory Medal: Roll J/1/104 B, Page 218, British Medal: Roll J/1/104 B, Page 218, Star Medal (1915): Roll J/1/B1, Page 55.

Welsh Regiment War Diary

I have extracted this information from 1^st Welch Regt Diary 1^st to 20^th October 1915 at the National Archives Catalogue Reference: WO/95/2277. This gives us an idea of how Eugene gave up his life. On October 1^st3 p.m the Battalion moved forward to attack LITTLE WILLIE. The attack took place at 8 p.m. The orders state, “ to take a trench called LITTLE WILLIE with fixed bayonet regardless of all costs.”

The Battle of Loos (25th September – 4th November 1915) was one of the first major British Offensives of the Great War. After the initial success of the first day of the battle in September a bloody stalemate ensued.

The 1st Battalion of the Welsh Regiment was to attack a trench - Little Willie - adjacent to a strongpoint known as the Hohnzollern Redoubt. during the night of 1st October 1915. The attack began well with the Battalion getting to within 100 yards of their objective before being discovered.

Words in italics are extracted from the War Diary of the Regiment.

‘Then from both flanks machine guns opened fire. The commanding officers voice rang out “forward the 41st, get at ‘em Welsh” In 20 seconds there were 250 men and a proportion of officers on the floor the remainder were in the trench bayoneting those in the trench and firing at the retreating Prussian Guards……………It was a gallant little affair.'

The confusion brought about by the poor state of the trenches left the battalion cut off from food, water, ammunition and reinforcement. The battalion attempted to link their isolated position with the British line by digging towards the front line trenches. At one point the regimental history describes an incident where 14 men in succession were killed whilst attempting to continue trench digging in an exposed position, the area so small that only one person at a time could work. The battalion was under almost continual artillery fire and suffered numerous grenade attacks.

‘The whole night and morning was spent in bombing battles on each flank. The Welsh had the best of these battles wounding and taking prisoners – by 10 am the bombs were finished – the enemy’s supplies were unlimited. The situation was serious. Having no bombs the enemy moved up gradually from both flanks. The enemy opened up with a minenwerfer shell this is what the soldiers call “sausage up”. The shell, having reached the distance it is regulated for, drops down perpendicularly and can be seen all the way and can be dodged – the men were now so congested it was impossible to get out of the way. – When one lands in a trench six men in the vicinity disappear.

On 2^nd October 1915 96 men from the 1^st Welch were killed in action including Eugene.

The diary goes on to say that ‘These operations were carried out with tired troops who had been in the trenches and moving from one position to another as reserve troops for eight days and eight nights’. All officers behaved magnificently but the casualties were very severe 370 N.C.O.’s and men 15 officers.

On the 3rd of October the 1st Welsh were relieved and moved back to Vermelles after being without food or water for 48 hours. The attack failed to meet any of its key objectives.

May Eugene McCarthy's soul and the souls of all the Faithful Departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Spain's anti-clericalism

2010-11-07T08:47:00.000Z

One message (so far) that I have picked up from the world media about the Pope's visit to Spain is that he has spoken out about an "aggressive anti-clericalism" in Spain.

"In Santiago de Compostela on Saturday, he warned of an "aggressive anti-clericalism" in Spain which was akin to that experienced during the 1930s.

The comments were a reference to the civil war era, during which Republicans killed thousands of priests and nuns, and burned churches."

BBC News

I think the Pope must have made these comments to reporters on the airplane to Spain as I could not find any reference to "aggressive anti-clericalism" in his public speeches (so far).

"In Spain, a strong, aggressive lay mentality, an anti-clericalism and secularization has been born as we experienced in the 1930's," Benedict told reporters.

The reference surprised Spaniards, with Cadena SER network saying: "The Pope compares today's Spain with the Republic."

The Canadian Press

I do not claim to know anything about Spain but I did try and understand WHY there is an "aggressive anti-clericalism". I am not sure if he means this "aggressive anti-clericalism" is because of secularism or it is because of Catholics themselves opposed to the clergy in Spain. I do know that the tide can turn very quickly against clerics who do not practice what they preach.

H/T dotCommonweal

Freely choosing poverty

2010-11-06T09:41:00.000Z

When Saint Teresa of Avila was thinking about setting up her own convent (and implementing a new poverty rule) one of her blockers was money. She thought she needed the money first to buy a place because she did not want to have any worries getting in her way of prayer (or others worrying about such things). She had also been advised against implementing this rule of poverty by many learned people. Then she started to think differently,

"So far it had never occurred to me to found a convent without revenue, my idea being that we ought to have no anxieties about our bare necessities. I had not thought of all the anxieties that arise from the possession of property."

The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila, Chapter 35 para 2

It just goes to show that sometimes we are held back by our own narrow way of thinking or just trying to conform to those around around us. As they say, "if you continue doing what you are doing you will probably continue to receive what you are receiving". Saint Teresa broke out of the box and freely chose poverty to come closer to Our Lord.

She rejected the advice of those around her on this matter and expressed her rejection in a rather cutting way (which I have now taken on board),

"I told them that, in view of the speed with which they changed their opinions, I preferred to stick to mine."

How to deliver an unambiguous message

2010-11-05T06:42:00.001Z

This is an edited video of Cardinal-designate Raymond Burke delivering a bold and unambiguous message on who Catholics should never vote for (from CatholicAction.org). In recent years Archbishop Burke, who is prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church's "supreme court," has taught repeatedly that Catholic politicians who support abortion rights may not receive Holy Communion and that Catholics who know of the politicians' voting record on these issues cannot vote for them and retain "a clear conscience."

"As a bishop it's my obligation in fact, to urge the faithful to carry out their civic duty in accord with their Catholic faith."

Welcome home

2010-11-04T08:04:00.001Z

Some commercials I always remember because they capture a part of the Beatific Vision for me and that is the summit of the global common good. Now, this advert does just that for me, it is a T-Mobile welcome home to passengers arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5 airport. It makes me think of entering through those pearly gates. Enjoy.

Motivating Catholics to vote

2010-11-03T10:58:00.000Z

It is interesting to see how Catholic organizations motivate Catholics to vote. As we all know, the Catholic Church "never" tells you who to vote for but clearly states that some issues are more important than other issues. For example, a Catholic would not be expected to vote for a candidate that is pro-abortion.
The CatholicVote.org website is becoming famous for motivating American (and perhaps other parts of the world) Catholics to get out there and use their vote. In November 2008 they put together a great video with moving music (reminds me of The Gladiator) to encourage Catholics to vote (see below). On YouTube this video has 2.8 million views and has the description, "A inspirational and educational film on voting for Catholics and all people of faith"; so it is intended to motivate all people of faith.

Now they have released another motivational video for the American mid-term elections that is rather toned down from the 2008 one (see below). Today (10:50 AM UK time) this video on YouTube has 26,500 with no description.

A lot of hard work has gone into creating these videos and I for one think they do a good job.

H/T RealCatholic.com

Sayidat al-Neja Syrian Catholic Church sorrow

2010-11-01T15:24:00.000Z

I feel angry by the death toll in the Sayidat al-Neja Syrian Catholic Cathedral, Baghdad. It seems that most of the injuries occurred when the kidnappers set off explosions within the building. These kidnappers were/are Sunni extremists who issued this statement.

"The Mujahedeens raided a filthy nest of the nests of polytheism, which has been long taken by the Christians of Iraq as a headquarter for a war against the religion of Islam and they were able by the grace of God and His glory to capture those were gathered in and to take full control of all its entrances,"

I feel sick that anyone would claim God's grace to be at work. It is not the first time this has happened, back in August 2004 there was a similar attack killing 12 people. I also know that this is not representative of Islam. What can I do? Pray and when finished pray more.

The Vortex speaks out on how to vote

2010-10-30T08:44:00.000+01:00

The Vortex makes the point that there is a lack of guidance on how Catholics should vote in the US but I am not so sure this is the case in all parts of the world. We have some extremely good documents from the UK bishops. I do agree that life issues are of primary importance in voting.

I am convinced that the first obligation of any government is the protection of innocent human life from conception to natural death.

We have no single "Catholic" policy on issues like taxes, education, foreign policy and immigration reform. People can use their own judgement, perhaps based on Catholic Social Teaching principles, to work out how certain matters affect the common good. People of goodwill often end up with different answers.

However, Catholics are unequivocal on abortion, euthanasia and the killing of the unborn for medical research. Catholics must not end up with different answers on these and bishops must deliver an unambiguous and bold support for this message.

The ultimate political goal for us Catholics must be the achievement of public policies and laws that result in the legal protection of all innocent human life and that promote the dignity of each human person without exception and compromise.

The cause of child poverty revealed

2010-10-25T07:00:00.001+01:00

What would you say is the main cause of child poverty? Some may say the cause is social deprivation or it depends where you are born or it is down to bad luck. I know how child poverty is simply thought of in the UK,

"Families living in poverty have less than £13 per day per person to buy everything they need such as food, heating, toys, clothes, electricity and transport"

Barnardos website

Therefore a family of four requires £52/day or £364/week or £18,928/year (hmmm it was £10/day on June 5th 2010). But what is the main cause? Pat Buckley, over at the European Life Network, has reviewed a recent report form the Heritage Foundation and Pat says,

"As husbands disappear from the home, poverty and welfare dependence will increase, and children and parents will suffer as a result."

The main cause of child poverty is the absence of fathers in the home. This is where marital decline gets you in society and absent fathers need to pay up. But also governments need to step up and support marriage. In the UK the coalition government has made a recent decision to make families and children the biggest losers on tax and welfare reforms over the coming years.

Catholic bloggers or Catholic Taliban?

2010-10-24T19:11:00.000+01:00

Things are getting militant these days within the Catholic blogsphere and other parts of the Internet media, some are calling it the "Catholic Taliban" (yuk). In the UK "traditional" Catholic bloggers are speaking out against the liberal Catholic media such as "The Tablet" and even "The Catholic Times". Some so-called liberal priests (Loftus) have been threatening other so-called traditional priests (Fr. Ray, Fr. Clifton) with libel law suits for slander. They are at each others throats. One UK bishop is on record for saying that traditional Catholic bloggers are small in number but make a loud noise; maybe but they have a lot of traction and are more read than any Catholic newspaper or journal.

"John Allen, Vatican analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, has dubbed this trend "Taliban Catholicism." But he says it's not a strictly conservative phenomenon - liberals can fit the mindset, too, Allen says. Some left-leaning Catholics are outraged by any exercise of church authority."

The Washington Post has an article entitled, "Catholic bloggers aim to purge dissenters". This new breed of Catholic "traditionalists" are hitting out at liberal views embedded within the Church. The mention of Michael Voris to some within the hierarchy is anathema. I have been following the Vortex for quite a while, not because I accept everything Voris says but because he makes some good points. The Boston Catholic Insider is another example of this new militant approach to those in the Church hierarchy who are deemed to be leading the faithful astray.

Most people in the pews are unaware of the Catholic Blogsphere but things are changing fast. I always recall that phrase, "Erasmus laid the egg and Luther hatched it"; perhaps in years to come the history books will say "XXXX laid the egg and the Catholic blogsphere hatched it" (where XXXX is whoever you think it was the first cause).

Is the UK government being fair?

2010-10-24T08:55:00.000+01:00

How do we really know if the UK government spending plans are for the common good or fair? I want to know some simple facts or projections to make a prudent judgment. The best place to get these facts (not The Times, Independent or Observer who have their own axes to grind) is from the Institute of Fiscal Studies. The period I am looking at is 2014-2015 to get the overall picture.

1) Who will be worst off under the benefit reforms?

Answer: The poorest.

2) Who will be worst off overall, under both tax and benefit reforms?

Answer: Overall the richest 10 percent are the biggest losers in terms of the percentage amount of income they will lose due to Labour's tax rises (previous government).

In terms of a society demographic, families with children are the biggest losers in terms of numbers of people.

Obviously this is not fair.

H/T E F pastor emeritus

The Farm provides for The Catholic Whistle

2010-10-23T08:53:00.000+01:00

My regular readers may have noticed that the header banner on this blog has changed. The previous header banner consisted of pictures of myself and Jackie, our three children and their respective girlfriend/boyfriend. But I removed this because I became aware that these pictures may associate these individuals with views on this blog and that may not be what they actually would want. I left the header banner fallow until I stumbled across a new crop from The Farm; who have kindly allowed me to plant their produce. I am sure many of you have visited The Farm before but for me it was a new encounter and I am now hooked (must get Jackie to have a look today). I edited the picture (using GIMP as I only use Linux) to capture the sky and first snow this year just resting on those hills in Scotland.

Lacking integrity leads to double standards

2010-10-22T08:04:00.000+01:00

During the Pope's visit to the UK we saw an outpouring of anti-Catholic and anti-Christian hysteria through the media channels. Many people suggested that the media would not have been so hostile toward Muslims. The reason for this is because the media fear for their own safety from violent reaction from Islamic extremists. So the media appears to coward for their own protection, they stir things up to the degree they can remain safe; they are becoming to be seen as people without integrity.
Some also say that the media would never be so hostile toward the Jews. The reason for this is because anti-Semitism is seen as unacceptable on the world stage and there would be a backlash against any media giant who appeared anti-Semitic. But obviously the media feel safe in being anti-Catholic or anti-Christian because they know they can get away with it; they may be seen as lacking integrity.
But it not just the media as a group, there are individuals in our society who echo how the media behaves toward Christianity and in particular Catholicism. Why do certain individuals within our society, such as Peter Tatchell, speak out against Catholicism but not against Islam? They fear the reaction they will receive from Islamic extremists. They exist in a double standard safe world; they lack integrity.
But why is there such a difference in the reaction from Muslims, Jews and Christians toward a hostile attack from the media? Is it simply that Christians are living the Gospel message to turn the other cheek? Our tradition is littered with martyrs, full of integrity, that gave their lives for their belief against hostile forces that had little or no integrity.

Catholic blogs suggest bishops are unorthodox

2010-10-21T08:11:00.000+01:00

Many in the Catholic blogsphere have posted about the Pope's appointment of 24 new Cardinals. Some interpret the appointments as a success for traditionalists in their battle against liberals. Some point out the that Archbishop Nichols (Westminster) has not been appointed a cardinal and infer he has been overlooked by the Pope because of his support for the "soho mass" or "lack of pro-life stance" etc. They read into the appointments convoluted plots and secret messages, as though they have some inside knowledge. They interpret the whole event as a continuing battle against unorthodox bishops who are leading the faithful down a dud path. One blogger even suggested that the UK bishops are nothing better than the bishops at Henry VIII's time (unfaithful to the Pope), pointing out that Saint John Fisher was the only bishop who remained faithful to Rome at the time. Much of the polemic comes from priests and they suggest these appointments vindicate their own position. I cannot judge if they are correct but I can see there is a lot of bitterness.

Miracles are necessary

2010-10-20T08:55:00.000+01:00

Many of us are suffering physical, mental or spiritual afflictions. We all have them. I have noticed that when people become physically or mentally afflicted they want more than just medical care.

My cousin sent me an article yesterday on a "miraculous" cure of an MS suffer called Rita Klaus who,

"Certain she would never walk again, her doctors surgically severed the tendons in her legs that kept her kneecaps in place. This permitted her to hobble short distances inside her house with full-length leg braces and forearm crutches."

After earnestly praying the rosary one day, she asked for her own healing and was gradually healed over a few days.

"The doctors who convened to examine her were flabbergasted. As the nurses scurried for her charts and patients gawked and craned, the doctors' reactions tellingly varied: [Klaus said,] "One of my doctors saw me and started to laugh. He thought I must have had a twin who I'd brought in to play a practical joke on him." Her neurologist, she says, was "so angry! He said there is no cure for MS, no such thing as miracles. He even called people at the hospital and told them I was a fraud and a fake."

I have been thinking about why miracles happen. For what it is worth, I think miracles are sometimes "necessary",such as at the beginning of the Church. I think that for faith to increase it must be supported, at times, by miracles.

Getting to know oneself

2010-10-19T07:27:00.000+01:00

I have been reading through Pope Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth" for the second time. I particularly like Chapter 10 entitled "Jesus Declares His Identity". For me, this chapter is about how Jesus saw himself rather than how others saw him. It moves away from just trying to define who Jesus is in terms of titles given to him or titles that he may seem to like. Jesus' identity is relational, essentially to be reveled in his relationship with the Father.
It got me thinking about my identity. I also have titles that people have given to me over time, job titles, character titles (Catholic) and relationship titles (married). But my identity is more than this bunch of titles, my identity is relational, essentially revealed to me over time in prayer.

Recycling for the common good

2010-10-18T10:50:00.000+01:00

I have just got out the car here in Brighton for a walk and saw this recycling pink bin. I was wondering what they actually do with the bras!
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The Uffizi images are dissapointing

2010-10-17T08:08:00.000+01:00

They often say that dissatisfaction occurs when expectations are not met and I think my expectations were set too high this morning, hence I am feeling dissatisfied. I was excited about being able to view Uffizi images in high definition and show them in all their glory on my 42 inch HD TV as shown above. You can view these pictures here, but be warned as you will need a lot of time for the download into the Haltadefinizione viewer. When you actually see them they have a Haltadefinizione logo all over them and the controls do not work smoothly! On Rome Reports they say,

"Ocotber 16, 2010. Why go to Florence, when its masterpieces can come to you? Italian company Haltadefinizione is turning the paintings of Florence's Uffizi Museum into extremely high definition images."

Well, the masterpieces remained in Florence for me!

Saturday memories

2010-10-16T08:28:00.000+01:00

Every two weeks, like clockwork, my mum would take me to confession on Saturday morning. This was when I was about age 7 (1966), having made my first communion. As we entered the Church we would join a queue of people that were waiting to go to confession, the queue was made by people kneeling down on the kneelers and shovelling along as they progressed to the confessional box. Sometimes, there would be three queues for three different confessional boxes depending on the demand. You never really knew which priest was hearing confession until you got into the box. As one person left the box another person would enter, there was a red light down by the kneeler and I could just about make out the priest through the grill but not enough to see his face. It was a frightening experience for me and I did not look forward to this sacrament.
As I grew older the frequency of going to confession dropped. I think that by the time I hit my teens the frequency was about once a month but mum would always remind me to go. My dad also would remind me, sometimes I would go with him when he was not working his shifts. By now I had gained the wisdom of using the sin sandwich, where I would try and hide my big sin in between lesser sins. I had also realised I always got a lot of affirmation from the priest when I would confess, "I have not been attentive at mass" - this to me was lesser sin so I normally ended up with this one hoping that the priest would ignore my other sins.
Late Saturday afternoon my Dad would sit in front of the television (black and white) with his football coupon eagerly awaiting the football results. I think he needed to get 11 draws to win the pools but he never got this. At one time he would ask me to help him put the crosses on the coupon because he thought I knew more about football than he did. Of course, I did!
Today I do not go to confession in my local Church, I take a trip to Westminster Cathedral. Although I still feel apprehensive about confession I see it as an important sacrament in my ongoing relationship with the Lord. A few times a year I buy a lottery ticket and sit in front of the TV (Colour HD these days) to check the numbers. I have asked my youngest girl to pick the numbers for me in the past. And I have never won!

The Gotthard Base Tunnel

2010-10-15T06:00:00.002+01:00

The picture above, from Wikipedia, shows the route of The Gotthard Base Tunnel. There are actually two tunnels, each 10m diameter, with 2,600 people working concurrently on the project.

It is amazing what mankind can do when working together for a common goal. Today, drilling on The Gotthard Base Tunnel will be completed, this is a 57Km tunnel that runs under the Alps in Switzerland from Erstfeld (North) to Bodio (South). This tunnel will eventually run trains from Zurich to Milan late 2017. There are some great pictures here of the tunnel.

Sunday memories

2010-10-13T08:08:00.001+01:00

When I was growing up, Sunday was different from other days. We would normally leave home, without any breakfast, to walk to Church for Sunday Mass. The lack of breakfast was because we were fasting before receiving Holy Communion. After Mass we would meet people outside the Church for a brief chat before heading back home for breakfast. The streets were quiet and the shops were closed. Mum would then prepare the Sunday roast dinner and I always looked forward to the rice pudding with the skin on top (that always seemed the best bit). It always seemed a heated argument would start each Sunday between my elder brother and my father at the dinning table. After we had eaten it was time for the washing up and drying the dishes, my sisters always seemed to wash and I always dried up. The afternoons were spent playing board games and Mum and Dad normally had a sleep. Later in the afternoon we had afternoon tea and then the television was turned on. This was us keeping Sundays special which involved family and community.
Today things are a little different. We are now the Mum and Dad and have a family. We drive to Church on a Sunday after we have had breakfast and the roads are quiet compared to the rest of the week. When we get home the children watch TV or go on Facebook! We cook the Sunday dinner, sometimes a roast dinner but do not normally have puddings. After dinner we put the dishes in a dishwasher and kick back for an hour before going out for a drive and walk somewhere. Sundays are still special and still involve the family and community.

Synod on Middle Eastern Christians

2010-10-11T09:02:00.000+01:00

The Pope's attention is now on the Middle-East and the picture above shows him blessing the altar at mass during the opening of the Synod on Middle Eastern Christians.

The Pope has to address many issues within our Church and they are different in different parts of the world. When he visited the UK he spoke up for Christianity (not just Catholicism) against a secular and atheistic backdrop. It seems to me, the Pope's UK visit planted the wood of the cross (mulberry tree) directly into the UK secular society (sea).

"For two weeks, bishops will be discussing problems in the Middle East. Among the issues are the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, strife in Iraq, radical Islamism, regional economic crises and the divisions among the region's many Christian churches. More than 170 Catholic bishops from Islamic countries, as well as Roman officials, non-Catholic Christians and academic experts will discuss the future of Christian communities in the Middle East. Representatives of the Jewish and Muslim faiths have been invited to address the gathering."

Voice of America

Within the Middle East region there are different issues facing Catholicism and Christianity. Islamic militancy is opposed to secularism and other faiths. In the UK some think that secularism is opposed to Christianity and other faiths. Others think secularism is not opposed to faith unless faith opposes secularism, they argue we need to be tolerant of each other rather than opposing each other.

1) Iraq
This country was home to many Christians under Saddam Hussien when the state provided a degree of religious tolerance and was more secular. However, it now looks like this country will become an Islamist theocracy and will show little religious tolerance or secular acceptance. Christians are fleeing the country because of persecution.
2) Saudi Arabia
This country has no room for secularism or religious tolerance in this Islamic theocracy. Any expression of Christian faith is illegal although I believe the "official" line from Saudi is that the state does not persecute Catholics or Christians.
3) West Bank and Gaza
This is now a Christian wasteland, Christians have fled the persecution of living under an Islamist regime (especially in Gaza). Again, secular elements have been replaced by militant Islamic forces and little (if any) religious tolerance shown.

A century ago Christians made up about 20 percent of the Middle East population, now it is estimated at about 5%. How can we plant the mulberry tree in this sea?

The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

(Luke 17:5-10)

H/T Rome Reports