Good Question

In case you cannot see the questions next to the picture of Henry VIII
"Who is that man?"
"Would you trust him?"

Looking through  my old photos on my phone (I was having a break, not skiving from my thesis... OK!!!) I came across this one. For the life of me I cannot remember where it was taken. I remember that it was part of one of those 'let's make country houses more exciting for children by teaching them things' exhibitions. However, I think that I am the one who found it most humorous.

So would you trust him with your wife? Or Church? Or country?

Christ the King

Last year I began another project found here, and now that I look at that original post, I see that I did not 'keep you up to date'. Never mind.

Anyway, I have only a few pictures. As you will remember it was based on the image at the top of this post. And here is a picture of Our Lord's head...

And a further one with a halo...

You can see from these that I intended to do a whole 'here it is as it goes along'... but I didn't. Anyway, it is finished and this is what it looks like...

Pretty spiffy, eh? I now have to make the vestment, but not yet. I've got a thesis to write!

Perhaps when I get to Glastonbury...

And there were booklets

I'm fond of a booklet. There is nothing quite like one for putting you in the mood for the worship of Almighty God. But quite seriously, I think there is something good about knowing that someone has bothered to put something together because they think that it is important.

It's OK, we can still use it next year.

There is a difference between showing a dog-eared order of service, covered in gravy, and chewed at the corner, with a boot print on it, than there is with something which has just been freshly printed. That is why I always try to have things made as beautifully as possible for one off occasions. Even if they are different every year. I cause great consternation by putting the year on various things, like Easter or Christmas booklets. You see it stops me just getting the thing we did last year off the shelf. And it means that when someone comes to Church they have something in their hands which has taken time and effort. If someone can be that bothered, they should I not do a little better, pray a little harder?

Well that's my idea, anyway!

Yikes! A Unicorn Dream Catcher!!!

So I have been making booklets. I love a booklet. It is so that I can hit the ground running in Glastonbury. So far I have Latin/English for the Tridentine Mass, and also booklets for Compline. I want to sing Compline in church most evenings. Glastonbury is a little bit populated by alternative types (witches, unicorns and dream catchers - if memory serves me well from last time I was there), so sung Compline sounds just the ticket. I'm going to fit in very well!

And with snazzy booklets.

Baba Yetu and the US Navy

Brigham Young University still are my favourite version of the Lord's Prayer in Swahili (see here), but this one is sung by the US Navy.

There is a speed and a swing about it. But the BEST, the very best bit is the voice over at 2.00 minutes - US Navy propaganda in the midst of the Prayer Our Saviour gave us!!!

I'm not against it at all - I just find it funny. But the chap speaking has such a deep voice!

Young Catholic Adult Weekend @ Douai Abbey 20th -22nd Oct 2017

Are you 18-40, do you want to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic faith, learn its devotions and meet like minded people? Young Catholic Adults are organizing a weekend at Douai Abbey in Berkshire) with Lawrence Lew O.P., and Canon Poucin ICKSP. You’ll be able to hear catechetical talks, learn how to sing Gregorian Chant, say the Rosary, socialize and have fun. Book soon as places are limited! All Masses are in the Old Rite (Roman and Dominican Rite)

To book goto:- To Book: https://v1.bookwhen.com/youngcatholicadults-douai2017

For updates goto:- http://youngcatholicadults-latestnews.blogspot.co.uk/. 

For more details goto:- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm. Prices start from £18.50.

The Feast of Sardines

I shall be spending this evening in various supermarkets looking for the most sumptuous sardines that I can find. For as you will undoubtedly know, tomorrow is Sardine Day.

This is not because tomorrow is the feast day of the Holy prophets Joel and Esdras. Though I am sure that Joel’s vision of the End Day would have included the most wonderfully succulent sardines imaginable. Nor because it is that St Turian, a man of humility and simplicity, would have enjoyed an occasional sardine of his feast day.

No, tomorrow is the Feast of the Sardines, or Fête des Sardines, in the Vendée region of France. You can see a history of the Wars of the Vendée here, it really is worth a read. The Vendée was totally destroyed by the Revolution and persecuted ever since.

So do you think that the good people of the Vendée want to celebrate July 14^th? Bastille day? No they do not.

So instead they celebrate the humble sardine (for no reason that I have been able to find). They eat them on the thirteenth, and they feast, and drink, and drink. And on the next morning (the fourteenth) they are so hung over that they do not bother getting out of bed!!!

So for them, the celebration is not the slaughter, rape and pillage of their beloved country, it is the day before – a humble sardine.

A Lady of the Vendee on the eve of the Feast:
"I'm off for a quick sherry!"

Bon Fête!

Thank you Pope Benedict

On this the tenth anniversary of Summorum Pontificum, I would like to thank Pope Benedict for this motu proprio.

It has been a leaven in the life of the Church, and in the lives of countless people and priests.

May this form of Holy Mass flourish and spread throughout the world.

Queen or Empress - you chose

From a letter of Franz Rosenzweig to his Mother

“…I told Badt about an incident that was witnessed, I believe, by Moltke¹ in the fifties in London. Empress Eugénie was paying a visit to Queen Victoria. A theatrical performance was being given in their honour; they entered the King’s box, approached the railing, thanked the audience, and sat down – Victoria without looking round, Eugénie after she had made sure by a glance that there was a chair. Eugenie was probably more of a person than the tedious Queen, but only Victoria was the descendant of kings.”

Not sure of the moral worth of this story, but how sure is your seat??!

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¹ Count Helmuth von Maltke (1800-1891), chief of the Prussian General Staff