Happy Summorum Pontificum Day!

Yes, in case you'd forgotten, it's two years since the Holy Father issued the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum liberating the Extraordinary Form/Tridentine Mass/Old Rite/Traditional Latin Mass/Gregorian Rite of Mass (how have we come up with so many titles for it over 40 years?), and the same Pope has decided to release his third encyclical letter on the same day. On another note, you may have found a rather interesting article about the arrival of Mass in Chinese, which whatever one's views on is still fascinating.

Thank God for wise priests

Following Bishop Conry's bombshell of an interview the other day, Fr Tim has done a good job on rebuffing his unhelpful comments on the value of frequent confession (among other things), whilst Mac has a thoughtful post on some of the issues raised by the bish. Enjoy!

I'll bet you had no idea...

...that Batman was a Catholic. Or so someone has been arguing. I haven't read any of the articles properly, and don't quite agree with what he's saying, but I find it a refreshing and somewhat amusing change from the usual things we come across on the blogosphere.

Meditations for the Pauline year

In case any of you didn't know, the Godzdogz are kindly writing reflections on St Paul. An ideal way to benefit from the year of St Paul.

What's been going on

I returned about a week ago from my holiday in Italy and it's been one of those busy seasons. A few days before I came back, my uncle Chris went to his reward after battling cancer for several years. R.I.P.

I intend to take a week's break or so from blogging, after which I shall resume my musings/ramblings and tell you about the more interesting points of the holiday.

In the meantime, a slightly belated happy birthday to my friend Oliver, who recently announced the closure of one blog, but appears to have started another. Happy birthday as well to our dear Mulier Fortis!

Ad multos annos!

Seen this?

Right now I'm fairly sure that the blogosphere has been buzzing with people looking at reports of yesterday's Pontifical High Mass at Westminster Cathedral, so I thought something a little different might be in order.

At the risk of displaying preferential treatment, Oliver has put up a little piece on allegiance to the Queen. If your latin is as bad as mine, then you may find it a tad difficult, but you shouldn't find the point too hard to understand.

In what I believe may be a first (possibly even a historic moments) Bishop Williamson has given an interview which is unusually free from outrageous and hilarious statements. Fr Z has given his customary reply with points. I can't help but feel that a radio or TV discussion between these two would be very interesting.

Finally, the Ceremoniere has a post many of us may identify with.

Worth his weight

I came across this rather impressive Coptic priest (as I'm sure most of you have done) thanks to the Pastor in Valle and a link from Cornell Society. How refreshing. He may not be in full Communion with the Holy Father, but he doesn't hesitate to make the teaching of the Gospel known, nor to dither about claiming that he isn't interested in converting non-Christians. A man who loves souls and won't hesitate to stick his neck out for Christ-now that's ediying. Let's pray for him!

More spring cleaning

Happy Easter!



My decision to restrict reading matter has proved very helpful recently. I also decided (somewhat spontaneously) to spend a minimal amount of time on facebook. The immediate consequence was that I had considerably more time than usual, and it was rather liberating. I've now decided to restrict my time on it as much as possible.

As hinted by the title, I intend to do some more tweaking of this blog in order to make it a little tidier and more attractive. Rest assured that I am unlikely to delete most of the links.

I dare say that my blogroll looks worryingly long. To be honest, I rarely look at more than a few each day-and likewise intend to avoid spending a long time doing so. I am not one of those who considers the internet a satanic invention (although I don't doubt that the devil makes profitable use of it) and am very much of the opinion that it has a lot to offer, especially in matters of our Faith. On the other hand, I was rather disgusted by the report that most young people spend two hours online each day-and I am almost certainly one of them. Not a good thing.

Anyway, I've also come across a characteristically sensible and edifying quote from St Teresa of Avila which has helped knock some sense into me:

I understood how great a blessing it is to make no account of anything which does not lead us any nearer to God.

God bless.

Turning up the heat

Our Lenten observances and resolutions should intensify during Holy Week, and if we haven't done much already, then this provides an opportunity to start now.

Bear in mind that as well as 'mortification of the flesh'-which can mean anything from using a good old-fashioned discipline to flog oneself with (as used by Silas in that highly accurate book, The Da Vinci Code) to fasting. Another highly profitable idea which has just sprung up in my mind is to stop reading and nattering on-as I do-about liturgical reform and about other usual 'churchy' issues, in order to concentrate on Holy Week. Hopefully this will provide more time for important things such as prayer and introduce a little more balance into my life.

Of course this means I will have to stop visiting Holy Smoke for a few days (sigh), but I will not be removing it from the links list-that way if any of you would like to use my idea, then you will have the opportunity to resist the temptation and hopefully grow in grace.

God bless.

For the record: I would like to emphasise that what I do not intend to discuss is liturgical reform. I am almost inevitably going to discuss the liturgical practice in the ordinary and/or extraordinary form, but will not be ranting or avoiding it altogether. Otherwise, I wouldn't be sharing these delightful pictures! Thanks Carolina!

New on the blogosphere

My term is now over, so I now have a little more time for blogging-not that I'm trying to allow myself much time for it as I have a lot of work to before before going back to university, and am trying to spend less time over Holy Week on the internet.

Visiting Lacrimarum Valle this morning, I came across this rather good blog by one of our brethren in the West. As you can see, he has something of a soft spot for liturgy, Catholic history, and the Venerable Pius XII-my cup of tea entirely!

Then of course, there are no shortage of lovely pictures at Hallowed Ground (as usual).

Enjoy!

Spring cleaning

As I am sure you know, the word 'Lent' was used to refer to the arrival of Spring which often coincides with the arrival of the Penitential Season now upon us. "Spring cleaning in February?", you might ask-well, an awful lot of people do what they refer to as 'spring cleaning' in January (quite possibly to take their minds off what many might agree can be one of the most stressful times of year), and a few would argue that the lovely weather in Britain has heralded the early arrival of Spring, but I digress-as you may have noticed I am trying to tidy up this blog in the hope that I may motivate myself to devote myself a little more consistently to it. With the word 'little', in mind (but not at all insignificant), as a footnote to my suggestion the other day, I would like to second John's suggestion to look at Recta Ratio for some good Lenten reading.

In need of Lenten reading material?

Don Marco's posts from last Lent should help you out.

Where has the time gone?

Yes, the first post of 2008, and it has taken me this long to do so! Well, as I may have mentioned before, I am trying to prioritise things and haven't exactly managed to crank out much. To be very honest, I don't really see the point in doing so as a lot of bloggers say the same thing-yes, they say it in different ways I know, and this is useful-but I don't see much point in providing more 'dithering material' as it were for people to waste their time with. Instead, I will try at least to point you in the right direction of some interesting or profitable reading matter on and off the internet.

Case in point: With all the blogs around the world rattling on about the Good Friday Prayer, I indeed understand why it is an issue dear to many hearts (including my own), but see no need to issue a statement on how and why I feel about it-there's time better spent by both of us praying.

Oh, and just to re-assure you, I am going to try to produce less posts about the Liturgy-again, something which there is an awful lot of about online, and therefore not needing any further commentary from yours truly.

Happy Lent! God bless!

Christmas around the world

It was rather encouraging to see pictures on Andrew Cusack's blog of Christmas celebrations in Iran, which to be honest wasn't something I expected to encounter (please note that this is nothing to do with politics, merely the fact that Iran's Christians are a minority who I am afraid I had not considered much before).

You may disagree with me on this, and I may well be wrong, but I would consider it accurate to say that at this time of year more people consider the situation in the Holy Land than usual, but at any rate, I am sure many of you will find these descriptions of Christmas in the Holy Land interesting.

Possibly the most encouraging story which I have encountered so far this Christmas however, has been this one of churches in Baghdad.

I for one look forward to adding all of these to my currently non-existent "Commonplace Book" and coming back to to them each Christmas. Amongst everything which has been happening recently, this news is greatly encouraging. Deo Gratias!

Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for our brethren in the Middle-East.