Catholic with Attitude

My apologies

2011-11-10T23:03:00.001Z

Just in case any of you were wondering: Oxford hasn't killed me off! I am alive and am enjoying all that Oxford has to offer.

I am finding it difficult to direct my attention to this blog for the time being as I try to engage with my studies. As a result, I have decided that—at least for the foreseeable future—I will no longer be writing for this blog. I'm not closing this blog but I will be taking a 'sabbatical' I guess as I direct my full attention to my studies. No doubt I will share different things once in a while but regular posting will not be a regular feature.

Thank you for your understanding, support and prayers. I continue to pray for you all and for the goodness you have shown me. Let us keep on climbing upwards on our journey of faith!

God bless you all.

Catholic with Attitude

Benedicite.

Greetings from Oxford!

2011-10-05T20:51:00.000+01:00

Blacfriars, Oxford

I am alive despite my prolonged silence in the blogosphere! My house has been without internet (and continues to be so) till tomorrow, but I have managed to find a computer here at Blackfriars.

I have settled in well and have explored the wonderful city of Oxford on a daily basis, made all the more pleasant by the recent warm and sunny weather we were blessed to have in the last week. I have also enjoyed my induction programme and have met some truly lovely people. By far the greatest aspect of being in Oxford is the opportunity I have to attend Mass each evening at Blackfriars with the Dominican friars; my whole day points to the Mass and Vespers which follows and it truly gives me joy. I will keep you all in my prayers as I continue my studies here in this wonderful city. It does feel like an awfully long time since I properly studied and in fact I don't have my first lecture till next Monday (?)! Needless to say, I am very excited!

So these days have been a period of joy, excitement but also a degree of uncertaintly with what is to come. God has graciously led me to this point and has opened numerous doors for me, so I pray that I may confidently walk the path ahead and tackle with prayer and complete trust in the Lord anything that I may encounter. Of course, I rely on your prayers as I so often state. It is easy to ask for people prayers at times and it can seem all too casual; however, it means a lot to me to have people praying for me. I know people do and I do my very best to pray for those who pray for me, even though I may not know their names. This, of course, extends to the heavens where I know many saints recognised and unrecognised by the Church on earth pray for me each and every second of my life. How challenging it is for us to realise this on a daily basis, but how necessary it is. We are never alone and we are never unloved. If we are united to Christ and see as he sees and love as he loves, we cannot help but notice all the blessings we have in life. God is good.

As many of you are aware, I have a deep love for the person of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. I was kindly asked to write for Westminster Cathedral's monthly magazine, Oremus, an article on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. I was also generously named 'Blogger of the month' by the magazine, to which I am perpetually indebted. I hope to put up the article on this blog for those of you who are unable to get to Westminster Cathedral. If you are able, I urge you to pick up a copy because the formatting of my article by the Oremus team, in my opinion, is superb. My thanks again goes to those who edit and publish the Oremus magazine.

I hope over the next couple of years, which I shall be spending in Oxford, I will be able to continue to write on this blog. As many of you are aware, the frequency of my posting has contracted quite considerably from my early days as a blogger. Without causing offence to anyone who blogs on a daily basis (and as an almost daily reader of blogs, I am grateful for those who do in fact post daily), over the years I feel I have matured a bit and even though there are many 'juicy' and controversial news articles that I could comment on, I feel that rarely are two voices presented and it is all too easy to attack a particular bishop for this, that and the other. Of course, criticism is sometimes due and bloggers can be a force for good. All too often, blogs become polemical and even though it can be perceived by some to be a bit of fun, for many others it can present an ugly side of what the Church can become. It is our duty as members of Christ's body to build up that body and to foster communion, not destroy it. Sometimes it means suffering in silence and holding back ones views. I have a rule of thumb in life which was passed on to me by a good priest friend of mine, which is that if something annoys me--be that in my day to day encounters or indeed on the blogosphere--then wait three days and see if it annoys me still, in which case it may be good for me to voice my concerns. Those three days enable my firery passions to settle and permit reason to make sense of the situation. So, many things do annoy and frustate me such as liturgical abuses, priests, religious and lay, not listening to bishops or bishops not listening to the faithful and so on; however, I don't feel the need to comment on it in public, though at times I may. Blogging is a great way of tracking your development as a human being, or at least it has been in my case; perhaps this is because of my age? Certainly I would not have thought three years ago that I would have an interest in ecumenical dialogue (namely with the Eastern Churches) and would be involved in Jewish-Catholic dialogue! I do find the latter quite difficult still but I hope through study and through face-to-face encounters with the Jewish people, particularly through the Emerging Leaders Delegation which the Vatican (and it's Jewish counterpart) runs and of which I am in the privileged position of being a member, I hope to contribute to a greater understanding between the Church of Christ and the people of Israel.

So, this blog post diverged quite a bit from the originial heading, so I offer you my apologies! I will leave it here for now.

Onwards and upwards!

Benedicite.

The city of dreaming spires awaits me

2011-09-27T09:23:00.000+01:00

Please keep me in your prayers today as I head up to Oxford to begin my postgraduate studies. I am really excited about the move but a little nervous at the same time.

Be assured of my prayers for all my readers.

Benedicite.

St. Matthew Passion at the Royal National Theatre: worth a watch!

2011-09-26T16:55:00.001+01:00

On now at the Royal National Theatre, South Bank

A friend of mine got hold of two tickets for the production of St. Matthew Passion at the Royal National Theatre, South Bank. The music is by none other than Johann Sebastian Bach and the english translation compiled by Paul Goodwin. The following is from the Royal National Theatre's website:

Jonathan Miller’s staging of Bach’s St Matthew Passion will be performed in collaboration with the Southbank Sinfonia.

Bach’s Passion is presented in two parts and retells the dramatic story of the events leading to Christ’s crucifixion. Part one includes the last supper and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, while part two depicts His trial, crucifixion and burial.

Jonathan Miller strips away all traditional performance conventions of this sacred work: it is sung, in a new English translation by the conductor Paul Goodwin, by soloists and a choir – all casually dressed – who interact with the full orchestra of musicians. The result is a production conveying the full power and overwhelming drama of Bach’s final and most revered Passion.

I stayed only till the intermission as my friend was particularly sleepy and kept falling asleep during the performance! I did find it quite amusing that he woke up at one point just when Jesus was rebuking his disciples for not being able to stay awake! I have now nicknamed my friend 'the sleepy disciple'.

Tickets are from as low as £12 and cost a maximum of £30. If you're looking for something inexpensive to do in the capital, you could do worse than watch this.

Benedicite.

How long will it take to forget?

2011-09-21T17:35:00.001+01:00

I have just been on Facebook and it appears it has been updated... again. I'm not opposed to updating and revising, but some people are so against it; some even set up groups protesting the changes. They decry the need for change, that the new version makes no sense, people won't understand and will turn away. I can't help but draw a comparison to some people bemoaning the revision of the English translation of the Roman Missal. Some set up groups, again making the same claims that people won't understand, people don't want it, etc. but the fact is, like with Facebook, people will forget soon enough what the previous version was like. Comparing the reaction to a revised Facebook layout with a revised English translation of the Missal is not a perfect analogy, but then again what analogy ever is? People don't like change, whether it's Mass translations, Facebook layouts, or the new aisle where herbs and spices in the supermarket are located, but that's life isn't it?

I think as human beings we like a good moan. The above is my little moan :-)

Benedicite.

In Piam Memoriam

2011-09-12T23:33:00.002+01:00

RIP Rev. Alain Degny Attiale Maxime

I went to serve Mass this evening for a priest friend of mine who I had not seen in about a year. I recall a while back that he told me a priest who had been studying at the Academia in Rome, and who had spent some time with Father in England learning English, was tragically involved in boat accident and died off the coast of Tanzania where he was working at the apostolic nunicature. I discovered only this evening that it was the very same young African priest who I had met back in 2009 after serving Mass for my priest friend. Some of you may recall I wrote a post about a young priest studying at the Academia who had given me his cufflinks, which he had been given as a gift from the Holy Father when he had an audience with him just a few weeks before. I remember he said to me that he didn't wear cufflinks, but noticed I was at the time, and he ran upstairs and gave them to me. Though the circumstances of the boat accident remain uncertain, it is believed that Fr. Alain drowned whilst perhaps trying to save another (older) priest who was with him.

The following is a link to a Google translation (thus expect dodgy translation in places) of an Italian homily delivered by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State for the Holy See, remembering the life of Fr. Alain.

This was a young priest in his early thirties, just beginning his new life as a diplomat for the Holy See when his life suddenly came to an end. Out of charity, please pray for his soul and for his family and friends who still mourn his passing from this world.

Father Alain Degny Attiale Maxime: 1976-2011

Requiescat in pace.

Amen.

Benedicite.

"Take your son, your only son, whom you love"

2011-09-09T17:49:00.001+01:00

'Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac was intimately linked to, one could even say reciprocated by, God's willingness, two thousand years later, to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the very same mountain, just a few hundred yards away, at the spot known as "Calvary". The very circumstances of Abraham's act foreshadowed, reflected in advance, the ultimate fulfilment two thousand years later. "Take your son, your only son, whom you love" (Genesis 22:2) was echoed two thousand years later in "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son... [His] beloved Son" (John 3:16; Matthew 3:17). As the son of Abraham climbed the mount with the wood on his shoulders for his own execution, so too did the Son of God. So we see that Abraham's utterance "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:8) was prophetic far beyond anything he knew, referring not only to the provision of the ram "provided" by the Lord, but also referring far more profoundly to the only truly acceptable sacrifice, that of God's Son Himself on the altar of Calvary.'

How amazing is that? I have just taken this from Roy H. Schoeman's book entitled, "Salvation is from the Jews". Schoeman is Jewish by race and converted to Catholicism in the nineties. I have only just started this book and am already pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of the writing and content. I highly recommend it to you.

Benedicite.

That wasn't too bad

2011-09-05T17:07:00.000+01:00

The new translation of the Roman Missal. This is not actually in use at the moment as parishes are using an interim missal, but this is a sign of things to come.

Yesterday marked the introduction of the main bulk of the new English translation of the Roman Missal. From my experience at Mass yesterday, I think it went rather well. I slipped up at the end before the final blessing and burst out, 'And also with you,' but fortunately I was able to correct myself because the priest, who was so focused on the new translation (and did a great job too also might I add), actually forgot the final blessing; that is until one parishioner cried out (we have a very small church building), "Can we have a blessing, father?" Also, I recall one child during the consecration of the wine announcing rather loudly, "Mummy; the priest didn't say cup!" Apart from those incidents, it all went rather smoothly. I have been reading the new translations for some time now but hearing them in the context of Mass just highlighted for me the remarkable difference in the two translations. The language is indeed much richer in the new and just adds a certain depth, which I think people will notice now was lacking in the former translation.

It has been said that the introduction of the new English translation of the Missal could serve as an opportunity to catechise the faithful. Without appearing to be overly cynical and pessimistic, I do wonder whether it will have any great effect on the majority of Mass goers. Granted, I think it will be particularly beneficial to a number of Catholics (I suppose like me) who have an understanding of the Mass and who really appreciate having a richer (and more accurate) translation of the Latin text of the Mass. I think—though I have no empirical evidence to justify this argument—that the majority of people will just turn up for Mass, say the new responses, and go home. Maybe this will always be the case. It may well be the case if people were suddenly made to receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue. I think most people will just do it because they have to and are willing to adjust, but as for making a great impression on their spiritual lives, I'm not sure it would. It's changing the attitude many people have that Mass and faith are simply a Sunday thing; that is the solution. If a person is to be transformed—and certainly the new translation of the Mass and receiving Communion on the tongue can absolutely play a part in that—then people need to see faith and Mass as not being restricted to just Sunday.

My father said to me when I returned home from Mass (he went to an earlier one that morning) that the language was a bit of a mouthful; he also wondered what 'consubstantial' meant. He remarked that the new translation will probably turn young people away from the Church, or at least won't attract any more. My response was along the lines of, "Well, clearly the current translation hasn't done anything to keep young people in the Church," to which my father replied,"I suppose." In some respects, my father has a point: a new translation alone will not keep young people in the Church nor will it draw them in necessarily. Thus, my argument that the current/old translation hadn't done anything to keep people going to Church cannot be used as the only reason for less young people attending Mass (at any rate, this is not always the situation and is just the unfortunate case in some parishes). However, if the new translation of the Mass can expose a young person to the Holy Spirit in the context of the Mass more effectively, then that will draw or keep a young person in the Church. It is the God, through the Holy Spirit, who touches us and draws us to Himself. On our part as members who make up the Church on earth, we should certainly cooperate with God in making his presence known, in this context, the way in which the liturgy is celebrated, but perhaps more so in our own lives, given that the majority of us spend more time out and about than in Mass.

We could do well to question whether we are in need of a 'new translation' of our own Christian lives. Are we using a faulty, out-dated version? Could we perhaps work on a better, improved Christian way of living? Can we make it more faithful to the life which Christ willed for us to live? Language is about communication, and the way we live our lives certainly communicates to others what we are about. Perhaps as we embrace whole heartedly the new English translation of the Roman Missal—a real gift to the English speaking Church, and thus to the Church at large—we too can evaluate the language of our lives, and use this opportunity to more faithfully translate that which we believe into the way in which we act.

Benedicite.

FrassatiUK has lift-off!

2011-09-02T21:35:00.001+01:00

The logo of FrassatiUK, kindly designed by a good (and incidentally, non-Catholic) friend of mine.

On Wednesday 31st August 2011 was the official launch of the FrassatiUK Facebook page, bringing into existence in a public way FrassatiUK. The following is taken from the Facebook info section on the page:

FrassatiUK is made up of local Frassati societies in the UK who are promoting the life and example of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in various ways. Common to all Frassati societies are the three pillars: prayer, service and fellowship. These three pillars can be seen in the life of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and are flexible in the sense that a Frassati Society can pray, serve and promote fellowship in a way which is appropriate to the make-up of a particular society.

It is the hope of FrassatiUK to put in contact the different societies and to help encourage others to start their own in their parishes, deaneries and university communities.

Above all, the main hope of FrassatiUK is to bring about an awareness of this remarkable individual of the twentieth-century and to promote him as an outstanding example of holistic Catholic living, and a role model for young Catholics in particular.

Currently I am aware of at least four Frassati societies in existence in the UK, but I suspect there are others which have escaped my radar. If these groups would like to be linked with the wider FrassatiUK network, could you please send an email to info@frassati.co.uk just describing a little of what you do.

Eventually, we would like to have a proper FrassatiUK website, but for the time being we lack any funds to go ahead with this. If there is anybody who is able to design and host a website for free or at a very low cost, then please do get in touch by emailing me at info@frassati.co.uk.

I had a wonderful chat with Christine Wohar, president of FrassatiUSA, who has been a great help to me and continues to be a valued contact and friend in the faith.

If you are on Facebook, and would like to support FrassatiUK by liking our page, then please follow the following link.

Please pray for FrassatiUK that it may grow steadily and 'firm in the faith'.

Verso l'alto! To the heights!

Benedicite.

Behold the 'Man of the Beatitudes'

2011-08-25T12:46:00.005+01:00

The following is a short talk I gave in the chapel of the Royal English College, Valladolid, Spain, to the English Dominican pilgrims before setting off for Madrid. If you have already stumbled across it on the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma, then this is a slightly adjusted version but more or less the same.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. This portrait is located in the family home in Pollone, Italy.

“I would like to thank the Dominican brothers for allowing me to speak to you all today about a young blessed to whom I have a particular devotion, and whose life, I feel, is a great example of joyful and holistic Catholic living. This particular blessed had a deep love for our Lord Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was given permission to receive Holy Communion daily, which, during the time he lived, was a rare occurrence; he was also an ardent proponent of the Rosary. At the same time, he loved to drink with his friends, smoke, and climb mountains. He played practical jokes and even boxed with a young Karl Rahner! He was nicknamed “Terror” by his closest friends, fell in love and experienced heart break, got into fights and was even arrested during a Church-organised demonstration. This blessed has been described as, ‘The Man of the Beatitudes’ by Cardinal Karol Woytyla, later Pope John Paul II, and in a litany in honour of this man, he is invoked as, ‘Athlete for God’s kingdom’. One book calls him, ‘An Ordinary Christian’, yet I would argue that this young man is perhaps one of the most extraordinary Christians of the twentieth century. Karl Rahner says what struck him most about this young blessed, in his own words, ‘was his purity, his radiant joy, his piety, his freedom as a child of God for all that is beautiful in the world, his social conscience, the awareness he had of sharing the life and destiny of the Church.’ In a time when purity, piety, and faithfulness to the Church are treated disparagingly and viewed as out-dated, the example of this ‘ordinary Christian’ serves as a reminder that, in his words, ‘true happiness… does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we only have if we are pure in heart.’ The name of this blessed is Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born into the well-known and wealthy Frassati family of Turin, a town in northern Italy, in the year 1901 on the 6th April. His father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder of the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, which till this day still exists; he was also an Italian senator and from 1920, Italy’s Ambassador to Germany up until Mussolini’s rise to power. His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter and had a turbulent marriage with Alfredo, which almost resulted with the two separating. Pier Giorgio had one other sibling, a sister who was one year younger than he and whom he loved dearly, called Luciana. Neither of his parents were particularly religious and could best be described as ‘cultural Catholics.’ Pier Giorgio, on the other hand, from a very young age, developed a close relationship with Christ, which could be seen, but not always understood, by those around him. As I mentioned previously, he received permission to receive Holy Communion daily, which at that time was a rarity, at least for someone of Pier Giorgio’s age. He was a member of various lay movements, including the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer. Pier Giorgio’s deep spiritual life manifested itself to others in his many acts of charity. He was an ardent defender of the poor and sick, even from a very early age. In one instance, when Pier Giorgio was only a few years old, a gypsy lady with child in arm knocked on the front door of the family home. Pier Giorgio opened the door and realised that the child she carried had no shoes. Immediately, Pier Giorgio removed his shoes and gave them to the child. Pier Giorgio also used any money he had to buy food for the hungry and medicine for the sick in Turin. He also used to spend his money for the train on the poor and needy; his friends used to ask him why he travelled third class; Pier Giorgio's response used to be: 'Because there is not a fourth!' He kept a little logbook, which I have seen myself, and in it he used to write the names of the people to whom he had given money and how much he had given. Always, his charity was performed in secret. The generous giving of himself to others, both financially and with his time, often meant he was late for various appointments and regularly late for dinner at home, much to his mother’s annoyance.

Pier Giorgio was very much an outdoorsman and loved the mountains. He loved to climb them with his friends and he loved them as a place to pray. On the back of his bedroom door he had a note saying: ‘Mountains, mountains, mountains, I love you!” It was not unusual for him to spend the entire night adoring the Blessed Sacrament before climbing the mountains with no sleep in between. So great was his love for the Blessed Sacrament, that he would rather postpone a mountain climb so as to attend Mass or Adoration. There is one instance recorded in a biography of Pier Giorgio that he had asked a priest friend to celebrate Mass at 4am so that he could then climb the mountains nourished by the Holy Eucharist. Pier Giorgio had a great love too for the writings of St. Catherine of Siena, which encouraged him to become a third order Dominican, or ‘lay Dominican’ in today’s terminology. At his summer home in the mountainous village of Pollone, which I had the privilege of visiting earlier this year, lies laid out one his bed his fifteen-decade rosary bead.

Pier Giorgio was also a mining engineer student, though he struggled most of his life with academia and had to receive extra tuition during his school years. Somehow, he managed to balance his academic studies with his service to those most in need, never neglecting his spiritual life, which sustained him through difficult times.

The strength he received from the sacraments and from a deep prayer life propelled him to take an active role in the political life of his day so as to bring about social change. Pier Giorgio was totally anti-fascist and the way Italian society was heading troubled him greatly. He took Catholic social teaching very seriously and saw it as just as an important and necessary part of his Catholic life and faith, as were attending Mass and praying the rosary. The two were inextricable from each other.

Pier Giorgio lived a full-on life, cut short by an untimely death. In 1925, Pier Giorgio contracted polio and died within the space of a week at the young age of 24. It is believed that he caught the disease from one of the sick that he had been visiting. Even in his final moments, his concern was not for himself or his own comfort, but instead for the sick and needy. He managed to scribble on a piece of paper a reminder to collect some injections for a gentleman whom he had been tending. His funeral was intended to be a small affair with a few dignitaries who knew the Frassati family; instead, the streets were lined with crowds of mourners who had been on the receiving end of Pier Giorgio’s charity. His parents were unaware of the extent of his charitable activities and the poor and needy only realised then that Pier Giorgio was in fact a member of the reputable Frassati family.

Blessed Pope John Paul II took the unusual initiative of visiting Pier Giorgio’s tomb in Pollone when Pier Giorgio was only a servant of God. He was a role model and inspiration for the late pontiff as a young man living in war-torn Poland and they both shared a great passion for the outdoors. Typically several people are declared 'blessed' together in the same ceremony. But unusually, Blessed Pope John Paul II beatified Pier Giorgio Frassati alone in a Beatification Mass in St Peter's Square on 20th May 1990. A few years prior, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s body was found incorrupt in the family tomb and was said to have had a smile on his face. His body now lies in a side altar in Turin’s cathedral.

What I have attempted to present to you is really a brief overview of Pier Giorgio Frassati’s life and death; I could, honestly, go on for hours talking about him and if you are daring enough to start such a conversation with me, then you shall see and indeed hear! Before finishing, I would like to share with you one reason why Pier Giorgio Frassati has been a great influence on me and why I think there is for each of us, layperson and religious, something to learn from this remarkable individual. Pier Giorgio not only talked-the-talk but also walked-the-walk. He preached not only in words through his letters to friends and family, but ultimately through his actions: his helping those most in need. The fact that he managed to feed, clothe and tend a vast number of people is indeed extraordinary. However, what particularly attracts me to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is the way in which he was able to discern God’s call in his day-to-day life. We often speak of vocation in terms of priesthood, religious life and marriage, but I think we are prone to forget that God not only calls us to these particular lifelong vocations, in fact He invites us daily to serve Him within the situations and circumstances in which we find ourselves. In Pier Giorgio’s situation, the poor were all over Turin and nobody was helping them. He responded. What is God asking of each of us today? How does he want us to serve him in our university, work and religious communities? Will we say ‘Yes’ to Christ’s call? How will we respond?

Pier Giorgio Frassati lived life to the full in its truest sense. The fact that he died at the age of 24 in no way suggests that his life was somehow less lived; rather it serves as a reminder to us all that we know not the exact moment in which God will call us from this life; we must make the most of every moment. When I see Pier Giorgio’s image I am reminded that I must listen to Christ’s gentle voice and I must discern and respond to His call with courage and joy daily; by doing this, I shall be better equipped to discern that life long vocation, whatever it might be, to which I am called. I urge you all in your own time to take a deeper look at the ‘Man of the Beatitudes’ and like him, make of your life a great adventure.”

Father, You gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in the service of the poor and the sick. Through his intercession may we, too, walk the path of the beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. Amen.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us.

Benedicite.

Your strength is stronger than the rain

2011-08-23T18:44:00.003+01:00

Esta es la juventud del Papa!

Viva il Papa!

Benedetto!

After a twenty-four hour coach journey from Madrid, I have arrived back safely along with the rest of the English Dominican pilgrims. I can confidently say that it was a true pilgrimage, with all the hardships which entail such a trip. As Fr. Benjamin Earl OP prophetically said in his homily, the days spent on pilgrimage were holy days and not holidays, and a time not of vacation, but of vocation!

Caleruega

We set of from St. Dominic's priory, London for Toulouse in France where we were able, firstly, to wash and freshen up, then secondly, to venerate the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas. The same evening we departed for Caleruega in northern Spain: the village/town were St. Dominic was born. Before arriving there, we were able to join the monks of St. Domingo de Silos for the end of Lauds (needless to say, we all prayed Lauds in full once we were back on the coach). After a night in Caleruega, we set off for the Royal English College in Valladolid; a place of which a few people I know have been residents this past year. It was in the chapel of the REC where I delivered my talk on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati to the English Dominican pilgrims, which was a great privilege and blessing. Having washed and rested at Valladolid, and after a blessing from his grace, Archbishop Bernard Longley, we departed for Madrid.

Bishop Bernard Longley blessing us as we departed for Madrid from Valladolid

My group was staying at a Dominican school situated in between Atocha station and Menedez Pelayo metro station in Madrid. Our allocated sleeping area was in a gymnasium which, in the heat of Madrid, resembled more of a sauna than a place to sleep. Practically all pilgrims, including Filipinos and Poles with whom we shared our accommodation, slept outside in the school playground under the stars. On one occasion it started to rain at about 4am, which resulted in a manic 'grab what you can' and exodus from the playground to the outdoor corridors to seek shelter.

Friar Football League!

Madrid was hot, and I mean really hot! The temperatures were regularly in the high 30s to 40s celsius and for the most part, completely dry with clear skies. I can appreciate now why the Spanish have siestas! This was my first time in Spain, and I am quite sure that it will be the last time I visit Spain in August (well, unless I have pool at hand)!

Crowds at the opening Mass

The days in Madrid for the World Youth Days were absolutely incredible. Many of you will have seen online video clips and reports of the vast number of young people who descended on Madrid for this great celebration of faith and youth. There were a number of protests, which I myself got caught up in as I exited the Plaza del Sol metro station. At the top of the stairs leading out from the station into the plaza, I noticed a lot of activity, which I first thought must have been pilgrims singing songs etc. However, this was a rather aggressive crowd of protesters with banners and placards. There was no way of avoiding them as all pilgrims were being channeled out of the station into the plaza. There were only a handful of police trying to hold back the protesters, and as you can imagine, this was a rather unpleasant experience. Practically rubbing shoulders with protesters who were shouting what I can only guess were unpleasant remarks, we had to weave our way through the crowd with the help of the police to a safe area. Unfortunately, much of Madrid had been closed off as a result of the protests and so my little group got pushed further and further away from where we had wanted to be in order to get back to our accommodation. A half hour journey turned into a three hour journey. Thank God, we returned safely and in one piece, albeit a little worn out.

Apart from the above encounter, the days in Madrid were overwhelmingly joy filled and happy. The presence of the Holy Father absolutely added to the vibe and buzz felt in the city. This is truly a generation of young people who are in love with their Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

On Saturday evening, my group set off for the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome for the vigil and closing Mass with the Holy Father. For some reason, the group was unable to reach its designated area inside Cuatro Vientos and so we were left outside in the very last zone, a good few miles from the main stage. If it hadn't been for the fact that the Holy Father drove by in the Popemobil moments before, I think we would have all been a little more disappointed. As it turned out, we had more room, a clear view of the screen, an adoration tent, toilets and a bar, all close at hand. Our fortunate position also gave us a clear view of the incoming storm which was heading for Cuatro Vientos. The lighnting and thunder looked and sounded incredibly apocalyptic as the clouds rolled into the site in which more than a million people had settled. As the storm drew in, so to the winds picked up. The winds were gale force and were so strong that the tent holding the Blessed Sacrament for the final Mass was, in the words of a friend of mine who was in the very same tent at the time, 'obliterated'. As a result, there was no Holy Communion for the faithful at the final Mass, which was understandable, but at the same time a little disappointing. The Holy Father's vigil address was also interrupted as he got battered by the strong winds and rain. He spoke some words in Spanish which I didn't understand at the time but here is what he said once he was able to speak in the microphone:

"Thank you for your joy and your resistance. Your strength is stronger than the rain. Thank you. The Lord is sending us his blessings with the rain. With this, you are living by example."

The sudden storm which settled on Cuatro Vientos, and which, fortunately, disappeared granting us pilgrims a settled and dry night, I think had great symbolism now I am able to look back on the event. How fitting it was to be with our Holy Father as the storm set in. We were battered and indeed scared at times of the weather to which we were being subjected; however, we outlived the storm and so did our joy and exuberance. This storm, which was manifested meteorologically, resembles in so many ways the storms of the world in which young people must face if they desire to be true disciples of Christ, faithful to his bride, the Church. The Pope said to us that our 'strength is stronger than the rain'; indeed, our faith, which is ultimately our strength from God by His grace, is stronger than any storm which may descend on us. We need not fear for there is no storm greater than the strength which we have through faith in Christ Jesus. As Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati says:

"When God is with us, we do not need to be afraid."

World Youth Day enables me to draw strength from other young people, who are a constant inspiration, to fight the good fight and to always remain rooted in Christ Jesus. He is the only one who can shield us from the storms which we encounter in this world. Just as the protesters in Madrid sought to disrupt our celebration and create a storm of sorts, their desires were quashed, for our joy which flows from a faith in Christ Jesus was and is insuperable.

Me with a poster of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (and wearing a Tshirt of him too!) outside the Dominican church where Catechesis was held daily and where the French Frassati group were holding their events.

For me, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati has been a real example of holistic Catholic living; a life which is absolutely and unquestionably rooted in Jesus Christ. I had the pleasure of meeting the Types Louches group from France, which is the French branch or equivalent of a Frassati Society. Pier Giorgio's little society or socialising group was called Types Louches which has been translated as 'the Sinister ones' but I think 'the Lads' better sums up what his group was. They held various evenings in the Church next door to the school where I was staying based around Blessed Pier Giorgo Frassati. After a number of years of emailing, I was finally able to meet Blessed Pier Giorgio's niece, Wanda Gawronska. I escaped from my pew and managed to speak to her as she walked to the back of the church. When I mentioned my name, she smiled and embraced me with probably one of the biggest hugs I had received on that entire pilgrimage. We were both genuinely thrilled to finally meet and to speak to each other. She has generously offered to help me with my intention to create a Frassati UK network by sending me prayer cards and leaflets so as to distribute them to young people. I hope to disseminate them among the three known Frassati Societies in the London area. Once a UK Frassati network is established, it will then be able to serve as a hub and source of information on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

God has been so good to me this past week and a bit on pilgrimage. Through the little sacrifices I have had to endure, our Lord has already bestowed on me more graces than I deserve. God is truly good. I know this World Youth Day will enable me to use that grace which God has given to me to help those around me, to be a good example of Catholic living, and to spread across this country, knowledge of one of Christ's most faithful sons of the twentieth century, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Thank you Madrid for having us!

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

Benedicite.

World Youth Day; here I come!

2011-08-12T10:57:00.002+01:00

This evening I shall be departing for Madrid by coach with the English Dominican pilgrimage group. There are 40 young people and 10 friars journeying together for what is anticipated to be a fantastic celebration for youth and faith. A friend has sent me a text now saying that 420,000 are expected to be at WYD, with 1.2 million people gathering for the closing Sunday Mass next week. I've never seen 1.2 million people before so that will be rather exciting!

You can follow our wanderings by Twitter (you don't need to have an account to follow Twitter) at the following link.

Please pray for all of us!

Faithfully yours in Christ Jesus.

Benedicite.

Some more good news

2011-08-10T23:55:00.002+01:00

I am very excited and humbled to share with you the news that I have been accepted by the University of Oxford to begin a two-year programme at Blackfriars Hall from the start of the next academic year in October. The programme of study for which I have been accepted is the MTh (Master of Theology) in Applied Theology. This will give me the opportunity to explore further interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, areas which have increasingly intrigued and challenged me. It is my hope and desire that this experience will help me in my current involvement with the International Council for Christians and Jews (ICCJ) and the Emerging Leaders delegation* of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, of which I am an active member. I hope, too, that I will be able to pursue further my interest in dialogue with the Eastern Churches, particularly those attached to the Patriarchates of Constantinople and Moscow. As always, I rely on your constant prayers.

I have been asked on a number of occasions to submit a blog post to the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandma, and have decided to submit a copy of my talk on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, which I shall be delivering, at the kind invitation of the Dominican brothers, to the pilgrims travelling with the English Dominican Province to the World Youth Day celebrations in Madrid. I shall submit that post shortly.

Benedicite.

*This group is comprised of six young Catholics and six young Jews from around the world and is a joint group coordinated on the Catholic side by the secretary of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, Fr. Norbert Hofmann SDB, and on the Jewish side by Rabbi Richard Marker, chair of IJCIC: the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations.

"Being open to others in no way diminishes my own belief"

2011-07-22T20:50:00.001+01:00

I would like to share with you the first half of the following video. It was taken from my the conference I recently attended in Krakow, Poland, promoting dialogue between Christians and Jews. Each day we began with a 'reflective moment', which, if I'm honest, when I saw this listed on my timetable, I thought would be incredibly cheesy. I was gladly proven wrong. I found that the following words (from the start till around the 8min mark) of Rabbi Schudrich resonated with me, particularly as I continue to question the aim of religious dialogue from a Catholic perspective.

Benedicite.

Catholic with Attitude BA (Hons.)

2011-07-21T10:20:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my graduation ceremony at Westminster Cathedral, marking the end of three years of spiritual and academic growth. I have had the privilege of studying under some remarkable lecturers who have inspired me and opened up new corridors to me. I have also have been blessed to meet some wonderful and inspiring students who have supported me through some very tough times over the past three years. Yesterdays ceremony brought my undergraduate life to a close and now I move on to greater things and continue to grow spiritually and in maturity.

Thank you for your prayers over the years; I rely on them as I continue life in academia. As you well know, I will be praying for you all too.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam! Verso l'alto!

Benedicite.

Catholic theology study week with the Dominicans

2011-07-16T20:53:00.001+01:00

Fr. Vivian Boland OP beginning his lecture.

Yesterday I returned home from a magnificent week spent at Buckfast Abbey, in Devon. The English Province of the Dominican Order organised a study week in Catholic theology for undergraduate students in the stunning grounds of Buckfast Abbey, with three Dominicans offering lectures and seminars in different aspects of Catholic theology with a, not surprisingly, Thomist slant. Fr. Simon Gaine OP, Fr. Vivian Boland OP, and Sr. Ann Catherine OP led us through the week in a number of intellectually stimulating sessions. I certainly feel that I know my Catholic theology much better now than before I set off for Devon. Even though I have graduated with a degree in Theology and Religious Studies, it wasn't strictly Catholic theology, so this week gave me an opportunity to learn more about my own theological tradition.

The high altar in the abbey church.

As I shall continue to be involved with Catholic-Jewish dialogue, and will still have my interest in dialogue with the Eastern Churches, I think it is very important for me to know my tradition well so that I know where I am coming from, and can share the beauty of my religious tradition with others. What has struck me the most in my dialogue with the Jewish people is that the young Jews tend to know their tradition very well; they have a lot of catechesis, not just at the synagogue, but also in the 'domestic synagogue': the home. I can't help but lament the lack of catechesis I have had during my upbringing. I recall looking through my first Holy Communion work book not too long ago and was struck by the fact that there was not a single mention in it of Christ being made truly present in the consecrated gifts of the altar; there were plenty of pictures of loaves and grape vines however!

This Dominican study week which I was fortunate enough to attend, was a great opportunity for young Catholics to learn more about their faith, and it has equipped me with the tools to better defend my faith in a society which seeks to ridicule and dismiss it. I am positive that this will not be the last study week put on by the Dominicans. I, for one, am very grateful for all the effort that was put in by Br. Nicholas from Blackfriars, and to all the speakers who were absolutely superb.

On another note: I found this to be rather interesting. It belongs to an Anglican church which the group popped into on our walk through the Devon countryside.

Benedicite.

Photos from my recent visit to Krakow

2011-07-16T20:11:00.002+01:00

Cardinal Dziwisz at Krakow town hall addressing us.

The Mayor of Krakow.

Inside the Jagiellonian University.

Portrait of a former well-known student of the university.

A workshop with the Bishop of Lublin.

The archbishop's residence.

Pope John Paul's old seminary in Krakow.

The cathedral at Wawel Castle.

The church located at the shrine of the Divine Mercy.

Entrance to Auschwitz I.

The 'Death Wall'.

St. Maximilian Kolbe's cell.

Used gas canisters.

Some of the victims shoes.

Entering a gas chamber.

Inside a gas chamber.

Crematorium.

Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Benedicite.

I will never forget

2011-07-09T20:54:00.001+01:00

I have now returned to London after a blessed few days in Krakow, Poland. I need to reflect a little more before writing up a more thoughtful post on my time in Krakow; however, I would like to share with you a reflection on my time at Auschwitz-Birkenau, which my lecturer asked me to write.

Auschwitz has been a place which I have always wanted to visit. I learnt a little about the Shoah (holocaust) in secondary school but since then I have not studied it further in any significant depth. Since studying a module on Judaism in my second year of undergraduate study, and after my first conference with the International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ) in Istanbul 2010, and my subsequent involvement with the Holy See’s emerging leader group in Jewish-Catholic dialogue in February 2011, I soon realised that the Shoah was still a subject matter which could not be laid to rest; despite the passing of over five decades since the end of World War II, the Shoah remains an open and aching wound for the Jewish people. As someone who has no Jewish links, other than for the fact that I am a Catholic and share the majority of my sacred text, the Bible, with the Jewish people, and as someone who has had no family loss associated with Auschwitz, or indeed any other death camp, it was very difficult for me to share that sense of loss with my new Jewish acquaintances. Of course, I hear this figure of millions of people being exterminated at places like Auschwitz regularly, but it is such a number that proves difficult to comprehend. One can feel sympathy, but it is very difficult (at least it was for me) to feel that sense of loss. My frustration with grappling and accepting this reality highlighted for me the need to visit Auschwitz; I reasoned that a tangible encounter with this shrine of infamy might help me to see as victim’s eyes see.

“Arbeit Macht Frei.” As I finished attaching my earphones to my radio for the ‘Auschwitz tour’, I gazed upwards and ahead I saw that notorious sign above the entrance to ‘Auschwitz I’ reading: ‘Work Sets You Free’; what greater paradoxical statement could one have above such a departure point from ordinary life, I thought. As I walked through the camp viewing prison cells, torture rooms, the ‘Death Wall’, and miles of barbed wire fences, I remained very quiet, attempting as best as I could to absorb all that I was seeing. Nothing really prepared me for what I was to encounter in Blocks 4 and 5 however: ten thousand pairs of children’s shoes, a fraction of the number belonging to the estimated one hundred thousand children exterminated by the Nazis; forty-four thousand pairs of adult shoes; hundreds of spectacles; and perhaps most shocking of all: cut hair from over one hundred and forty thousand corpses belonging mainly to Jewish women, which were recycled and turned into blankets and other products for German citizens during World War II. Speechless is not the correct word to describe my being at that point in time since I had remained silent pretty much up until then; ‘thought-less’ in the atypical sense of the word is probably most apt. How is a person meant to reasonably conceive of the systematic and industrial scale of this human destruction, so efficiently implemented and well thought out even to the point of discerning a use for the hair of the deceased? I was instilled with this sense of horror after viewing first hand this corporeal evidence of Nazi savagery.

From Auschwitz I, my group made its way by coach to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Due to my ignorance, I was not aware of the multiple camps in Auschwitz, the town now known as Oswiecim. The two main images I had of Auschwitz-Birkenau were the ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ sign and the main guardhouse through which trains arriving at the camp passed. I now know that these were in two different camps. What first struck me was the unobtrusive nature of the main guardhouse; I had always imagined it to be much bigger than it actually was. Despite Birkenau being a lot larger in size to Auschwitz I, many of the buildings had been destroyed making it difficult for me to work out how far the camp extended.

As I journeyed with the rest of the group to the far end of the railway track where a memorial now stands, we commemorated along the way various groups associated with the camp, including the perpetrators. By the memorial, there was the singing of the Kaddish, a Jewish prayer for the dead. In many respects, each of the events that day in Birkenau were moving, but what will stick with me most is my walk back to the main guardhouse along the railway track. As I looked down at the wooden slats on which I stepped, I thought about how these bits of wood have in many ways experienced all that we were commemorating. These tracks experienced the arrival (and only the arrival) of these groups of cattle-packed people, who in many instances had travelled for days to get to this fatal point. These tracks have heard the cries and screams of mothers separated from their children and husbands from their wives. Carriage after carriage, day after day, year after year: the same routine. For me, these inanimate objects have absorbed all the horrors which took place in that camp, and have been sentenced to a voiceless existence for eternity, unable to share all that they have seen and heard. The gas chambers have gone, the railway tracks are now inactive, and today groups of people arrive in droves, but unlike days gone by, these same groups also depart. Apart from the chanting of prayers, and the quiet conversations between individuals, an atmosphere of serenity and silence was my experience of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Two days later, whilst praying alone Vespers (Evening Prayer) in the chapel of the lay community in which I live, the reality of my visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau finally caught up with me. It was at that point in which I felt that sense of loss that I had not felt up until then. I will not forget the image from Birkenau of an aged Jewish couple clutching hands with the wife resting her head on her husbands shoulder. They were grieving. I now realise that the memory of the Shoah is still so important because there are people today who still need to grieve.

St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

Benedicite.

Tough day at Auschwitz

2011-07-05T22:08:00.001+01:00

Greetings from Krakow. The conference has gone well so far with some very interesting talks. Yesterday I took part on a John Paul II tour of Krakow visiting key places relating to him, such as the cathedral at Wawel Castle where I saw the altar on which the young Karol Wojtla celebrated his first ever Mass.

Today I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau which I found particularly emotional and mentally draining. I was able to see St Maximilian Kolbe's cell as well as the gas chambers in which millions of Jews, Christians, Gypsies and many others were slaughtered mercilessly by the Nazis. I don't think I will ever forget my walk down the railway line at Birkenau (see photo above), the largest of the three concentration camps at Auschwitz, the name given by the Nazis to the Polish town of Oswiecim, as it is now called today.

I shall post more photos when I return to London. I am praying for you all.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Krakow/Oswiecim

Jeszcze Polska

2011-07-02T22:22:00.000+01:00

Wawel Castle

Tomorrow morning I fly off to Krakow for the annual conference hosted by the International Council for Christians and Jews; last year the conference was held in Istanbul. The conference begins on Sunday evening where we will be greeted by Cardinal Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow and former secretary and life-long friend of Blessed Pope John Paul II. The four day conference will include a visit to the infamous former concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and a 'John Paul II tour' of Krakow, as well as a number of interesting talks and workshops relating to Jewish-Christian relations. As many of you are aware, I am now involved with the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews emerging leader group (click here for some of my photos of the ILC gathering in Paris), so this upcoming conference with the ICCJ can only help me in this new role.

Cardinal Dziwisz

It should be an interesting week ahead, I'm sure. I'll be sure to keep praying for you all. Please pray for me that I may be a faithful witness of the Catholic Church in this encounter with other Christians and the Jewish people.

Benedicite.

Music for this noble feast

2011-07-02T11:45:00.000+01:00

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Benedicite.

Frassati Societies together

2011-07-01T10:57:00.005+01:00

Last night, the three Frassati Societies met together for the first time at Benedict XVI House for a BBQ and Compline. There were representatives from Frassati St. Mary's University College, Frassati Balham, and Frassati Ealing gathered together to discuss our experiences so far in running a Frassati Society, which was particularly insightful as we all discovered that our societies, though united in the belief that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati has so much to offer to young Catholic today, are actually quite different in many respects. We discussed why this is not necessarily a problem and in fact is something to celebrate; each society is encouraged to respond to Christ's call in their local area or in the community in which it serves. For example: Frassati St. Mary's exists for university students and responds to what they want, such as the need for a space to discuss faith and our struggles in living out that faith in a university context. Frassati Balham reaches out to young professionals, though not exclusively, and Frassati Ealing, still in its genesis, is serving mainly young people journeying through sacramental preparation for Confirmation.

We all agreed that closer collaboration would be a good move and I highlighted the benefits in perhaps having a central body which would unite all the societies together, particularly if other groups begin across the country. I proposed a 'Frassati UK' similar to the American body 'Frassati USA'; this would help serve as a centre point for other people wanting to set up a Frassati Society to find out about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and to see what activities the societies get up to. Just in case there are people reading and who are thinking about setting up a society: I proposed three pillars (and Frassati St. Mary's was at least founded on these three pillars) on which a Frassati Society ought to stand: Prayer, service, and fellowship/social. Each pillar resonates with a different aspect of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's life and permits a degree of diversity across the Frassati Society spectrum, whilst at the same time having it rooted in the person of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati and of course Our Lord and Our Lady.

I will be looking at setting up a website for Frassati UK after consultation with Frassati USA and Bl. PGF's cause for canonisation in Rome just to ensure we have their support. Funds will be the next issue as we will want to either purchase or produce leaflets and prayers cards relating to Bl. PGF. Bl. PGF's niece, Wanda Gawronska, kindly donated to Frassati St. Mary's a number of leaflets, prayer cards, and a poster so hopefully we will be able to get some support from Rome where she works. However, we will still need funds for a website. More about that later :)

Please pray for all the Frassati Societies and for the success of Frassati UK which hopefully will launch in the not too distant future, should God wish.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Benedicite.

Overjoyed!

2011-06-30T12:02:00.000+01:00

It has been confirmed that I will be graduating this July with a first class with honours BA in Theology and Religious Studies! I can't believe I have finished undergraduate life but hopefully I will be moving on to bigger and better things. I won't reveal just yet what my plans are till they are confirmed, but please do keep me in your prayers. Thank you for all your prayers this last semester; I have really relied on each and every prayer.

God is truly good.

Benedicite.

My reflections on the recent Theology of the Body Symposium

2011-06-27T18:34:00.003+01:00

Welcome address by Professor Philip Esler, principal of St. Mary's University College, flanked by Paschal Uche on his right. Paschal gave the welcome speech to Pope Benedict XVI on behalf of all the young people in the UK outside Westminster Cathedral in September 2010.

Over a month ago now the third international Theology of the Body Symposium was held at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, and which I had the privilege of being on the organising committee for. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive from the participants, and I must say as someone who had no prior knowledge of or involvement with the Theology of the Body (TOB), I found it particularly useful and insightful. The timetable was packed with a number of keynote speakers, including Christopher West, Janet Smith, Matthew Pinto, John Crosby and Edmund Adamus from the archdiocese of Westminster.

Christopher West is probably the most well-known speaker in TOB circles, and as many are probably aware, sometimes he is the most controversial. I had read a few criticisms of him online before the conference but I was determined to keep an open mind till I had heard what he had to say in person; my reason for this was because I have never read any of his books or talks and thus I had no real reason to pass judgement on his work. As someone who was completely new to TOB, I found Christopher West to be one of the most engaging speakers of the whole symposium. In all fairness, I was only able to attend about three keynote talks as I had other responsibilities, but certainly Christopher West is a wonderful orator with a tremendous gift of being able to express theology in simple layman terms. At times he does come across, as one workshop leader and now friend from Canada, as 'hokey'. Clearly Christopher West has his interpretation of Blessed Pope John Paul II's TOB and he is criticised by many for not being faithful to JP's TOB; I'm sure he would argue against this though. Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic Church actually facilitates an atmosphere of debate when it comes to theology and as such I therefore see no problem with Christopher West having his take on the TOB. The danger is when people only hear his understanding and presentation of TOB and neglect other theologians who have a lot of useful insights to contribute in this area. Much of it relies on the maturity of the individual who can choose to have a narrow interpretation of TOB, a more holistic understanding of it, or indeed no understand at all of it.

I have heard many people criticise the TOB in general. I think, however, that it has so much to offer and could contribute in a positive way to the new evangelisation which we seem to hear so much about. There is a desperate need in this amoral society (at least from a practising Catholics perspective) for a theology which can be studied academically, yet can be presented simply, in the area of sexual ethics. In a society which increasingly views the body as a vehicle for pleasure and the act of sex as something casual, the TOB can offer an alternative understanding of the body and of sex which is neither manacheistic nor that of the prevalent opinion of society, offering a middle road somewhat. Arguably there is nothing revolutionary in the TOB, but this should be a good sign given that we live in the days of the 'hermeneutic of continuity'; TOB uses that which is truly good in our magnificent Catholic tradition and re-presents that wisdom ever anew to twenty-first century society. I, for one, am keen to learn more about TOB and I look forward to studying it further in the future.

Blessed Pope John Paul II, pray for us!

Benedicite.

All-Night Adoration: Can you help?

2011-05-24T11:40:00.000+01:00

The organising committee for the third international Theology of the Body symposium are searching for people to pray before the Blessed Sacrament from 10pm-7am on the nights of Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in the chapel of St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, for the duration of the conference, but we are in need of volunteers particularly during the night. There will hopefully be tea and coffee available too to help you through the night.

St. Mary's University College is located on Waldegrave Road in Twickenham (TW1 4SX). The nearest railway station is Strawberry Hill station (3 minute walk from the university entrance) with direct trains twice an hour from London Waterloo. Richmond is the nearest Underground station, where you can change for overground train to Strawberry Hill.

If you can help, please email me at bailhams@smuc.ac.uk. Please spread the word to anybody who may be interested. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed through the whole of Saturday too if you would prefer to come during the day time.

Benedicite.

S'en allait tout simplement

2011-05-24T10:23:00.001+01:00

Blessings to you all on this feast of St. Dominic. I particularly think of the friars of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) today and especially those I have been fortunate enough to meet.

Hardly the model example of a good Dominican sister, 'Soeur Sourire' nonetheless produced this rather upbeat song about Dominic (in French) which did very well in the US. Later on in life she ended up leaving the order and tried to pursue a music career. In the end, she and her friend/partner committed suicide due to the financial burden which hung over them because of this song. A sad story but a catchy song! Enjoy.

Benedicite.

Be our guest, be our guest!

2011-05-23T10:00:00.004+01:00

I am fortunate enough to visit St. Michael's Abbey (more commonly known as Farnborough Abbey) in Hampshire each week for my Sunday Mass. The liturgy is sublime and the setting equally so. The abbey church can best be described as 'French Gothic' and in its crypt are the bodies of Empress Eugenie and Napoleon III. If you have never visited before, then I highly recommend that you pay a visit, particularly over the summer when the weather, Deo violente, will be dry, warm and sunny (hopefully April wasn't the English summer come and gone!).

Recently the small guesthouse located in the grounds of the abbey suffered badly with three water pipes bursting completely wrecking the interior of the building. I remember walking through with the abbot to have a look at the aftermath and it was in a disastrous state with the ceiling partly collapsed and all over the floor. Fortunately, the insurance company paid up and the community have managed to completely transform the once dilapidated guesthouse into a truly modern, chic, and pleasant space for group retreats. The house boasts three ensuite bedrooms with an additional bathroom, a kitchenette, living room, and patio doors which lead out onto decking which offers the retreatant a spectacular view of the abbey grounds, as well as the chicken pens! Br. Michael and his companions have done a great job, I think you'll agree.

The community has also welcomed a few new members to the family: aren't they sweet?

If you would like to keep up-to-date with the daily life of the monastic community of St. Michael's Abbey, then perhaps pay a visit to their blog which was recently established: click here for the link to the blog.

St. Michael the archangel, pray for us!

Benedicite.

Theology of the Body Symposium 2011 | 03/06/11 - 05/06/11 | St. Mary's University College, Twickenham

2011-05-10T16:11:00.002+01:00

This third international symposium is being held this year at St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, England. I have the great privilege of helping to organise this amazing event at my university this coming June. Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster has the following to say:

"I am very pleased that the 3rd International Theology of the Body Symposium is taking place in the Diocese of Westminster, at St Mary's University College, Twickenham.

"No doubt the exploration of the goodness, truth and beauty of human sexuality by the Conference's eminent participants will enrich the still unfolding understanding of the pastoral relevance of Pope John Paul's witness to the dignity of the human body, which God has created to share in nothing less than his own glory. Aided by the powerful intercession of the Servant of God John Paul II, may the Conference be successful in 'Seeking God's plan for love and life'."

Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

Background

In this year of the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the Third International Theology of the Body Symposium will be a gathering of some of the world’s best scholars and popularisers, keen to bring the densely packed theological and philosophical discourses of John Paul II to a wider audience.

It is hoped that the gathering will especially help the pastoral application of Catholic teaching about human love, the body and sexuality and will equip attendees to spread Catholic teaching about the dignity of the human body and the human person.

The unique combination of participants from around the world – scholars, popular writers and speakers, teachers and students, religious and lay individuals – creates an opportunity for the symposium to have deeper, wider and longer lasting consequences than any other gathering of its kind.

How to book

Booking is by online payment only. Please follow this link for the appropriate booking pages. There are three options at the bottom of the page. The second and third options will be the options most relevant to you.

Enquiries

Please email Leonora at info@tob-conference.com if you have any further enquries.

Places are filling up quick, and the conference isn't that far off now, so please book soon if you want a place.

If you have any questions you want to direct to me, then feel free to do so by emailing me at this blog's email address listed on the right hand side of this blog.

Blessed Pope John Paul II, pray for us.

If you have a blog, I would be eternally grateful to you if you could put a link to this post on your blog or write a post to help publicise this event. Thank you kindly in advance.

Benedicite.

Last exam finished, dissertation complete and handed in!

2011-05-05T14:37:00.002+01:00

I have finally bound and handed in my undergraduate thesis, which I am very happy with. To my surprise, I managed my time perfectly, finishing my dissertation at the beginning of April. I've had a month to make corrections and to expand certain points, but the whole process has (bar a couple of days when I wanted to pull my hair out) been a delight. I would love to build on aspects of my dissertation, the title of which was: 'Orientale Lumen: An examination of the development of relations between the Latin and Eastern Churches, particularly those of Byzantine Rite, since the Second Vatican Council.' I would be happy to email a copy of my dissertation to those who may be interested to read it. Drop me a message at this blogs email and I'll send you an electronic copy.

If someone had said to me at the beginning of my studies three-years ago that I would end up writing 10,000 words on ecumenical dialogue, I probably would have given them a 'dead arm'. Granted, my interest in ecumenical dialogue is particularly limited (or perhaps 'focused' would be a better term) to that with the Orthodox churches. Rightly or wrongly, I don't have the same interest in dialogue with Protestants. I'm not opposed to dialogue with non-Orthodox communities, it is just the fact that dialogue with them is of a different nature. The fact that we share with the Orthodox the sacraments, apostolic succession, and the veneration of Mary to name but a few areas of commonality, highlights for me the scandalous nature of the divisions between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. I hope that I can be part of this growing rapprochement between the two Churches now and in the future. I would love to introduce young Latin Catholics to the beauty and richness of the Eastern traditions. I strongly believe that Orthodox Christians and Catholics need to build links on a parish level, even if it means travelling a distance to find the nearest Orthodox church, if the future reality of reunion will have any significance for your average parishioner. I have said to people that if reunion was to happen in five hours time, your average Catholic in England probably wouldn't care less. This shouldn't be so!

I'm still yet to know for certain what I will be doing in September, but either way it will be some sort of postgraduate study. I have looked at MA and MSt courses at other universities but I think I'm too late to apply. It looks like then I will pursue my MPhil at St. Mary's looking into the role of the bishop of Rome in a proposed reunion between the Eastern and Latin Churches. This is what I wanted to look at for my undergraduate thesis but it soon dawned on me that this would be a huge area of research, which wouldn't be given the full attention needed at an undergraduate level.

As for the summer ahead, I shall be kept busy with various work related projects, research and travels. I will be off to Krakow for a Jewish-Christian conference in July, which will include a visit to Auschwitz. In August, I have the great joy of travelling with the English Dominicans to Madrid for World Youth Day, so all in all, I have a fantastic summer ahead!

Thank you for all your prayers these past couple of months: they certainly haven't been wasted. Hopefully now more regular blogging will resume covering the usual wide range of topics.

Yours in Christ Jesus.

Benedicite.

A successful pilgrimage to Pier Giorgio Frassati's home

2011-04-27T22:25:00.003+01:00

Firstly, may I wish you all a very happy Easter! I hope and pray that it has been a prayerful and celebratory time for you all.

Tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

I returned safely to London on Maundy Thursday after a very successful few days away in northern Italy. I was based in Milan but travelled to Turin and to the little town of Pollone, the home of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. I was blessed to have prayed by his tomb in Turin's cathedral and ensured that I prayed for all my readers! One nice memory I have, was heading to the little gift shop/counter at the back of the cathedral as I wanted to buy a few medals of Blessed PGF to give away as gifts. I bought one for myself the last time I was in Turin about a year and half ago. To my surprise, there were no medals on display. I walked up and down looking through the glass cabinet but I couldn't see a single medal. I mustered up the courage to ask the shop assistant in Italian as to whether she had any medals. She looked at me blankly at first and I was a little lost as to what to say next. Out of the corner of my left eye I noticed a tray of medals by the back wall behind the counter and I saw the image of Blessed PGF (it's in colour). I pointed to the medal saying, 'Frassati... Frassati...' - she got the message! I handed over my money to pay for the items and then she said something in Italian; I thought she said 'il conto' which I think means 'receipt' so I waited. She disappeared into the back room so I was little puzzled. She came out after a few moments with a few cards in her hands: they were prayed cards of Blessed PGF. She handed them over to me and when I asked how much she wanted for them, she waved her hand indicating that they were a gift. I was overjoyed and appreciated her generosity. She clearly knew I was English because the prayer cards were in English! I must brush up on my Italian. I went back to PGF's tomb to say my final prayers and then made my way out the catehdral to visit Don Bosco at the nearby church of Our Lady Help of Christians.

Once I returned to Milan on Tuesday evening of Holy Week, I decided to phone Blessed PGF's home in Pollone. I have been in contact with his niece for a couple of years now by email and she mentioned that a lady looks after the house for the family and shows pilgrims around. After a number of attempts of trying to phone out of my father's apartment, I managed eventually to get through to the house. I had prepared a little role-play speech for this little telephone conversation I was to have. It started well but after I had asked to speak to the lady in question, I hadn't actually written down what the possible responses to my question might be! Alas, I had to ask the person to speak English. Incidentally the person turned out to be the person I wanted to speak to and they informed me that I could visit with my friend the next day. Even more, I was told that she could pick us up from the nearest train station, Biella San Paolo. The drive from the station was about twenty minutes or so, mostly along Via Pier Giorgo Frassati. I couldn't believe that I was finally going to his house having wanted to visit so many times before. I had to keep pinching myself as I saw the very mountains which Pier Giorgo wrote about in his letters; I think it was on the back of his bedroom door that he wrote, 'Mountains, mountains, mountains: I love you.'

We pulled up at the main gate of the house which was opened by a remote controller. We were finally there! The house is impressive, as is its location. Without going into an in-depth history of the Frassati family, it is worth noting that Pier Giorgio's father was a senator and ambassador to Germany (which might explain the rather imposing house). In fact, PGF spent some time in Germany and it was there that he boxed with the young Karl Rahner! As we pulled up outside the house I noticed a lady in the front talking to the gardener. It struck me that she looked very similar to the pictures of PGF's niece, Wanda, whom I've been corresponding with. My thoughts were correct as this lady was another niece of PGF's and the sister of Wanda. She was lovely and we talked about how I had become so attached to PGF and the success and continued growth of the Frassati Society at my university. She was very impressed. She later brought us through the house to show us a few posters. It was at that point the phone rang: it was Wanda! She wanted to speak with me as we had never spoken before on the phone. I had trouble hearing as the line wasn't very good but it was lovely having the opportunity to speak to her. Below are some photos of the house which I took.

The living room

A portrait of Alfredo Frassati, PGF's father

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's bedroom

He was a third order Dominican

The landing

The bed PGF died on (transferred from another house where he passed away. The room this bed is in has been set out exactly as it was in the families other home, which is no longer in their possession)

A makeshift altar

Pier Giorgio's handwriting in his copy of the writings of St. Catherine of Sienna

The famous book where PGF used to write the names of those individuals he gave or needed to give money to.

The trusty mountain boots PGF used to wear on his many trips

My friend on the left and me on the right outside PGF's house (it took about 7 attempts to get this shot!)

Beautiful view of lush landscape of Pollone

So all in all, it was a really fantastic trip/pilgrimage to northern Italy. I shall definitely be returning to Pollone as I want to spend more time there. Fortunately I have been invited back so it is not an invitation I am going to pass on! I highly recommend that you read up more on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati because he is truly extraordinary and yet ordinary at the same time! If you happen to be in Turin or Milan and want to visit Pollone then get in touch and I will happily help you out and point you in the right direction.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

Benedicite.

Globe travelling

2011-04-18T05:47:00.000+01:00

A very blessed Holy Week to you all! I am about to head to the airport to catch a flight to Milan where I will be spending most of Holy Week. On Tuesday I shall be heading to Turin for the day to visit primarily Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati whom I have a deep devotion to. He is buried in one of the side altars in Turin Cathedral so hopefully I will be able to pray there for a little while. I may also get to visit his home in the village of Pollone but I am still juggling around my dates and times, so we shall see!

Rest assured, I shall be praying for you all on my travels, but most particularly by the tomb of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Faithfully yours in Christ Jesus. Verso l'alto!

Benedicite.

A special word of thanks

2011-04-04T21:44:00.003+01:00

I am happy to announce that we have found a generous donor for the English Dominican World Youth Day pilgrimage. The Shadow Secretary for Northern Ireland, Mr. Stephen Pound MP, has informed us that he will kindly donate the said amount of money to help us manufacture our gift badges for the upcoming pilgrimage to Madrid. Mr. Pound is the father of a friend of mine here at Benedict XVI House, though unfortunately she is unable to come with us to Spain in August. Mr. Pound is MP for Ealing North and is a member of the Labour party. He is a committed Catholic and according to his website, is a lay reader at Church on Sundays. He is also rather humourous and is an incredibly friendly man.

For more information on Mr. Stephen Pound MP, please visit his webpage.

Benedicite.

Can you help the Oxford Dominican pilgrimage to World Youth Day?

2011-03-26T16:09:00.001Z

Can you help the Oxford Dominican pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Madrid? We are in need of a £100 donation to help us make button badges (1000 to be precise!) to give out to fellow pilgrims in Madrid but the budget has been stretched to maximum capacity now and we cannot afford it. Many groups give our button badges, others tshirts, magnets or key rings and it is quite a big part of the World Youth Day experience. Certainly for me as I reflect on my time in Sydney for WYD2008, the exchange of gifts was always a special occasion and I have a whole bag of little gifts serving as a memento of my time Down Under.

If you are able to help us, please can you email me at catholicwithattitude AT hotmail DOT com.

Thank you very much for your generosity in advance.

Benedicite.

Shame the devil

2011-03-26T11:07:00.001Z

The following is a blog post on the Brentwood Vocations blog (Brentwood is my home diocese) by Fr. Graham Smith. I found it insightful and useful and I hope you will too:

There is an old saying the origin of which eludes me but it has stayed with me ever since I heard it. It is simple: "Shame the devil".

I took it to mean don't let the devil win. What I mean is this, the devil must rejoice when we say things like, "I am rubbish" or "I can't do that" or "I can't change".

There must be rejoicing in hell when we give up and say I can never be any different.

Lent is a time to shame the devil because Lent is a time for new beginnings.

A time when we can show others and ourselves what we are truly capable of.

I think there are those who rejoice when we fall but Lent is a time when we can get up and start again. Prove them wrong.

It is said that Michelangelo found an ugly piece of marble which another artist had been trying to carve but had failed and had ruined the Stone. Michelangelo carved out of it his famous David.

This is what I think Lent is about. Making something beautiful out of our lives. Making something beautiful out of something that we might have considered useless. An opportunity to be the person God has called us to be.

"Shame the devil" It means nothing is beyond God's reach, no situation is so bad it can't be redeemed, turned around.

No failure need be a dead end and so Augustine spoke of Adam and Eve's sin as a happy fault because it led to the coming of Christ.

When we sin we commit acts which are fruitless and absurd and which subvert the meaning of our lives. Lent gives us a means by which our stories can be told another way; it goes somewhere else, not to misery but to happiness.

In the 18th century there was a famous Japanese artist called Hockersui who painted a vase with a superb view of the holy Mountain Fuji.

Then one day someone dropped the vase: slowly he glued the pieces back together but to acknowledge what had happened to the vase, its broken history, he lined each join with the thread of gold so that the vase was more beautiful than ever before.

May this Lent be a time of repair and renewal.

Amen.

Christ suffered and died for us.

Benedicite.

NB. Just so you know, I have finished a draft of my dissertation which is a huge relief and around 10 days ahead of schedule :-) Thank you for your prayers.

Conference over and back in the UK

2011-03-04T11:51:00.000Z

I have returned to England after an exhausting but thoroughly enjoyable inter-religious conference in Paris. It was a privilege being part of the Holy See youth delegation and it is something which I shall be involved with in months and years to come it seems. I am a bit tired today so I am not going to write too much, but I shall share some photos and there are some links to press reports on the conference which was judged as a success, at least by the delegates.

I will say that I think Cardinal Koch is one of the nicest men I have ever met. He is a very gentle and shy man but incredibly warmhearted. It is reassuring to know that there are truly humble and prayerful men in the highest ranks of the Church.

Reflecting on the conference, I realise it is the people I have met, both Catholics and Jews, which I shall cherish the most. I have made also some very useful contacts with regard to my main interest which is Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. Fortunately, I was blessed to have a number of conversations with Cardinal Koch and dialogue with the Orthodox. The Ordinariate also came up in conversation so I was able to share with him the good news that a number of parishes, particularly in my diocese, will be joining and entering full communion with the Catholic Church.

Here are some photos and reports regarding the recent conference which managed to receive good publicity in France:

Reuters: Catholics & Jews discuss their future dialogue, possible Muslim trialogue

Vatican Information Service: Declaration by Catholic-Jewish Liason Committee

At the Grand Synagogue of Paris

Cathedral of Notre Dame. We were privileged to be granted access to the cathedral after closing hours so our delegation had the entire cathedral to ourselves. We sat in the canon/choir stalls and were given a history of the building.

The view from the offices of 'Yahad In Unum', an incredible group run by French priest, Fr. Patrick Desbois. He and his team lead a project in investigating mass graves in eastern Europe, and are calculating the numbers of Jews and Roma gypsies who were killed by shooting. It really is a harrowing task but it is one which the Jewish people are very grateful for. I was looking through some of the archive material and I recall little markers by various villages and towns stating the numbers who had been shot; needless to say, these were not small numbers, in some cases reaching the 1000s. Please pray for Fr. Desbois and his team.

Au revoir Paris!

Benedicite.

Some Photos from today's ILC gathering

2011-02-28T22:25:00.001Z

Benedicite.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Paris

A Paris avec les Juifs et Catholiques

2011-02-27T08:31:00.002Z

Greetings from Paris. I realise I am breaking my no Sunday posting rule but I do not know when I will have Internet next.

I've had a wonderful time so far meeting with the youth delegation for the upcoming conference, the opening ceremony of which is tonight. There have certainly been some heated discussions particularly over the issue of Israel which is obviously of great importance for the Jews but not exclusively.

The group is moving hotels today to where the Cardinals and other participants will be so I must go and repack again.

Pray for me and I will for you!

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Paris

Paris calls!

2011-02-24T11:25:00.001Z

Today I fly off to Paris for a conference organised by the Vatican which I have been invited to. It is promoting dialogue between Catholics and Jews and I am one of six young participants: three Catholics and three Jews. We have a visit to the Drancy concentration camp and the Shoah memorial there. I have a trip with the young participants to the synagogue Friday night and have the Saturday mainly free so as to permit the Jewish participants to observe the Sabbath. The list of participants is pretty impressive with around five cardinals, including His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch, head of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity; around 10 bishops and archbishops, including the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; one metropolitan attached to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and a number of Jewish representatives. The conference begins on Monday and ends Wednesday and is being held at the College de Bernadins. As far as I am aware, I am the only UK representative there though I suspect a few of the Vatican participants may be of British origin.

Depending on internet access, I shall try to update you with photos of my whereabouts. Please pray for me that I may have a safe journey to Paris and safe time there. Rest assured, I am praying for you all too.

Benedicite.

Just so you know that I'm not ignoring you

2011-02-08T16:55:00.000Z

I've mentioned it before on the blog but it doesn't hurt mentioning it again: it is my third and final semester of undergraduate study and thus it is a fairly busy time for me. As such, blogging is taking the back seat for the time being, which I hope you will understand. It doesn't mean there won't be posts from time to time but they certainly won't be as regular as they have been, perhaps not in recent times, but certainly in former days.

As always, I rely heavily on your prayers. You can count on mine for you, that's for sure!

Fraternally yours in Christ's love.

Benedicite.

Getting old

2011-01-29T12:41:00.000Z

Today marks my 22nd birthday. I know many older and wiser readers of this little blog will shudder at the thought of me saying 22 is 'getting old' but it certainly feels that way. I suppose it is emphasised by the fact that my undergraduate studies will shortly be drawing to an end and that step into the big world edges ever closer. I recognise though that I am at a great point in my life as I am still young and free enough to do many things in life which I enjoy, such as travelling. Discernment somewhat continues too with its high and low moments, and that journey is exciting but as of late particularly daunting and overwhelming, so much so that I could be guilty of trying to sideline vocational discernment. But the journey continues and I trust Jesus and Mary will continue to accompany me on my way.

On Thursday I celebrated my birthday a little earlier with my university friends. As I had just come back from Australia and it was Australia Day on the Wednesday, I had decided I would transfer that 'solemn' occasion to the Thursday and celebrate it along with my birthday with a Winter BBQ. If anyone is considering a BBQ in January in a cold climate, then I recommend you stock up on charcoal the summer before because trying to find charcoal in the middle of winter is basically impossible. It all worked out well in the end and we had enough charcoal to feed the masses. Before cooking and eating, a friend called Fr. Hugh from Douai (and a native of Australia) kindly celebrated Mass for all of us which was wonderful. Mass was in English with sung Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. We also sang a favourite hymn of mine at the end to the Guardian Angels. It was an unusual birthday celebration on many levels, none more than the fact that we prayed the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be and sung the Salve before cutting the cake! :-) Fr. Hugh informed me that we were still in Alma Redemptoris Mater season but one of my housemates at Benedict XVI House was, lets say, urged by the Spirit to sing the Salve :-) - it was wonderful.

It was a beautiful sight to see the majority of the Frassati Society at my birthday celebration too. I recall looking around the table when Happy Birthday was being sung and feeling in awe at how God has blessed the society with continued growth. We are no small number nor a group to be ignored. The society does so much good, particularly with the poor, but also in nourishing the spiritual lives of each member by engaging with each other. There is still much to do but all in God's time.

With my love and fervent prayers.

Benedicite.

I am alive! and a little reflection

2011-01-23T18:46:00.001Z

My apologies for my extended silence. In case you were still thinking that I am still travelling, well I am not and am back safe and sound on British soil. My final undergraduate semester has resumed and as I'm sure you can understand, it is a very important time for me. At the moment it isn't that busy but I have my dissertation research to crack on with; so far I have written up my 1000 word introduction which appears to be OK according to my tutor so now it's just read, read, read! I am examining the development of relations between the Eastern and Latin Church since Vatican II. This is with an eye to doing an MPhil (somewhere) examining the role of the Bishop of Rome in reuniting the separated Eastern churches and the Latin Church. I had wanted to do that this year but I was advised that it would be better to wait, so in humble obedience (!) I have followed that advice. Please pray for me this semester and please excuse my inconsistent posting on this blog.

The need to be faithful Christians

Since returning to the UK, I've been fortunate enough to catch up with my friends and indeed have made some new ones. I had an interesting chat with a student who was raised Catholic but in recent times has somewhat lapsed. She has however been visiting a Seventh Day Adventist community, joining them for their Bible sharing evenings. I'm not sure what her connection is with them but nonetheless she tends to speak rather positively of them. Though she has somewhat fallen away from her Catholic faith, she still admits that she loves the traditions of the Church but just thinks the Church talks more at you than listens. My overall impression was that whichever parish community she was in, there were few opportunities to 'actively participate' to use that much used term. She spoke quite negatively about being made to go to Confession at school and having to make things up because at that age, she thought she hadn't done anything at all. I somewhat share her frustrations because I had similar experiences at primary school (I didn't go to a Catholic secondary school) and I recall making sins up. There is no doubt in my mind that catechesis in Catholics schools, at least in my experience, has been appalling. I think Catholic schools often do a good job of turning people away from the faith! I admit though that striking the balance is extremely difficult: I mean one should encourage young people to go to Confession but how do you do so in a way which is not forceful yet conveys the importance of the Sacrament? The same can be said about attending Mass.

A more important point was highlighted in my conversation with this person which I think is applicable to many other people who end up turning away from the faith. More often than not the problems a person has with the faith is in fact a problem they have with an individual who is associated with that particular faith. In this case this person had a father who claimed to be Catholic yet was having an affair resulting in the breakdown of her parents marriage. I imagine this is the case with sexual abuse victims in the Church too who take out their grief on the Church when their grief and anger is at the person who abused them. The anger, disappointment and distrust of a person, for whatever reason, ends up being directed also at activities or things associated with that person. I often hear, 'Don't play that song... my ex-boyfriend used to listen to that.... he's a *insert insulting word*' or lines similar. It can work the other way round that a person may be an exemplary example of kindness, charity and compassion and in fact may convince a person to perhaps start cooking, exercising or start praying etc. Many of us who try to live faithful Catholic lives, despite our weaknesses, often stick with the faith because there is someone we admire who has lived the faith in a steadfast way. We are relational beings, for better and or for worse.

I think of today's Gospel about the call of the disciples (Matt. 4: 12-23) and their example. Christ called and they dropped their nets at once and followed him. They listened to his words not with their ears but with their hearts. A lot hangs on our shoulders including the salvation of others. We do not decide who is saved and who is not but we play a major role in whether a person abandons the faith or keeps it. We too must listen with our hearts to God's word and Christ's call so that we may practice what we try to preach. None of us are perfect, but we must try harder. It is unbearable thinking of our numerable sins which we have committed; what would be more unbearable is the thought that our sin has resulted in a child of God turning away from the faith and sacraments. Priests and religious fall into a important category because in a very unique and special way they represent the face of the Church and thus much is and should be asked of them. We need holy and faithful priests and religious. If you are either a priest or religious and are living in unquestionable sin, which could particularly cause great scandal, then for the love of God repent and change. Lay people too have their important role. We must try harder to be faithful to our common Christian vocation. It is so hard but we must try. We must have this overpowering stench of love wherever we go, and when we lack it then we must sunbathe in God's grace by means of receiving the Sacraments and praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

Let us be icons of Christ wherever we go and to whoever we meet for all the days of our lives!

"A Catholic cannot help but be happy; sadness should be banished from their souls. Suffering is not sadness, which is the worst disease. This disease is almost always caused by atheism, but the end for which we are created guides us along life's pathway, which may be strewn with thorns, but is not sad. It is happy even through suffering."
-Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

"Each of you knows that the foundation of our faith is charity. Without it, our religion would crumble. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire lives to the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to love the Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves... With charity, we sow the seeds of that true peace which only our faith in Jesus Christ can give us by making us all brothers and sisters. I know that this way is steep, and difficult, and strewn with thorns, while at first glance the other path seems easier, more pleasant, and more satisfying. But the fact is, if we could look into the hearts of those who follow the perverse paths of this world, we would see that they lack the serenity that comes to those who have faced a thousand difficulties and who have renounced material pleasure to follow God's law."
-Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Benedicite.

Greetings from Down Under

2011-01-04T20:06:00.001Z

Greetings from Australia! I am here till around mid January as a good friend of mine is moving here for at least a year to do Catholic youth work. Please pray for him as he embarks on this exciting new journey which will hopefully strengthen his faith further. I may try and organise some sort of fundraiser later on in the year, perhaps by making rosaries again, as my friend has struggled to raise the money he needs because of the circumstances he found himself in.

We're both staying with our host family from World Youth Day who kindly took us in for a few days back in 2008. We get along together so well that to us they're like family.

I shall keep you posted on my whereabouts. Apologies for the blog turning into a temporary travel journal!

Oremus pro invicem.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Newcastle, Australia

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T16:14:00.001Z

May I wish all readers a happy 2011 from here in Kuala Lumpur. May the Lord continue to bless you each and every day. Let us continue to pray for each other in total faith in our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and in complete trust and confidence in our Blessed Mother.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kuala Lumpur

To Thailand and back

2010-12-29T09:52:00.001Z

On Boxing Day I flew up to Phuket in Thailand for a few days with my family and extended family as we have a few relatives there. The last time I was in Phuket I was about five years old so it was great seeing some of my newly discovered cousins and aunts and uncles alike. I came down with a fever for a few days which sadly meant I did not actually do much during my visit.

Fortunately I was pampered beyond belief as my aunt owned the hotel we were staying in (it was also hit during the Tsunami) and bombarded myself and all the family during our stay with endless amounts of seafood which I have a soft spot for.

My visit to Thailand also offered me the opportunity to reflect a bit on a clash of cultures I experienced. I came away feeling grateful for having this unique connection both with Thailand and indeed Malaysia, but with regard to the latter, an appreciation for the link I have with Chinese culture. When I return I hope to write a more reflective post on my experience of being a western raised Catholic and yet having close ties with Buddhism and Chinese culture which are not, as one might expect, in opposition to each other.

To finish, it was quite nice seeing a familiar sign to remind me of home!

In Christ.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kuala Lumpur

Happy Christmas

2010-12-25T09:18:00.001Z

May I take this opportunity to wish all my readers a very happy and holy Christmas. May it be a grace filled time for you and your families. Rejoice, for our saviour has come amongst us!

In Christ's love.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kuala Lumpur

Two and a half days later

2010-12-23T03:02:00.001Z

Having spent a comparatively short period of time inside terminal 4, a mere 16 hours, and after a 12 hour flight, I safely landed in Kuala Lumpur at just before midnight local time on Tuesday. In the end my flight took off at 3.40am GMT so much later than originally expected. One plus point from the delay was that I was able to purchase the new IPhone 4 which is where I blog from at this point in time. The first app I downloaded was the ibreviary which I think is just awesome.

Anyway this just a short post explaining my situation. Thank you for your many prayers as they were certainly answered.

Benedicite.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Kuala Lumpur

Mayhem at Heathrow

2010-12-20T14:55:00.001Z

Heathrow Terminal 4 check-in at around 11am Monday 20th December

So my flight was meant to leave on Saturday at 10pm but I am still here in London. There has been so much different information and my family and I had been staying at Benedict XVI House, so we were spared the floor at Heathrow. This morning the airlines website said our flight had been cancelled, but then a relative of mine had phoned their airline office in Malaysia and was told that we would should turn up at Heathrow and then would be redirected to Stansted airport where our plane, currently in Frankfurt, would be directed to. We arrived at Heathrow at around 11am today and have had mixed reports, but by the sounds of it, two days later, it looks like our flight has been rescheduled for 10pm tonight from Heathrow so no need for bus transfers. All scheduled flights for today to Kuala Lumpur have been cancelled. Hopefully the plane will arrive from Frankfurt shortly and we've been given a provisional time for check-in at 5pm. It really is crazy here and the family are all exhausted but it may all be worth it in the end. My Father bought me the new IPhone 4 yesterday so that is one plus to come out of the delay, and I was also able to watch the final of the Apprentice. If we get to leave today then it will all have been worth it I think (at least from my perspective!).

Please pray for us that we may be up in the air and in Kuala Lumpur in no time!

Fraternally yours in Christ.

Benedicite.

Religious Image of the Week

2010-12-18T10:43:00.000Z

I haven't had an image for a long time so here is a special Advent photo from a priest friend of mine at Brentwood Cathedral.

Mary and Joseph awaiting the arrival of baby Jesus whilst gazing at the snow outside.

Benedicite.

FREEDOM! and an Advent reflection

2010-12-17T13:12:00.000Z

My final assignments have now been handed in and now I can breathe! This has been one intense semester and I for one am glad it is over. I'm having to learn now what it means to relax; I just feel like I ought to be writings something or other. Depending on the snow, I ought to be flying off to the Far East tomorrow night so I shall have my fingers crossed. I will have my laptop with me so I will no doubt publish a few posts on my usual gallivants round the globe - I am certainly one very fortunate young man to have all these opportunities to travel.

Advent Reflection

I always think Advent reflections tend to talk about the same thing, which I get bored of to be honest. Often we're told about how consumerist this season is and how we're missing the point of it. We're told we should put 'Christ' back into Christmas and how it's not all about presents and chocolate. Fair enough, I don't disagree with that, but I'm bored of all that talk now. The problem with Christmas Masses is that priests have to adapt their homily because the dynamics of the parish change with the floods of 'Christmas Mass-goers' who come only once a year. As such, and perhaps rightly so, priests talk about how Mass is not a once a year occurrence and how we have a duty to come more regularly. But what can those of us, who do our best to go to Sunday Mass regularly, take from Christmas homilies and Advent and Christmas in general?

I have just come back from a brief trip to Richmond, because I needed a hat as my head has been getting particularly cold in this weather (such a wuss, I know!). As one would expect, the shops were busy, people hustling and bustling around finding their gifts for others. I have not done any Christmas shopping this year, yet my life has been no less busy or hectic. With the countless deadlines and exams, the end of semester has this sense of preparation built into it. I have noticed in myself that the stress of preparation has repercussions on my relationships with others. I begin to lose my patience more and get irritated by the littlest of things. Life becomes a penance in itself and finding peace just impossible. Prayer becomes turbulent and habitual sins begin to tighten the reins on my life. We forget that Advent is actually a time of penance, with Gaudete Sunday offering us a glimmer of that joy which is to come.

Abbot Cuthbert Brogan OSB came to speak at Benedict XVI House on the theme of Advent. He shared with us the Benedictine saying, 'Pax inter spinas' - 'Peace amongst thorns.' He humorously commented that monasteries are peaceful places, unless you are a monk! Guests come in and out and the monks have to look after them. People leave refreshed, and yet the community feel all the more exhausted for hosting their visitors. Constantly they must remind themselves that it is Christ who knocks at the monastery door.

Advent ought to be that time of transformation internally for ourselves and for that to happen our lives must be rooted in authentic prayer. If we really want peace, then we need to tackle the thorns of our passions and habitual sins whatever they may be. Just because it is meant to be the season of peace and goodwill doesn't mean that if we do not change ourselves that we get to experience this peace and joy. No, we need to be purged like gold in the furnace. The Abbot spoke of our journey through life as returning to the Garden of Eden before the fall, that place of paradise. To get there though we must pass back through the 'thorns and thistles' as mentioned in Genesis 3:18. So the path to Life is always going to be marked by these difficulties and struggles, and after all the sign of our faith is, more often than not, the cross. Even though it will be Christmas, the cross does not disappear. The gift of myrrh is a reminder of that salvific act to come.

So may this Advent period be, indeed, a time of preparation. May it be a time where you may tackle those habitual sins which at times hold you prisoner. May the Lord grant a nativity in your own hearts and may the Lord enter in and fill you with his grace - the greatest gift one can ever receive.

Pax inter spinas

Faithfully yours in Christ Jesus.

Benedicite.

The Digital Story of the Nativity

2010-12-15T10:03:00.004Z

I thought this was brilliant! I hope you will enjoy it too.

H/T a friend of mine.

Benedicite.

Gentle whisper

2010-12-14T10:17:00.000Z

I'm sorry there hasn't been much posting in recent times; I've just been very busy with work, revision, exams and organising other various events at university. Fortunately I have finished my exams and only have one more assignment to complete them I am, more or less, done and dusted for this semester. We have our final Advent talk tomorrow with Abbot Cuthbert OSB of Farnborough with the premier of our new house ale, "Ale Holy Queen." Stephen ingeniously came up with the labels for the bottles which I think look rather fun. Our principal was given a bottle and apparently found it very amusing!

At this hectic point in the academic year I realise more and more how much I cherish those moments in the morning and evening before Lauds and Vespers respectively where I am able to spend about half an hour in silent meditation in the oratory at Benedict XVI House. In recent times I have found it difficult to settle just because of everything that is going on in my life, but I still manage to draw strength from those much needed periods of silence and stillness. I could really do with a retreat and will probably organise one once I have returned from my travels.

Today is the feast of St. John of the Cross, that wonderful mystic who I am very fond of (I'm a fan of mystics in general, in fact), and I keep close to me in those moments of stillness the words of this great doctor and mystic of the Church:

"For the knowledge of God is received in divine silence"

Just because it is one of my favourite videos on Youtube, here are the monks of Fomgombault singing the Alleluia, vir dei benedictus, the Alleluia verse for the feast of St. Benedict (it's also the video where I first came across St. John's quote).

Benedicite.

Ale, Holy Queen!

2010-12-08T22:17:00.000Z

Over the past couple of weeks Dr. Stephen Bullivant, our 'lay abbot', has been brewing in monastic fashion our first house ale. Stephen has named the ale, 'Ale, Holy Queen' which is a rather clever play on words but I'll let you direct any blasphemy accusations over at the Benedict XVI House blog (be good to him :-)!). If it's any consolation, it actually tastes alright; I'm not a big drinker, especially of ale, but the little shot I did have tasted rather pleasant. This coming Wednesday marks our final Advent talk by the Abbot of Farnborough, Abbot Cuthbert Brogan OSB, a good man and a kind friend, and it will be on that evening that the masses will be able to have their first taste of Benedict XVI House's special brew.

Today is my university college's feast day, the Immaculate Conception, and we had a Mass celebrated by Bishop John Arnold. After Mass a number of B16 housemates joined the others for a celebratory dinner, with a special toast to the Blessed Virgin, which was proposed by our new principal, Professor Philip Esler, a native of Australia and a biblical scholar (and also a very nice man!). So all in all it has been a good evening and I look forward to the imminent end of semester! I shall be abroad for the Christmas break but it won't be all sun, sea and sand - there is also quite a bit of dissertation research to be done. Please keep me in your prayers.

Benedicite.

Defend us in the battle

2010-12-06T14:49:00.000Z

“O Glorious Prince of the heavenly host, St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in the battle and in the terrible warfare that we are waging against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits. Come to the aid of man, whom Almighty God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of Satan.

“Fight this day the battle of the Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in Heaven. That cruel, ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold, this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay and cast into eternal perdition souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. This wicked dragon pours out, as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity.

“These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where the See of Holy Peter and the Chair of Truth has been set up as the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be.

“Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious power of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly find mercy in the sight of the Lord; and vanquishing the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.

V. Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.

R. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered the root of David.

V. Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.

R. As we have hoped in Thee.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto Thee.

Let us pray.O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as supplicants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious St. Michael the Archangel, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all the other unclean spirits who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.”

What a rotten stench trails behind Satan......

Benedicite.

Happy 'Advenukkah'?

2010-12-02T09:40:00.000Z

This is a partly trivial post because I have spare time on my hands (which is rare at this time of year and no doubt I could be doing something more useful!). Firstly, Happy Hanukkah to any Jews out there. I've always been fascinated by Judaism as my father used to have some New York Jewish friends living in London who we used to meet up with on occasions. I remember one Advent when I was about 5 or 6 we went out to dinner with them and was told by my dad, "They don't celebrate Christmas" and was rather perplexed thinking, "How can they not celebrate Christmas, daddy?" I was told that it was because they were Jewish, not that I knew what Jewish meant back then. So as a good boy, I listened to my father but concluded in my head that I was not allowed to mention Christmas at all to these people. After the dinner (we must have eaten at a Kosher restaurant) we said our goodbyes and I remember being left slightly dumbstruck when they wished us "Happy Christmas" - I just couldn't understand in my youthful ignorance; I think I was slightly annoyed too because I held back from saying anything about Christmas! I'm over it now, by the way :-) Fortunately, as many of you who follow this blog know, I have been able to engage in Catholic-Jewish dialogue in recent times which has been very interesting and in February next year Cardinal Kurt Koch has invited me to participate in a conference hosted by the Commission For Religious Relations With The Jews (which is attached to the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity) in Paris promoting dialogue between young Catholics and Jews. Perhaps my Hebrew will come in use!

The title of this post is a spin on a concept developed in an American series called, 'The OC' which I used to watch. The main family included a Jewish father and a Christian mother (thus by Jewish law, the children are not Jewish because Jews are Jews only if their mother is Jewish) and two boys, one adopted into the family. The non-adopted son was called Seth Cohen (rather Jewish name) and he wanted to bring the holiday of Hanukkah and Christmas together to make a super holiday during the month of December and thus created 'Chrismukkah.' I was reflecting this morning on how inaccurate that name is because Christmas does not begin till sunset on the 24th December. This means Hanukkah occurs during Advent and thus his holiday ought to be called something along the lines of 'Advenukkah.' I thought it was great how they created Santa-kippas (photo above) and brought back to me images of the Pope wearing the camauro.

Happy Advent, Happy Hanukkah, Happy 'Advenukkah' if you wish!

Benedicite.

How could anyone agree with abortion after watching this?

2010-12-01T16:29:00.000Z

I can't work out how to embed this video but it's worth a watch. I should warn you though, if you don't have a strong stomach you might find it difficult to watch (I think regardless it is a difficult video to view). How is this still legal?!

To watch the video click here and it'll take you to Robert Colquhoun's excellent blog.

H/T Love Undefiled.

Benedicite.

A fitting occasion

2010-11-26T23:05:00.003Z

Yesterday evening was tough. We had our Frassati Society Requiem Mass planned and organised a while back but then discovered the tragic death of one of the second year students. A house member was good friends with the young chap and asked if we could offer our Mass for him - naturally, I and other community members agreed. We anticipated about 12 people for our original Requiem Mass but ended up having to remove chairs from the oratory to cater for around 40 students and staff who came together to somehow channel their emotions. Many weren't Catholic but commented on how beautiful the liturgy was and how it was good to be among friends at such a time. Fr. Hugh from Douai Abbey also managed brilliantly given that he only found out in the morning the tragic news and that he'd have a rather large audience that evening. We sang the Introit, Alleluia and other parts of the Mass and I think many, including myself, were moved. I never new the lad but one could feel peoples grief. This evening I went to Mass and had dinner with Seth from Suffering World; it turned out that Mass at the London Oratory was also a Requiem Mass so I offered it privately for this fella's soul and for his family and friends.

I am glad that people were able to get together and it appears that many have been very grateful for the Mass and the food we put on afterwards. It just confirms for me the necessity of the Frassati Society and Benedict XVI House because they both play an integral part in the life of the university college.

I pray this evening for all those young people in particular who are contemplating suicide, who are for whatever reason turned in on themselves and are faced with utter darkness. I pray that they may realise that there are people who love them and even more so, there is a God who loves them completely. I pray that we who are not contemplating suicide may always be wasteful with our love, reassuring people that they are special, amazing, beautiful, brave, handsome and full of potential. I pray that at least one person this evening may realise that suicide is not the option.

Benedicite.

A somber context for our first Frassati Society Requiem Mass

2010-11-25T10:13:00.001Z

Today we will be celebrating our first Requiem Mass in the Oratory of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The black frontal is on and the unbleached candles are in place. This morning we prayed the Office of the Dead according to the 1961 breviary as I think the texts are far richer, and it is part of embracing the fullness of Catholic tradition both pre and post conciliar. This all occurs in very tragic circumstances as a student of the university sadly took his own life just this week and so many students will have him particularly at the forefront of their minds. It is in light of this that our Mass will be offered for the repose of his soul. He leaves behind a mother, father, two sisters and countless friends. It is all the more painful knowing that Advent is this Sunday and Christmas is a month today. Please pray for him (I'm not mentioning his name here because I don't think it is right for me to do so) and for his family at this distressing time.

Dom Hugh Somerville-Knapman will be our celebrant and we look forward to welcoming him to the community of Benedict XVI House.

Eternal Rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Benedicite.

The calm after the storm

2010-11-22T16:23:00.001Z

I think things are now calming down a bit, thank goodness. These past 48 hours have certainly provoked a lot of confusion, joy, horror depending on who you are. I would certainly put myself in the 'confused' category. It has taken me all of yesterday and the best part of today to fully understand what on earth the Pope meant in his interview. I chose to refrain from blogging anything about this topic because I didn't know the full facts and I thought it would be unreasonable for me to share my thoughts if I didn't actually know what the Pope was trying to say. There has been a lot of talk on the internet about what the Pope might or might not have meant and I personally don't want to add anything which may confuse things. However, I think it is necessary that positive orthodox comments and links are shared so other people who are confused may have a read. One such article which has been very useful for me is from, surprisingly, the BBC. John L. Allen's article for the BBC entitled, 'Why condom comments are no earthquake in Catholic teaching' is worth a read and also the following which I discovered on Stella Maris entitled, 'Benedict XVI, Condoms and The Light of the World'.

What I have found interesting, without naming individuals, is how certain people have shown their true colours during these times; this clarification by the Holy See is certainly going to embarrass a few bloggers who have come out saying along the lines of, 'Actually, I've always thought condoms were not a bad thing.' Even for those of us who thought, 'What is the Holy Father doing?', perhaps we need to trust our Holy Father more and recognise that he is a smart man and he's not going to change Church teaching over night, not least in an interview.

Lessons all round I think! Congratulations to Fr. Lombardi however for getting his skates on with a statement!

Benedicite.

I am waiting patiently for the Lord to draw me to Himself

2010-11-19T08:49:00.001Z

'The only thing I can glory in is my trials, sufferings, and crosses, provided I accept them whole-heartedly and offer them to our Lord in reparation for my sins. That is why the Apostle said, "I glory in nothing but the cross of our Lord.' Only, my nature is so evil that I cannot bring myself to accept so painful a lot, and I have settled for a rather fatalistic resignation, which is very far from what Christ asks of me... For the moment, I am not in the state of soul my situation calls for. I murmur from time to time against the Lord's shackles, wishing that the heavy hand which has so long weighed upon me might relax its pressure a little.'

'We must first let ourselves be crucified on the cross which stands at the entrance (of the kingdom of God, where all life, all joy is found). If suffering and fear make us draw back, then we will not enter. It is true that most of the time our advice is not asked (only our consent). Otherwise, so few of those called would pass through! But with the trial comes faith, and with faith grace, which is not given sparingly but with profusion. The yoke becomes sweet and the sorrow is changed into joy, and what is hidden from the eyes of men becomes luminous into joy, and what is hidden from the eyes of men becomes luminous for us, whom the Lord is drawing.'

'I am being tried like gold in the furnace, and this is in two ways: first, powerful thrusts toward the light are followed by passing darkness; second, there are more or less lengthy phases of abandonment in which all joy disappears and only aridity is left. At the moment I am being left to myself, although supported by His strength, and I am waiting patiently for the Lord to draw me to Himself once more, and to place me on a summit a little higher than the last one.'

From the letters of Jacques Fesch imprisoned in the 50s and later guillotined for his crimes. He was the last person to be executed in France.

Pray to Jesus and Mary for me, please.

Benedicite.

Wishing Byzantine Christians a blessed Advent

2010-11-15T09:04:00.001Z

Today marks the beginning of 'Advent' or the 'Nativity Fast' for Byzantine Christians (40 days before Christ's Nativity). For Western Christians, our Advent season begins on the 28th November this year.

Benedicite.

The Teacher is here and is calling for you

2010-11-13T11:23:00.004Z

This post is a follow-on from my previous post entitled 'The Big Silence'.

The title of this post is taken from John 11:28. The words first hit me the other week in my John's Gospel class and they tend to resound loudly inside me when I am praying. I mentioned in my previous post that silence is not a place of escape, rather it is a place of encounter. One may think that encountering God is wonderful and bliss and I suppose it is at times, but it is not without its challenges. We lament not infrequently how we cannot find God in our lives because of the various difficult and painful situations we find ourselves in, yet it rarely crosses our minds that perhaps God is presenting himself in these very situations. The sign of our faith is a cross, which speaks more than words ever could. Could not Our Lord be 'speaking' to us in the crosses we encounter daily?

The silence is not a place of escape, and one who thinks that it is all green pastures and peace in the first instance is quite simply ignorant. It is serious business if we want to encounter God. The Teacher wants us to turn to him, but just as it was the case at school, if the teacher wants you, then they will always have something for you to do, whether it be to hand Mrs. Smith a letter or to sit in the corner and think about the things you've done wrong. In the silence we are held accountable, but our judge is less God and more so ourselves as we begin to see ourselves in the dazzling rays of Christ. His light pierces our darkness and it can be uncomfortable; we need time to readjust to his light.

Silence is challenging, because we are placing ourselves in the presence of the one who seeks to challenge us. If we take silence seriously, then we cannot ignore the Teacher. The deeper we go, the louder his voice seems. The silence disorientates us once we begin to separate the Teacher from the challenge/task. If we are silent and try to resist dealing with our compulsive lying, our cheating of others, the fact we haven't spoken to our parents for a long time, our tendencies to masturbate or look at pornography, our engagement in casual sex, our alcohol consumption or whatever, and instead turn to silence seeking the God who is only peace and quiet in our minds, then we will not find him - He speaks and yet you do not listen. This is not to say we cannot cast our worries onto him and implore his help and guidance as we tackle these fundamental issues which often lead us away from Christ. Fortunately, Christ is the Good Shepherd and when we stray, he follows close behind.

Silence enables us to hear the voice of Christ - "My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). Like diligent students, if we care about our education in the spiritual life then we ought to pay attention and listen to what the Teacher has to say. More so, we need to do what the Teacher says, otherwise we should speak to him further if we are unsure about the task he has set us. We can only do this when our heart speaks to his and vice versa.

The scripture verse used in the title of this post can be chilling and daunting, but may it forever be in our hearts and minds. In the words taken from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, 'Let us be attentive'.

'The Teacher is here and is calling for you' (John 11:28).

Benedicite.

Papal Nuncio to Great Britain to retire due to ill health

2010-11-12T14:22:00.000Z

The following article has been published on the Catholic Herald's website.

Let us pray for his Grace at this difficult time.

Benedicite.

The Big Silence

2010-11-11T15:23:00.004Z

The BBC recently aired 'The Big Silence' which followed five people, both male and female, and from different walks of life, who embraced silence in their lives. The participants stayed at Worth Abbey in Sussex and St. Beuno's in North Wales. Former abbot of Worth, Dom. Christopher Jamison, who wrote the books 'Finding Sanctuary' and 'Finding Happiness' led the programme giving input throughout the mini series. Step by step, the participants began to embrace the silence, particularly on their week long silent retreat at St. Beuno's. This wasn't without hick-ups with select individuals choosing to break the silence here and there. The programme reminded me of my first and subsequent visits to Downside Abbey in Bath, the place where I really encountered silence.

Facing or dealing with silence is difficult for many people. I think it is because of two reasons: 1) Western life is so busy, noisy and fast paced that it is really difficult for us to just settle down without the television, ipod, computer or radio; 2) If we don't distract ourselves, then we have to face all that we've done and all the difficult situations in our lives which have made us the way we are, often for the worse. As became evident in the series, most of the difficult situations people had to deal with were not their fault (at least the source of the problems weren't their fault). For example, one gentleman had been abused as a child and later on in life he had two failed marriages and was rarely happy despite having a successful business with plenty of money. Two of the ladies in the programme were still grieving the loss of their fathers, which led one of the ladies, actually a Catholic, to turn away from God because she was so angry with him. When we enter the silence, we really do stand naked and I know this to be the case from my own experience. I think most people who have blogs, particularly the wonderful and ever-inspiring Catholic mothers out there, have gone through such an experience of having to face oneself. For me, I went through this process in my latter teen years which, emotionally speaking, were very turbulent. Fortunately for me, I was in a 'safe place' where I could deal with these emotions. Others are not so fortunate and end up causing a path of destruction in life, even though the spark which caused it wasn't necessarily their fault. I have just begun reading the letter of Jaques Fesch, the last man to be executed in France in the 50s and who is on his way to becoming a saint. His life was marked by unloving parents which really hindered his ability to love himself and to love others.

It becomes obvious that the cause of a person going off the rails, in lesser or greater degrees, is because they lack love. This doesn't mean they have no potential to love, but rather others have neglected to love them. I think this is one of the greatest tragedies in life that even though we are made for love, we often withhold it from others and therefore deprive them. I recognise in my own life that there are those people who I find difficult to say the least, and yet their behaviour isn't unrelated to past experiences. If a person hasn't been shown love, how on earth can they then show love to others? This manifests itself in various forms and it depends on the individual, but it can result in either talking maliciously about a person behind their back, becoming possessive of persons or items whom/which they see glimpses of love (or apparent love) in, or just not trusting other people. Again in my own life there have been times where I have been betrayed or have had my heart shattered and it has made it difficult at times to love so openly, but, bringing this back to the idea of silence, it is in the silence that I can keep track of these feelings and it enables me to ask God to help me deal with them. Silence has been invaluable for me and I feel this calling into solitude at various points during the day where I must remain still, with a clear mind, and just be with my Lord.

This idea of wanting to stay with the Lord was evident in the BBC series, even if some individuals didn't recognise that it was God they were wanting to spend time with. For many, silence becomes the end in itself but for believers we recognise that silence is merely a portal which enables our heart to connect with God's. Silence is not the escape, it is the place of encounter.

The challenge for the participants, and for all of us, is how do we build silence into our lives? It is good to be still but there is no reason why we can't be silent and be doing the usual humdrum chores of daily life. I think that approach really draws on the Benedictine attitude of ora et labora - work and pray; perhaps embracing silence in the mundane activities of life can be better described as 'Pray whilst working'. Silence enables a person to build a relationship with self and a relationship with God. Rightly or wrongly, I interchange the word 'relationship' and 'communion' - human beings are made for love, but they are also made for communion because love does not come from oneself, it is passed on from another, thus for us to receive love we must have this communion which facilitates this movement. When love dissipates in our life, we can be sure that a schism of sorts is to blame. Communion with God and communion with our neighbour are integral for a fully lived life. Recognising Christ in the other has been a source of strength for me, and much of my prayer when using words in my mind, I ask God to enable me to see him in those around me. I realise that finding God in the other sustains me in those moments when I cannot settle down in solitude. In the context of discernment, I have often heard people say to me, "Don't rush into priesthood or religious life yet; wait till you've lived a bit". I always challenge these people as to what 'living' involves; I say that I have been fortunate to travel extensively, I have a job and have studied - have I not lived? They tend to stumble at this point, but I recognise that I do need to 'live' more - I need to live a life of communion more with God and neighbour so that I can be in a better position to discern what God is wanting me to do in life. To live a life fully, one has to remain open, and this was certainly the case in The Big Silence - increasingly people were able to cast away the chains that had held them prisoner for so longer, and they were finally able to breathe.

Perhaps the greatest challenge of silence is actually finding Christ within ourselves. It can be easy to admire others and to even find Christ in others, but how about seeing ourselves as one of the many faces of God? For those on The Big Silence, I think what they left with was a deeper sense of self and of their worth. In the silence, in different ways, they were touched by God and they can never be the same again. May we also enter at times into solitude and silence, thus allowing us to better encounter our Lord.

Benedicite.

Next addition to the Oratory of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati?

2010-11-11T11:37:00.000Z

H/T Fr. Z.

Benedicite.

An unhappy looking Holy Father

2010-11-09T11:10:00.003Z

Hmm... Unless HM has a bad back, dodgy knees and a fragile tongue, I don't see why she thinks she can do what she wants (particularly in the sacred liturgy) given that everybody else who receives from the Holy Father must kneel and receive Holy Communion on the tongue. It would be different if the Holy Father distributed Communion to people in the manner they prefer, but this has not been the case in recent times and the norm has been to kneel and to receive on the tongue. Maybe she had a special dispensation but the Holy Father doesn't look very happy, does he? Come to think of it, there a few priestly faces which don't look too happy either!

"21. In administering Holy Communion the practice of placing the particle on the tongue of the recipient should be observed, as it is based on a long-standing tradition." Eucharistiae Sacramentum, 1973.

H/T Fr. Ray Blake

Benedicite.

Welcome home

2010-11-08T11:45:00.002Z

The following is from the Catholic Herald:

Five traditionalist Anglican bishops have officially resigned this morning with the intention of taking up an English Ordinariate when it is set up.

This morning, the Rt Rev Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury accepted the resignation of three flying Church of England and two retired assistant bishops in what is a major development in the move towards establishing an Ordinariate in Britain.

The Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough and Rt Rev John Broadhurst Bishop of Fulham as well as the Rt Rev Edwin Barnes the emeritus Bishop of Richborough and the Rt Rev David Silk, an emeritus assistant bishop of Exeter released a statement announcing their resignations.

They said: “As bishops, we have even-handedly cared for those who have shared our understanding and those who have taken a different view. We have now reached the point, however, where we must formally declare our position and invite others who share it to join us on our journey. We shall be ceasing, therefore, from public episcopal ministry forthwith, resigning from our pastoral responsibilities in the Church of England with effect from 31st December 2010, and seeking to join an Ordinariate once one is created.”

Bishop Newton has been tipped to be the Ordinary of an English Ordinariate when one is established.

Dr Williams said: “I have today with regret accepted the resignations of Bishops Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton who have decided that their future in Christian ministry lies in the new structures proposed by the Vatican. We wish them well in this next stage of their service to the Church and I am grateful to them for their faithful and devoted pastoral labours in the Church of England over many years.”

The Catholic liason officer for the Ordinariate, Bishop Alan Hopes, an auxiliary of Westminster said: “We welcome the decision of Bishops Andrew Burnham, Keith Newton, John Broadhurst, Edwin Barnes and David Silk to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate for England and Wales, which will be established under the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus.”

The bishops are due to discuss the Ordinariate at their plenary meeting next week.

May God bless these men and all who follow them into communion with the Bishop of Rome. I'm still unsure as to how many will make use of this ordinariate, at least in these isles, but I know from people 'on-the-inside' that there numerous requests coming in. The issue remains though of where to put these new communities as I know it's not guaranteed that they will get to keep their churches. As time progresses, I'm sure we will see the fruit of this papal initiative.

St. Peter, pray for us.

Benedicite.

Further to my last little blurb, I've found the following on the Catholic Heralds website which clarifies a little on the church building situation. They (the CoE) are proposing sharing parish churches between those belonging to the ordinariate and those who have remained CoE. I must say, I think it is a strange solution albeit probably the easiest option. How this won't cause tensions I do not know. Clearly the best solution is just giving the parish churches to the ordinariate (and thus in some cases, back to the Catholic Church!!).

Opus Angelorum and the need for prudence when reading media reports

2010-11-05T11:45:00.002Z

The BBC along with other news agencies have been reporting on this group called 'Opus Angelorum'. I have not heard of them before but they seem quite interesting. I'm not going to get into who they are and what they do necessarily, but I will say that if you read the news reports you will need to exercise prudence in discerning what the articles are actually saying. The reports on the surface appear to present Opus Angelorum as some sort of splinter group, which is not the case. The statement from the Vatican is worth reading; it is a few rebel members of Opus Angelorum which the Vatican is asking Bishops to be vigilant of, not the group as a whole. It is this rebel sect (in the news reports, it is easy for one to mistake the sect to mean Opus Angelorum) that is the problem as they are not following the agreed guidelines laid down by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Benedicite.

The weekend ahead

2010-11-05T06:38:00.002Z

The weeks appear to be flying by at the moment. There is just so much to do and what seems like so little time. I knew this third and final year of undergrad study would fly by! I just want to get on with my dissertation topic now to be honest; it has morphed once more from looking at the role of the bishop of Rome in healing the East-West schism, to simply attitudes of the Catholic Church towards the Eastern church since Vatican II. It's a more concise topic and will enable me to expand further in this area next year when I hope to do an MPhil. In fact, there are so many different areas I wouldn't mind doing further research in which is rather exciting: the thrill of academic study!

I've actually been up since 6am today (it's not been a one off either) trying to do some work because I find that I just get a lot more tired as the day progresses, particularly at the sun sets even earlier. For those out of the UK, the sun during winter months can set as early as 3.30-4pm; it is really dreadful and it does affect my energy levels - 'when night comes, when no one can work' John 9:4. I've had to crack on this morning with work because this weekend it looks like I won't be able to get so much done, which actually is probably a good thing because I could do with a break.

Later on today I shall be heading to Abingdon for spiritual direction with my 'guru' as I have jokingly called him in recent times. I then stay the night there and Saturday lunch time I shall make my way to Blackfriars where Br. Lawrence OP will be looking after me for a bit. All in all, it should be an enjoyable couple of days (and challenging at least with my spiritual director).

May you all have a restful weekend whenever it arrives for you. God bless and many prayers.

Benedicite.

CAFOD and Jon Snow controversy

2010-11-04T06:00:00.004Z

James Preece over at Catholic and Loving It has been covering the issue, almost exclusively, of CAFOD inviting Jon Snow to chair their Paul VI Memorial Lecture and has asked me to make a comment on the 'scandal'. This invitation was extended despite knowing full well (I assume they knew, of course) Mr. Snow's views tend to go against the Catholic Church's particular in areas relating to abortion, contraception and the role of women in the Church.

Now, I must confess that I find the choice of chair quite peculiar in one sense, yet in another it doesn't surprise me. I don't object necessarily to people outside the Church being chosen to chair meetings or to participate in Catholic conferences. One could take the position that all Jon Snow has been asked to do is to chair a meeting; he's not giving a big speech on how evil the Church is and how all its policies are destructive to mankind and are killing millions of people across Africa and beyond (again, as far as I am aware, this isn't the case). If extending a warm hand to Jon Snow encourages fruitful dialogue where he may potentially alter his current views, then fantastic. However, I am not so optimistic. As I mentioned above, I have no problem with Catholic agencies inviting non-Catholic speakers, and as such I recognise that you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who would agree with all that the Church teaches beyond its visible structures; I don't think this is necessarily a problem if it promotes fruitful dialogue and room for change in ones opinion. Nonetheless, from what I know of the situation, I don't think this was a wise move. Justice and Peace issues sadly seem to have this whiff of liberalism and dissent attached to them, which is a shame because justice and peace are integral to Christianity and the message it offers. It baffles me also how protection of the unborn doesn't fall into the same category as rights for the poor, the sick and disabled. What I find even more bizarre in this situation is that this is a Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture - a lecture named after the very Pope who issued Humane Vitae: am I the only person who finds some irony in this decision to choose Jon Snow? Of course, this was not the only encyclical he issued; Populorum Progressio is a favourite of CAFOD's and often features in its campaigns (I think I have a tshirt, in fact, with Paul VI on it with a quote from Populorum Progressio - it probably came from CAFOD too!).

I believe in situations it is always good to step back and consider how other people may perceive it. For certain Catholics, for whatever reason don't see the seriousness of abortion and the damage it causes, I can see why the choice of Jon Snow would be quite good: he seemingly cares about aid and fighting poverty which in themselves are worthwhile causes, and he's not a Catholic and can be a sign of the Church dialoging with those beyond its confines. However, taking into account Jon Snow's views on fundamental Church teaching, and as the official Catholic aid agency in England and Wales, I find it hard to believe that there was no other suitable candidate in better standing with the Church. These are only my views. I don't give money to CAFOD though I see that they do good work in places and I also have a number of friends who have been involved with them. I know they have had issues over the wording of certain documents concerning contraception, though they say they have corrected them which is good, I suppose, and I won't hold it against them; at least in the blogosphere, it appears that controversy doesn't seem to leave CAFOD's side which concerns me. If I'm going to give money to any Catholic aid agency, I must confess that it's going straight to Aid to the Church in Need who do fantastic work and don't seem to get themselves caught up in so much controversy as CAFOD has done (often, I think, because it labels itself as the official aid agency in these isles). I think generally speaking it is only Catholics on the blogosphere who take issue with CAFOD because such views are hardly ever expressed or made known in parish settings so your average parishioner is probably oblivious to all that seems to be revealed online. I think though the choice of chair for this lecture may indeed raise a few eyebrows.

Benedicite.

Evaluating the Catholic Church's attitude towards unbelief/atheism since Vatican II

2010-11-02T15:14:00.009Z

(The following is a piece I've written for a university assignment)

'Atheism, therefore, is not a liberating force, but a catastrophic one, for it seeks to quench the light of the living God' (Ecclesiam Suam, 100)

(Corrected version)

The Second Vatican Council[1] (1962-1965) brought about a fresh understanding and attitude towards unbelief, otherwise known as ‘atheism’. Prior to the Council, the Church’s stance towards atheism could best be described as one of suspicion and distrust, a system of beliefs containing ‘the most ignoble corruptions’ in the words of Pius XII in the encyclical Haurietis Aquas (1956:n.13). In contrast, in the encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope John XXIII stressed the ‘personal dignity’ of the non-believer and offers the reasonable proposition that ‘today, maybe, a man lacks faith and turns aside into error; tomorrow, perhaps, illumined by God’s light, he may indeed embrace the truth’ (1963:n.158). Increasingly throughout Church history, beginning potentially at the discovery of the New World, hastened in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Bullivant 2009:179), and spurred on most notably by Vatican II, the Catholic Church has embraced an attitude of dialogue with atheism, which continues to this day. This essay intends to examine and evaluate, in particular, statements by various Pontiffs on the subject of atheism since the Second Vatican Council and what initiatives, if at all, they have proposed to further reach out to those who consider themselves ‘atheist’ or ‘nonbelievers’.

One should not be misguided into thinking that the Catholic Church, since the Second Vatican Council, has decided that unbelief is de facto a good and wholly complete way of living. On the contrary, the Church regards atheism as ‘one of the most serious problems of our time, and one that deserves more thorough treatment’ (Gaudium et Spes, 19). Furthermore, in his first encyclical, Pope Paul VI in 1964 remarked that the ‘basic propositions of atheism are utterly false and irreconcilable with the underlying principles of thought’ and that ‘atheism, therefore, is not a liberating force, but a catastrophic one, for it seeks to quench the light of the living God’ (Ecclesium Suam, 100). His criticism of atheism appears markedly damning, however the Pontiff’s encyclical ends on a more positive note (Hebblethwaite 1967: 21) stating that ‘though We[2] speak firmly and clearly in defence of religion… Our pastoral solicitude nevertheless prompts Us to probe into the mind of the modern atheist, in an effort to understand the reasons for his mental turmoil and his denial of God’, finally commenting that their reasons are ‘many and complex’ (n. 104). In many ways, Paul VI writes about atheism in a way that sets the paradigm for his successors; it is one which, in the authentic spirit of the Council, states boldly the importance of the Church as ‘necessary for salvation’ and that ‘whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved’ (Lumen Gentium, 14) yet also is able to extend a warm hand to those outside the ‘sheepfold’ (n.6) in a spirit of love and out of pastoral care. As stated in the closing document of the 2004 Plenary Assembly, entitled ‘Where Is Your God: Responding to the Challenge of Unbelief and Religious Indifference Today’, the missionary stance towards those who do not consider themselves as part of the Church is ‘always that of the Good Shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep and draws them back into the fold’ (Poupard 2004:46).

The Second Vatican Council was unique compared to previous councils, as it was the first time the phenomenon of atheism had been addressed; hitherto councils had dealt with heresies and heretics and to be a heretic you had to be a Christian of one kind or another (Hebblethwaite 1967: 11). This is not to say Pontiffs before the council had not made comment on its existence[3] but certainly it was the first instance that it had been addressed in the presence of bishops across the globe in a council setting. Not only did Vatican II establish more concretely a fuller understanding of atheism, it paved the way for future developments in the Church, which would enable a non-polemical exchange between ‘faith’ on the Church’s part and ‘reason’ as presented by secular humanism[4]. Prior to the council, atheism was viewed as a French Catholic quandary but during and at the conclusion of the council, it was viewed as an international dilemma (Gallagher 1995:1).

So what change did Vatican II bring about in the Church’s understanding of and understanding towards unbelief? Firstly, there was a recognition that there was no one reason why a person would profess themselves to be atheist. For example, Gaudium et Spes remarked that some people ‘maintain that man cannot make any assertion whatsoever about [God]’ and that to try and speak of God would be ‘quite meaningless’ (n.19). Others, Gaudium et Spes goes onto say, ‘expressly deny the existence of God’ often due to the fact that such a standpoint can be a critical reaction against religions and, in some places, against the Christian tradition in particular (n.19). Secondly, one could argue the following statement to be one of the most important declarations made by the Church in this matter: ‘Believers can thus have more than a little to do with the rise of atheism’ (n.19). Why is this important? It is an important recognition because the Church recognises that it can be the very reason why so many abandon the faith, less in the way of what it teaches but rather in the way it delivers it and engages with the world. It could be suggested that this acknowledgment may be the Church’s impetus for wanting to reengage with the world, especially if the way it has presented itself hitherto has driven people away from it. As such, the Second Vatican Council recognised that unbelief was not something it could ignore, either because it was partly responsible for it or because it was something that affected large numbers of people, particularly as atheistic communist regimes were widespread at the time of the council[5]. Although the Catholic Church has reassessed its attitude towards unbelief and admits its nostra culpa in the light of unbeliever’s criticisms (Bullivant 2009:182), it has not compromised on what it sees as its threat to the existence of religion and religious freedom (Lumen Gentium, 20). It is out of concern for this threat that the council fathers sought to consider with ‘more thorough scrutiny…. the secret motives which lead the atheistic mind to deny God’ (n.21). As another sign of reaching out beyond itself, the council fathers write that the Church ‘courteously invites atheists to weigh the merits of the Gospel of Christ with an open mind’ (n.21); this invitation can not only be seen as a sign of the Churches matured relationship with those beyond its visible boundaries, but also a challenge to those who deny God to perhaps be less hardhearted and to engage in non-polemical discussions.

One of the fruits of the Second Vatican Council in the area of dialogue with atheists was the establishment by Pope Paul VI of the Secretariat for Non-Believers in 1965, focusing on dialogue itself in the first decade of its existence, then on the phenomenon of secularisation from then on (Gallagher 1995:2). Subsequently the Secretariat evolved into the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers and today is now called the Pontifical Council of Culture; a suggested reason for this change of focus from ‘non-believers’ to ‘culture’ will be expounded a little further on. In more recent times, Pope Benedict XVI in his motu proprio, Ubicumque et Semper, established the new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation. In it the Holy Father quotes from Christifideles Laici that ‘whole countries and nations where religion and the Christian life were formerly flourishing… are now put to a hard test, and in some cases, are even undergoing a radical transformation, as a result of a constant spreading of an indifference to religion, of secularism and atheism’ (n.34). Despite the provisions made for dialogue with non-believers since Vatican II, an atmosphere of hostility has festered on secularists part towards the Catholic Church; this was mentioned by Pope Benedict in his September address to Queen Elizabeth II at Holyrood House: ‘In this challenging enterprise, may it [the United Kingdom] always maintain its respect for those traditional values and cultural expressions that more aggressive forms of secularism no longer value or even tolerate’ (IS1). This shift from atheistic individuals to atheism in the form of widespread secularism in western European societies has made it difficult for the Church to dialogue with atheists per se (Gallagher 1995:2) and in part led to the change of name from the Pontifical Council for Dialogue with Non-Believers to that of the Pontifical Council for Culture – secularism has now become entrenched in twenty-first century western European culture. Examples of this in the UK include secularism masking itself under the banner of human rights and political correctness, infringing on religious rights most particularly in the recent furor over the equality bill (IS2).

One could assess the Catholic Church’s current stance towards unbelief as one that is considerably different to that of the 1960s because atheism today is far more widespread than it was then; secular values have engulfed European countries, which historically had always been Catholic strongholds, such as Spain for example. Today unbelief is presented as secular humanism, and as such, the Church takes a far more critical view of it because it poses a greater threat due to how quickly it has burgeoned across the European continent. The wording of papal writings on the issue of atheism and secularism tend to resonate with Paul VI’s remarks in Ecclesiam Suam[6]. Increasingly, it is more difficult, though not to say necessary, for the words of Christus Dominus to be adhered to: ‘In propounding this doctrine [bishops] should manifest the maternal solicitude of the Church toward all men whether they be believers or not…These conversations on salvation ought to be noted for clarity of speech as well as humility and mildness in order that at all times truth may be joined to charity and understanding with love’ (n.13). In the closing document of the 2004 Plenary Assembly, there is the identification of the ‘homo indifferens’ and the ‘deconfessionalisation of homo religiosus’ (Poupard 2004:14), which in many respects speaks of the ‘believing without belonging’[7] phenomenon which offers a glimmer of hope for the Catholic Church in what can seem at times as a ‘spiritual desert’[8] (IS3). But this spiritualism is set against ‘institutional’ religion as practiced by the Catholic Church and contains elements of individualism that are concurrent with strands of secular ideology; it contrasts the need for a community as propagated by the Church and thus it also remains a serious problem, largely because it has attacked the Church’s roots in western Europe. With this in mind, one could evaluate the Catholic Church’s attitude towards unbelief as one marked by serious concern, in part because dialogue is becoming much more complex than it was at the time of the council. The Church’s attitude has evolved but so too has atheism itself; it has morphed from an atheism in a communist setting to one that now stresses the individuality of a person as an end in themselves. Yet the Church needs to constantly keep in mind that non-believers are sisters and brothers, ‘children of the same loving God, not the great theologically unwashed towards whom we may display a subtle form of elitist condescension under the masks of “teaching” and “love”’(Rowan 2010:64). The establishment of the Courtyard of the Gentiles by Pope Benedict XVI expresses an openness on the part of the Church to, in the words of the President of the Ponticial Council for Culture Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, ‘create a network of agnostic or atheistic people who accept dialogue’ (quoted in Rowan 2010:56). Importantly, such an assembly would clarify on misunderstandings which are in abundance on both sides, particularly highlighted in an article by Mark Vernon from the Guardian newspaper, where he confuses the Pontifical Council for New Evangelisation as being renamed as the Courtyard of the Gentiles (IS4); because of this confusion he proposes the role of the Pontifical Council should be less about evangelizing and more about dialogue. Of course, a place of dialogue is exactly what the Courtyard of the Gentiles is for because it is not a replacement of the Pontifical Council or a renaming of it as Vernon seems to understand. Such inaccurate reporting causes more unnecessary confusion and clouds the Church’s active engagement with those of no faith. The words from Lumen Gentium, as quoted towards the beginning of this essay, ought to resonate true today in the Church (and the establishment of the Court of the Gentiles can be seen as fulfilling part of this intention) as it did back at the Second Vatican Council: ‘‘[atheism remains] one of the most serious problems of our time, and one that deserves more thorough treatment’ (Gaudium et Spes, 19).

Bibliography

Bullivant, S. 2009. ‘From “Main Tendue” to Vatican II: The Catholic Engagement with Atheism 1936-1965’, New Blackfriars 90/1026 (March), pp. 178-187.

Davie, G. 1994. Religion in Britain from 1945: Believing without Belonging. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Flannery, A. (ed.) 1992. Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. Dublin: Dominican Publication.

Gallagher, M. P. 1995. What are they saying about unbelief?. New York: Paulist Press.

Hebblethwaite, P. 1967. The Council Fathers & Atheism. New York: Paulist Press.

Poupard, P. 2004. Where Is Your God? Responding to the Challenge of Unbelief and Religious Indifference Today. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications.

Rowan, P. 2010. ‘G.K. Chesterton and the “Court of the Gentiles” (3)’, The Pastoral Review 6/6 (November/December), pp. 59-65.

Vatican Documents

Christus Dominus

Ecclesiam Suam

Fides et Ratio

Gaudium et Spes

Haurietis Aquas

Lumen Gentium

Pacem in Terris

Internet Sources

IS1: http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/Replay-the-Visit/Speeches/Speeches-16-September/Pope-Benedict-XVI-s-Speech-to-The-Queen

IS2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8476862.stm

IS3: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20080720_xxiii-wyd_en.html

IS4: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2010/jun/07/catholic-vatican-new-evangelisation

[1] Referred to also as ‘Vatican II’ in this essay.

[2] The capitalised use of the plural pronoun refers to the pluralis maiestatis often used in Papal writings, similar to the use of the royal ‘We’.

[3] Cf. Pius XII’s encyclicals Haurietis Aquas(1956) and Meminisse Luvat (1958) which respectively attack atheism as having ‘most ignoble corruptions’ and ‘lethal tenets’.

[4] ‘Reason’ is very much at the heart of Catholic thought and praxis. Particularly, the Church teaches that faith and reason are collectively important, and this is stressed in Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Fides et Ratio, that the rejection of ‘faith’ and clinging solely to ‘reason’ leads ultimately to nihilism.

[5] Most particularly the Soviet Union.

[6] As previously mentioned towards the beginning of the essay, Paul VI states that the ‘basic propositions of atheism are utterly false and irreconcilable with the underlying principles of thought’ and that ‘atheism, therefore, is not a liberating force, but a catastrophic one, for it seeks to quench the light of the living God’ (Ecclesiam Suam, 100).

[7] Taken from the title of Grace Davie book, entitled Religion in Britain from 1945: Believing without Belonging (1994). ‘Believing without belonging’ in the context used in the essay refers to individuals who have stepped away from institutional religion and have instead embraced a more individualistic and autonomous spirituality absent of accountability.

[8] From the homily of Pope Benedict XVI at Randwick Race Course, Sydney, Australia, for the close of the 23^rd World Youth Day celebrations in 2008.

A wonderful evening

2010-10-28T22:14:00.003+01:00

This evening has been truly wonderful. Our Mass for the feast of Ss Simon and Jude was beautiful and the music was truly fitting. As expected, our oratory was packed out which was just amazing. Below are some photos from the Mass edited by a community member.

Let us pray..

This is my blood...

Behold the Lamb of God

The Frassati Society

This was a very special moment for me in my university life. I could barely have dreamt of such a gathering even a year ago. One thing is sure, there will be many more gatherings like this in months to come! Thank you to all who have made this possible, particularly Fr. Paul for celebrating our Mass and for offering to help us out on occasions.

"And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6
Benedicite.

Gearing up for our Ss Simon and Jude Mass

2010-10-28T17:12:00.001+01:00

We at Benedict XVI House are gearing up for our first Mass with the Frassati Society which is inextricably linked with the house. So many of you have been generous with your donations. Thanks to one priest who has donated the community a set of white, red, green, purple and rose vestments, tonight we will be able to use a beautiful red Roman chasuble for the celebration of Holy Mass.

We will also be using our new chalice and it will be the first time Mass has been celebrated on our altar ad orientem with the six candlesticks. A group of us will be leading the singing and we have chosen to sing the Missa de angelis, mainly because it is the easiest and some of us (well, me!) are not very good vocally. God willing, our chanting will get better over time and we will be able to sing all the propers. Needless to say though, tonight should be a wonderful occasion with what looks like a very packed oratory! We even have vodka pasta lined up afterwards :-) (I've never had it before but it should be great!).

I will make sure that tonights Mass is offered for all of you who have offered help to the community in any way, be that financially, through gifts and/or through prayer.

I think you'll agree though, the oratory is looking pretty amazing!

Benedicite.

Some Papal videos

2010-10-28T09:59:00.001+01:00

I've been browsing around on Youtube and I came across some interesting videos. The first shows the gathering of cardinals during the reign of Paul VI at the beginning of the video and you see John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI as cardinals.

The second video is the then Cardinal Ratzinger participating in a religious procession through the streets of Krakow. Wouldn't it be great to see more processions like this? Perhaps we'll get one at uni some time soon!

This last video is peculiar. From what I can make out from the title of the video and from the video itself, it appears Cardinal Ratzinger is receiving an honorary doctorate. That in itself is not peculiar, but the apparel worn by him and other university staff is just......... unique, to be polite! The hats are quite something. It's probably the closest Ratzinger is ever going to get to a coronation!

Benedicite.

"A powerful moment of ecclesial communion"

2010-10-26T10:00:00.000+01:00

Further to my post yesterday, here is a video of extracts from the Holy Father's homily at the close of the Synod of Bishops of the Middle East. For a video on the Vatican's youtube channel, it is quite long and perhaps they're signalling something (or indeed, as is often the case, I read what I want into something!). Needless to say, the camera catches various angles of Eastern bishops intermingled with Latin Rite bishops and it's a glorious sight.

Benedicite.

A glimpse of the future?

2010-10-25T17:33:00.005+01:00

East meets West

In some ways the title of this post is ironic, because the following pictures are in fact a glimpse of the Church today. I say future because it has given me a glimpse of what a reunited Church might look like one day. Certainly our Eastern brethren bring a lot of colour to the liturgy (which is no bad thing!). I have been reading quite a bit of material recently on the role of the Petrine Ministry and reuniting the Eastern and Western Church. The Eastern Catholics, from a Latin perspective, play an integral role in helping to restore Communion between the two Churches. However, often the sentiments aren't relayed from the Orthodox/Orientals as they see the Eastern Catholics as an obstacle and still choose to refer to them with the rather derogatory term (at least seen as such by Eastern Catholics), "Uniates."

The more I read, the more I question how much each Church, particularly the Latin Church, will have to give in to restore full and visible unity. I also wonder what and how much further schism and fracturing would occur if reunion was to occur. There will always be people who get upset or claim that the Latin Church has gone to pot in such an eventuality, that they would splinter off: it's rather ironic that with union also comes division. Perhaps I'm being cynical, though I think it is a realistic point given what has occurred within the Church in the last forty years since the Second Vatican Council with the SSPX on one end of the spectrum, then various groups in the US with their priestesses and 'bishopesses' at the other end. What needs to be factored in is whether such schism which is likely to occur, is worth it given the benefits of restoring full Communion with the Orthodox. What the visible benefits would be, I'm not too sure at this time; alas, I have much more reading to do; I have mentioned in previous posts that I don't think either of our liturgies would substantially change or would be fused together - I think if anything we would notice more of a change at say Masses with the Pope (though even then, as you can see in the below photo, we already have the Gospels processed by a Latin and Byzantine rite cleric in the context of a Pontifical Latin Rite Mass). Throughout all my reading though, it is evident that greater emphasis needs to be placed on collegiality, or at least the Latin Church needs to better understand it. Clearly something is working if the Eastern Catholics can live happily in Communion with the Bishop of Rome and it is their role the Orthodox need to take seriously if reunion means anything to them. People ought to cast out any wishful vision they might have of Orthodox bishops crawling on their knees to kiss the Papal red slippers, because it's not going to happen and thank God! We must see each other more as sister Churches as opposed to a Mother Church and a guilty Daughter Church (depending on whether you're Latin or Eastern, you could probably use their term to apply either way depending on how strong your feelings are). Anybody who has mixed with Eastern Catholics or indeed any Eastern Church, would realise that they have rich and venerable traditions which more often than not I prefer. I think I would go to a Byzantine Liturgy over a Tridentine Mass any day given the opportunity (but that is for another post).

A Byzantine Rite Priest and a Latin Rite Deacon processing with the Book of Gospels - perhaps a glimpse of what liturgies with the Pope (or indeed any other Pontifical Mass) may look more like in the future?

It would be good for us to pray that the photos above one day may include many more Eastern brethren, when the barriers that prevent us from celebrating the eucharist together are cast into oblivion. We should pray too that there is an openness of heart on both sides to discussing the role of the Bishop of Rome and that he, rather than being a sign of division, may truly be a sign of the unity of Christ's flock on earth.

Benedicite.

Oratory of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati transformed!

2010-10-21T13:53:00.002+01:00

I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all who have generously donated money and items to Benedict XVI House. Our Oratory truly looks 'Catholic' and we are very grateful. We have had vestments donated by a kind benefactor and also enough money from another source to purchase a rather fine Roman chasuble with all the trimmings (maniple, chalice veil, burse) for feast days. We also received a cheque which has enabled us to buy a chalice and paten which arrived just this morning. We are still in need of a suitable purple chasuble so if you a priest and have one available and are able to donate it, then please get in touch. If you want to make a contribution towards a chasuble then we'd be looking at roughly £80 (we have a link to someone who makes decent chasubles for a very reasonable price) to cover the purchase and posting.

This is what the oratory looked like when we first arrived:

This is how the oratory stands today!

Our new (and rather fine) Roman chasuble thanks to one of our benefactors

Two chasubles kindly donated by a generous donor

Each Monday the oratory is filled to maximum capacity as we have the Frassati Society present for Vespers and the Litany of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. We then head out to different locations each week to feed those most in need. These Monday missions have grown substantially; initially there was only myself and Dr. Stephen Bullivant (the 'cool crew') but in just under a month, as of this past Monday, we had 14 people! Benedict XVI House is no short of a miracle; it is enabling us to facilitate such events by beginning them with prayer, which is where we ground all of our actions. We also pray the Angelus reminding us that Mary is always with us and that we need her to always direct us toward her Son. We also have plans for Advent talks and for various talks and discussion evenings throughout the academic year.

Please pray for us, and if you are able to help us purchase our purple chasuble that would be very generous of you - Advent isn't that far round the corner!

Once again, THANK YOU!

Benedicite.

Protest Pinera!

2010-10-18T16:40:00.000+01:00

The Chilean president, Mr Pinera, is beginning a state visit to the UK at a cost of millions to the British taxpayer. Protest Pinera! is urging all right-minded citizens to join a protest against this state visit during an economic crisis. We believe that he should not be granted the status of state visit and received with pomp and ceremony by Her Majesty the Queen.

Mr Pinera is personally responsible for trapping 33 miners underground. He has presided over a culture of silence, whereby safety procedures have been ignored in Chilean mines, and as president of Chile is responsible for the unsafe mining conditions that leads to tragedies. He is responsible for accidents that date back 40 years, even though he has only been president for a short time. He has spoken of solving poverty in Chile, which is very irresponsible and because it is a predominantly Catholic country he is responsible for countless deaths of AIDS victims.

Indeed, since Chile is not really a proper country it is possible to arrest Mr Pinera when he steps foot on British soil.

So please join Protest Pinera to make some silly banners to let him know how we feel, and make some ignorant and hateful speeches about him at Hyde Park corner. It will be a peaceful demonstration, but we encourage violence against Mr Pinera himself of course.

H/T the ever wonderful, Suffering World.

Benedicite.

(Please forgive my lack of posting (at least posts containing my own thoughts etc.), I just have quite a lot on at university. I imagine this will be a sign of things to come given that it's my final undergrad. year. Please keep me in your prayers. Praying for you all, as always!)

Religious Image of the Week

2010-10-16T10:42:00.000+01:00

What a motorcade! From the Papal visit to Scotland.

Benedicite.

Papal Bull, Indulgences and Transubstantiation

2010-10-15T20:29:00.001+01:00

Thank God for Transubstantiation!

The message is rubbish (as any good Catholic would testify) and the historical accuracy is more than questionable, however this is a lot of fun. Thank God for Papal Bulls, indulgences and transubstantiation :)

Benedicite.

Better to be hated for the right reasons

2010-10-15T11:43:00.001+01:00

The following link is to an article a lecturer friend, whom I live with at Benedict XVI House, has written in the 'Guardian: Comment is Free' entitled "Better to be hated for the right reasons than ignored." It speaks of 'lukewarm Christianity' and how this current generation of young people (or at least a great number of them whether they seek to classify themselves as 'traddy' or 'charismatic') will not settle for it. Dr. Stephen Bullivant quotes a verse from the Book of the Apocalypse:

"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Click here to read Dr. Bullivant's article.

Benedicite.

Peter is in the house

2010-10-11T10:00:00.001+01:00

I absolutely love the music from the Papal Mass at Westminster Cathedral last month, namely the Tu Es Petrus setting by Macmillan and the Bruckner Ecce Sacerdos Magnus. I still get goosebumps every time I hear the Tu Es Petrus. On the actual day I was standing in front of the outdoor speaker in the piazza right behind the camera men - it was just incredible. I know many have found it a bit theatrical or a bit Star Trek like, but I think when you hear both these pieces, you know someone significant is 'in the house.' Here are the pieces for your delight:

Benedicite.

Religious Image of the Week

2010-10-09T13:27:00.000+01:00

The Holy Father in my university chapel on his visit to St. Mary's University College, Twickenham, on his recent apostolic visit to the United Kingdom (I still can't believe he was in there!).

Benedicite.

Update on Benedict XVI House appeal

2010-10-08T21:41:00.000+01:00

Dear all,

Thank you for the many emails I have received regarding the appeal for Benedict XVI House. Many of you have been very generous offering various items to go into our oratory. We are very grateful to the benefactors who have given us a cheque for £100 so that we can buy a suitable white chasuble with all the "trimmings" in case we have the EF Mass celebrated. We are also very grateful to the number of priests who have offered to give us talks and to celebrate Mass for the community.

We are still in need of a (metal) chalice and paten (plus a separate ciborium). If you have or are able to donate these items to the community we would really appreciate it.

Above all, please keep us in your prayers. Your prayers are more valuable than financial contributions.

With love in the Lord.

Benedicite.

Meat imitations on a Friday

2010-10-07T15:28:00.001+01:00

For a while now I've tried to keep to the tradition of not eating meat on Fridays. In all honesty, I practically fail each week (why of all days do I seem to crave meat on Fridays?!). Often it's because I'm weak and I just give in, other times though it is because there is meat that ought to be eaten otherwise it's just going to be thrown out which would be a waste. Perhaps the solution is being more organised or better planned for the week ahead so that all meat is eaten before Friday dawns.

I don't know the full historical background as to why we traditionally don't eat meat on Fridays though no doubt it is related to the fact that Friday is typically a day of penance and meat is good... so good (I'm certainly not a vegetarian!) and this is worth renouncing for at least a day. At Benedict XVI House this Friday we have our first Mass in house as a community and then we will be having a meal. We've decided not to eat meat and my friend has offered to cook that evening. But rather than using meat, she is planning on using Quorn. From what I understand, Quorn tastes a lot better than it use to and from my own experiences, I don't mind it. My thoughts though have circulated round the idea that even if Quorn does not use any meat in its products, it certainly attempts and often looks and feels like real meat. For example, you can get Quorn mince and in fact that is what we will be using this Friday for Shepherds Pie (though I suppose it can't really be called "Shepherds" as we're not using lamb). But if it feels like meat and tastes more or less like meat, are we really fulfilling this traditional Friday observance?

In the New Testament we are told that there are no meats that man cannot eat. There are no animals or types of meat which are evil in themselves. As such, abstaining from meat on Fridays is not because meat is evil or bad. It is more to do with the fact that most people like meat and that it's a luxury which can be set aside for at least one day during the week. If a person is vegetarian then obviously there is no real sacrifice if they want to observe this traditional observance as they observe it seven days a week. So rather than giving up meat on Fridays, would it be better to renounce something we generally like and eat often, say crisps, biscuits, or cake rather than meat necessarily? Maybe I've got it wrong and actually it's not about not eating meat but more about eating fish.

Anyway back to my original point (and I'm not going to lose vast amounts of sleep over this in case you were wondering): Does eating Quorn products fulfil the traditional observance of not eating meat on Fridays even if it looks, feels and tastes like meat?

Benedicite.

Made for love

2010-10-04T10:20:00.005+01:00

The following is a blog post by Fr. Dominic Howarth, former youth chaplain for the Brentwood Diocese, now Vocations Director. He reflectively writes about the visit of the Holy Father, mainly the Cathedral event with the thousands of young people gathered outside (myself being part of that!). Fr. Dominic was instrumental in the organisation of the day and also the Hyde Park vigil which I thought was spectacular. I know personally that he has put in a lot of his energy, strength and love into the whole planning for the visit for which I am truly grateful. Fr. Dominic has been a key figure in my faith journey and has been instrumental in helping me to grow into a mature young man; he truly has been and continues to be a 'father' to me. The following post is from the Brentwood Vocations website but I have reproduced it here for you:

Fr Dominic (second from left) watching Paschal (a young adult from the diocese of Brentwood - left) address the Holy Father outside Westminster Cathedral

"It is now two weeks after the Papal Visit. Personally, much of it is still sinking in; there were four months of intense preparation, and then one amazing day in London, in the context of an uplifting and exhilerating weekend. In the last two weeks physical tiredness has permeated my body while spiritual and personal elation have filled my heart; parish life continues, of course, Aspects of the day flash in front of me; the young people gathering in the Piazza, with song and cheers; my standing on a little plastic box on a wooden scaffold and being interviewed for BBC Breakfast. I had never been interviewed on TV before. Perhaps it was the hour of the day (I had been up since five, and was interviewed at seven and again just after twelve), but what I remember is being caught in the joy and excitement of the Piazza below, and so forgetting that the conversation I was having was going across national and international TV, live. That still doesn't quite seem real, and nor does catching sight of Ann Widdicombe next to me, leaning over the railings as young people passed up their Mass booklets for her to sign! Strictly Come Dancing meets the Papal Visit.

I sat inside the Cathedral and heard Pope Benedict speak in a profound, from-the-heart, direct and humbling way about the wounds of child abuse . He spoke in the shadow of the inspiring crucifix which dominates the nave of Westminster Cathedral, in a Mass dedicated to the Precious Blood. They were words which needed to be said by the Pope in Britain, and they resonated powerfully. The cross, of course, does not leave us in a place of crucifixion, but points on to the resurrection; I pray that his words that morning lead us into a new and lighter place, though ever mindful of the care with which we continue to journey with those who have suffered so much.

And in the Piazza there was perhaps the tangible sign of that resurrection, the sheer unadulterated joy of when we get our youth ministry right. 2,200 young people - one from nearly every parish in the country - absolutely delighted to be so close to Pope Benedict. Paschal, from our own Diocese, radiantly welcoming the Pope - and Pope Benedict himself clearly touched by both the collective and individual welcome, stepping forward to embrace and bless Paschal.

In the Pope's words to young people that morning he said, "You are made for love ... made to give love and to receive love." If we had to condense the essence of the Christian faith into one single understanding, surely it is this. And surely this is the springboard for all our youth ministry - to help young people discover this profound and essential truth. Needless to say, it is as true for those aged 77 as for those aged 17 - it is the truth we work towards all our lives.

We went on to Hyde Park then - but I think that would be a whole new blog. For now, I would like to root these reflections in the particular feasts of recent days, celebrated back in the parish - feasts about childhood and innocence that resonate with what I experienced in the Piazza. The Feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel; the Feast of the Guardian Angels; the Feast of St Therese of Lisieux. On Monday we will celebrate the Feast of St Francis, evoking as one of its themes the innocence of delighting in God's creation.

For me, the most profound dimension of the Pope's encounter with young people is in the intertwining of radiant innocence - the overwhelming joy of the Piazza - with the reality of the young people's lives. It is why the feasts fit so well; St Therese could exclaim in the midst of deep personal suffering, "I have found my vocation and my vocation is love." Our Guardian Angels are a tangible sign of God's personal presence to and understanding of each one of us, in the midst of whatever life brings. The young people on the Piazza looked bright, bubbly and joyful - and they were. But many of the ones known to me are also struggling with difficult home lives, or personal illness, or recent and serious bereavement; some struggle with the effects of abuse; some are finding it tough to get a job after obtaining good degrees; some are struggling in relationships, or with their sexuality; some are suffering stress, depression or family poverty. In the Piazza that morning none of that would have been obvious - knowing the reality of it is what means that the moments in the Piazza will stay with me for the rest of my life; the moments where the Pope told those young people they were "Made for love." They are. We are. And our faith is about giving life to the ever-present love of Jesus Christ."

Benedicite.

Religious Image of the Week (it returns)

2010-10-02T10:00:00.001+01:00

H/T The Crescat

Benedicite.

The Struggling Christian

2010-10-01T10:37:00.002+01:00

Is it really easy to accept Jesus?

Recently in a module I am doing which looks at religion in Britain, I came into contact with some statistics from the last census that an overwhelming majority of people in this country consider themselves "Christian" which admittedly is a very broad term. But I can't help but think that many 'sign up' to be Christians because they see it as the least demanding of all other religions? Could it be from this erroneous view of Christianity that so much anger and hatred is directed towards say the Catholic Church which appears to ask a lot more of people than most other denominations or religions?

Often you will hear, and it's not wrong, that Christianity is all about love. Yes, it is but as I've talked about in previous posts from times gone by, our understanding of love ought to be far deeper than any love we have for Eastenders or chocolate cake. The love of Christianity is more than happy-happy joy-joy. As I picked up during the build up to the Papal visit, the Church through the eyes of society (which has been formed to some degree by Christian values), appears to be completely void of love because it seeks to prevent homosexuals to marry or prohibits its followers to have abortions or to use contraception, even in marriage. Of course, one of the greatest horrors to society is that the Church is seemingly breaking human rights and equality laws by saying women cannot be priests. The Church that speaks of true love, to society, looks like a Church rotten to its core.

Now why is it that people seem to think of Christianity as the easy option? I am sure most of us on the 'inside' recognise there is nothing easy at all about living the authentic Christian life. Perhaps that is the problem itself: most people think they know authentic Christianity but in fact they know nothing of it. Most people are fixated with the Nativity of our Lord, that gentle picture where all is calm. I mean that in itself must be a distorted picture; what birth is ever calm and peaceful let alone in a stable?! The picture is never as rosy as the Christmas cards make out. The symbol of our faith is a cross and there is certainly nothing comfortable about that, and yet so many choose to wear it as a fashion statement rather than a reminder.

I am positive that it is through this distorted picture of what people perceive Christianity to be and thus how Christians should be, that so many expect Christians to be perfect or at least Christianity sets the bench mark of perfection. Nor can many understand that even if Christianity sets the mark of perfection, we are not expected to reach that perfection (this side of the grave). They see guilt ridden Christians and think to themselves, "What is the point? You've got targets you can't even reach. What a silly way of life" but they fail to see that in fact, the authentic Christian is the "Struggling Christian."

The Struggling Christian recognises their weaknesses and their littleness before God. The words of the Psalmist, "My sin is always before me" rings loudly in their hearts. The Struggling Christian knows that God loves them immensely. The Struggling Christian knows that their heart is restless till it rests in God (h/t St. Augustine). And with thanks to human nature, they often fail to recognise all of those aspects and give up, yet this does not negate the authenticity of the persons Christian spirit and love for the Lord. In essence, the authentic Christian must screw up and fall over because it is in those moments that they learn to stand up and correct their ways. I suppose the mark of the authentic Christian is the one who thirsts for God and His love and does all they can, despite their weaknesses, to change themselves for the better.

It is often said that a person reveals much about themselves through their writing and certainly this posts would demonstrate that. It is also very difficult at times to not write in a way which justifies ones behaviours or views, but what can we do? I can best describe myself as one of these "Struggling Christians" as I've coined it in this post. I recognise the yearning for God which often draws me into solitude and silence, allowing space for God to speak. I realise that even when I am far from Him, He is close to me. I know this by the way he disturbs my day to day activity so that I remain restless till I rest in His silence: God is forever knocking at my door it feels. Despite this immense blessing that He comes and knocks at the door of my heart and asks for me, I am bombarded by the endless amount of filth in my life and I must struggle through in prayer confronting all that is not from God. The Struggling Christian must be purged of all that is not good, and this I recognise.

The authentic Christian life is not the easy life. If a person wants the easy life, then they need to look elsewhere. Climbing the mountain of Christian faith requires us all to be 'athletes for the kingdom', a line from the litany of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. How often though the Struggling Christian is out of shape and out of breath. Oh how much we need the breath of the One who created all life so that we can reach that final goal.

Benedicite.

An appeal

2010-09-30T15:11:00.003+01:00

Dear all,

As some of you know, St. Mary's University College, my university which hosted the Big Assembly and the Inter-religous meeting during the recent Papal visit to the United Kingdom, has recently begun a new lay community house, called Benedict XVI House. I am truly blessed to be living as part of this community and it has been a wonderful experience so far. Not only am I close to the university campus but I am also in a prayerful environment which is helping me to settle better in prayer so that I can better discern what God is calling me to after this important final year.

The chapel/oratory is at the heart of the house where we pray Lauds and Vespers daily (and sometimes Compline). Below is a picture of what the prayer room looked like when it was handed over to us:

(Note the beanbags)

and this is what we've managed to do with it since:

Oratory of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

There is still work to do but hopefully we will have a rather fine wooden altar (+altar stone) in place soon but your prayers are needed (it's going to be a tight squeeze getting the altar through the window!). Hopefully we will also soon have a chalice and paten so that we can celebrate Holy Mass.

This appeal is for some money so that we can purchase a white chasuble so that we can celebrate Mass all year round as we currently only have a green chasuble. We need around £100 to purchase a suitable white/gold chasuble, an amice and a cincture. If you are a priest and are able to donate an amice and cincture that would be fantastic. If we receive more money than we need then the remaining money will be set aside to replenish candles, hosts and wine for the celebration of Holy Mass. We are mainly students and as you can imagine we really don't have much money, so any help you can offer us would be much appreciated. If you are able to make a donation, please send any cheques (addressed to Shaun Bailham) to:

The Appeal

Benedict XVI House

7 Waldegrave Gardens

Strawberry Hill

Twickenham

TW14PQ

If you wish to speak more about a possible donation then feel free to contact me at catholicwithattitudeAThotmailDOTcom. In return for any donations, the community would be more than pleased to keep you in our prayers daily whether by name or anonymously during Vespers. If you cannot donate financially, then please pray for us!

In Christ.

Benedicite.

A blog worth checking out

2010-09-28T21:22:00.001+01:00

A photo I took from inside the abbey church last year

Pop over to Fr. Hugh Somerville-Knapman (OSB)'s blog at Dominus Mihi Adjutor. Fr. Hugh is a monk of the English Benedictine Congregation at Douai Abbey in Reading. I have visited Douai once before for midday prayer and thought the monastery is situated in a beautiful part of the country. As many of you know, I have spent quite a bit of time at Downside Abbey in Somerset which is also part of the same congregation.

For more information on Douai Abbey visit here and for Downside Abbey visit here.

Benedicite.

Unity with the Eastern Church: What would be the visible effects?

2010-09-27T23:09:00.002+01:00

I have been reading a fantastic journal article about obstacles to full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This particular article tackles the issue of the Petrine ministry and more specifically papal supremacy. It is written from an Orthodox perspective but is very sympathetic towards the idea of working towards full communion. Having reflected a bit on the article, I realise how wonderful it would be to end almost a thousand years of schism and to breathe with "both lungs" to use the words of John Paul II. With my deep love of the eastern liturgical traditions, any step closer to full communion just fills me with joy. However, it has prompted me to think, leaving all the historical issues to one-side and how momentous it would be for the end of the schism, what would be the visible effects of this reunion on the ground level say in your local parish setting?

My previous line of thought had often circulated around the liturgical aspects and how the eastern traditions could influence our western ones. But after much pondering, I doubt there would be any effect, if anything because we have the eastern Catholic communities which have had little effect on the way we celebrate the Mass. Perhaps this is a good thing, and this comes back to John Paul II and how he urged the eastern churches to "cleanse" themselves of Latin influences, as the issue is more to do with how can the Latin Church rediscover its traditions as opposed to having to take everything from the East. It would erroneous to think also that everything East equates to being ultimately good or better than anything the West can offer. So what would your average Joe at Our Lady Immaculate parish notice, if anything at all? I don't know the answer and I am flinging the question out to all of you who may have some insights, or at least hopes if unity is one day (and I strongly believe and have good reason to believe it will be) attained. I think it would be tremendously sad if nothing changed or that our experience of belonging to the Body of Christ was in no way enriched. It may be so that the graces that may flow from such a union are hidden from our eyes at this time and that we may just have to wait and see.

The article tackles the issues of authority and from what I can work out, the Orthodox understanding of authority is almost synonymous with PM Cameron's notion of "Big Society" - the church is operated locally. One problem with comparing it to the PM's "Big Society" vision is that the church is not a democracy and the Orthodox would, I think, agree with that.

Since Vatican II there has been this stress on collegiality which has resulted in part with the much loved Bishops Conferences. But collegiality is a big issue for the Orthodox and in particular, in relation to reunion, how the Bishop of Rome relates with other bishops from around the world. The article actually proposes that the Bishop of Rome ought to maintain aspects of his juridical role but greater emphasis ought to be placed on cooperation with local bishops. I must confess, my understanding of the Petrine ministry has always been rooted in the title "Servant of the Servants of God" as well as maintaining primacy but which works together with brother bishops for the good of the Church. In this regard I take issue with certain Orthodox views (at least presented in this article) which present this style of authoritarian papacy which is often portrayed in the secular press but is one I personally do not relate to.

There are many issues to tackle which is exciting as I will have plenty to talk about in my dissertation, but as for the visible effects of full unity one day, I still remain unsure as to what an ordinary parishioner would notice.

Benedicite.

PS I realise I haven't named the article but that is because I don't have it at hand and I cannot remember the author! Will provide name in due course.