All Gas and Gaiters

Holy Theophany.

2012-01-06T17:24:00.004Z

Here is a welcome message from fellow Christians in the Holy Land and Armenia......

Message of His Holiness Karekin II on Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ

“Dear faithful sons and daughters....today before our souls and minds is that life-giving “great and wondrous” mystery which shone out over the heavens and the earth, when the bright star stood still over the cave in Bethlehem and the angels proclaimed the glad tidings of the Holy Birth of the Saviour Son of God, saying, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11. The gospels tell us how the wise Magi who had travelled from afar and shepherds nearby, hurried toward the manger and bowed down before the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and welcomed the arrival of the Saviour to the world.

On the feast of the marvelous mystery of the Holy Nativity, we are all pilgrims to Bethlehem, either by visiting the Holy Land or by making our souls Bethlehem, to bow down before the infant Jesus with the wisdom and strength granted to us by faith, to recognize Him and accept Him as the Only Begotten Son of God and the way to eternal life. As the apostle writes, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Today in the “Bethlehem of the Armenians” – this holy sanctuary where the Only Begotten Son of God descended – and in all of our churches established through its light, we, dear ones, and all children of our nation, joyfully praise the birth of the Saviour who came to earth for us, and confess: You are our Lord. You are our Saviour. You are the source of life and the path to eternity. This confession has illuminated and continues to illuminate the path of humanity. Through Christ, God’s love was revealed to mankind; the Son of God came into the world to eliminate sin, dissipate the darkness of death, and to lead humanity to its Creator – to accept everlasting life. Through Christ, divine love is dispersed throughout the world entire – over man and nature – to always renew and fill it with life and joy. However a way of life opposed to the divine will turns life into a focus of problems and challenges. Let us look at the modern world. It is burdened with manifold difficulties, deprivations, contradictions and conflicts. The rejection of Christ and His commandments gives birth to wars and tragedies, harms our planet, becomes the cause of a weakening soul and spirituality, as well as the violent interruption of God-granted life – murder and suicide. The universal crisis of our day, which is explained through political, economic and material causes, is also fundamentally a result of the alienation and straying from the luminous path that leads toward God, the rejection of the gifts of heavenly love by sinful ways. Christ is life and in keeping his commandments, God’s love, truth, holiness, justice and mercy are implemented in this world, leading it towards the good and perfect, the full life that was our Lord’s earthly life, which was faith and love for the heavenly Father and blessing for mankind.

Dear and pious faithful, faith and love are those unshakeable foundations, through steadfast reliance upon which shall the life of our country and people become stronger and be filled with joy and delight. The fruits of faith and love are the good works of honesty, righteousness, sympathy, support and assistance to one another, which shall always accompany us so long as our path does not divert from Christ’s luminous path. In our days, as well as in our lives, alongside the works built by faith and many God-pleasing enterprises, unfortunately we see God-denying processes, behavior incompatible with the Christian character of our people, distortion of our cherished national values, as well as ignoring the spiritual in favor of overvaluing material possessions and money – such that they become the main objective rather than a means of organizing a good and fair life. Truly, manifestations such as these empty life of the life-sustaining presence of Christ, denying it of that spiritual joy, empathy, philanthropy, noble and lofty emotions, and God-granted salvation. Christ warns of that destructive path, saying, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36. Dear ones, we shall renew our lives today through the true example of love shown by our Lord; our lives that are not yet free from needs and difficulties, from major external and internal issues that impede the progress and prosperity of our country and people. The challenges and demands of our present lives cannot undermine our will to overcome the obstacles and barriers and, supporting one another, to serve the strengthening of our land, the progress of our nation and the building of a bright future. The advancement of our life will open bright new horizons before us, if we unite our national efforts and commit ourselves to work to bring goodness to society, with the aspirations of serving the nation and the Homeland, combining the abiding of the law with love, justice with clemency, wealth with mercy, power with assistance, and ability with service, because we accept and profess the life-granting Son. Today, with the example of the Magi and the shepherds, let us bow down before Christ, accept the Lord within the mangers of our hearts, be renewed by the grace of salvation granted to us, and always remember that the Lord’s “mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:50.

On the soul-renewing occasion of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of our Lord, we greet the incumbents of the hierarchal sees of our Apostolic Holy Church with Christ-bequeathed love... We convey our pontifical love and blessings to the oath-bound clergy of our Church and to all our people dispersed throughout the world. With the glad tiding of the Holy Nativity, we greet the spiritual heads of our Sister Churches and the representatives of diplomatic missions....

On this day full of grace that brings glad tidings, dear pious faithful, let us pray and appeal to our Saviour with these words, ‘Lord, may the graces of your Holy Birth illuminate the entire world, may the angelic tiding of peace resound in all corners of the earth, may goodwill and harmony accompany all nations and peoples, and may joy and happiness reign in all families. Let hatred, enmity, despair, indifference, bitterness and sadness retreat before the light of your Holy Nativity, and may the whole world be enveloped with the love and hope you have gifted. Keep our nation dispersed throughout the world united, Lord, in your loving care, and grant a prosperous and thriving life, welfare and strength.. and greater light and brilliance to our Holy Apostolic Church. And we, true to your words, shall bear witness to our faith through our works, and always feel within our hearts the joy of your life-giving presence, and exuberantly proclaim the good news of your Holy Birth.’ Amen.

Christ is Born and Revealed. Great tidings to us all.

Rejoice in the Lord Alway

2011-12-26T21:34:00.000Z

St. Arvans Crib 2011

Homily for Christmas Day family service with Holy Communion.

These words from St Paul bring to us the essence of this feast second only in the Christian calendar to Easter and the Resurrection of the Lord. For this holy birth is to culminate for God made man not in the earthly life which comes to an end but through the mystery of Easter is transformed into the eternal life through an earth shattering reality that death will not or need not be the end for us. Born today, sent to live among and as one of us, then to die for us and to rise for us that all death be overcome. This death is foreshadowed in the offering of the burial spice myrrh, which the wise men, will bring at Epiphany. But for today all is joy all is calm, all is peace brought to us by the Prince of Peace.

Although life can be hard, can be challenging can be imperfect, today there is one before us who shows us that he is here above all to comfort us in all our troubles. Yes, we know that we fail, that we sin that we don’t worship him as well or as often as we should, but he knows all that; he is not here today to scold, to force, to impose guilt, he is here to bring us joy; to show us what peace really is, to comfort us and to guide us through life. Just as we naturally extend our hands to a new child in welcome, so too we do so this morning to the infant King here in the crib before us, and as He grasps our fingers with his little hand may we today know that comfort, be blessed by the touch to our hearts and be sanctified in the words of the liturgy and in the sacrament of his body that we honour in the Holy Communion and that we shall either receive or be blessed by today and which was consecrated at the Midnight Mass earlier this morning. This comfort food that is better than all the Christmas Day dinners that have ever or will ever be made, important as though these celebrations be. As you open a present today why not open your hearts to Him too? He is waiting for you, he is loving as a child is loving to his family and he considers us all to be his family. Can we let go and immerse ourselves in the joy of this encounter? Not just with an innocent loving child but with this special, loving, welcoming and comforting God made in human form? There was no room at the Inn but may we never say there is no room in our hearts for Him or this Holy family, which we see before us. Today may Jesus, Mary and Joseph pray for you and bless you with great comfort and great joy. Amen.+

Comfort ye My people

2011-12-22T20:44:00.002Z

In my Advent reading I have been much moved by these words from Ronald Rolheiser and would share them with you in this final time when we shall begin to turn from silent waiting for our Saviour to be born to expectant joy at his coming to live with, and as one of us!

"We will comfort the world, and it will be comforted, when we show it that God sees its heart with the eyes of the heart, that God feels for it more than it feels for itself, that God never feels frightened or wronged by the assertions of its freedom, that God is not put off by all the times we turn our back on what we know is best, that God emphathises with our lusts, our greed, our anger, our jealousies and our failures, that God never stops loving us for a moment even when we put ourselves in hell.
And that God stands in the middle of our huddled, shivering, timid, wounded, and guilty hearts and breathes out peace.
We will comfort the world when we tell it that, in spite of everything, its life is good. The world will be finally helped by us when we trust God enough to have the courage to tell it to live, even to risk mistakes, because, in the end, all will be well, and all will be well, and every manner of being will be well."

Meditation final days of Advent

2011-12-19T22:12:00.009Z

The carol services are in full swing but hopefully the cribs can wait to be erected after a few more days. I can recommend the CD "Bethlehem Down" with the Finchley Music Group if you want the quieter and more meditative side of music for this holy time. There is much English church tradition and Anglican patrimony in it. One of my favourites is this by the Anglican composer and friend of Vaughan-Williams Gustav Holst who died at the tragically early age of 59 partly from injury sustained by falling backwards off the conductor's podium.

Persecuted Christians of Iran

2011-12-19T10:05:00.000Z

All I can ask you is to share in the prayer request I was sent earlier today......

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani never practiced the Muslim faith and converted to Christianity at age 19, becoming a pastor later. But the courts say that since his mother and father were practicing Muslims, he must recant his Christian faith or die. So far, in three court appearances, he has refused to do so - RISKING EXECUTION AT ANY MOMENT. The Iranian Supreme Court often acts quickly in administering the death penalty.

According to a report, when asked by judges to "repent," Yousef replied: "Repent, What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"

The judges replied: "To the religion of your ancestors - Islam." To which Yousef replied: "I cannot."

It's time for the body of Christ to act, to pray, to plead for the life of our Brother before Christ so that His servant may be spared.

A Time for Waiting

2011-12-14T22:32:00.000Z

As we approach the final days of Advent we wait and pray and watch and hope that when the Saviour comes he will bless us, change us and sanctify us with His presence and fill us with love, peace and grace. Still time for amendment of life, for new beginnings and unknown possibilities to be realised. I haven't noticed so much blatant commercialism this year and a little less materialism is a benefit of the current financial uncertainty. Am I alone in sinking at the thought of all those Christmas cards to be done? A Victorian invention which drains resources better used in another more charitable direction perhaps? For a few years now we have tried to cut out the cards to people we see quite regularly reserving them for distant friends and relations and then give the money saved via our Church to charity. Of course this tends to upset some former recipients but then you can't keep everyone happy. This photo is a diversion and of some wild boar (French- 'Sanglier') like those I saw today in woods on a Monmouthshire farm near here. They looked quite happy with their piglets in the driving sleet which poured all day. Wild Boar instead of turkey may make a nice change when the festivities do begin! Hark a herald voice is beginning to sound!

St Arvans Requiem Mass for the late Fr Jeremy Winston SSC

2011-12-04T18:10:00.002Z

The Sacrament House St Arvans Church. Installed by the late Fr. Winston.

Just a note to update you that there will be a Requiem Mass for Fr. Jeremy our much loved former Parish Priest (1983-1993) of the five churches in the St. Arvans group of parishes, which includes Penterry, Itton, Devauden and Kilgwrrwg. This will be held NEXT SATURDAY 10th December 2011 at 12 NOON at St Arvans Church near Chepstow. All are welcome. The celebrant is the current incumbent my colleague Fr Michael Gollop SSC, I will give the homily. Former parishioners will lead prayers and readings. As he was such a fine musician the Mass setting will be from Fauré's Requiem with Organists Charles Matthews and Richard Farrington. There will be high class refreshments afterwards remembering Jeremy's love of good cuisine!! A warm welcome awaits those able to attend. Please continue to pray + for his soul and all who mourn him.

Requiescat in Pace, Jeremy Winston, Priest

2011-12-01T16:55:00.004Z

The Blorrenge from the River Usk.

So to the final resting place earlier today for the burial of Fr. Jeremy Winston, my friend and mentor of nearly thirty years. A day of mourning, of loss, of wonder, praise and thanksgiving, of peace and rest, a day of hope and light. Firstly arriving at St. Mary's Abergavenny for the private last hours and family burial. His coffin on high tressels draped in the white and purple Pall of the Society of the Holy Cross his spiritual brotherhood and home of so many years. In that unofficial Cathedral of orthodoxy that was the spiritual and incarnational embodiment of a vision of Christ's kingdom here on earth which Jeremy made manifest by his diligence, his strong faith and through his love of the Lord Jesus Christ present in the never questioned truths of that branch of the Catholic faith expressed in traditional Anglicanism, for which he fought and never wavered even to the last. Far away from the establishment funeral of yesterday, so strange and empty as it seemed of the essence of Jeremy there in the actual Cathedral in Newport, which was denied his dynamism so badly needed, but for a small number of weeks, and of his ministry as Dean only since September 10th. Today in St. Mary's, much silent prayer and then prayers read from the Office of the Dead from the Divine Office, the Pall was now replaced with pure white roses and carried out shoulder high to the waiting herse for the short drive to the cemetery So with a handful of his family and close friends together with his colleagues, Fr Bernard Sixtus, Fr Malcolm Lane and Dom Thomas Regan OSB from Belmont Abbey we walked to the hilltop cemetery, benevolently watched over by God and the twin heights of Monmouthshire's Blorrenge Mountain in the dry bright December sky. Full of hope and comfort, the words of the burial service and two readings from Holy Scripture we four of God's Ministers doing our best to give our dear friend and brother Priest the best farewell we could, knowing that the smile of knowing peace would not be far from Jeremy's essential spirit which was committed unto God's eternal care. There will be thousands of people who have been brought to know the Lord Jesus Christ through Jeremy, a holy Priest of God. It will be up to us all who remain to continue that dynamic, joyful and truthful ministry that Jeremy began and who gives us to share in both here and now and in the years ahead. May we not fail, but stand together strengthened by the love which the Lord Jesus has for us and to Whom many have been led by His good and faithful servant Jeremy.
Support us, O Lord, all the day long of this troublous life,until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, Lord, in your mercy grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Blessed John Henry Newman)

Study Day

2011-11-05T22:06:00.000Z

Some personal impressions of a day of prayer and study held with the Benedictine hospitality of Belmont Abbey into the subject of an Ordinariate for Wales.

At this time it should be stressed that this is only a discernment process and a study into an ecumenical possibility as a route for greater unity here for the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to fulfil the wish of Christ to the Father "that they may be one".

About an hundred people lay and ordained attended this first meeting. On arrival after coffee and introduction, a talk by Mgr. Keith Newton the former Anglican Bishop of Richborough and now the personally appointed Ordinary of Pope Benedict to Anglicans wishing for reception into full communion with the church in Rome. A practical and direct talk with encouraging but also very honest resume of where we have come from and where we are and what may or may not be in the future for some. Then a sharing in the Conventual Midday office in the Abbey Church of St. Michael and all Angels. Afterwards a buffet lunch and on to a talk from a former Anglican priest and now priest of the Ordinariate, Fr. Jonathan Redvers Harris and question times before Evensong in the Abbey according to the 1984 Church in Wales rite. Then home to the parish and preparations for Sunday. The reflection will no doubt be different for everyone, some will definitely want to stay where they are, some will keep their options open if they can in conscience continue with no orthodox Bishop to pastor them in Wales any longer, some will just test their move to possible re-union with Rome and stay, others will do so and move. It was greatly heartening to here from Fr. Redvers Harris that it was often the truly liberal and often female Anglican priests and colleagues who are amongst the most supportive and encouraging to traditional Anglicans when moving, where they feel they are truly being called and where they feel they should answer that call.

For many, the new Church in Wales and its Governing Body insisting on a new creed for the faithful and ordinands, that they are obliged to consent to their new found self appointed authority to change matters of doctrine and order within the church, will be a decisive factor. One thing is evident that no one from the traditional ranks talks about being bitter or let down or anti anyone or anything, the focus is on what in conscience one can and should do here and now in the matter of all these things, knowing that there is only one true friend judge and Redeemer whose opinion really matters and He is the One to whom all of us will answer.

Bon Anniversaire !

2011-09-28T20:35:00.000+01:00

Very warm congratulations to my friend and colleague Fr. Michael Gollop on the occasion of his 25th. Anniversary of Ordination as Priest in the Church of God this Michaelmas. I have much to be grateful for; that Michael was sent to our rural group of four Parishes and five Churches some seventeen years ago. Unswerving support and kindness has always been given me as his assistant Curate, sometimes in the face of hostile and difficult circumstances. It is often and increasingly challenging to stay faithful to the traditions and ecumenical vision we have inherited as Anglo-Catholics but the clarity of thought and intelligent mind behind the man have on many occasions not only saved the day but saved the soul as well. This ministry can only become more pressing during these exceptional times. May God continue to bless all his holy Priests! For those who haven't yet benefitted from his wisdom on the blogosphere (and there can't be many reading this!) it is called Let Nothing You Dismay! The link is HERE

Wales - New Dean

2011-09-11T21:59:00.000+01:00

The Very Rev'd Jeremy Winston

Congratulations to Fr. Jeremy Winston on his installation at St. Woolos, Newport Cathedral, South Wales yesterday. I was invited to attend with my wife and therefore we sat together with many friends in the nave in a row near the front with a good view of everything despite the scaffolding currently erected to restore the roof. The Bishop's sermon even referred to the BBC TV series All Gas and Gaiters the very same name as this blog! It included much good about the mission of the church and the Cathedral to the modern world, referred to the Chartist martyrs and to Benedictine hospitality; so it was good to see the Abbot of Belmont among the honoured guests and also Bishop David Thomas our greatly missed and alas last Provincial Assistant Bishop mitred and seated in the sanctuary. The service was relayed live big screen to Fr. Jeremy's former parishioners at St. Mary's Abergavenny, as the Cathedral Church is so small. If the archaic oaths and legal formalities currently still required under the constitution of the anglican Church in Wales (in Wales it is not required by the State) could be done before the service or updated perhaps that would be good. My camera wasn't able to get much internally but here are a few souvenirs. It was lovely to hear some music and words from the hymns written by the new Dean Winston himself.

Newport Cathedral

St David Lewis- Priest and Martyr

2011-08-25T22:25:00.000+01:00

At my daily place of work in Usk, Monmouthshire I try to get out of the office to walk during lunchtime to refresh and clear the head. My walk often takes me by the river path to see if there are kingfisher, dipper, trout or salmon to be seen and raise the spirits. A good place for the late recitation of the Angelus and to pray "on the hoof". But at this time of year it is a melancholy walk indeed as my thoughts turn inevitably to dear Fr. David Lewis SJ born at nearby Abergavenny and who ministered to those "of the old religion" in Monmouthshire so bravely. His cruel death and martyrdom took place at this very spot on 27 August 1679 during the reign of Charles II (who was against the persecution), a shockingly late date for a brutal execution only for being a Catholic priest. Orchestrated by the diabolic Titus Oates who perjured himself presenting trumped up charges of sedition and treason against Lewis and other Catholics. Have the years changed the anti-catholic feelings of yesteryear? One hopes and prays so but many in Wales when they talk about supporting ecumenical advances don't seem to think that re-union with Rome from which the Anglican church is hewn is something they want or is needed. To the contrary, there will never be re-union of the Christian churches without a return to Rome. May the prayers of St David Lewis be for all of us Christians in Wales and beyond and may his death be not in vain but support the gospel message "that they may be one". The souls of the martyrs can never be extinguished by man in his ruined state. From his last words at the gallows after he was dragged down the river path to this place;

“Please now to observe; I was condemned for reading Mass, hearing confessions, administering the sacraments, anointing the sick, christening, marrying, preaching. As for reading the Mass, it was the old, and still is the accustomed and laudable liturgy of the Holy Church, and all the other acts, which are acts of religion, tending to the worship of God, and for this dying, I die for religion. Moreover, know that last May I was in London under examination concerning the Plot, a prime examinant told me that to save my life and increase my fortunes, I must make some discovery of the Plot or conform; discover Plot I could not, for I knew of none, conform I would not, because it was against my conscience. Then by consequence I must die, and so now dying, I die for conscience and religion, and dying upon such good scores, as far as human frailty permits, I die with alacrity, interior and exterior from the abundance of the heart, let not only mouths, but faces also speak. Here; methinks, I feel flesh and blood ready to burst into loud cries. ‘Tooth for tooth, eye for eye, blood for blood, life for life.’ ‘No.’ crieth Holy Gospel, ‘Forgive and you shall be forgiven, pray for those that persecute you, love your enemies.’ “And I profess myself a child of the Gospel, and the Gospel I obey.”

See the life of St David Lewis in more detail HERE

Bishops arrested in China

2011-07-17T20:18:00.001+01:00

OUR LADY OF CHINA

The shocking behaviour of China in sending police to forcibly make four orthodox Catholic Bishops attend a quasi "Consecration" of the state sponsored alternative catholic church against their will, surely needs far greater exposure and condemnation than it is getting. The ten million Catholics loyal to the Pope are forced underground while the state sponsored and "authorised" catholic church of 6 million is subject to state manipulation and interference; a sort of fascist establishment of the church. The freedom to proclaim allegiance to their true spiritual leader (in Rome) and to practice the faith of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church needs to be championed by the West, in actively supporting the Vatican against this persecution. Our prayers are asked for the resolution of this injustice and for the well being of fellow Christians living in fear and persecution.

Massacre of the Innocents

2011-07-12T08:46:00.000+01:00

4th cent Geghard Monastery Armenia. Entrance to the rock Church

There was no armed conflict as the Turks continue to claim of the Armenian Genocide they perpetrated in 1915 when over a million were murdered in the most barbaric ways imaginable. The Vatican papers will witness the truth that some Western countries, including to its shame the UK, prefer to forget in the interest of commerce and business and the proposed political integration of Turkey into the European Economic Community. See the breaking story HERE and previous post.

Turkey and the EU

2011-07-07T21:06:00.000+01:00

Until the Turkish nation acknowledges the Armenian genocide it perpetrated against these 1.5 million Christians in the early twentieth century there will be no rest for the tormented soul of Armenia and what should be a united Europe against entry to the EU until that responsibility is acknowledged and repentance has been made. To it's shame the UK is a supporter of Turkish (mainly muslim) entry without such pre-condition, not so France and others who know only too well what happened and why this needs to be the terms of any joining by Turkey. The Vatican is fully aware and has this harrowing report of those events see here . My own photo(click to enlarge)was taken on my visit to the Holocaust Memorial at Yerevan, Armenia where an eternal flame burns as a commemoration. In the Museum below are the most appalling photos of the truth of those barbaric acts for which no reconciliation is possible until they are acknowledged. We owe that to the men women and children massacred and starved to death in those dark days. There is also the continued desecration of Armenian churches in Turkey and the graveyards even now despoiled. May God forgive the demonic perpetrators and raise to glory the souls of the faithful departed. More on this to follow.

Hello Again!

2011-07-05T18:00:00.000+01:00

11th.cent Roman Catholic Canterbury

As you will have seen I have been taking an extended holiday from blogging. This has been a period of ongoing preparation and discernment during Lent, Easter and into Pentecost for what the future might hold both personally and for those of us in Wales who hold hard to the traditions within Anglicanism which have nurtured and sustained us so far. No, we have not faded away, nor will we, but our ecclesial life is certainly diminished and made difficult since alternative episcopal care was summarily withdrawn by the bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales. It is worth asking oneself how do you function without a Bishop whose sacramental and pastoral care one can share in? (C of E readers take note because realistically this will be your destiny too). During this period of standing back and waiting upon God it has become clear to me that we have now moved to a new ground in the ecclesial life of both Wales and England. These past months have seen an enormous change in the life of the church. A significant number have made the move to reunion with Rome individually as 'solo swimmers' to cross the river Tiber to Rome, the home of all Christians. A much larger body than I would have expected in such a short time. Then there are the thousand or so lay congregation members with sixty or so Priests and Deacons whose caravan has been received into reunion with Rome via the Ordinariate promulgated by Pope Benedict, led by the five former Anglican Bishops. Reunited but not subsumed. Now there are gathering others in much larger numbers of those who over the next two or three years are beginning to explore the possibilities of joining those in the first caravan once the destination camp has been made ready and to join in the building of the new city of God which they can name and own and use as a base for mission and proclaiming of the Gospel without having to fight rearguard actions to protect the catholic faith of their Anglican heritage, at the same time answering Christ's call to unity with his church which he entrusted to Peter and his successors, who are at Rome (not Canterbury or Cardiff).
But what of the society of SS.Wilfred and Hilda you may ask? Those who wish to see if some compromise, not on their terms (we know that because those terms have and will continue to be repeatedly refused) will be offered. One wishes them well. In Wales the Society model is not even an option, we already have no Bishop with no jurisdiction! The Society can not nor will be able to operate in Wales despite what some may have thought, it operates in England for as long as General Synod allows it to exist. Everyone has the right to explore and study the possibilities of where they feel God is calling them. Be assured that this is exactly what is happening and expect further developments, movements and growth to further His kingdom within the one holy catholic and apostolic faith; new ground, new horizons, new directions!

The Mission of Deacons

2011-04-03T07:56:00.000+01:00

On my blog list I subscribe to the excellent blog of Deacons Today and I reproduce this below as it is something we come across often in trying to live out our daily vocation which is indeed anything but 'part-time' :

Recently, I have been reviewing several foundational documents, speeches and catecheses on the diaconate. One such text is an address given by Pope John Paul II to a joint plenary assembly of the Congregation for Clergy and the Congregation for Catholic Education on 30 November 1995. The Congregations were gathering to prepare two documents on the diaconate, which were eventually published in Feburary, 1998. This papal address was the official launch of this project. I think it would be interesting to share some of it here as part of our reflection on deacons and the ministry of charity.
Entitled "Deacons Are Configured to Christ the Servant," the whole address is excellent, but one paragraph is particularly rich in significance. Here's the first part of what the pope had to say:

“The exercise of the diaconal ministry—like that of other ministries in the Church—requires per se of all deacons, celibate or married, a spiritual attitude of total dedication. Although in certain cases it is necessary to make the ministry of the diaconate compatible with other obligations, to think of oneself and to act in practice as a ‘part-time deacon’ would make no sense. The deacon is not a part-time employee or ecclesiastical official, but a minister of the Church. His is not a profession, but a mission!”

Deacons often find themselves dealing with a common misperception on the part of some presbyters and laity that they are, in fact, “part-time” ministers. Such a misperception places the locus of ministry on formal ecclesial structures themselves; the deacon, however, as a full-time minister, exercises diaconal ministry across the full range of human activity: whether he is at home with his family, at work in a secular profession, or functioning at church. At all times and in every venue he is, in fact, acting as a sacred minister of the Church, and the pope makes this point perfly clear.

Cancelled Pilgrimage?!

2011-03-31T12:40:00.001+01:00

Of course there is no way that our Christian witness and pilgrimage can be cancelled. However there is sad news to report that this year's Glastonbury Pilgrimage has been cancelled as confirmed by a letter being sent out and signed by.....The Bishop of Plymouth. As a former member of the Council of the GPA I regret this very much and at such late notification too. It makes absolutely no specific reference to the departing brothers and sisters to the Ordinariate but only to "doubts about attendance" and that a service with the image of OLW taking place at Exeter Cathedral in May is the reason. I suppose that it was always going to be difficult as most of the main supporters and all the flying Bishops and the former Chairman, Bp David Silk have been forced by the caring, sharing Church of England to make pilgrimage elsewhere. The future will be discussed at the AGM of the GPA in October; make sure you retain your membership until then if you want to vote.

Personally I think the future for the Anglican pilgrimage there and the future of the National Anglican Pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham lies as a joint ecumenical witness with the Roman Catholic Glastonbury Pilgrimage and Roman Catholic Walsingham one too. Whilst sacramental division remains each could have their own non- communicating Masses or separate prayers of consecration and then joint veneration of the Blessed Sacrament and sprinkling and healing services combined perhaps. There is no doubt that the full sacramental unity of Anglo Catholics with Rome will proceed apace as nothing much of any use will or can be offered by General Synod. And as a not very well focused extra remnant in the form of the Society of SS Hilda and Wilfred, it will struggle with the starkly reduced numbers and missing the most vibrant members of the former Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism . We can but keep praying with and for each other that God's will may be done (as soon as possible!).

The Water of Life

2011-03-31T12:39:00.001+01:00

Homily Lent 3. Yr. A
The Samaritan Woman at the Well

Sunday’s Gospel is full of a large number of meanings on a variety of levels. It begins with the account of the woman at the well. Although we don’t have the name of the Samaritan lady we do have the name of the well. Jacob’s well is named after the great Patriarch Jacob who was an absolutely key figure in Hebrew history. He was of course the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. On his journey at Bethel he received a vision when he was promised blessing and posterity, which became true. There is by the way a legend that the stone pillow on which he laid his head during his vision at Bethel is the stone of destiny or the crowning stone of Scone on which all Scottish Kings and English ones, since 1296 when it was removed to Westminster Abbey, are crowned.
Jacobs well is, however a real and historical place, the setting for the account of Jesus’ journey from Judea to Galilee that traditionally passes through Samaria taking a symbolic three days. The well can be found at the fork in the road in a very precise place; that is at the fork which branches in one direction to Samaria and W. Galilee and in the other to Bethshan and Lake Genaseret half a mile from modern Askar.

John’s Gospel is full of references to water. Here the human need to drink water is reference to its life giving qualities. We cannot live or exist without it. Jesus’ life and ministry often refers to water, as in new birth from the very beginning of life with water in the womb of the BVM, through baptism in the Jordan, water in cleansing and healing, blessing and at burial. The church uses water extensively in its sacraments and blessings from the cradle to the grave.
Jesus’ dialogue with the woman at Jacob’s well, as with his dialogue with us today in the sacrament of word and action and Eucharistic presence, is that not only is water a life giving and life saving commodity essential for our survival but he as living water is also essential for our well being and our spiritual life both here and in the life to come.
The woman is the first missionary in a sense, as she brings her community as she brings us to recognise Jesus as our Saviour and the Saviour of the world. Jesus shows us that he is the gift of God greater than Jacob, he is the living water on which we heavily rely. Hence his words “everyone who drinks this water will become thirsty again but he who drinks of the water that I shall give will never be thirsty… gushing up to eternal life”. Wine is made up largely of water, the same substance that through the mystery of the Eucharist becomes the blood of Christ, the water of spiritual and eternal life. One of the reasons Deacons at Mass mix water with wine in the chalice before its consecration is to make this connection between what Jesus did at the last supper using water in this way and remembering that at the crucifixion both blood and water came from his pierced side sacramentally embodied at every celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

So then, we have water of life to drink, the gift of God himself and the food of life which is Jesus his son who refreshes us with his words, comforts us as we thirst for the true meaning of life, food and drink beyond all understanding. Jesus is the water and food of our redemption and the deep source and well of all life, all knowledge, wisdom and truth. The physician and healer of our weakness, clears away our sins and doubts and fears like a great cleansing tide that washes over us leaving us pure and renewed to do his will. As we turn towards the cross we shall again hear the words of Christ hanging there for you and for me “ I thirst”. He thirsts not just for himself but he for us, he thirsts for our love above all he thirsts for our faith and our faithfulness. Will we hear his words to us and will we respond? May this Holy Lent reveal to us the great joy and meaning of the coming Pascal-tide. May we see more clearly the life giving Saviour in whom and to whom we owe everything and to whom all honour might majesty dominion and praise be given now and for ever, Amen. + M.E.Z.

Holy Lent

2011-03-08T08:47:00.004Z

We'll be going as a family to the Mardi Gras arranged by some church stalwarts after school today. Pancakes of course on the menu! Not sure if the race will be on we'll let you know! If you want a good way to keep Lent for five minutes each day why not listen in to Fr. Z on his daily podcast from the USA? You can listen in here at http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/03/lentcazt-00-shrove-tuesday/

My photo today is of the "Pancake Greaze" which we used to celebrate when I was at Westminster Under (junior) School many moons ago! Westminster School adjoins The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey or in London as "The Abbey". The tradition consists of the school chef tossing a horsehair pancake over quite a high ceiling bar after which there was a violent rugby type scrum with no rules. The winner being the one who had collected the most pancake, after The Dean blew his whistle, by usually stuffing as much as they could under their shirt. The reward was considerable, as the winner was presented with silver Maundy money no less! Health and safety nowhere to be seen in those days!

Dewi Sant of Wales

2011-02-28T21:55:00.001Z

St. Non's Well in St Davids, Wales. This holy well is said to have sprung up during a thunderstorm when St. Non gave birth to St. David around 500 AD. It has healing properties.

A Happy St. David's day to all! The legend that the 6th. cent patron saint of Wales Dewi Sant only ever drank water but neither wine nor beer is from the mists of time but may well be true although probably not many of his countrymen are strict followers of his in this regard, especially at the six nations rugby feasts! The more likely story that he daily practised total immersion in cold water (his nickname being Aquaticus) is a sanguine thought indeed especially as in cold winters such as this! That he founded ten monasteries including Menevia (St. Davids) and Glastonbury in the harshest traditions of the desert fathers are facts not disputed. Archbishops of Wales of Roman Catholic or the Anglican tradition would more authentically be based on the ancient see of St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, the ancient metropolis since the synod of Brevi AD 550. From time immemorial the Welsh have worn a leek on St. David's day, in memory of a battle against the Saxons, at which it is said they wore leeks in their hats, on St. David's advice, to distinguish them from their enemies. Dewi was one of very few Welshmen to have been canonised by the Western church, in his case by Pope Callistus II in 1120, the feast being proscribed for the whole province of Canterbury until the Reformation. Despite what you might hear from parts (not thankfully all parts) of the Church in Wales, you definitely do NOT have to be a supporter of the novelty of the Welsh Assembly (a most recent innovation) to be a loyal supporter of Wales and a pilgrim follower of St. David. That is why I shall be voting NO at the referendum this month on the proposal to give enhanced powers to the WAG (Welsh Assembly Government). I urge all Taffys like me (so named after Daffyd) to do likewise! This is the closest I'm likely to get to pushing politics but have you seen the appalling standard of debates on the TV channel BBC Parliament? In my experience the local authorities combined with Westminster do a much better job. What a joke and why does the Church in Wales insist on going secular and nationalistic when the priority should be the Gospel of Jesus Christ and nothing but the Gospel?

What to watch this Lent

2011-02-16T21:44:00.000Z

Of Gods and Men

If you get the chance do try and see the wonderful French academy award winning film Des Hommes et des Dieux. I saw it with my wife and friends last night at the Newport Riverfront Theatre complex, a much underused and highly recommended arts centre. The English title is "Of Gods and Men". There were so many wonderful and poignant moments in the film it's hard to know where to start. The Benedictine community of eight monks in Algeria is the setting. Beset with problems working among the poor and within the Muslim community upholding the Christian faith, there is love, fear, courage, the way of the cross and resurrection in abundance in the real life story. That this film could win awards in France and Europe says much about the arts there and also the sad state of the British and especially American film scene. It wouldn't have got a look in here or the States. The characters are beautifully played in an understated and authentic way exuding the frustrations, the sacrifice and the joys of living in community with the daily Mass and Offices at their heart being the true powerhouse and springboard so important to the fruits of ministry. Monastic vocations can surely only be enhanced by such powerful and truthful work given to us by the Director Xavier Beauvois. It also gives much food for contemplation and prayer especially during Lent. This is timely while we see so many Christians struggling and continuing to become martys for the faith in hostile lands to the present day. Here are some trailers which only give a soupcon of what lies within...

Directions New

2011-02-08T22:12:00.000Z

I suppose that it was inevitable in all the huge changes taking place in the Anglo-Catholic world that the publication of Forward in Faith "New Directions" would be similarly changed. How could it be otherwise with all the personalities changing and moving? However it was with great sadness that when I opened the Feb. edition I realised all was never going to be the same. Another farewell to be faced is my immediate reaction. I had better give it another couple of months. The opinions and editorials were quite different to before. The balance is tried to be given by various re-prints from elsewhere which are obviously not the views of the new regime. Better time may be spent on study books from now on. Which brings me on to saying how much I have enjoyed reading one of my Christmas present books kindly given me; "Heaven and Earth and Little Space". Definitely no disappointment here and thoroughly absorbing stuff. Oh the author? a certain Fr. Burnham. My review of this in a word... brilliant. Buy it here

Confirmation and Chrismation

2011-01-29T21:34:00.000Z

Blessing the Holy Muron(Chrism) Armenian Orthodox

Regarding a current blog theme on the sacrament of Holy Confirmation I can't but help agreeing with the way our sister churches of the Oriental Orthodox and Orthodox Churches administer this according to very ancient holy tradition which is to administer Holy Baptism, Chrismation and Holy Communion to the children all as infants. I remember well assisting as an honorary Deacon at an Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church initiation rite which included the admission of the infant to full membership of the church of Christ. There was no doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit having been invoked presided at the holy annointings at this most early age and of course Holy Communion was administered to the infant on a spoon where Jesus Christ entered and sanctified the newly initiated there and then. Having been anointed by Holy Muron(Chrism) the whole body was thereby made one with Christ. Here is what has been written;

“Confirmation is thus the personal Pentecost of man, his entrance into the life of the Holy Spirit…his ordination as truly and fully man…His whole body is anointed, sealed, sanctified, dedicated to the new life: ‘the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit,’ says the priest as he anoints the newly baptized ‘on the brow, and on the eyes, and the nostrils, and the lips, and on both arms, and the breast and on the hands, and the feet’…The whole man is now made the temple of God…”

Wales to Westminster

2011-01-15T21:17:00.000Z

You will find far better photos and coverage than mine from the Ordinations today. However, if you want a flavour of the day of the priestly ordinations of the three PEV's, one of whom was kind enough to give Welsh traditionalists a home and two Chrism Masses after our orphanage after the Provincial Assistant Bishop's abolition by the Bench of Welsh Bishops; here it is! Remember here in Wales we knew exactly where the then Bishop Andrew's caravan was leading, I am surprised at some being so dismissive of the Ordinariate so early before it's hardly started. Intelligent discernment requires at least a period of reception of the idea of the offer from Rome doesn't it? Especially as there is no time limit or pressure being applied. I have been quite shocked by the speed of some leading Anglo-Catholic's in Wales and elsewhere to declare it's not for them. Why ever not? Where is the maybe, or what might God be saying to us in all this? It's patently clear that there's no future in Wales for things as they were before, imperfect as they may have been. If you had been in Westminster Cathedral today you would have seen before you that no denial of any previous ministry was either sought or made. To the contrary the leader of Roman Catholics in Wales and England made specific reference to the grace of the candidates previous ministry and paid tribute to their courage to take charge of the new Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham (where many of us Welsh traditionalists have learnt our branch of the faith and calling).

The Alarm was set for 5.30am this morning. Morning Prayer office and away! I was in the train at 7.00 in Paddington at 8.40 and after the tube to Victoria, in Starbucks in Victoria St. having a small Americano by 9.20! As the crowds started passing by early for the 10.30 start I moved over to the Piazza earlier than I had planned. Just as well the place would be standing room only and heaving! With a good seat close to the front time to pray and to think and to soak up history in the making. At first it looked as though the altar had been arranged for an Eastward facing rite for which the huge space is well suited. But no, never mind! The frontal was lovely, the lighting and sound system high quality and the place abuzz with expectation. Looking around there we loads of Anglicans; those departing, those thinking about a ticket and those not sure but perhaps later (when one more boot is put in by General Synod perhaps). At 10.30 exactly the huge procession of Bishops, Priests and Deacons entered quietly (the long way round!) the Hymn strikes up "Thy hand O God has guided.." just like home! Archbishop Nichols' lovely welcome and the messages from Cardinal Levada and Pope Benedict himself read out, then the penitential rite the Kyrie and Gloria by Victoria (1548-1611) sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir who sit high up behind the Baldachino and were not in the procession. They were in excellent form throughout the rite, well done to all, bless them! After the ministry of the word the pulpit was vacated by the proclaiming Deacon of the Word and was immediately invaded by vultures (of the noisy media camera variety you understand!) The calling of the candidates, the ir presentation by Bp. Alan Hopes the election by the Archbishop and consent of the people. Then the longish Homily which you can read elsewhere, then the examination, promises of obedience. Here then came the sung litany of the saints always a moving part of the ceremony but especially as OLOWalsingham and Blessed John Henry Newman were invoked. Then the laying on of hands, the Ordination prayer. The investiture of stoles and chasubles (by their wives..that's definately a first!) The oil of Holy Chrism was then used for the anointing with the "Veni Creator" (home from home again). Then the Eucharist with concelebrants and a chance to receive a first blessing at the communion. The Lord's Prayer sung by all and a very beautiful account of the Ave Verum by Sir Edward Elgar. Much joy and acclamation after the dismissal and then it had to be "Praise to the Holiest in the height .." by Newman as the recessional. Handshakes with Archbishop Vincent on our way out and a chance to chatter with the large crowds down the steps. Then off for refreshments in town, a quick visit to the art gallery and home on the train in time for Evening Prayer office in Wales again! Wow what a day! "Lord I an not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed" ....and there was healing on this day in abundance, pray God it will continue.

Christmas Octave Day

2010-12-31T22:53:00.000Z

From the Palace of His Holiness the Catholicos, Etchmiadzin, Armenia

In giving thanks for the past year we pray that the New Year will be fruitful and full of blessings, full of harmony and unity in Christ. Theotokos, God-Bearer, Mother of God and all Christians, unto your unending prayers we hope to enter on this first day of 2011, our first Mass dedicated to you who point, not to yourself but to the Word made flesh who bears the Holy name of Jesus your son. May we leave our old selves behind with the old year and re-dedicate lives to the new paths of the New Year in Christ's service which is perfect freedom.

Seeing the Birth of Salvation

2010-12-25T19:23:00.000Z

Christmas Day Homily. Who can describe or explain the wonders and mysteries of the season as God is born as man from the womb of the Virgin in His Son Jesus? All we need is to believe and to accept the birth of this holy One we see at Christmas as the incarnation of salvation itself. Here is none other than the Son of God among us. Of course there is unbridled joy that this saving event should happen and be re-enacted sacramentally in the Christmas Liturgies each year. There is also the knowledge that as fully human He will suffer as we all suffer, indeed he will share our sufferings, transform them and save us through the Resurrection...if we let him. He will lead us and guide us….if we let Him. He will save us from ourselves, our sins and our failings and our cruelties to others too ...if we let Him. Where are we at this time of His birth, are we fully believing, fully absorbed, wholly accepting of all the teachings and witness of the many who have gone before us? Or are we wanting to make up our own interpretations, re-work the events to make them seem somehow more acceptable? This is not a sort of Father Christmas option; to accept the Christmas presents in the stocking but not the man responsible for bringing them. Our faith has to be founded on truths and the good news of the Gospel without equivocation. This Christmas solemnity did happen as we read of it in the familiar scriptures on which we rely. So where are we in our lives, in our faith at this time? Are we at the foot of the crib really worshipping and praising and listening to the word of God made flesh? Are we really prepared to join with ordinary believing Christians in their millions and millions over two thousand years without us putting up barriers and unnecessary doubts? Are we up for being with the ordinary shepherds and the extra-ordinary Angels and the exotic Kings who have yet to arrive? If not then why not ? 'Come to me and I will refresh you' says the Lord. We can be with Him and rejoice, looking into the eyes of God in this crib before us and if not sure still, then seeing Him in the eyes of the little children and those of all ages around us and catching some of their faith, the true faith, the real story. If further help is needed then we can repeat the words of Mary the mother of Jesus, the Mother of God ''Be it unto me according to thy word'' again and again until the faith of Christ washes through us and fills us to the brim until there is no going back only onwards, listening to the words of the Angel ''do not be afraid''. Let us not be afraid to believe, to join with the shepherds, the Angels, Christians everywhere as we rejoice and realize that the Lord is among us, can never be taken away from us, will never die and be ever present in our homes, our hearts, our lives. In the words of the Angel again "I bring you news of great joy. Today the Saviour of the world has been born to you". May the Holy family of Mary Joseph and Jesus give us the pattern and witness to our faith, through their prayers may we have enough love in us, enough humility and enough openness of faith to believe these things and welcome Jesus into our hearts now and for ever. +

Thought for the Day

2010-12-22T19:23:00.000Z

It is good that the normalisation of the Roman Catholic Church continues apace in these islands as The Holy Father is invited to give the Radio 4 slot 'Thought for the Day' on The Eve of Our Lord's Nativity at 7.45am. See here

Mary Immaculate. Mother of God

2010-12-08T22:58:00.000Z

If you believe that Mary is the Mother of God and is awaiting this Advent to conceive Him in His son then she can not be anything other than immaculate at her own birth. As they say round here "not a problem"!!

Ordinariate in Wales

2010-12-06T15:17:00.001Z

After Welsh PAB Ordinations 2004

We already have provision in Wales for the forthcoming Ordinariate by virtue of the Roman Catholic heirarchy covering both English and Welsh Anglican Provinces. It is good that at last some interest is being launched within Wales via the new web site which has been launched click HERE not necessarily to instantly sign up to the Ordinariate but simply to explore it. It has been slow here perhaps to gather momentum due mainly to the tiny size of the Welsh Anglican province and the apparent lack of enthusiasm within the Welsh province of SSC which like all provinces of SSC is supposed to be in favour of corporate re-union with Rome. There are however Welsh Anglicans on the Bristol group for the time being exploring their way forward towards the Ordinariate. It is good to know that the Welsh bench of Bishops has among its number members who have expressed concern for traditionalists among their flock by saying that there is no antagonism towards them and they do not take issue with the fact that promises have in fact been broken. If this is so, it begs the question why there is no Provincial Assistant Bishop for providing sacramental care for them then? The message is clear though that traditionalists do not have a long term future in the Church in Wales. Come to that nor perhaps in the short term either. For example where will they go for the Chrism Mass in four months time? To the college of female and male priests with the Diocesan? What also about Ordinations and Confirmations? Time for waiting and listening upon God this Advent for discernment of these most important issues.

Contemplating Advent.

2010-11-24T22:12:00.000Z

Here are some images of the frosts and cold of the season which will arrive again in time for the start of the new Church year. A time for pausing, a time for reflection, a time for planning and putting right what is wrong. A time for sitting in the dark and waiting for the light of Christ. A time for decision perhaps and a time for staying or departing and new beginnings. Contemplations on the new birth, a birth of God who will be among us, a new birth in faith perhaps, farewells to the old and the lovely, the familiar and some great hopes of young growth of something new. A time for reason and a time for calculation and adding up, a time for listening to the still small voice of our Saviour, a time for prayer, a time for thanksgiving and waiting upon the Lord. A time for repentance and confession. A time for new resolution and a time for belief and reinvigoration. A time for meeting new friends and appreciating those who will always stand with you and never waver in sharing the responsibility to be guardians of the faith. A time for a new beginning at the start of a new year. Let the lovely time of Advent begin.. the best hymns.... the very best time of year.... let the Holy season begin!
Conditor Alme (6th.cent.)
Creator of the stars of night.
Thy people’s everlasting light.
O Jesu Saviour of us all,
Regard thy servants when they call.

Requiem Mass

2010-11-14T19:44:00.001Z

Here are some photos of the Requiem Mass for Remembrance Sunday at St. Deiniol's this year.

France 1944

2010-11-13T21:52:00.000Z

Some of these are the photos from our family holiday in August. We cycled with our two daughters 15 Km to make our pilgrimage to this allied war grave cemetery at Ranville which was full of mainly British troops killed in the first wave of the liberation DDay landings. We followed this, crossing near-by Pegasus Bridge with a visit to the excellent and 'must see' Museum of Peace at Caen where we met not only British, American and Canadian visitors but Germans and French all trying to learn the truth of what happened in the carnage of the two World Wars. The young ages on the Caen stone headstones tell their own story. Only if we understand fully what went wrong in those days can we avoid such a human tragedy again. Those who say 'it could never happen now' need to be the first to make these journeys of understanding and discovery. May the souls of those who gave their lives for freedom rest in peace + and rise in glory, Amen.

Remembrance

2010-11-10T08:57:00.004Z

As I wrote (click here) last year (and again here) tomorrow is Armistice Day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month and Remembrance Sunday again arrives. One of the things one gets asked to do in the rural ministry is do all sorts of outside events which is taking the Church to where people are. Last Saturday in anticipation of Remembrancetide I was asked to conduct a short Act of Remembrance for those fallen in war from the parishes within our local Hunt country here, and to bless the hounds. How could I refuse! The kennels are situated a few hundred yards from one of our parish churches in the group. The opening meet of the now joined Curre and Llangibby Hunts was hosted by a former Church Warden. St. Deiniol's, Itton was largely restored at the expense of the Curre family. Sir Edward Curre's white hounds of Itton being world famous for his introduction of the Welsh (long coated) cross hounds over an hundred years ago. These blood lines are found in kennels throughout the land and afar. And so it was that the rural tradition of the opening meet took place in the timeless surroundings of this most beautiful county of Monmouthshire. You can see the blowing of the horn by the Master following this Act of Remembrance and also the blessing of the hounds which took place beforehand in honour of St. Hubert's Day which was a few days earlier, who as all traditionalist churchmen will know, is the patron saint of La Chasse! Amazingly the hounds are so well trained nowadays that they instantly recognise the difference between the aniseed trail they are now commanded to follow by Tony Blair's most liberal of Governments and the fox which is their natural quarry. Amazing! Hunting folk are the most animal loving you could meet. I know numerous ones who even prefer dogs to the caring sharing liberal ecclesial and state legislators of their own race..bless them!

To the Ordinariate-The Glastonbury Connection

2010-11-09T13:35:00.000Z

Best wishes and prayers to the five Bishops who have declared their departure to set up the Ordinariate. These sentiments will come from all of us who have benefitted from their pastoral and sacramental care over many years. It can not have gone un-noticed that the Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association has been a great influence and grace to orthodox Anglicans in recent years, remembering as we do the soul of the late Bp. John Richards, a former chairman of the GPA, at this time. Glastonbury has been one of the few places where those of like-minded views and theology have until now been able to worship, pray and adore the Lord Jesus Christ in the Anglican patrimony reflecting the Universal and undivided Church. Bp. David Silk was our recent Chairman. All those Bishops and many of the faithful have made their annual pilgrimage to seek the power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in challenging times. These prayers and the grace of God have, I believe, helped to bring things to this natural new starting point for mission and evangelisation, enabled of course by the amazing and empowering establishment of Anglicanorum coetibus by Pope Benedict XVI. The prayers, outreach and care generated by all of these Fathers in God have enriched the Anglican Church and the mission and witness of Christianity to the world. This witness has been in the best spirit and vocation of all Bishops, who are supposed to be guardians of the faith. In this these five deserve our gratitude, admiration and ongoing support. Over the years we have met at the Abbey there together for fellowship, guidance, worship and for working out a vision for the future. Never have I thought that the pilgrimage regardless of changing numbers was anything other than a great grace and vehicle for oecumenical advance overseen by the souls and prayers of those Abbots and Religious who continue to drench those old stones with their prayers and make them Holy in the apparent ruins and the destruction of that Abbey Church. May it ever continue to bring catholic Anglicans to share in the riches of the faith we share with the whole Church although it will be a shadow now in size since the departure of it's most influential members. May we also pray for a swelling in the ranks of the Ordinariate from those Bishops clergy and faithful, as yet not sure, and who have until now shared in the same fellowship and vision of unity of Christ's church in the journey of true pilgrimage.

Fishing.

2010-11-07T21:12:00.000Z

I apologise to my readers for wasting their time searching to see if I've written anything new over recent weeks. As you can see I have had a break and it's been some time since the last posting. I was able to take time off in the Highlands of Scotland during October and post photos of a successful annual fishing trip, returning a noble Aberdeenshire salmon to continue it's quest to return home to spawn and ensure the continuity of it's family and it's magnificent species. On returning I had a number of mail items including correspondence from two Bishops. One from outside the Province, being very supportive and pastorally caring the other from South Wales objecting to a post on this blog. The result of the first was reaffirmation, renewal and envigouration of vocation. The other...well you can probably guess. As the second was type-written on crested Diocesan Church in Wales notepaper marked 'private' and signed in the official way as +Sharky, Bishop of Samson and Buryan there is a presumption that this correspondence is not for general consumption and of course I may decide that this should be so. On the other hand I have been thinking. My blog is mine isn't it? I don't make you read it. It is the embodiment of my own life and expression of faith. If you read the posts for the most part I hope that they are for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God, flawed as they may be from time to time by the personal faults and sins of the author but they are in no way threatening to anyone. The libel laws remain in tact for those who wish to use them. The blogosphere posts can give an arrow-like directness to the issues of the day and I realise that and that not everyone is going to like what they read. The fact that a post may have 'come to my attention' as the Bishop says won't clip my wings or threaten me. Nor do I feel that I shall reply or, let it be known, be stopped in future from reporting, just because I have a letter marked 'private' in response to a published blog. If you want to engage with a published blog should you not expect to reply even in disagreement in the published format and not behind the trappings of office? I know other Bishops who have at least made their objections known on the comments of a blog page and that seems right and proper to the debate. Anyway, as the editor with control of this blog I've made the decision not to reply other than here and to say that in future if you don't agree with what I've said, just leave a comment and I'll make the decision to reply, to publish or not. Thank you! Slippery fish can sometimes be difficult to handle.

A real Angel

2010-10-01T08:09:00.000+01:00

In the debate about Angels at this time of the year with St. Michael and the Archangels last Wednesday and the feast of our Guardian Angels tomorrow, today is proof of a real live Angel. Sainte Terese of Lisieux must surely prove that they exist! Not only the winged one's whose spirits are around forever praising between heaven and earth but the human ones too. If the definition of Angels is those whose whole vocation is to worship, praise and magnify God then certainly she is for me not only a Saint and a church Doctor as decreed but an Angel too. In her writing she would save our very own souls. Are we 'on the side of the Angels' ? Through her intercessions we can be. Her whole vocation being one of love as illustrated by these words of hers:

''I understand so very well that it is only through love that we can render ourselves pleasing to the good Lord, that love is the one thing I long for. The science of love is the only science I desire."

A Saint before she was born.

2010-09-30T21:49:00.000+01:00

Today is the Eve of the feast of Sainte Terese of Lisieux but it is actually the day of her death at the young age of 24. I have been reading her book L`Histoire d'une Ame (History of a Soul) since making pilgrimage to her shrine in Normandy in the summer holidays. These photos are the ones I took there. I was overcome by the reality of her beautiful faith. Anyone who goes there and reads her book can not but be profoundly moved by the simplicity of the truths which she extols. The 'little flower', Sainte Therese of the Child Jesus can show us only purity, goodness and simplicity of the faith. However she was courageous and bold and confidently determined to do what she knew to be right. When she was rejected for profession as a Carmelite nun she persevered and overcame both her Bishop in Bayeaux and her parish priest appealing to Pope Leo XIII at an audience during a diocesan pilgrimage to Rome.She having kissed his slipper and then instead of his hand too began to speak 'Holy Father in honour of your Jubilee permit me to enter Carmel at the age of fifteen'! The Pontiff was completely transfixed by her assurance that this is what God had called her to. She too was struck there that Leo was truly The Holy Father. She thus fulfilled her vocation and the power of her prayer continues to enrich and purify the church today.

Govern by all Thy Wisdom, O Lord,
so that my soul may always be serving Thee as Thou dost
Will,
and not as I may choose.
Do not punish me, I beseech Thee,
by granting that which I wish
or ask if it offended Thy Love,
which would always live in me.
Let me die to myself,
so that I may love Thee.
Let me live to Thee,
Who art in Thyself,
the True Life.

Ordinariate in Wales

2010-09-28T11:35:00.000+01:00

Following the good turn out of Welsh clergy at the sacred synod in London there is some word going around that nothing is going to happen in Wales. There is I suppose a natural inclination to be pessimistic until one actually sees something in place and I understand this. I would however be very surprised if there were not at least some Mass centres and church sharing arrangements( from sympathetic incumbents and dare one hope Bishops too) that could be put in place sooner than later. We should remember that the good Anglo-Catholics of Wales have been orphaned from their Provincial Assistant Bishop for some time. The Church-in-Wales' nationalism gives expression in it's extravagant resources given to two languages irrespective of their use in large swathes of the majority of the country and the maintenance of multiple archdeaconeries, tiny Bishoprics and all the expensive paraphernalia of offices in central Cardiff and the Diocesan offices and their separate managers and property departments, staffing, publications and the like. All these are bleeding the church dry in the face of falling numbers,with a few exceptions, and rising costs. If one was to take a very limited guess and say that traditionalists whether they stay or go were to divert say 15-20% of the existing funds away from the liberal ascendency to the traditional Ordinariate, which like it's Roman Catholic partners will maintain a sensibly joint hierarchy for England/Wales, then one can imagine further crisis management away from mission being necessary as the declines accelerate. This is NOT something to score points over however. We need each other in a new ecumenical situation of two churches in a small country with Christianity itself under attack here as much as anywhere. The relations between RC's and the Church-in -Wales have been more than cordial and I see no reason why this should change. It is time to accept that the traditionalists in Wales have been squarely defeated and we should now accept that. We could have hoped for a more ecumenical treatment from within our own church but WE DID NOT GET IT and nor will we, in spite of some dreamers who are waiting for Bishops to retire for things to change back. Liberals never admit they were wrong and go back. So what is the future for the Ordinariate in Wales which we hope will develop as new Roman Catholics with Anglican roots and shared history and hopefully on good terms with the Anglican Church-in-Wales? At present it is a case of those interested registering with their nearest Ordinariate group which is currently on St. Augustine's side of the Severn estuary. This so as to be kept informed and to prepare for a possible conversion as a group without any obligation to do so. One will eventually be able to support it financially so that it can provide for those of us in Wales. To make contact you can do so by contacting Fr. Paul Spilsbury at the Bristol group here paulspilsbury@btinternet.com It will I predict be slow to start and soon establish and spread to the South of Wales and outwards. It will never cover all the old parish or even deanery areas but who knows? All is in God's hands and He will want us all, whichever route we take, to remain in fellowship and love with those who have 'won' and those who have been 'defeated' in the purely human and deeply sinful power struggle that we all seem to get caught up in this earthly life. Seeking Unity in Christ surely means continuing to pray for those with whom we disagree and who knows where that may eventually lead them to?!

Forward in Faith Wales

2010-09-26T17:41:00.001+01:00

At Credo Cymru ( Forward in Faith Wales) we used to have our annual festival of faith for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross at Brecon Cathedral. However, since the Provincial Assistant Bishop (equivalent of suffragan PEV) has been refused replacement after retirement 2 years ago by the bench of Welsh Bishops, we now gather at a more independent venue from the cathedra from where we were blessed by the one with the big Mitre or was it a turban, surely not(see http://llandaffchesterchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/06/your-wish-is-my-command.html ) one of the one's who deny us! Therefore it is a great pleasure to report the successful event this year was moved to St. Mary's Bute St. Cardiff where the marvellous and faithful Fr.Graham Francis SSC and his Assistant priest Fr. Ben Andrews SSC minister so well and who are such an important traditional parish in the anglican Church in Wales here. We had the benefit of Fr. Philip North as preacher and Fr. Alan Rabjohns chairman of FiF Wales was the chief celebrant with thirty or so concelebrants and other priests and deacons and our retired Bishop David supporting in the large congregation. Here are some rather belated souvenir photos(click to enlarge).

Going up a Dead End

2010-09-25T17:09:00.001+01:00

Having received a comment on my last post, I have replied that I think the new proposed 'Society'(it has no saintly patronage as far as I can see) is like choosing a path going up a cul-de-sac (dead end) and seeing the sign before you even enter the road. It has got me thinking. As you can see, I wasn't impressed with this unpublished idea which was dropped on us all when we got to London (all the way from Wales in my case). How many 'Catholic' Societies are there already! The last thing we need is to invent one more now as some ships prepare to go out of port to a brighter destination. This new one will flounder on the rocks because she is certainly not sea-worthy, let alone got a navigator and a Captain with jurisdiction on board! I felt I was being press-ganged; no way! Seriously, I think we should be told whose idea this is and who has promoted it, as it appears to have some backing from Forward in Faith which is a great shame on them (us). WHOSE IDEA IS THIS? From where did it originate? It seems like the worst prepared proposal from a bad and very late PCC meeting which got through because everyone wanted to get home!What a wonderful job this may do of undermining the Ordinariate (I hope not). You don't think this idea could have been fed from the Establishment to 'go on give it a go, we might let you have a bit of a place tee-hee' do you? Yes, I am being cynical and I seriously question the leadership on this. I thought we were trying to support each other on the voyages that will be different for everyone and in the parting of ways, not holing people below the waterline before they've even got going on their respective journeys.

Sacred Synod

2010-09-24T21:05:00.000+01:00

Today I travelled up to London from Wales to the sacred synod in Westminster. There were a large number of Welsh clergy there with many hundreds from England. We were told by Dame Mary Tanner that we were still in a period of 'reception' over the issue of women priests and bishops! Cuckoos in the land of the clouds came to my mind. When are people going to accept this massive defeat gracefully and move forward without bitterness or retribution and leave fantasy dreams behind? If you stay you accept what is the reality in the new protestant C of E and Church in Wales or you go; or you stay as many will have to and go later (an honourable position) but the scared rabbit caught in the headlights approach, pretending that we can get something more out of the carnage of defeat looks pretty unseemly to me. Yes, we must accept that some of us are moving in different directions or in the same direction at different speeds but a little clarity of thinking will see that there is no jurisdiction, there is a code of practice and it will not do! Tell my Welsh clergy colleagues without a bishop for two years that we are still in 'reception' over the issues and they won't be very pleased. The majority of English clergy of our tradition can see the huge defeat that is a reality and that the Act of Synod will be revoked and that there will be no provision for them either. Despite a clear rejection by general Synod of a religious Society model with jurisdiction, the last ditch effort from some today appears to be reviving this idea. However, there is no clear thinking or plan or detailed and thought out proposal. Even those who promoted it seemed to admit that it won't work! I felt very sad to see intelligent hard working priests and a couple of Bishops trying to work something out on the hoof. I was not a little annoyed at the leaflets and promotions of this ill thought out and already rejected idea being canvassed. Today Bishops John Broadhurst, Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton declared publicly their clear intentions to join the Orinariate (perhaps the Bishop of Fulham on a slightly different time scale). Those who want to support them and the Holy Father's clear offer of sacramental and ecclesial unity will I'm sure give them great support either now or a little later when they can. If you're not wanted I can't see how you can plan to stay and pretend to go along with the new regime which is not the catholic church in England and Wales any longer.

Long to Reign over us!

2010-09-20T22:01:00.000+01:00

I have like everyone else been glued to the TV and marvelled at the visit of the Holy Father. Against all the earthly odds (but not the Heavenly One's!!) the people of God and those who would know Him, the searching and the curious and those who will become His, turned out in large numbers in Britain and listened to Pope Benedict and what he actually said live, instead of sound bite and editorial bias. We can be thankful for live TV unedited if not for the annoying rolling repetitive script underneath which at times was so unnecessary (surely we ought to be offered a choice to turn that rolling script off?!). Every word of H.H. can now be read again and studied and prayed over and hopefully acted upon ('be doers of The Word and not hearers only'). This was an impressive parish-style mission of excellence but of course Pope Benedict's parish is the whole of Christendom! The measure of success of any parish or other mission is not necessarily to be judged by it's immediate reaction to God's word but over months and years and lifetimes changed for the better. This will surely happen as the measure of the visit, as I said in my earlier post before the visit, will be if we are blessed by the visit or not. Who can deny that we have been richly blessed and that the fruits will be gathered over many years and even lifetimes (both here and in eternity). I still maintain that we should mount a campaign to get proper access to the national shrine of St. Edward the Confessor. Am I alone in feeling that the Dean was 'lording it over 'his ' church a bit? Otherwise The Abbey and especially the choir was magnificent. A very successful turnout by Blessed John Henry Newman's countrymen but then again we're used to having Royalty in our midst in this kingdom and we know how to appreciate those who reign over us temporally and spiritually too!

The Real Scandal

2010-09-15T21:45:00.000+01:00

With the state visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI history is in the making somewhat late. Who would have thought it would have taken nearly 500 years, yes FIVE HUNDRED YEARS for the Pope to be welcomed here with full state honours? I know the arguments of the first Reformation love to be invoked and trawled over but no wonder Christianity itself is under attack in the UK when no offer of welcome has been offered until now all these years later. This is the real scandal, not the anti Church bandwagon brigade agenda and their continuing persecutions against the successor of a once crucified St.Peter. We pray that the whole of Christianity will unite in support of the supreme leader of Christians to the greater mission of the whole Church of Christ.

Happy Birthday!

2010-09-08T20:41:00.000+01:00

Ave Maria! The black Madonna at Chartres in France may be more ancient and has a tonne of candles burning to her each week. Today for my photo and salutations I use the one from my visit to Bayeaux Cathedral following Sunday Mass in August there. Gold seems more of an appropriate colour for her birthday. May she lead us to the Saviour through her holy intercession for us all who are unworthy sinners.

Papal Visit

2010-09-05T15:42:00.002+01:00

The Holy Father's visit is nearly upon us and the details of how to see and support him are available here http://www.thepapalvisit.org.uk/2010-Visit/Itinerary. Although the 'public' events in Glasgow, Birmingham and Hyde Park, London are described as such, you have in fact to be with a Catholic parish on pilgrimage to be there and get the authority and passes necessary. However, as you can see from the links there will be opportunity to support and see Pope Benedict XV1 on the various routes he will travel. One hopes that many, especially those within easy reach, will make the effort to do at least this and resist the easy option of TV. I suspect and believe the visit of His Holiness, despite all the fears and no doubt a few detrimental headlines, will be a great blessing which is surely the measure of 'success'. A blessing for truly open and liberal Anglicans as for everyone else. The visit of the successor of Saint Peter can surely not be 'downgraded' by the disagreements that are a scourge on the 'modern' church at this time? Or tell me if I'm being too optimistic. Of course the true test of faithfulness and genuine receipt of blessing will be how Christians who disagree with each other in the Anglican tradition treat each other after he has returned to the Holy City of Rome from where all our history as Christians (and our future too surely) lies or is that the wrong word to use! How will the Diocesan Bishops of the Church of England lined up in joint Audience with the RC Hierarchy behave after the inks on their special passes to be in His Holiness' presence have long since dried? Will they show true ecumenical love and generosity in buildings and resources to their sisters and brothers in Christ of their own tradition who leave to seek greater unity under the Dominical imperative 'that they be one'. I will be awaiting with joy the sight of the new shrine to 'Blessed' John Henry Newman at which Pope Benedict will be the first to pray. No doubt there will be greater attention at the other shrine to Saint Edward the Confessor when he goes there with the Archbishop of Canterbury. That shrine which has hurriedly been re-marketed for the occasion having been shamefully sidelined and been so inaccessible bearing in mind he is the national Saint par excellence and the only medieval shrine to have survived the desecrations of the centuries. My photo is from my own pilgrimage to Rome in 2005 at which the now retired (and now abolished post of) Provincial Assistant Bishop in Wales,+ David Thomas was presented at Audience. Wales was then blessed indeed! I expect there will be many Christians in the province who will be disappointed that there will be no Papal visit to Cardiff as there was with Pope John-Paul. The country will apparently receive the blessing of Benedict from the throne in Westminster Cathedral addressed specifically to the Welsh perhaps in the Welsh language? Like much of this visit we will have to wait and see! In the meantime Anglican churches ought to be full of prayers for this most worthy and faithful disciple and special man appointed by divine grace Christ's Vicar on earth. Viva Papa! Let the Novena of prayers commence soon!

Holydays and Holidays

2010-08-02T22:39:00.000+01:00

I suppose that many like me will be attending Mass away during August. I can't imagine anything worse than seeking out an Anglican church in France when there are so many parish churches of the local tradition administering the Holy Sacraments without church politics being involved. We won't even have to think about their validity or who is in whose college of priests and deacons. Living in Wales this will truly be a holiday! If I am attending Mass in the same place in France over several weeks I try out of courtesy to make ourselves known to the officiating priests ( they often minister in large groups not parishes these days). As yet we have not been refused; on the basis that there is unlikely to be an Anglican Mass nearby in rural France anyway and that we will be welcome. I don't have to say that I will be praying the same Divine Office that they will, although perhaps I should. I may even (most probably) be sharing more than that with them sooner than later, even as a layman, now that the defeat for traditional Anglicans like me has been so comprehensive. Let's be truthful presided over by one who despite the rhetoric has not shown any ability to honour the promises and 'concern' for those of us whose only crime was in all conscience to abide by the Anglican formularies regarding Holy Orders unbroken for five hundred years until the new 'credo' of the 1990's. So I will make my pilgrimages while on holiday to the Norman Abbeys and particularly to Bec where earlier more noble and honourable and orthodox Archbishops of Canterbury emanated. At the feet of Lanfranc and Anselm I will pray for the Anglican church and those of her number whom she has rejected, for the family and for parishes here. Sad? Yes! Bitter? Never! Holiday reading? The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton. Get my drift? Of course you do! Assumptiontide with fellow catholics too. Heaven indeed!! Happy Holidays. Until September Adieu!

Media Musings

2010-07-14T07:50:00.000+01:00

Following my participation yesterday on the BBC Radio Wales programme, I have been listening to others and how they get the message across. I must say how impressed I was with the Bishop of Fulham on the 'Hardtalk' interview which he gave earlier in the year. It has great relevance for the events taking place now. Bp. John gives clear and concise leadership. You can listen to it here

Second Reformation

2010-07-13T13:45:00.000+01:00

Who can doubt that we are in the midst of a second Reformation as Anglicans? The committee or synod now decides all matters, even theological, without heeding the advice of Bishops. But here in Wales it is worse. Our own six Bishops have at a stroke taken away Sacramental and pastoral care; they have done so by refusing to replace our Bishop, the Provincial Assistant Bishop. Women and men whose only wish is to live out the faith of their Baptism as received from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to which they faithfully witness are abandoned and orphaned. They cannot continue to worship faithfully when the promises they were given in 1991 in England and in 1996 here in Wales have been so flagrantly broken by those who should know how to behave better. To keep a promise is a moral imperative. That Christian people especially when in a majority including Bishops can blatantly break these promises is no less than a scandal and also an abuse. Of course we are divided over the issues, but where is the tolerance and love and pastoral care that ensures those with whom you disagree with are cared for? Not only women and men scattered throughout the Provinces but to Priests and their wives, their mothers, their daughters and their sons? They know very well that there are many who in all conscience cannot accept the innovations devised by the committee led church which has now taken over the Anglican Church. It is, or was until now, both Catholic and Reformed. This is a sad descent into Congregationalism. We pray for those who in all conscience will have to leave the church of their Baptism and especially those priests and the women in their families who will have no stipend, no pension rights and no roof over their heads. Of course the Lord will provide and there is, praise God, a far more generous, loving and caring home for them to go to presided over by a chief Bishop who will really love them, lead them and allow them to practice and flourish in that same catholic faith of their tradition. His name is the successor of Peter, the rock from which we were hewn, Benedict XVI. May he pray for us and those whom we know, who are in need of much love, guidance and care at this time. The second Reformation begins, let us 'be joyful and keep the faith!' That the Apostles were all men determined by Jesus Christ cannot be disputed; the Bishops are their successors in unbroken line. We do not believe that our branch of the Christian Church has the authority to change things on our own, simple as that. By the way let's just remember that there are millions of women who hold this view too. That's what I would have liked to say on the Radio programme which I was on this morning! But this here at the 2hr.45mins into the programme on the marker slide is what I was able to say in the limited time and format available. It is good that the BBC gives us a hearing at least, even if our own Bishops turn a deaf ear!

General Synod of C of E

2010-07-12T21:27:00.001+01:00

I have been asked to take part in the Radio Wales 'Good Morning Wales' programme live tomorrow morning after 8 am. This is to be on the subject of revisiting the question of the ordination of women as Bishops in the Church in Wales in the light of today's events at General Synod. This is, I understand, a live broadcast and will not be edited. I will let you have the link to the recorded version when I get back in the morning. I am not sure why I've been asked other than I was a signatory to the letter by 100 clergy to The Times some time ago. I'll do my best to get across the message of those of us who don't accept that the Anglican Church has the authority to change the nature of the threefold ministry it has shared and inherited from wider Christendom and that we should not be a modern day sect making up our own rules..we'll see. Blessed Stephen and Lawrence pray for me an unworthy Deacon and an inheritor of your tradition and your Holy Orders.

Patronal Festival

2010-07-12T09:17:00.000+01:00

Last weeks events to celebrate our Blessed Patron culminated in a festival Solemn Mass followed by an al fresco shared meal under perfect skies in the 'piazza' (we are leaning towards all things continental!) created for the day in the space between the 9th.cent. churchyard wall and the 19th.cent former village school part of which is now used for the Sunday School and community events. During Mass I was pleased that the children who had been preparing their depictions of the life of St. Arvan acquitted themselves brilliantly. His symbol is a coracle as he was a hermit and fisherman in the finest tradition of Apostles and the coracle made and decorated with ivy for the occasion by the children was processed and blessed at the offertory. They also gave a dramatic presentation of the story of the slaying of Eli the Deacon in front of the altar here in the 1300's when Sanctuary was desecrated Thomas a Becket-style but more of this and our search for the identity of Arvan in another post when we explore the church mentioned in the Llandaff Charter of 955AD which refers to our dedication as the church of SS Febric and Iarmen. If we can find out more detail we'll let you know!

Ordination Anniversaries

2010-07-03T23:26:00.002+01:00

Congratulations are given to all those celebrating their anniversaries at this time. Some will be in higher figures than others! ALL are a sign and a cause for celebration and thanksgiving. From London Pilmlico, St Gabriel for Fr. Luke's 10 yrs (preacher Fr. Jeremy Winston of Abergavenny 30 yrs) and secondly from Cardiff, St. Martin Roath for Fr. Irving's 25 yrs ( preacher Fr. Richard Williams 27 yrs of Hay-on-Wye...see his dog Jimmy at the altar rail!) Here are some souvenir photos and happy times and joyous Masses of thanksgiving I have recently had the joy to attend. So important to engage with and support all Anglican traditionalist clergy at this time in prayer presence and solidarity. Thanks be to God for these and all our vocations and for the grace to follow the sometimes uncertain path of life and faith. In the hope that we will never give up on the day to day tasks that need to be achieved in the name of Jesus Christ who is our witness and knows what we do and what we do not do. May we follow his example and strive not to BE served but to serve.

From ruin to ruin in a week!

2010-06-22T09:44:00.002+01:00

Despite the title of this post I am upbeat, hopeful and joyful to be sharing the fruits of God's blessings and his gift of the church to the world especially during these wonderful June days. One might have thought that the reduced numbers at the Glastonbury Pilgrimage last Saturday, the economic gloom and the turmoil in Anglicanism would have dampened resolve and spirits. On the contrary it is more important than ever for traditionalists like us to hold heads up high, to share the inheritance of the saints who even died for the faith we strive to witness to. As Bishop Edwin says in his writing here..http://www.theanglocatholic.com/2010/06/glastonbury/.we owe it to those who have gone before and those who will follow, to stand up and be counted, not in a retiring and despondent way but in the light of the truth and with constant joy. Firstly, the ruins of the great Abbey Church of Glastonbury was the backdrop to a memorable Pilgrimage Mass. I know we were 600 or so communicants and that is low in comparison to years gone by but hey! that's 600 souls joining to worship God together on a precious Saturday in June as Bp. John Ford reminded us. Cause for joy not gloom. The quality of the worship, the obvious devotion of most of those present (with the notable exception of 'the robed voyeur') and the uplifting sermon from Fr. Darren all combined to give new life among that ruin. This ruin is one imposed on the Benedictine church of God by the despoiler of the Catholic church of the people of Britain. But we are there in witness, we have not forgotten the place or the sacrilege which destroys and diminishes life itself.
Secondly, the ruin is of the Abbey Church at Tintern of the Cistercian Order in our neighbouring parish here in Wales. The majority of the photos on this blog are taken by me and this was from last evening on the Summer Solstice on my way back from my secular occupation showing a rental property in the Wye Valley to a new family who would make it their new home. I could not drive by at 7pm without stopping with prayer and camera to mark the beauty, not the ruin where the current tenants are jackdaws but the reminder of what this house of God was like and could have been like today were it not again due to the sacrilege to Christ's body the church and the the abuse of power that reduces it to a mere un prayed-in ruin. Who knows what the British landscape will look like in another few centuries or much much less there will be more ruins for sure. For those struggling with the great re-formation in which we are living, remember, we are not blocks of stone which will one day decay. We are living stones, we go where the Shepherd leads us unburdened by materials and set fee in faith to go where ever the Master is calling us and His Church. Even in these blessed lands in which we have the privilege to live and pray and minister and die and where we hope in a resurrection when all will be revealed in Glory if, if we remain faithful, humble and above all joyful even surrounded as we are on this earth by decay, ruin and imperfection.Thank God for his gift of life and faith and above all the will to worship, to pray and to witness joyfully, sustained by the sacraments of truth by the priceless jewel of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. If it becomes not truly Apostolic it can surely never be truly His church?!

Pilgrimage

2010-06-15T06:40:00.000+01:00

We are now looking forward to the annual pilgrimage to Glastonbury Abbey THIS SATURDAY JUNE 19TH..These pictures are from the '07 pilgrimage. There's lots to do for the children (their activities begin at 10am) my own 12 ans 13 year old daughters love the day out and the uplifting procession(11.45) and outdoor Mass in glorious weather( the forecast is good!) in glorious setting. Many pilgrims now come from Wales for the day, as a day trip to the national at Walsingham is now too far for many in the traffic. This is a great time to be together for traditionalists and their Bishops. The chief celebrant this year is the new president of the Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association Bishop John Ford of Plymouth and the Additional Curates Society's Fr. Darren Smith gives the Homily this year. Bring your picnic and see you there!! To find out more here is the link to the GPA site.http://www.glastonburypilgrimage.com/index.html

Music as Prayer

2010-06-10T23:11:00.000+01:00

If I get asked by people when they are going through a difficult time and are not able to pray what do they do, I sometimes reply let others do the praying for them. At other times I suggest prayer through music. This is listening, not forcing oneself to speak when prayer of the soul becomes difficult. In these days of the Pentecost season there are many musical meditations on the 'Veni Creator', come Holy Spirit a prayer in itself. What better than the masterful Maurice Durufle when needing a little inspiration to be with the Lord without having to speak or ask, prayer is sufficient in the listening if humility is exercised. Here is the magnificent Julian Bewig at the organ for another crisper version of thePrelude Adagio et Chorale Varie sur le Veni Creator Op.4

Corpus Christi

2010-06-07T21:06:00.001+01:00

These are the trumpet stops of the organ at St. Martin's. I Had a wonderful day on Sunday for the feast of Corpus Christi. At home in the parish church, the Sunday School learnt about and drew a Monstrance, a Pyx and a Sacrament House in learning more of the feast. Then for the Solemn Mass at the Offertory we joined the congregation for the liturgy and took part in the procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the church. In the afternoon I travelled to Cardiff for the Centenary Service of the St. Martin Ward of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament. This took the form of Solemn Vespers, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. As you can see from a previous post there is not another Christian place of worship in the whole land that I know of which can hold a candle to St. Martin of Tours, Roath for it's clouds and clouds of burning incense from braziers and thuribles too. All of which is accentuated by the light streaming in from enormous clear glass windows. However, the music too must now be at the highest level even among Cathedrals. This is not a traditional robed choir but an excellent small Liturgical group of singers which gives great sensitivity and more flexibility for specifically sacramental worship.The superb Director of Music and Organist Timothy Hill played brilliantly on the Organ and reveals a true sense of vocation in his interpretation and enhancement of the liturgical moment, be it peaceful Gregorian plainchant or rousing organ works of the French genre. A specially commissioned first performance of the Magnificat by local musician Robert Dishington was a thought provoking and worthy composition to mark the occasion. Other works included music by Piutti, Schmuke and Byrd and ending with the celebratory organ work 'Grande Choeur Dialogue' by Gigout. In short this is nothing short of excellence in worship, to the greater Glory of God and in the finest Anglican tradition, both refined and evolving as a manifestation of living faith. Our thanks and congratulations from those of us who were present must go to Fr. Hamer( who celebrates his 25th. anniversary of Ordination to the priesthood this month), and to his team of MC Dr. David Woolf et al. Not forgetting the erudite address on the theme of 'Presence' by Canon Fr. Stephen Kirk. The Church in Wales can ill afford to ignore the requests, needs and sacramental ministry of like minded traditionalists. Will it listen? Will it act? In all probability No.
For now from the words of the final Welsh Hymn:
Tydi a wnaeth y wyrth, O! Grist, Fab Duw,
Tydi a roddaist imi flas ar fyw;

You did this mighty deed, Oh! Christ God's son,
You gave me joy anew the race to run;
Your Spirit held and guided me along
Forever more I'll sing the glorious song
I see the beauty now that can survive,
I feel the touch divine that makes alive;
The Alleluia has possessed my soul,
To You, O! Christ, I give my praises all.

Cuckoo!!!

2010-06-02T08:40:00.000+01:00

I have today marvelled that the once familiar call of the Cuckoo cuculus canorus has returned to the woods near us for the first time for over fifteen years. If I am honest it was not until it became a rare sound that I became to value him as a favourite, a lost herald of spring, a missing wake-up caller that new life and new growth and hatching life again are with us. A bird of poets and of country dwellers...''This is the weather the cuckoo loves,and so do I; when showers betumble the chestnut spikes,and nestlings fly'' (Thomas Hardy b. 1840).

However, I can't help thinking that nature as life itself can be cruel and random. The cuckoo is in fact parasitic and, remember, lays it's eggs in another's nest for the host bird to hatch. When it does, the huge cuckoo chick often of monster size in comparison even to the foster mother, kicks out all the other small host chicks to a cold end and exhausts the foster mother with a voracious appetite to grow and fledge and well ..take, take take!! Substitute the host bird for traditional catholic Anglicans and the cuckoo for liberal Anglicans and the quota and I could soon begin to change my favour of the parasitic and endless sound of cuckoo, cuckoo cuckoo!! Perhaps it will become rare or even extinct one day, nature has a funny way of selection, not forgetting that all is for The Creator not the creatures to decide! To hear the call ....http://sounds.bl.uk/View.aspx?item=022M-W1CDR0001463-0100V0.xml

St. Augustine meets the Welsh Bishops.

2010-05-26T22:35:00.000+01:00

We know that the meeting of the Apostle to the English with the Welsh Bishops did not go well. St. Augustine failed to rise from his throne when they entered to meet him in the 603AD after Pope St. Gregory sent him on the mission to Britain in 597AD. One of my favourite walks in the adjoining parish which I take from time to time with my working cocker spaniel (yes we shoot, it is what she is bed for!) is to cross the railway track on foot being careful always to listen for the Cardiff to Gloucester train first with 'Dot' safely on the lead! When we get to the Severn estuary between the two road bridges we get to the Old Passage Quay about two miles further downstream and looking past Black Rock to Aust(named after Augustine) on the other side of the estuary about 3miles away at this point. I imagine the boats putting out with Holy Celtic bishops wrapping themselves in their cloaks and preparing to defend their traditions and their 'patrimony' but being open to the Pope's representative as they honour the successor of Peter but now learn they don't like what they see of his negotiator. Here are some photos of this walk where we encounter lapwing, reed bunting, teal, pochard, heron, mallard, hen harrier, oyster catcher and on the marsh wild samphire. Under the episcopal boats the wild salmon decide to go straight on for the Severn or turn left (North) up the Wye. They disembark on the Bristol side and can't understand why their ancient tradition of the liturgy in Greek and their adherence to the Eastern Churches celebration of Easter can not be continued as has always been so for them.The shape of their tonsure was also at stake! More importantly it had been the cult of the saints that had been their strength and helped see the survival of the British church. Augustine of Canterbury failed but later at the Synod of Whitby(664AD) the conformity with Rome came but in Wales not for another 104 yrs when in 768AD Bp. Elvodug conformed the Welsh church. We have much to draw upon and to learn from in our history. The British Church catholic has always recognised and valued Rome and Peter's successors there. What is our real heritage and destiny? Surely it is obvious!

Pentecost

2010-05-25T22:32:00.001+01:00

The Homily for Pentecost followed by a musical meditation on Veni Creator by Maurice Durufle which for me exudes and expounds the seven fold gifts of the Spirit especially...Peace.

Homily. Pentecost. Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost or Whitsun on account of the Baptisms in white that are associated with this time. We are in red liturgically today however to mark the coming of the Holy Ghost as tongues of fire on the Apostles. This Holy Spirit is none other than the third person of God the Holy Trinity. When Jesus ascends we are not left desolate or orphaned we have the HS referred to as the Comforter, the Paraclete, The Counsellor, the Advocate who is with us forever. The Holy Spirit first comes to us at our Baptism and remains with us always. He is invoked at Confirmations and Ordinations and at every celebration of the Eucharist. It is God in the third person when invoked that validates the Holy sacraments.

He is referred to in the scriptures and is often represented as wind, fire and as a dove. He is present within us at every waking and sleeping moment, it is through God’s grace that we receive him, we do not earn his presence but rather he is a sign of God’s faithfulness to us and within us. How wonderful this can be for us to know that we are always in receipt of this presence of God. We often refer to this as God’s gift to us the gift of himself the gift of the HS.

In the gospel John tells us that the HS ‘abides with you and he will be in you.’ Also, that ‘He will teach you everything’. And Jesus assures us by telling us ‘do not let your hearts be troubled do not let them be afraid’.

The Church is the bride of Christ and in a special way the Spirit has the church as his domain. Paul says ‘listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches’. In his letter to the church in Galatia in Asia Minor (Turkey) he identifies the gifts of the spirit to those of us in the Church as Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Humility, and Self-control. These attributes are those that are needed now in our world, in our lives, in our parish and in our churches today as much as ever.

When we learn in Acts that each was able to understand everyone in their own language we today marvel that the spread of the Christian religion is, through the power of the HS, worldwide. There are Bible translations in hundreds of different languages including the noble and ancient translation into Welsh; where all of us, Ethiopians, Armenians, Slavs, Africans, Spanish speakers, Nordics, Icelanders, Russians, English and Gallic speakers and all sorts, let alone the Medes and the Parthians et al understanding a common Gospel that we read of in Acts when the New Testament is born. All are able to understand the word of God and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Gospel imperative is to again be one, just as God in three persons is one. This can be for us one Church again if we would but release the power of the Holy Spirit which is within each one of us, within me and within you too.

One of the rather odious declarations which the ubiquitous Facebook social web site asks its adherents (and I’m told there are many a Bishop who is a member!) is, are you in a relationship? And then it gives you the box to tick as to your relationship status, single, married, in a relationship and with whom etc. The question we as Christians might ask ourselves today is, irrespective of our personal situation in the world as single, married, widowed, or whatever, what is my relationship with God? If we should want to know that we are valued, comforted, not orphaned or left lonely we could today invoke the power of The Holy Spirit on this His day and change the course of our whole lives and by invoking Him for someone else we know who is in need of God’s love, their whole life too. Am I committed, am I faithful, am I happy to be seen with my beloved? Am I prepared to return the love which is freely given to me? Am I ‘in a relationship’? The one with God which will prove to be the lasting one, the true one, the eternal one which will save me?

The miracle of this Easter season which now draws to a close is that the divine mystery of Father, Son and Holy Spirit can transform, empower and fulfil us as we daily strive to overcome all the vagaries of this transitory life and begin anew to celebrate this gift of new and holy life, to acknowledge this magnificent gift of God the HS.

May His power in the warmth of wind and fire and in the discernment of tongues and in the power of His presence moving in this place and uniting all the churches, give us grace to realise the gifts of joy and peace and love and patience, kindness and goodness now and always, Alleluia! Amen. +

Pipe Organ Chartres Cathedral Duruflé "Veni Creator" (2)

2010-05-25T22:32:00.000+01:00

Alleluia!!

2010-04-04T19:13:00.001+01:00

This is the day of the Lord let us rejoice and be glad in it! At last we have arrived at the feast of the Resurrection, the Vigil and the Mass of Easter Day proclaim the bodily resurrection of the Lord. In the words of the Exultet.

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God's throne!

Jesus Christ, our King is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes forever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right

that with full hearts and minds and voices

we should praise the unseen God,
the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin
to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you free the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin
and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night when Jesus Christ
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave
you gave away your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God
to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day;
it will become my light, my joy."
The power of this holy night
dispels all evil, washes guilt away,
restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled with God!
Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on us all,
your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

In Limbo

2010-04-03T15:35:00.001+01:00

Amid the unpleasant reporting, unhelpful comment by a Bishop in God's church who knows (as a Diocesan) we are not without blame too and the sickening cartoons in the Times, we must remember that Christ and his Church are no strangers to the onslaughts of the Evil One. The Harrowing of Hell goes on today and everyday. The Good News on all this will be revealed this very night, heralded by new fire, new light. A chance to burn those words and images in newspapers on this fire presents itself. Let's use the opportunity!

Good Friday

2010-04-02T17:04:00.003+01:00

Here we are on the last part of our Lenten Journey. These are photos of today. The Altar of Repose this morning after last night's Watch and the Way of the Cross bravely attempted and achieved up the steep and slippery slope of the Wyndcliff Walk to the Eagles Nest look-out in the Wye Valley. 600ft above sea level within the parish. A walk of the faithful depleted in numbers due to the lashing storm of wind and 5C rain. But as we were reminded our Celtic Christian forbears would have been proud of us! Thanks to lamination the readings and meditations were possible and all was 'accomplished'. Save us and help us we humbly beseech Thee O Lord.

Persecution

2010-03-29T07:20:00.000+01:00

If we do and read nothing else on the abuse scandal this Holy Week we could do no better than firstly pray for the Holy Father and secondly read this http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewmcfbrown/100031761/why-cant-the-media-treat-the-pope-fairly/ Then perhaps try and expose the way the media and large national companies abuses the young everyday through it's exploitation of their innocence by hard selling, advertising and marketing methods that have no recourse to ethical standards of behaviour or reporting whatsoever. Praying also for those few brave journalists and advertising people who are prepared to apply the lost arts of logic, philosophy, reason, the search for truth and proportionality to a screaming world that revolves around quick sound bites and a lemming-like ability to get it wrong 'if it sells and gets a snigger'. The biblical reference that comes to mind is of swine going over cliffs perhaps.....

The Passion of Jesus Christ

2010-03-27T19:09:00.000Z

Here is the musical meditation for the Passion of Jesus Christ.

Chrism Mass

2010-03-27T17:08:00.001Z

Some thoughts on the Chrism Mass which was celebrated today at Holy Nativity Church, Bristol, UK. The Bishop of Ebbsfleet welcomed us Welsh pilgrims currently orphaned of a Father in God (although our retired 'father' Bp. David was there at the altar and despite some health problems in fine form). Apart from the mobile ring tone of Bp. Andrew going off at noon for the Angelus (therefore very forgiveable) it went without a hitch!! There were 60 priests robed (about 26 Welsh) plus some further 18 priests in the congregation of around 360 faithful. A moving and poignant occasion not least because it will be the last for many as Church of England and Church in Wales Anglicans. One doubts that there will be another of this type and scale again. Thanks to the 'pastoral care' of the bench of Welsh Bishops and the soon to follow-suit diktats of the General Synod this will not happen again on this scale if at all. But we were not sad, not defeated, quite the opposite. In the words of S. David 'be joyful keep the faith' was in our hearts. There is a lovely air of caravan moving through the desert atmosphere at the moment. For what can we fear if we know that the call of God is with us. The things not of God will not have any fears for us and each will discern what the Spirit is saying to him and his vocation. Is it real? Is it of God? Where am I being called to decide on my future place in Your Kingdom? Our vows renewed, the Holy oils and the oil of gladness replenished we are now fortified for now by Holy Church to fight the world, our sins and the devil to proclaim the wonders of salvation won for us by the crucifixion of Christ in these coming days of Holy Week and the resurrection festival of mighty Easter, when soon we will be able to proclaim the 'A' word from the rooftops again! New hope, new spring, new dawn. Perhaps the most beautiful words of the season other than the forthcoming Exultat are these from the consecration prayer of the Holy Chrism the Bishop having movingly breathed three times the breath of the Holy Spirit onto the oil soon to become Holy Chrism.

God our maker, source of all growth in holiness, accept the joyful thanks and praise we offer in the name of your Church. In the beginning, at your command, the earth produced fruit-bearing trees.

From the fruit of the olive tree you have provided us with oil for holy chrism. The prophet David sang of the life and joy that the oil would bring us in the sacraments of your love.

After the avenging flood, the dove returning to Noah with an olive branch announced your gift of peace. This was a sign of a greater gift to come. Now the waters of baptism wash away the sins of men, and by the anointing with olive oil you make us radiant with your joy.

At your command, Aaron was washed with water, and your servant Moses, his brother, anointed him priest. This too foreshadowed greater things to come. After your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, asked John for baptism in the waters of Jordan, you sent the Spirit upon him in the form of a dove and by the witness of your own voice you declared him to be your only, well-beloved Son. In this you clearly fulfilled the prophecy of David, that Christ would be anointed with the oil of gladness beyond his fellow men.

And so, Father, we ask you to bless + this oil you have created. Fill it with the power of your Holy Spirit through Christ your Son. It is from him that chrism takes its name and with chrism you have anointed for yourself priests and kings, prophets and martyrs.

Make this chrism a sign of life and salvation for those who are to be born again in the waters of baptism. Wash away the evil they have inherited from sinful Adam, and when they are anointed with this holy oil make them temples of your glory, radiant with the goodness of life that has its source in you.

Through this sign of chrism grant them royal, priestly, and prophetic honor, and clothe them with incorruption. Let this be indeed the chrism of salvation for those who will be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. May they come to share eternal life in the glory of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Christ Our Future 2000.

2010-03-06T22:36:00.003Z

Do you remember that amazing day on 10th June 2000 when over 800 priests 40 Bishops and Ten Thousand faithful celebrated the 'Christ Our Future' Millennium Mass at the London Arena? I'll never forget the joy, the singing and the optimism of it all! The chief celebrant was Archbishop Hope of York and the Bishop of London preached. Sadly not many of those Bishops or Priests and Deacons will now be travelling in the same direction or at the same time as we did when we all united on that great day. But the power and the guidance of The Holy Spirit from that occasion surely continues to breathe and ignite the Anglican catholic movement these ten years later and in ways which we only would have dreamt of then. I hoped that there might be a marking of the tenth anniversary of that magnificent day with something similar but now Christ our future is, even better, calling us through Benedict XVI to celebrate our catholicity as Anglicans from all over the world and in great numbers too, at another venue. This time the procession will lead not to London but to the mother church in Rome! Those dockland martyr priests who fought the fight for the Anglican church to recover her Catholic roots will surely be there, and watching over, to greet us. Here is the prayer we prayed for three whole years leading up to the great Millennium Mass, who can deny that prayers get answered and often in unexpected ways!!

Father all-powerful, creator of all things, judge of the living and the dead, you have raised our Lord Jesus Christ from death to life, resplendent in glory as the King of all the ages. Open our hearts to Christ who is our Future; free the whole world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, and to be made new in the power of his love, who lives and reigns.....Amen.

Lent 2

2010-03-02T21:22:00.000Z

We are already well into the second week of Lent and it has taken me a little while to adjust to the new spiritual 'regime' which word in French, as I said in last Sunday's sermon, means 'diet'. Indeed the new spiritual diet excluding the wordly items given up has thankfully included extras in the way of studying in the Lent group Basil Hume's 'Seven Last Words' booklet but I have just finished Dom Luke Bell's ''Deep and Subtle Joy'' from Quarr Abbey, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, UK. This can be read on a number of different levels but exudes peace and clarity, vision and hope. An EXCELLENT read for Lent and for ongoing study and for insights into the doorway to salvation and eternal life. The publisher is Hidden Spring and the forward by Tony Hendra. Here is an extract from page 133 on the Readings.....

.''Faith comes by hearing. We could just scan our eyes over the texts silently instead of hearing them read, but it would not be the same. The readings make a more vital impact on the heart if they are heard. The human voice is a more intimate instrument than the written word''

And page122, on God as 'Home'....

''But to have God making his home with us is not just communion with all of creation, it is also communion with him. It means sharing his joy his bliss'' .

How beautiful is that for Lent! An excellent read for laypeople and clergy alike. Get the book!

Family Law, a useful analogy?

2010-02-23T20:34:00.000Z

What are the options for those considering the Ordinariate with regards to buildings, pensions,stipends and welfare? I know these should not be the main issue as to whether one considers the Ordinariate or not but they will inevitably be a factor. Damage limitation to both sides of this current divide is paramount. The pastoral care of everyone should really be of the first priority. Would it be a good analogy I wonder to treat this whole realignment on the same basis as a marriage breakdown leading to annulment or divorce? In that case when mediation and reconciliation fails within the context of either unfaithfulness, unreasonable behaviour, non-consummation, lack of intention to keep within the marriage vows at the outset or irretrievable breakdown, a recognition and resolution of the failed relationship necessarily takes place with ongoing responsibilities. We can all recall broken promises that have been made in the ecclesial mess in which many find themselves. All Christians of goodwill should feel sadness when things don't work out both in marriages and within the family of churches. Let us not ignore the fact that there are Ordinands living through this very difficult ecclesial situation now right at the beginning of their calling. Who will be their Bishop, where is episcopal oversight? Where is their honoured place? Who can ordain them? Where is the sacramental collegiality and care? Leaving this and the other causes of breakdown on one side let us be charitable and agree to say that the terms of this divorce are (whatever the rights or wrongs) 'due to irretrievable breakdown' there are grave issues to be decided on BOTH sides which ought to be addressed and responsibilities to be faced up to. One of the priorities under British Family Law is that the interests of the children (parishoners and faithful) is paramount and both spouses(departing clergy with their families on one side and previous Ordinary/ Bishop on the other) should make adequate provision both for each other and them. The weaker spouse should be supported by the stronger one for a period of time certainly until the children and the financially weaker spouse are able to become self supporting or supported by others. One of the things one could hope for of the new alignment is that within the previous family and through mediation and joint structures between Ordinariate and previous Ordinary there could be proper provision made to aid transition and ensure pastoral care and welfare of all clergy, their families and congregations. This would be in a spirit of recognition of shared relationships, friendships and in the ecumenical imperative of retaining as much unity as possible. There could be a new ecumenical pastoral provision which could be made to allow an orderly, charitable and Christian response to the fast changing events sharing care, resources and even buildings. It could operate two ways and act also for those Roman priests moving away from Rome. After pain and suffering on both sides could we not all look beyond this passiontide of breakdown and divorce to the new joy of an Easter resurrection, new life and growth for all with no fault finding and blame? A generous and working relationship for the future to bring Christ to an unbelieving world. Is this too much to hope for?

Day of Prayer

2010-02-21T18:08:00.000Z

We will be joined through prayer with many who are open to discerning the future for traditional Anglicans on the feast of the See of Peter tomorrow. The Apostolic Constitution and the offer of re-union with Rome by Pope Benedict should surely be prayed and thought about even by those who may not be able or want or see how to immediately join it. As we know, the fruits of prayer often take time to become apparent taking many years sometimes. For many what better activity could we be doing on this feast day than to spend it in prayer with and before the blessed Lord present in the Blessed Sacrament of His Body. Let us pray for those with whom we do not agree and for those who are separated from us, for our future and that of His church. Let Thy will be done......

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-18T17:56:00.000Z

I was heartened that after a bit of teaching at the family Mass last Sunday we had a good number of people to the two Masses on Ash Wednesday. There were 10 children from our Sunday seekers for the evening 7.30pm Mass with ashing which they had helped me to burn in Sunday School (Health and Safety be away with you!). However as many of the congregation don't come to this week day start of Lent I was thinking it might be a good idea to offer to 'Ash' them as an introit or introduction before the silent entrance procession to the First Sunday of Lent rather than miss out altogether. I must remember to mention it to Fr. Michael. Does this get done anywhere I wonder?

The Holy Name of Jesus causes a stir.

2010-02-15T14:31:00.001Z

Here are some wonderfully fertile thoughts for Lent from Melanie McDonagh covering sin, repentance and forgiveness in the world of conflict and pain in Northern Ireland but which we could equally apply to all of our lives which inevitably reflect conflict harm and the need for reconciliation. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/7240591/Gerry-Adams-and-Jesus-cause-a-stir.html

Anything but Ordinary

2010-01-29T21:41:00.000Z

The Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus is in it's infancy. Already as we have seen it is having a dose of very cold water poured upon it in quarters you would expect but also in places with solid Anglo-Catholic credentials who perhaps ought to know better. It is in this second area that I think we will see a big change in attitude and reaction within a matter of a few short years. Those who think they can arrest the anti Catholic feelings in the General Synod of the C of E and reverse the inevitable moves to rescind the Act of Synod will surely rue the day they invested so much hope and trust in the untrustworthy. The liberal express train hurtling through the unknown fog of secularism and church politics of super change is the false holy grail that will not be reversed by conservatives. Let's be practical, the majority of the Anglican decision makers ( if not the majority in the pews) are going to outvote and impose their ways on those who disagree with them. Here in Wales they should look to see what will be their future. All the promises to traditionalists have been broken with a cynical disregard for the history of the Anglican church and it's place in even reformed catholic Christendom. The 'make it up as you go along' church which calls itself anglican will eventually not be recognisable as such. Those who are still hoping for scraps from the high table of the ruling liberals will do well to retain some dignity and face the truth that things are never going to be the same, let alone be reversed. Even Welsh Bishops are saying Oh don't worry we MAY be able to give you what you want one day! Dream on if you will, when will that be.. when so and so retires..you must be joking! Now may not be the exact time for all to join the extraordinary Ordinariate. But I believe it is time to go to the discernment stage of meeting together, discussing and supporting each other in what I believe is God's plan for catholic Anglicans in these Isles. A very faithful Anglo-Catholic in a neighbouring parish thought the Apostolic Constitution was only on offer to the Church of England and I was able to give him the good news that NO it includes all Anglicans! Perhaps especially those of us in WALES and Scotland who have been dispossessed of full communion in the Holy Order of the episcopate. When the first Welsh parish is erected within the Ordinariate within the next 12 months or so, not all will be flocking there straight away but it WILL be there as the authentic reflection of both the Anglican AND Roman Catholic church of which it will be a full part. It will be possible to live and to die and to hope to rise again in the church of God according to the tradition to which we were baptised, confirmed and perhaps ordained as ANGLICANS and Roman Catholics. EXRA-ORDINARY!!

A Long and Winding Path

2010-01-16T22:57:00.000Z

Where we go on our pilgrimage of life and of faith may seem sometimes to be arbitrary and unplanned. Our journey can be held up by diversions, distractions, dead ends and loss of way. We may seem to have lost the ability to map-read our way out of what seems to be a difficult route. We may get lost on the tortuous snow bound or desert road. We may be afflicted by all sorts of doubts and fears, of wondering how we have got to where we are or to where we are going. We may be worried about how injustice has made us over-judged and become over sensitive to how others think we should react, behave and respond. If though, we can try and put into perspective what God may want for us, remembering that he knows the imperfections, the dilemmas, the questions and challenges that life throws at us and if we can retain the character and individual courage that is God given within us, perhaps we can fulfil his purposes for us in the weeks and months and years ahead. If before the blessed Sacrament and if like The Mother of God we can pray 'Lord be it unto me according to Thy word', all things may become clear, our lives be unburdened, our vocations be cristalised and our unity with the undivided Church be sanctified through the prayers of those who pray for us, who care for us, who look out for us and offer us shelter. There are true Fathers in God who need our prayers and who will not see us consumed by all the vagaries, politics and ever so well meant errors of the present age. The self perpetuating and ever shifting modernisms dreamt up and validated by career seekers and well meaning and weak heirarchs will ultimately give way and indeed fade away before the only true Church to which we always believed we had and will continue to belong to, sooner we hope in greater measure than before. May the prayers and discusions and discernments that are coming to fruition guide, guard and empower us in our deliberations brought about through the present successor to St. Peter and God's vicar here on earth. May those who we believe are misguided and have so far rejected their duties of teaching and of upholding the faith once received, become aware of the importance or their office and return to the faith delivered once for all by the saints before God to whom they will bow and be held responsible as we all shall be one day.

The Queen of England's Epiphany Gifts

2010-01-03T17:33:00.000Z

At the feast of the Epiphany on 6th. January the custom is for the monarch to gift gold, incense and myrrh. Here is the detailed history from the Yeoman of the Guard who are the sovereign's personal bodyguard. I wonder when the last gifts in person were made in recent times?

The service, which takes place on 6 January each year on the Feast of the Epiphany in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, has its origin in royal ceremonies which date back to the Norman Conquest. After his inaugural coronation, William I wore his crown three times a year as a re-enactment of the coronation, usually at Easter in Winchester, at Whitsuntide in Westminster, and at Christmas in Gloucester. The ‘crown-wearing’ ceremonies were not always observed by his successors but Henry III increased the number of these to fifteen times a year. In Edward II’s reign, an ordinance of 1323 named four principal feasts – those of Easter Day, Whitsunday, All Saint’s Day and Christmas Day – for the ‘crown-wearing’. Epiphany and the two feast days of St. Edward the Confessor were added in the fifteenth century. On these occasions the Laudes Regiae – ‘Christus Vincit (Christ conquers, Christ rules, Christ commands)’, from the medieval coronation service – were sung by the clerks of the Household Chapel, although apparently the custom had ceased after the reign of Richard II.

The Dean of the Chapel in 1449 describes the ‘crown-wearing’, which may have taken place in any of the King’s chapels of that time. Before the procession, the King enters the chapel crowned and waits in the principal stall, surrounded by his lords in their distinctive apparels: then all follow the procession out of the choir, a Baron carrying the King’s sword before him, a Duke or Earl carrying his cap, and the King’s Chamberlain follows to hold the hem of the Royal mantle. By 1449 The Queen also wore her crown in procession on the anniversary of her Coronation. On every day of the year the King offered at the altar a talent of gold or five nobles weight, engraved with a figure of the Holy Trinity and the inscription (in Latin) ‘And in honour of Blessed Mary and all thy Saints.’ This talent was daily redeemed by the King for seven pence and The Queen’s talent was redeemed for four pence, which sums the Dean of the chapel received from the clerk of the King’s jewels and purse. On high feasts a noble of gold was offered by the King and Queen with a scale of smaller amounts from the courtiers present. On the six days of Good Friday, Easter, Whitsun, Trinity Sunday (a special festival in the King’s chapel), All Saint’s and Christmas, the King and Queen with the nobles made an offering at the step before the high altar in the chapel: all the household officials attended Mass in another place and there offered their oblations.

The Old Cheque Book of the Chapel Royal describes Elizabeth I at Holy Communion on Easter Day 1593 in the chapel at St. James’s.

The heralds and nobles before her, Her Majesty, ‘came princely before the Table, and there humbly knielinge did offer the golden obeysant, the Bushop the hon. Father of Worcester holdinge the golden bason, the Subdean and the Epistler in riche coaps assistante to the sayd Bushop…’

By the time of Charles II, and perhaps much earlier, the offering days had increased to twelve, ie New Year’s Day, the Epiphany, Candlemas, the Annunication, Easter, the Ascension, Whitsun, Trinity Sunday, St. John the Baptist, Michaelmas, All Saint’s and Christmas. These were (and still are in the court calendars) called ‘collar-days’, on which the collars of various orders were worn. At the Communion Service, the King offered a piece of gold bore a portrait of the King kneeling before an altar with four crowns before him, and the inscription (in Latin, from Psalm 116) was ‘What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all he has done unto me?’, the reverse showed a lamb lying by a lion, with the words (in Latin from Psalm 51) 'A lowly and a contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise' It appears that none of these gold pieces has survived but the British Museum has an impression from an obverse die in thin silver.

At the Feast of the Epiphany, gold frankincense and myrrh were offered, in commemoration of the gifts given by the Magi to the infant Jesus. According to tradition, the Wise Men were three kings, so it was fitting that an earthly king should make an offering at Epiphany, just as his predecessors had washed the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday. While the Liber Regie Capelle shows that before the Reformation High Mass was sung at about ten o’clock, by the mid eighteenth century, the New Cheque Book of the Chapel Royal decreed ‘that Prayers begin at the usual time and be continued to the End of the First Service. That the Yeoman be sent to enquire what time His majesty will be a Chapel (which is not usually till after one o’clock). It went on – ‘After the Nicene Creed His Majesty walks down from the Closet into the Chapel: during which time a Voluntary is ply’d till He has Offer’d and is return’d to the Closet. That immediately after His Majesty’s Return to the Closet, the Anthem begins. After which follows the prayer for Christ’s Church Militant etc.’ A few years later, William Lovegrove gave more details. ‘The Dean (or some other Bishop, at his request) goeth up to the Altar properly attended, as on Sundays; Then beginneth the Service, and goeth on to the end of the Nicene creed. That being nearly ended, the Yeoman of the Vestry clear the body of the Chapel. Then the removing Wardrobe lays down a Carpit, and upon it a Cloth of Tissue, and placeth a Stool for the King to kneel on. The Serjeant laieth a Velvet Carpit upon the Front of the Altar Rails. Whilst the King is coming up to the Altar, The Dean taketh the Bason, and stands ready to receive the King’s Offering of Frankincense, Gold and Myrrh. This done, the King returneth up to his Closet, in Order as he came down.'

Until this time of George III, the Sovereign always attended the ceremony in person, the sword of state carried before him and preceded by Heralds, Pursuivants and Knights of the Garter, Thistle and Bath. In 1758 the funeral of Princess Caroline took place on the eve of the Epiphany and the King deputed his Lord Chamberlain to make the usual offerings, with the Yeomen of the Guard in attendance instead of the Heralds. Lovegrove notes that
‘When the Sovereign is not well, or not disposed to make his Offering in Person, He Commissions the Lord Chamberlain, or the Vice Chamberlain to make the Offering.’ All this would have taken place at St. James’s for Queen Anne moved the Chapel Royal establishment there from Whitehall Palace in 1702.

This set a precedent for the future and today the offerings are made by two Gentlemen Ushers to The Queen, wearing service dress, who are escorted to the Royal Closet of the Chapel Royal. A detachment of The Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard enters the chapel, followed by a procession of the Children and Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, a Priest in Ordinary, the Sub-Dean and the Dean. The National Anthem is sung and the Dean of the Chapels Royal (the Bishop of London) or in his absence the Sub-Dean, says the Service of Holy Communion at the altar, which is adorned with a frontal of white and gold, with three silver-gilt alms dishes upon it. After the Creed is sung, the choir sings an anthem while a procession forms in the vestibule, and the Serjeant of the Vestry, verge hand, leads in the Gentlemen Ushers, one carrying a silver-gilt salver with twenty-five sovereigns and the other a salver bearing frankincense and myrrh. Two Yeomen and their Sergeant-Major follow and all halt twice in the chapel to bow. At the sanctuary step the Sub-Dean receives the salvers on a silver-gilt alms dish which the Dean presents at the altar. The procession retires from the chapel, turning and bowing as on entry, and the Gentlemen Ushers return to the Royal Closet. The Yeomen of the Guard retire after the Offertory hymn and the Communion Service continues until, after the Dean has given the Blessing, the choir and clergy leave in procession.

The frankincense and myrrh for the offerings are provided by the Apothecary to the The Queen. After the service, the incense is sent to a church which uses it, while the myrrh is sent to Nashdom Abbey, an Anglican Benedictine community, to be mixed with incense which they prepare. Until 1859, these spices were presented in silk bags, placed in a silk-covered box: a third bag contained a small roll of gold leaf. At the Prince Consort’s suggestion the beaten gold was replaced by twenty-five new sovereigns. For some years, the sovereigns have been loaned for each ceremony by the Bank of England, while £25 is later donated to a charity fund administered by the Chapel Royal. It is strange to read that at the end of the last century few people attended the Epiphany Service; it is now an occasion of the year when tickets of admission are necessary and there is always a large number of applicants for them. http://yeomenoftheguard.com/epiphany.htm

Epiphany

2010-01-02T17:10:00.003Z

Incense seems to be less and less of a problem to Anglicans if it is taught openly as scriptural as well as traditional. The RC's especially in France seem to use it very little these days. We had quite a few debates in PCC some years ago. We have maintained it's use at high festivals for 25 years but use it more often now, especially with the introduction of static burners (as opposed to the swinging thurible which we also use) but on the whole when the biblical references, especially in the psalms are taught, the embracing of it has become quite natural. More holidays to Greece and burning of incense sticks and scented candles generally has probably taken away some of the stigma. The supreme place for static burners of incense par excellence has to go I think to St. Martin's Roath, Cardiff to which I award a five (gold) star accolade! I remember a magnificent occasion when the two huge basins of the Holy Smoke at the sanctuary steps were burning so vigorously that not only was visibility down to a mystical 5 yards or so but our robes were all covered in smuts, magnificent! Pile it on! Sadly I don't have a photo of that occasion but this is a photo(courtesy of their Sacristan) of the Chrism Mass there with thurible at the entrance procession. This was in the days when we had a Provincial Bishop. The pastoral care of the Diocesans in Wales is now so overwhelming they have arbitrarily banned a successor to Bishop David Thomas, the first and so far last one. Now is the best time to introduce incense if you haven't before when the Gospel affirms it so clearly "Then opening their treasure chests they offered Him gold frank-incense and myrrh". The other photo is of a static burner in the votive candle stand at our parish. So go on spoil yourselves and get the matches out this Sunday and come home to a real fire! Bonne fete!!

Mother of God

2009-12-31T18:50:00.000Z

Anglican Churches dedicated to the Mother of God are so numerous that St. Mary's....(wherever) is the most common dedication of parish churches in the land. Lady chapels and statues and stained glass happily may be found everywhere. There are stories however of parishes that desire to restore a missing statue desecrated and broken up at the reformation or when that beast Oliver Cromwell ( yes the one who made the celebration of Christmas illegal) was in power; have found the Diocesan Advisory Committee less than helpful. One day I hope some committee in the public works department might get on and remove that incestuous statue of the tyrant Cromwell from in front of Parliament which is an affront to British democracy let alone to Ecclesia Anglicana. We had a tiff with the DAC when we installed a statue of the Mother of God here in the Lady Chapel at St. Arvans over 20 years ago. However, a lovely and persistent former parish priest persevered and the benefactor who gave it under a commission to the talented artist Siegfried Pietz refused to accept defeat as well! This is a photo of it. The only enforced concession was that the crown was refused point blank. If anyone knows where we can get one we may return to the original design by the artist and arrange a coronation! Perhaps in the New year in May! A very Happy New Year to one and all.

Feast of the Holy Family

2009-12-27T20:47:00.000Z

If many find it hard to get all the family together on Christmas Day itself, there are still many days of the season of Christmas to arrange to meet. The liturgies of today, the Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord are all good ways to re-unite and to bury differences and broken-ness. May the Holy Family at Bethlehem be our example and our inspiration to love and live together in harmony and peace.

Boxing Day

2009-12-27T20:34:00.002Z

One of the fine traditions which endures in this country is the Boxing Day meet of foxhounds. Many church wardens, parishoners and not a few clergy continue to support this least cruel of all methods of controlling the vermin fox who has no natural predator and therefore support the repeal of the ban which prevents it. I recall only last spring when seven lambs were killed by the fox in the field in front of our house. He waited for the ewe to lamb the second of twins so that she being preoccupied with the second birth was unable to protect the first born who was dragged away and eaten alive during the second birth. This continued for a number of days. I have also seen the preferred culling method of the labour government who to it's shame supports the shooting and by extension therefore the maiming of foxes, rather than hunting them dead. This as every true countryman knows is a foul way of trying to control them. With foxhunting before the ban the fox was either caught and died instantly (no he is not alive when destroyed by hounds, the leading hound kills it first with a swift bite to the neck) or gets clean away which was the norm. The number of foxes that are wounded by taking shot and then who crawl away to die a cruel death of gangrene over days and weeks is a disgrace also, not to mention the thosands that are trapped, poisoned and hit on the roads by motorists. The animal 'rights' groups who have forced the unworkable ban which is currently in place are perhaps mainly of good intent but many driven by a lack of understanding of man's relationship to animals and some by an idea that the are 'toff bashing'. They should see the huge social array of followers who include many labour supporters; doctors, nurses, policemen, vets, teachers, mechanics, builders, farm workers, children, grandmothers to name but a few . Most anti hunters are quite happy to eat meat as long as it comes in cellophane wrappers without a thought to the hundreds of thousands of animals killed for the table who were walking and breathing happily one minute and slaughtered with blood and guts everywhere the next. The above photo is of a churchwarden in one of our parishes with the Bishop of Monmouth. This was NOT a meeting of the hunt but a celebration in the summer out of season by parishoners of the centenery of the death of the local squire and benefactor of the church whose name was given to the local Curre Hunt. But it makes a nice seasonal photo all the same don't you think!

Deacon Murdered

2009-12-26T22:42:00.002Z

St Stephen as the first martyr was stoned to death, and watched by Paul (Saul) before his conversion, he is my patron as a fellow Deacon. He and Lawrence give me much encouragement in the church and vocation of service one tries to follow however badly. We need more vocational and permanent deacons! We began to recover their importance but with all the turmoil within the church things seem to have slowed down again. The liturgical role is the only thing that makes sense to me of the ordination of deacons. How those of a less traditonalist background cope with being treated as second class priests or servers in their parishes without this essential role beats me! Luckily my colleague and parish priest shares the same perspective and that of the Universal church. It is a specific and valuable ministry in it's own right. It is surely right in my mind that as with priests and bishops this ordained ministry is for men alone in the tradition of the church. of paramount importance is that we proclaim with confidence at every Mass the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. The ministry encompasses celebrating at baptisms, funerals, marriages, preparation for confirmation, preaching the word, benediction, Eucharistic rites of holy communion(always from the reserved sacrament), helping to run the parish, sick visiting and anointing, leading prayer and assisting with the distribution of the Holy Communion, Sunday school and catechist work and sharing in the cure of souls with the priest and as a servant of the Bishop in whose full sacramental and pastoral care one hopes to be part of, sharing in his college of priests and deacons made visible at the Chrism Mas in Holy Week. That is if you are allowed to have one, which we have been denied so unjustly here in Wales. Stephen was stoned to death and persecuted for his faith praying to God to be merciful to his murderers whilst being stoned. Today it is in joy that we share St. Stephens day with all the Christians of the West and East (their feast is actually the day after), may the continued prayers of the protomartyr and Deacon St. Stephen help us to serve Christ's church through the ministry of all deacons, supporting us in the heavy responsibility to which we have been called to share in with the Apostles and their successors. Amen

Christmas Day

2009-12-26T21:48:00.000Z

After the midnight Mass I managed to get home by 1.30am and asleep by two. Up at 6am and up the hill to St. James' by 8.30 for the 9am Holy Communion from the reserved sacrament consecrated at midnight. The car door was frozen and took some getting into. A late start as people made their way to the church. All my words during the liturgy and sermon came out in clouds of condensation breath, it was so cold. I remember one Easter here when the flower vases were frozen for weeks inside the church! Good to be with them and a quick getaway and down to St. Arvans for the family service with Holy Communion from the tabernacle. About 50 present for the service and a lovely rendering of Away in a Manger with 12 children out front for the solo first verse and after the sermon they came to kneel at the crib for the prayers before the new born Christ and enthusiastic Hail Mary's. A wonderful and joyful day and festivities with the family and friends at home to follow.

God is made Man !

2009-12-25T19:20:00.002Z

How can this be ? God is made man through the Holy Incarnation of His son Jesus Christ, son of God and son of Mary. Heaven and earth are joined together in a holy mystery, the heart of our Christian faith. A truth that makes sense of life itself and which triumphs over earthly and mortal death in an instant, in a flash. As the cries of the new born babe are muffled in a humble stable they in fact echo throughout the world and bless it with those cries and sounds of new life new birth. We rejoice and laugh and cry and welcome and pray and worship and adore. Allelluia! Christ is born of Mary a virgin most pure. All innocence is guaranteed, all sins are forgiven, all hope is the gift which is more precious than gold!!. Happy Christmas to all !!. Here are some photos of the four services in our small parishes in the last 24 hrs. See how my colleague Fr. Michael braved his broken arm sustained at 6pm last night and after three hours in the A&E managed in plaster cast to celebrate the great Holy Mass of the dawn......

Christmas Eve Mass in the Morning

2009-12-24T22:42:00.000Z

This is the quiet before the joy of new birth and before Fr. Michael our parish priest unfortunately fell on the ice and has just returned home from hospital with fractured arm in a plaster. Tonight's midnight Mass may have to be a Communion from the reserved sacrament but I hope not. I must say it was difficult to get to our outlying daughter church of St. Mary's Penterry(of Cistercian foundation from Tintern Abbey just down the hill). There is no electricity to the church and mo metalled road to it either which adds to the charm (in summer!)The ice has been far worse than expected freezing and re-freezing the snow. However, I managed to take the Carol service as planned having a lift from Bob in his four wheel drive. Penny our lay reader stepped in to take the Carol service at Devauden for Michael (we are four parishes with five churches). So off to the midnight at St. Arvans now home by 1am and up to de-ice the car and hope it gets me away by 8.30 in the morning for the 9am at Devauden and then back down to take the 10am family communion from the reserved sacrament as planned but Michael's 10.30 at St. Deiniols won't be on. Not as a Communion anyway and they won't be happy but I can't be in two places at the same time. When the diocese reduces the stipendiary clergy as it plans to the rural parishes although faithful are going to be ditched good and proper. Anyway back to joyful mode and to welcome God made man and pray that He will provide.

Incarnation Awaited

2009-12-23T18:42:00.000Z

And so our Lord is coming to us, we wait patiently... the time of his coming is now nearly upon us. How will we receive him? In penitence and humbly but alive to the utter joy of this great mystery, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Setting aside now all our failings, unworthiness and faults we join with Christians everywhere to welcome, worship and adore. Not only a welcome with our words but in our actions, liturgies and in our very hearts and souls. We welcome the smiling Christ child, marvelling at his tiny human form as with little fingers raised in blessing he acknowledges our uncertainty and wonder and confirming that, yes, this mystery of his incarnation is true and the centre of our faith. This challenge will change us and hearten, strengthen and affirm us and the very meaning of life itself...if we let him (unlike at the Inn) into our hearts now and find room there . May we never say there is no room in our hearts for Him or his blessed mother Mary, mother of Jesus, mother of God, mother of the church, mother to all Christians.

Be Prepared!

2009-12-15T20:49:00.000Z

As every good scout knows this 'Be Prepared' is the motto from General Baden Powell to his scouts, a profoundly Christian movement at it's conception. One that many of us will recall from our youth with gratitude and a smile! It certainly taught us how to get on with all sorts of different people and the outdoors as a preparation for responsible living and for respect and service of others. The uniform far from being just military was like a school uniform in this country (France wishes it had them to avoid materialism gone mad with fashion trainers, tee shirts etc.). I know that this is a time of reception, prayer and discernment regarding Anglicanorum coetibus but as there will be those accepting the Catechism of the Catholic Church without much hesitation, ought we not to be looking to set up, funds, seeking endowments, grants and trusts whose articles of trust might be favourable to the new Ordinariate. Members of SSC, Credo Cymru and Forward in Faith might be able to advise on the wording for legacies now. After all there will surely be a need to support those families and others who will be left off the payroll of their former churches. A couple of good legacies could leave £1 million or so to get things started, there will be other catholic Anglican trusts where the wording needs to be looked at for potential help. Even with the constructive dismissal cases that will surely begin (as they should if no proper provision is offered), these funds won't be enough to meet the immediate needs on their own. Any suggestions for a central fund that could be set up now with legacy invitations might be a good way to 'Be Prepared!' Buildings are another issue for another day.

Summer Fun and Pilgrimage

2009-12-15T19:03:00.000Z

As it's nearly mid winter a post to warm us up! Have you been to Glastonbury Pilgrimage recently? When was your last time? Get the New Year diary out and make a note of the date NOW! It's June 19th. 2010. We've been going for the last fourteen years or so and it's always worth it. You are in the company of all the PEV's and the Welsh PAB, although the Welsh bench of Bishops have now decided not to appoint one despite the public promises made at the time of the vote on women priests. That's what they call giving us an honoured place and ensuring their pastoral care for us! How you can say you're giving pastoral care and stabbing in the back at the same time seems what shall we say...strange?! I'm now not on the GPA (Glastonbury Pilgrimage Association) Council any more but I wonder whether the future of it might lie with the joining together of the Roman and Anglican pilgrimages together instead of separately as now. It ought to be possible even for those Anglo Catholics who won't yet have written out their RSVP's to the charming and timely invitation of the Holy Father and Bishop of Rome to join him in the RC church but as Anglicans (amazing isn't it!). I can never resist a polite invitation to a party and what an eternal one it could turn out to be!! We hope to be taking our picnic and the 16 members of the Sunday School this year..see you there!!

Advent 3

2009-12-14T23:01:00.002Z

A big apology to my few but faithful readers of this post that it's been so long since the last! I suppose everyone can say they are extra busy at this time of the year. I have however found some really quiet moments (and I mean moments) through not blogging, but through secular working ( I am non-stipendiary i.e. self- supporting), ministering as deacon, preparing the Sunday school or with the family, to be able to try and meditate on the coming events of the Holy Incarnation of God made man. Music has been the saving grace and medium. We as the clergy here at St. Arvans were able to kick-start our observances on Advent Sunday in November with a quiet hour of prayer with music before the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord exposed in the monstrance on the altar.This has been a reservoir of belief and grace on which to build for the season. Our church is soaked with the prayers of the faithful since the ninth century which is very helpful too. The Advent hymns, organ chorales of Bach and various chants have helped me to steady the mad rush and to hold on to the real mystery and enormous importance of what will occur in a few days time. No I have not been particularly well organised. I'm behind with rehearsals for the Carol service, the fewer Christmas cards are still in their packets (we are donating to charity in the parish this year, not giving cards to those we see regularly), the Crib is not out of it's wrappers from last year, presents will be last. Then I have been writing the texts for the liturgy before the offertory at Mass next week when the younger one's will be celebrating the Stations of the Incarnation around the church with readings, lighting of candles, prayers, meditations and procession with an early blessing of the crib. All accompanied by Angels and Shepherds. I think the choice of Mary and Joseph has been done without too many tears!! Then there was the Sunday Worship from our parish to prepare for last week. We have been on Radio Wales a few times but this was national BBC Radio 4!! When I was told it was going out to 1.8 MILLION listeners live, anxiety or vanity more like rather kicked in. Oh Dear. However, the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir ( music director Neil Ferris) , organist David Thomas, Fr. Michael Gollop parish priest, readers and Kate Price cellist and everyone else did magnificently. A small parish like ours of 880 souls was ministering the Gospel to the World through the Word, liturgy and music of God. Well done to Sian Baker the producer and her colleagues in the BBC. Long may this Christian witness through national media continue. The Advent Hymns and music speak to us profoundly through all the turmoil. Through these wonderful words and this music the tradition of the Church makes Jesus expected and real and about to be born....but not yet. We wait alongside Mary Mother of God with pregnant expectation for the saving glory of the birth of Christ to be proclaimed...but not yet."Pour down O heavens from above and let the skies rain down righteousness!" This was the broadcast...http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnds

Advent Calendars

2009-11-25T22:24:00.001Z

A new church year, a time of preparation approaches. Hopefully we can find non-secular disney style advent calendars with a CHRISTIAN content in time to distribute them among the 15 or so Sunday School. For those of you in the UK any suggestions where I get them before Sunday?!!

Totally Collapsed

2009-11-25T22:12:00.002Z

Whilst on the theme of the Armenians. We may think that injustice within our own church is a problem. Have a look at how the Armenian Orthodox are having to cope. We always new that many of the ancient Armenian churches have been desecrated by the neglect of the Turks(I will address the Genocide of Armenians by the Turks on another occasion) but have a look at this report on relations with their neighbouring Orthodox of Georgia. Christ is always suffering when Christians disagree. May he have mercy on us all when the time of reckoning arrives, as it will surely do for us all and especially those responsible for their inactions as well as their actions.

On Friday, November 20, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, presided during a meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Discussed during the meeting was the collapse of the St. Gevork of Mughni Armenian Church in the Diocese of Georgia. At the end of the meeting, the following statement was released:

The Supreme Spiritual Council regrets to confirm that the St. Gevork of Mughni Armenian Church (built in 1356) in Tbilisi, Georgia, has collapsed.

The Supreme Spiritual Council regretfully states that years of effort on the part of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, to regulate the legal standing of the Armenian Diocese of Georgia and secure the return of Armenian churches, through dialogue with the authorities of the Republic of Georgia and the Georgian Orthodox Church, were unsuccessful. The collapse of the St. Gevork of Mughni Armenian Church is only one of the consequences of the unwarranted delays exhibited by the Georgian side in the handling of the aforementioned issues. The authorities of the Republic of Georgia and the Georgian Orthodox Church are wholly responsible for the collapse of the church.

The indifference exhibited by the Georgian state toward the preservation of Armenian holy sites does not correspond in any way with: 1) the establishment of good neighborly relations, 2) fidelity to universal human values, 3) respect for the rights of ethnic minorities, 4) the constant statements made by the Georgian state regarding the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of their ethnic minorities, and 5) the Georgian state’s accepted obligations before the international community.

The Supreme Spiritual Council calls on the authorities of the Republic of Georgia and the Georgian Orthodox Church to immediately implement steps to grant legal status to the Armenian Diocese of Georgia and to return the Armenian churches in Georgia to the Armenian Diocese of Georgia for the normal functioning of national-ecclesiastical life for the Georgian-Armenian community and the safe preservation of Armenian holy sites.

Mitres

2009-11-23T21:45:00.003Z

As I suggested in a previous post I would return to the subject of the Latin shaped mitre in the Armenian Apostolic Church as depicted in the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator AD 301 recently erected on the side of St Peter's basilica, Rome. He was a successor of the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholemew the founders of the Armenian church. Although there is a small community of Armenian rite Catholics throughout the world who take their origins from Lebanon in the 18th. cent. the vast majority of Armenians are Orthodox and the mother see is based at the holy city of Etchmiadzin in Armenia within sight of Mount Ararat ( now supposedly Turkey) where Noah's Ark rested after the great flood. I attach some photos I took on pilgrimage in 2003 (post soviet occupation) showing the latin shaped mitre. They are on the whole all of the 'precious mitre' type and the only difference is in that they are joined at the top instead of open. I have not yet found out why they follow(or perhaps they lead) the latin form. The orthodox mitre which is crown shaped is retained by the priests and also unusually the deacons as well on some occasions especially at ordinations. The Catholicos of all Armenians (His Holiness Karekin II) with whom I and others shared an audience is dynamic and friendly. These photos are during the Divine Liturgy of the Mass ( the ancient rite is a mix of St John Chrysostom and St. Basil). He is in the photos at his throne not mitred and not celebrating on this occasion but gave the blessing. The audience is in the palace of His Holiness. More details another time.

Cornered in a Storm?

2009-11-20T22:45:00.000Z

Note to Liberal Well Wishers.... "Is it me or do I detect that things are getting rough on the ocean of unity? Tempers are getting hot and unpleasant, realities are beginning to bite. Who knew what when? This could be a tragic play indeed were it not for the fact that it's not fiction, it's about truth which should have a happy ending. You may not like the open welcome to Anglicans from Rome but if you don't what are you bothered about? You aren't the ones who are going to move anywhere so stop rocking the boat and upsetting the move that many will want to take in their own good time if they can and if they feel God is calling them. Let's have some decorum, we are not playing a football match we are engaged in the soul searching of men and women for their spiritual home and their longing for the truth of the church founded by their Lord and entrusted to the Apostles and their successors. Leave your fellow Christians and treat them ecumenically with love and best wishes for their future before God. I don't think I can stand any more posturing or criticism of why and how the fatherly offer of help that has been launched in Anglicanorum coetibus came about. The message to Rome from Anglican synods was clear we don't want to listen to your words of caution that the raft of ARCIC is sinking on the tide of unagreed innovations to church order, ministry and ethics. For many Anglicans now realise the Bishop of Rome knows best and if you don't agree ....no worries just carry on as you are! Which you will do anyway. Please please stop PRETENDING you don't understand traditionalists and their longing for Christ's imperative 'let them be one' any more!" We wish you well and let's all get on with bringing Christ to those who don't yet know him in our own way. Don't be fearful, don't feel cornered, stay cool, stay faithful!" After death comes resurrection and new life.

Eastern Orthodoxy

2009-11-17T21:24:00.001Z

After the Anglicans have been offered a return to the family home of SS Peter and Paul at Rome what about the Holy Orthodox being encouraged to share in this new found unity for Christians around the Pope as 'first among EQUALS'? It strikes me that this will be high on H.H. Pope Benedict's dynamic agenda. The Orientals and smaller and more disparate churches may be first. The picture is a photo I took on the outside wall of St. Peter's in a courtyard where the Vatican Museum exits. It is of St Gregory the Illuminator, the patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church AD 301. The first country to officially adopt Christianity under it's King Tiridates. Armenian Orthodox Bishops are unique in having adopted the Latin shaped mitre, of which more in subsequent posts.

Anglicanorum Coetibus

2009-11-11T08:53:00.007Z

These are some words from 'The Significance of the Apostolic Constitution'
(now promulgated under the name of "Anglicanorum Coetibus") by Fr. Ghirlanda of the Vatican. We have this official interpretation, which has struck me with enormous force and significance. They are ....

" the Anglican liturgical, spiritual and pastoral tradition IS a particular reality within the Latin Church."

Note that it does not say , may be ,could be or will become.... but IS. This gives enormous encouragement to those who have sacrificed everything to justify this reality within the Anglican church over centuries, often against vehenomous opposition within it. It also gives Anglicans who wish to move towards visible unity with the Bishop of Rome at a slower speed and those who may be forced to be left behind a validity that the faith which they are expressing in the church of their upbringing, nationality and culture is valid, is part of the One Holy catholic and Apostolic church...already, if on an impaired and so far imperfect basis. All life is imperfect in varying degrees. Some will want to rubbish the Constitution for their own grubby church-political reasons. The more open minded and truly liberal and ecumenical, as opposed to current establishment quasi-liberal, will welcome all the words of this generous and fatherly offer of care and concern from Rome. You must read the full text, I believe you will be amazed, humbled and joyous whatever your personal views. Here is a link http://www.ebbsfleet.org.uk/acghrl09.htm

At the going down of the Sun....and in the morning....

2009-11-08T19:12:00.000Z

We will remember them...Remembrance 2. A day of charged emotion here in the UK on this Remembrance Sunday. Our Parish Church is small and Celtic from the 9th. century. Most of the original stones are below ground and in the circular wall of the churchyard. We worship on sacred ground and these stones have seen many wars and burials in their time. They have also witnessed the centuries-old worship and prayers of the people that continue to soak up our catholic and post-reformation liturgies and sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving even today....a thousand years later. The Requiem Mass this morning in our small rural parish of 900 or so souls mustered a congregation of 50 communicants and others and 10 Sunday School members who led our intercessions. The tone was solemn, Gospel-centred and based on Jesus' promise of eternal life. The Communion concluded at 10.52 am and in the presence of the blessed Sacrament of the Lord remaining on the altar we processed to the war memorial plaque behind the font, the Celebrant carrying the wreath of Flanders poppies from before the altar in the sanctuary, through the body of the church with solemn music playing from the Victorian pipe-organ. As the wreath was laid the Deacon lit the pascal candle and at exactly 11am the two minute memorial silence began in time with the Sovereign's church parade at London's cenotaph and throughout the land. After two verses of the National Anthem we returned to the sanctuary for the post-communion and blessing.

It was at the South door and in the school room afterwards that we shared common experiences of the tragedy of war that affects many of us even in the rural parishes at the moment. Many, many people in our communities and in our nation are now again having to share in the losses and the injuries of the present war in what we used to call the North West Frontier, always a most unhappy burial-ground for the British. Our loyalty to the troops on the ground and to their families is never in question. We look to the Generals and to the politicians for strong, explicit and morally justifiable war-leadership at this time . Our question as to the truth and efficacy of this will be left for another day. For this day we shared, even in this small community, with those in tears for the bomb disposal friend blown-up, the 18yr. old brother of a niece's school friend shot down in his youth, the garrison-town stories two miles away where too many young men have died in the heat of Afghan battles. On the way out two of the congregation quietly reflected on their war-time service. One in Palastine one in Borneo where,captured by the Japanese, 1000(one thousand) men in his Japanese transport ship died even before they got to the prisoner of war camp due to the cruelty of man to man... no water... no light.. ..no air.... A foretaste of the three years of continuing cruelty to come to him and his fellow compatriots and their allies. A day of charged emotion but one of unity, common suffering and determination to overcome and to share in new life. "At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will ( always) remember them.....WE WILL REMEMBER THEM."

Remembrance Sunday

2009-11-06T23:02:00.000Z

This is the season of Remembrance and we with many other families will have special things to recall. Every year at this time I get out the letters sent home by my late father from the front in World War II. He was a Major serving in the Royal Artillery having been called up from his City of London territorial regiment The City of London Yeomanry ( The Rough Riders). I gave his medals and the service sword of my maternal Grandfather (Capt. Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, note the two royals) to my brother Tim who was in the RADC but I have kept the letters. I will reproduce an extract at the end.....One letter (subject to the censor of course) recounts how he was caught up in the" forgotten war" of 1944. Having fought in North Africa and in the desert(where he says "it was jolly hot"!)he found himself in the civil war in Greece between the communists(the KKE) the left(EAM ,their fighters were ELAS) and the royalists (EDES). Remembering also that he would have been 27yrs old then having begun the war at 24. He was one of five bothers( all became Doctors), four were fighting and the youngest at school. The family home, where my eye surgeon Grandfather had died prematurely in his fifties, was called Winchester House in Southampton and took a direct hit and was bombed flat. " Luckily we were out at the time " famously quoted my widowed Grandmother! At this season there is much to remember, much to regret and much to thank God for. Never should we glory in war but never should we forget the debts we owe. The tragedy is that our modern young troops continue to sacrifice "their today for our tomorrow" WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Greece 1944 "There was some straffing from the air... a sniper had just shot one of our spotters, tanks were smashing a road block, fighters were destroying a defended house. The padre is magnificent. He walks about in his cassock puffing his pipe indifferent to the snipers,tanks and barricades. He always turns up for meals but in between there is no hot-spot he does not visit. He seems to have complete faith in the immunity provided by his dog-collar...or perhaps it's his complete faith" Jan 5th. On the end of hostilities that finally occurred that day.. " I walked back to my HQ in the late afternoon hardly able to believe it. It was this silence that was so odd. It made it seem like some awful nightmare from which you are just waking up. The sun was shining on the hills . The birds were singing. But there on the pavement was the body of a dead girl and there were the crators of those two mortar bombs which just missed the Colonel and I, and there in the garden a soldier's grave." Maj.Phillip Arthur Zorab MD FRCP

At our Parish Requiem Mass with Act of Remembrance next Sunday the prayers will be led by the young members of our Sunday School where we with thousands upon thousand will pray for those who died and were injured, those who fought and those who suffer. We will pray for peace and hope for ... peace, knowing that through His death on the cross Jesus overcomes all death, for all time.

St Charles Boromeo and St Ambrose

2009-11-04T20:26:00.002Z

Further to the previous post last night here is a photo of this Church dedicated to these co-patrons which I took in Sept..Click the photo again to enlarge and get the full detail. It is situated in the via del Corso, Rome. Do see their website by clicking the link on my previous post or here again http://www.sancarlo.pcn.net/argomenti_inglese/pagina0.html Ciao!!

Roman Fever

2009-11-03T22:00:00.000Z

I have been lucky enough to visit Rome three times in my life. The last was with my wife when we managed to have our first holiday without the children for eight years. It was only a few weeks ago that we returned on 30th. Sept.. If you haven't been GO!! It's a must see, especially if you are a Christian of any tradition. Our pilgrimage was a holiday too in the true sense of the word. Three visits to St. Peter's (San Pietro) in the four night stay because our Bed and Breakfast, which was more like an apartment really, was round the corner from the Vatican. We walked everywhere, the weather was 28C and we visited all the seven Basilicas, five in one day!! We had been determined to travel the quite far distance, comparatively, to pray at St. Paul's outside the Walls where the tomb of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been verified as 1st. century. Wow!! was it worth the noisy metro journey. When you walk out onto the street from the station you arrive in a poor run-down area with cranes leaning over building sites that have lost their workers years ago in stagnation. Empty of people and very few pilgrims one can't help feeling that Paul is being left out and in the shadow of his chief brother Apostle, Peter. Inside the Basilica is calm, quiet, prayerful, majestic and beautiful.Quite appropriate and impressive for the memory and housing of Paul. Personally I am a big fan of Peter too ( and curiously his most modern successor! ). However we could remember that Paul is to the Word of God, what Peter is to Tradition. Add in the redaction of reason and Anglicans have a natural home to turn to. In fact the same home we were forced to leave at the time of the Reformation by an accident of history through no fault of our own; simple as that! Here at the tomb of Paul we joined in the office of Vespers with the Abbot and a college of 20 priests with 15 of us in the congregation. This is where traditionally the Sovereign of Great Britain was an honourary Canon. Little did we know that our fervent prayers to God through St. Paul for Christian unity between Rome and Anglicans had already been answered!! The Dominicans prayers for this same intention months ago had got in before these particular prayers( but no doubt had joined all of our earlier and constant intercessions for the same cause). Could Paul be a special Apostle to the Anglicans who seek unity with his brother Peter and the Universal church? Who knows perhaps very soon a British Monarch may again be installed as an honourary canon of St. Paul's Basilica outside the walls at Rome.? That would really be another ecumenical miracle to follow the Apostolic Constitution of Benedict the sixteenth! Real Roman Fever indeed! Another treasure we found was San Carlo whose feast is tomorrow. The church has a wonderful website and ministry under the direction of Mgr. Martinelli you can visit it here http://www.sancarlo.pcn.net/argomenti_inglese/pagina0.html and be sure to visit the Your questions bar on the left. I commend it to you. Buona Sera!!

Wisdom

2009-11-01T19:29:00.002Z

If I one day have to lose the recitation of the Divine Office (which is RC but used by many Anglicans) for my daily prayers I think I'm going to experience quite a bereavement. It has seen me through thick and thin in sickness and in health over the years both as layman and after Ordination. It feeds me, nourishes me, guides me and helps me. Most importantly it opens the door and enables me to live in the same household with the living God on a daily basis. It also joins me with the rest of the 'family', both of catholic Anglicans and Roman Catholics where we seek to live together and serve the Father in prayer. Although we may not meet in the same houses of prayer at the same moment to say the Offices, we are joined together by the knowledge that we are all following the same pages all over the world and uniting as Christians of the same family praying to the same God roughly at the same time. If we are ill we know that if we miss these prayers and readings they are still being prayed and read for us by our brothers and sisters in Christ on our behalf. I hope that this rich treasury of daily prayers each different for the Calendar and seasons of the church year will not be lost because of a direction to use an Anglican book of common prayer as part of a more general 'Patrimony' that we may be taking with us. Where would be the wisdom in that I wonder? Many of us left the BCP in private offices as a result of Vatican Two years ago. Also would this be wisdom at the very time that the fruits of united prayer for unity in the daily Office are bearing such fruit at this time? We could still continue to use the BCP in sung and public services. Of Wisdom... " Her, then I would take to myself, to share my home; to be my counsellor in prosperity, my solace in anxiety and grief."( Book of Wisdom ch. 8)

Bad Manors

2009-10-31T21:54:00.020Z

When I read that the Bishop of St Asaph ( a bishop elected to office here in Wales for a matter of months) accuses the Bishop of Rome of ecumenical bad manners ( by offering a refuge to catholic Anglicans who have petitioned him for help) I have to say I cringe. Not only a small cringe but a toe curling one and one that leaves a very, very bad taste in the mouth. This open criticism of Pope Benedict is so un-Anglican and impolite behaviour of itself; irrespective of your views on the matter. Where is the sense of Christian charity that accepts that people with whom Cameron disagrees may need the real pastoral care that he will never be able to give them( except perhaps by agreeing a replacement for the Provincial Assistant Bishop which he and the the Welsh Bench of six bishops refuse)? When Cameron goes on to say "this is not the way WE do things" in the same breath, I despair . On what authority does he think he is able to pronounce against the Holy Father? Who does he think "we" means? A loud liberal committee perhaps? We always thought that the ecumenical overtures of post ARCIC General Synod to Rome through the liberal ascendancy was a sham . We hoped to be proved wrong. Now we can judge for ourselves. An apology is the only honourable restitution for such offensive behaviour by the diocesan of St. Asaph. After all Rome is not interested in his own un-catholic Manor but only perhaps his ecumenical Manners ( "which maketh man" and could give salvation) and which appear so woefully lacking. Manners lacking not from Rome but from North Wales. You can hear the full BBC Wales broadcast on this which includes reference to my colleague Fr. Michael's blog Let Nothing you Dismay here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/radiowales/sites/podcasts / and click Roy Jenkins'...... All Things Considered.

All Saints

2009-10-31T17:12:00.005Z

All Saints Eve and all is quiet, expectant, prayerful and calm. Yesterday in secular work some lovely late summer/ early Autumn weather at 19C. Not bad for nearly November. A long day doing what I was asked and called and needed for. Giving one and a half hour free professional advice three times individually to those who want to know if they can move house. This they need to know for all the reasons of human condition. Larger family, getting older, bereavement, financial difficulty, moving job, losing employment, gaining employment, moving church, separation, greed, desire, humility, sinfulness, saintliness ( to look after others etc.) and all the rest. In other words it's not only about bricks and mortar (just like the Church) it's mainly about people....God's people. Yes, even being a country Estate Agent is a vocation of service and yes also, I'm by no means the only one of my profession that sees it this way, even though we are seen as 'leeches' by many. What made it great for me today was the joy I have in working in one of the most lovely and untouched parts of the Welsh borders ( rural Monmouthshire ). Also to stop yesterday and watch the majestic circling of a Red Kite on one of the properties at one end of the County and then seeing the blue flash of a Kingfisher on one at the other end.....Magnificent.....like prayer in motion!! The one like slow meditation "high soaring above" ..........the other arrow-like, direct, fast and going direct! May God be praised through All His Saints as we pepare to meet Him in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass tomorrow. Through their blessed intercessions and those of whom will soon be joining the ranks of the elect ( especially John Henry Newman). May all that is Holy in the dear Anglican tradition " Praise ye The Lord !!" May we be made ready to move home for Him, if, as, when and to whence He may call us...... in His own god time. Amen.