Next week, Year 4 of Our Lady of the Rosary School are coming down to the Church for Mass in the morning. I was over at the school today to have a little talk with the children and give the teachers a copy of the readings for the Mass. I suggested that we should have a Votive Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes as it is near to the feast day and this is a theme that the children can learn a lot from. Frankly, it is a lot easier than trying to manufacture some spiritual point out of "Building Bridges" or "Special Places" or some other theme provided by the "Here I Am" programme.
I was glad of the chance for a chat with our very effective and experienced Headteacher. My conscience has been nagging at me because I have not been into the school this term as much as I should.
This evening, I was over at St Stephen's, Welling for the Induction of Fr Jim Spencer as Parish Priest following the retirement of Fr Peter Ryman. Fr Ryman taught me Chemistry at school. That was in the days when we could make bombs out of Phosphorus and Hydrogen Sulphide or mushroom clouds by burning Magnesium in a crucible filled with Potassium Permanganate.
As the Dean, it was my duty to read the Letter of Appointment from the Archbishop. I also volunteered to MC for the Mass, celebrated by Bishop Pat Lynch, Auxiliary in Southwark with responsibility for the SE London area of the Diocese. I'm not sure I got everything right but I think I managed to look as though I knew what I was doing. Matters were complicated by the fact that is is Candlemas. I had somehow managed to forget that, despite having celebrated Mass in my parish this morning and recited the breviary during the day... Maybe my frontal lobes are wearing out with all this blogging.
It was an ideal induction. The parishioners of Welling were excited and expectant at the arrival of their new parish priest. The parishioners of Herne Hill (the parish Fr Spencer has just left) came in good numbers to wish their former pastor well on his new appointment. While I was looking over the sanctuary, some children from his old parish came up to Fr Spencer to greet him warmly but a little sadly. They will always be the better for his ministry and he will bring new youngsters to know Christ in his new parish.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Colin Tandy and his wife were there on behalf of the local Council. I have come to know Councillor Tandy well through my duties as Mayor's Chaplain this year. He is a good Christian man, (a practising Anglican) and always very complimentary about the Catholic Church and especially Pope Benedict. He was kind enough to check with me before Mass that although he understood that he should not receive Holy Communion, it would be all right to come up to ask for a blessing from the Bishop. Thank God there are still such politicians in Britain.
13 comments:
I heard that you've got to be a Catholic to be a Christian - so how can your Deputy Mayor be a 'good Christian'? Surely he must clasify as a raving Liberal.
Don't worry Father about occasional lapses of memory. I refer to them as having "sometimers" disease. Sometimes I remember to do what I am supposed to do, and sometimes I don't. I think it happens to us all in this age of "multi-tasking". I think you manage very well.
I love your blog title. As a convert from protestantism, one of the things that drew me to the Catholic church was that I couldn't bear to live in the protestant theological world any more.
I can't bear to see a massive dogma hanging from a flimsy invisible hermaneutical thread, appearing incongruously, ex nihilo, like roman ruins in outer space.
When I began to see the warp and weave of history, at last it all made sense, and it was with great joy that I followed the prompting of the Holy Spirit who lead me home to the Roman Catholic Church.
Where Vatican 2 succeeds nicely is in renewal
of ancient things; mass in the vernacular language is an ancient custom, as is the restoration of the sharing of the Peace, and the old-testament reading, the reading of a nearly entire Psalm with an antiphon, instead of the tiny psalm-fragments.
I think the Church will continue to bring forth
treasures old and new, and so I think the verse
you chose is just perfect! I also love the Latin Mass, and various bits of currently-mostly-deprecated Catholicity, but I am not a "Traditionalist". I hate to pick and choose on centuries. Overall, I like every authentic part of
Catholic tradition, not just certain fashionably unfashionable bits. Anything less is a failure in one's Catholicity, and no virtue, I think.
Anyways, love your title, Fr. Tim, and really like your blog!
Warren
Dear Fr Tim,
We have lovely weekly year Masses, in St Philips Chapel at The Oratory. Parents often come. I don't know about the RE programme, but we have the Churches Calender followed. So the children get rousing sermons on St Edmund Campion, or one of the saints or martyrs.
I think we are really lucky, because although the area surrounding the primary School is economically poor, the spiritual life from The Oratory Fathers, is wonderful.
The Headteacher writes in his weekly Newsletter, about the reverence my boys show on the altar...down to excellent training by Brother Lewis, in Rome at present.
Today i received The sacrament of The Sick, during the special Mass, organised by The Order of Malta. Their prayer of dedication was very moving..& demanding of a robust faith.
Hopefully this year of 2007, will be one of improved health for me..but whatever God wills.
God bless,
Jackie
Anon - if Cllr Tandy's friends heard someone describe him as a "raving liberal", they would split their sides laughing. I think a man can be described as a good Christian even if he is not a Catholic. I think I could safely say that the Magisterium is on my side there.
Warren - thank you very much for your kind words. Glad you enjoy the blog.
Jackie - sorry to hear about your poor health. I will say a prayer for a better 2007 for you.
If you do wear out your frontal lobes with all this blogging I don't think it will be in vain. This is apparently what Gordon Brown (for it was he) had to say in Davos a couple of weeks ago while sat next to Rupert Murdoch Esq:
"A few years ago the debate was about whether the media controlled politicians or whether politicians controlled the media. Now it is about how we are all responding to the explosive power of citizens, consumers and bloggers"
Well, I have listened to the Faith Winter Conference download again and Fr. Stephen definitely says 'you've got to be a Catholic to be a Christian' and refers to non Catholics as either fundamentalists or raving liberals. Was this a joke, or are both 'interpretations' equally valid?
Thanks for the prayers Fr Tim, much appreciated.
The day with Mary sounds wonderful..it's so frustrating that many don't attend to receive the great benefits from Our Blessed mother.
Re the TAN books...aren't they just wonderful?.my latest is 'The Soul Sanctified'..a compilation of many saints..
God bless,
Jackie
Anon. Cf. Lumen Gentium 15
15. The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter.
[...honor Sacred Scripture, ...show a sincere zeal. ...consecrated by baptism, ... share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits... joined with us in the Holy Spirit...] etc.
I'd be fairly sure Fr Stephen accepts the teaching of Lumen Gentium. But I'll check with him at breakfast tomorrow :-)
I expect that he was saying that ultimately, in principle, without the magisterium, logically, you have to end up as a fundamentalist or a raving liberal.
BTW why are you posting comments anonymously?
OK I think I understand now, its a 'principle' & 'reality' thing. At the theorectical 'principle' end of the spectrum you are only a true Christian if you are a Catholic but at the pratical 'reality' end of the spectrum its OK to refer to non Catholic 'Christian' denominations as Christians. So, in fact, both 'interpretations' are equally valid - please correct me if I am wrong as I may have some conceptual difficulties here.
Re. posting anonymously - I am not a Google/Blogger but I will try posting as an 'Other' this time. No offense meant.
BTW I posted my comments only after contacting Fr Stephen directly, via email, re my confusion. But thank you very much for your clear and prompt response.
> without the magisterium, logically, you have to end up as a fundamentalist or a raving liberal.
Well said. Can I quote that? Where/who is it from?
Warren
Ian - I think it is fair to say that Fr Stephen was exaggerating a bit in some informal remarks.
Lumen Gentium makes it clear that we accept that many non-Catholics are Christians because of their baptism - in theory and in practice. However, it is possible at the same time to say that the non-Catholic position is inconsistent and will lead in principle to the consequences Fr Stephen spoke of.
Warren - it is from me interpreting Fr Stephen Dingley's remarks. Newman said something similar in the Apologia:
"[there are] but two alternatives, the way to Rome and the way to Atheism; Anglicanism is the half-way house on the one side, and Liberalism the half-way house on the other,"
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