Retreat at Aylesford

From Tuesday afternoon until lunchtime today, I was at Aylesford Priory giving a short retreat to some parishioners. (Mulier Fortis has also posted about the retreat with some good photos.) Aylesford is one of my favourite places in the world. I think it is undervalued by Catholics locally. After all, it is the home of St Simon Stock to whom Our Blessed Lady gave the original brown scapular.

Aylesford was founded when the hermits of Mount Carmel had to leave the Holy Land. One of the English Crusaders gave the hermits a plot of land on the banks of the river Medway. This river was an obstacle to the Romans on their British campaign and still offers problems. Recently, the friars have completed a new wall to keep the river at bay.

The buildings are a mix of old and new. The Friary was dissolved by Henry VIII and the friars were cast out into the street. From then until the early 20th century, it was home to various wealthy families. When it came back into Carmelite hands, the surviving older parts were restored and new chapels built.





A recent restoration is this plaque just by the reception office. In English, it means "The flower of Carmel, having been cut down, has risen again more vigorous."

Thankfully, we had the cosy cloister chapel for all the conferences and Masses of the Retreat. I spoke first of all about the nature and purpose of a retreat and how to gain the best from it, speaking also about how to pray. The second conference was on the nature of a sacrifice in the Old Testament, the sacrifice of Christ and how we gain fruit by meditating on the passion. For the third conference, I drew from Sacramentum Caritatis and the Holy Father's teaching on how we should participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice.

For the fourth and last conference, I spoke of St Therese of Lisieux and her "Little Way." I was upfront about how I felt that this was becoming a new "craze" for me. Recently, I took up "L'Histoire d'Une Ame" again after 30 years. I think I finally get the point now! The teaching of the Little Flower is a simple and beautiful expression of some really quite daunting, even terrifying, truths about the spiritual life.

The bookshop at Aylesford has a good collection of books about Carmelite saints and their teaching so I picked up a new translation of "The Story of a Soul", a book about St Therese and prayer, and a book about her parents.

We were accommodated in the "New Block." I find the rooms at Aylesford very comfortable. Some people would probably consider it rather "old fashioned" now: for example, they do not follow the recent fad of installing a lavatory in everyone's room. This actually makes the rooms more spacious than many modern hotels.

The hospitality offered by the Friars is exemplary. The Prior and several of the other members of the community always take great trouble to come and talk with their guests and nothing seems too much trouble. The food is good and plentiful, and the sacristans keep the chapels in very good order.

I'm going to be at Aylesford again tomorrow with some mums from the Parents' Faith Group, and again on Saturday with the parish Men's Walk of ten miles, concluding with Benediction at the Shrine.

Popular posts from this blog

1962 Missal pdf online

The Church Music Association of America and Jeffrey Tucker of the New Liturgical Movement have made available the 1962 Missal online in pdf format (72Mb). The file is hosted at Musica Sacra , the website of the CMAA, thanks to a generous gift from Fr Robert Skeris While you are at it, take a look at the articles clarifying the rules for music at Low Mass and music at High Mass .
Read more

Plenary indulgences not impossible

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec
Read more

Request for Novena to Blessed Pius IX

Image
A priest friend of mine is ill in hospital. He has a special devotion to Blessed Pius IX. Could I ask you, of your charity, to say a Novena for his speedy recovery. Novena In Honour of Blessed Pius IX Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX, who consecrated the Universal Church to you. (Our Father...) O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you Immaculate. (Hail Mary...) Saint Joseph, spouse of the most pure Virgin Mary, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you the Patron of the Universal Church. (Glory be...) Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Mary, our Hope, and Saint Joseph hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX , granting to us through his merits and intercessions the graces which we ardently desire: that the glory of God be revealed through Father's illness. (Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be
Read more

Saint Gabriel

Image
The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai
Read more

God bless America!

Image
I wish you all a very happy Fourth of July over there in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I thought I was a bit late but then realised that it is still early evening for you. I hope you had an enjoyable day. For the video this year, here is Kate Smith IN 1938 introducing the new composition "God Bless America."
Read more