The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Yesterday I was in choir at the Carthusian Monastery of Parkminster for first Vespers of their founder St Bruno, after giving my class. (We're doing grace at the moment.) The altar was beautifully decorated for the feast and everyone was looking forward to the clothing of five new novice brothers which took place today. St Bruno was more than once pressed to become a Bishop. Hence the statue in St Peter's Basilica depicts him shunning the Bishop's mitre which is offered to him by the cherub. I always stop to say a prayer for the Carthusians at this statue. It also strikes me as amusing to see it at the heart of the Vatican as a warning against careerism.

129 photos from St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster, taken in August 2006, now in a new Flickr set . Enjoy!

The Secret Harbour blog takes its title from some words of St Bruno: Rejoice, because you have escaped the various dangers and shipwrecks of the stormy world. Rejoice because you have reached the quiet and safe anchorage of a secret harbor. Saint Bruno's letter to his sons the Carthusians The sidebar gives the text in the original so here it is for all you Latin students: Gaudete, quia evasistis fluctuantis mundi multimoda pericula et naufragia. Gaudete, quia quietam et tutam stationem portus secretioris obtinuistis. Ex Epistola sancti Brunonis ad filios suos Carthusienses Jeffrey S.J. Allan, the blog author, writes from Bel Air, Maryland USA and posts on matters to do with prayer, contemplation and especially the Carthusians. There are some good Carthusian related pictures too. I was at St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster, today to give my theology class for the novices and simply professed. The numbers are down a little but for good reasons: two of my students are now engage...

Above you can see a view of the Brothers' Chapel at St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster. Above the altar to the right is St Bruno and above the altar to the left is St John the Baptist. This is my route into the main choir (through the doors between the altars) after I have given my class. Today I joined the community for Vespers of "St Michael and the Archangels". As it is a major feast, we had the proper antiphons from the Antiphonale Diurnum, a heavy, vellum bound volume studded with brass and large enough for three monks to view together. Again because of the solemnity, incense was used at Vespers. Fr Vicar in cuculla incensed the altar, and a brother incensed each member of the choir. The thurible is a little shorter than one that might be used in a parish and it is used with one hand only - one swing for each member of choir. Today there was also a short period of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after Vespers. Between the choir stalls and the bookrests in cho...

Not that the holy monks and hermits are smashing statues or anything: today in my theology class, we discussed iconoclasm and the second council of Nicea among other things such as the devotion to the Sacred Heart as and application of the doctrine of the hypostatic union, and Christ possessing the beatific vision. Above is a picture from the Long Walk in 2006, with the Novice Master leading the way. I learnt today that the Long Walk is distinct from another long walk, the Prior's Walk, which takes place during August. With their solidly healthy diet, regular rule of life and substantial complement of manual labour in each day, the monks remain very fit well on into old age and the walk would be a challenge to many younger men. I am currently reading Stratford Caldecott's new book Beauty for Truth's Sake: On the Re-enchantment of Education which has just been published by Brazos Press. I have been very impressed by the book and recommended it to the Novice Master for the s...

After Mass this morning, I motored down to Cowfold to talk to the Carthusians about the Monophysite heresy and the Council of Chalcedon. With the various expressions for person and nature being rather confused, it was a triumph of Pope St Leo to provide the basis for a formula of faith that preserved the best of both the Antiochene and the Alexandrian schools, proclaiming for all time that the Incarnate Word is one person in two natures, divine and human. Here is the magnificent statement of the Fathers of Chalcedon: Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all teach that with one accord we confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in human nature, truly God and the same with a rational soul and a body truly man, consubstantial with the Father according to divinity, and consubstantial with us according to human nature, like unto us in all things except sin, [cf. Heb. 4:15]; indeed born of the Father before the ages according to divine nature, but in the las...

The other day I referred to the Catechism (2240) on the duty of citizens to exercise the right to vote in elections. It was pointed out to me (tongue in cheek) that the next phrase spoke of the moral duty to defend one's country and that this was incompatible with casting ones vote in an election for a foreign power, viz . the European Parliament. In any case, I cast my vote this evening after Benediction. Earlier in the day, I was lecturing at the St Hugh's Carthusian Monastery at Parkminster. After Vespers, some of the community were preparing to drive to the polling station. Casting one's vote in an election is a reasonable cause for going out of the monastery so no conflict of duties there.

In the class that I teach at St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster, we are now doing the tract De Verbo Incarnato . Having looked at the divinity of Christ in the scriptures and the pre-nicene Fathers, we'll be going on next time to begin looking at the Council of Ephesus and the Nestorian heresy. (We covered the Council of Nicea in the De Deo Uno et Trino .) I was glad to tell the Carthusians that I was going on from there to the Church of St Mary Magdalen in Brighton to be subdeacon at the Mass celebrated by Fr Ray Blake for his 25th anniversary of ordination, and that he had chosen to celebrate Mass in honour of the Carthusian martyrs. The picture above is from the Chapter House at Parkminster; a  post of mine from August 2006 has a few more. The novice master tells me that the pictures have been cleaned so one of these days, I must take my camera down. The drive from Parkminster to Brighton was fairly easy and I was glad to be reasonably early and meet the other priests who...

Shaun Bailham, the Catholic with Attitude has some photos from a recent visit to St Hugh's Charterhouse , Parkminster. Here is a nice one of the backs of the cells:

At this time of year, my class at the Carthusian Monastery of Parkminster begins at 2.30pm and ends with the bell at 4pm so that the students can go back to cell and recite Vespers from the "Little Office" of Our Lady before being summoned to choir by the great bell. The above photo was taken just after they had all disappeared off to cell. The classroom is ideal; it has a large crucifix to distract attention away from me and towards the Lord, there are heaters to take the chill off if necessary, and a new addition has been provided by some venetian blinds to prevent student from being dazzled by the sunlight. (My rhetoric is unlikely to dazzle them!) Today, we began a new tract. Having finished the De Deo Uno et Trino , I moved onto the De Verbo Incarnato , beginning with the Jewish and pagan sources referring to Our Lord or the early Christians and then moving onto Pope Benedict's sage advice on how we should approach the New Testament. I am afraid that I may have spent...

St Stephen's Day has been a special day for me in recent years. After our Altar servers' Mass - which is always a joy - I join the community at St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster for their "extended recreation" to celebrate Christmas. This year, we were treated to an explanation of a typical icon of the nativity. After this and a few carols, the refreshments were ready. One of the brothers had prepared some mulled wine; there were mince pies and Indian snacks: non-meat since meat is never included in the diet there. (The flasks contain tea and coffee.) I do not get a chance to talk to most of the community through the year, only the novices and simply-professed who come to my classes, so it is a welcome opportunity to greet and talk to the more senior monks whom I only see in choir at Vespers. They all take a keen interest in what is happening in the Church and in the world, making me feel even more grateful for their prayers. When the bell struck four, there was...

At Parkminster, the Carthusian monastery in England, I resumed today the course "De Deo Uno et Trino" (On God, One and Three) and we looked especially at the simplicity and the immutability (unchangeableness) of God. It was a great joy to meet and congratulate Dom Gregory Carling who was solemnly professed on the feast of the Assumption. I remembered today that since he was baptised in my parish, I must enter his profession in the Baptismal Register. I will consult the Rituale Romanum for the correct formula for this entry. My visits to Parkminster (fortnightly during the academic year) always conclude with Vespers, chanted according to the simplified Carthusian tones which are subtly different from those of the Roman office. A solemn profession is a great occasion and I would like to pass on to you the request on Dom Gregory's card: Please pray for the perseverance of Dom Gregory Carling on the occasion of his solemn profession at St Hugh's Charterhouse, feast of th...

I recommend viewing the whole of "Into Great Silence". (I wrote about the film some time ago.) My own favourite part of the film is shown on this clip on YouTube. It is a breathtaking witness of "the peace that the world cannot give." Here is a link to the DVD on UK Amazon:

Once a fortnight, I drive over to St Hugh's Charterhouse, Parkminster, to lecture to the novices and simply professed. We are currently on the De Deo Uno part of the tract De Deo Uno et Trino . Having considered the various ways in which the human person can be said to know God, it was time to consider how this operates in practice. With the help of Garrigou Lagrange, Tanquerey and St Thomas, we looked at the nature of contemplation and its precursors. I referred to Tanquerey as the manual everyone loves to hate which raised a smile. People sometimes say that it is too systematic but I think that it is a wonderful book and must be taken for what it is: an attempt to pass on the wisdom of the saints. Sadly, I heard today of the death of dear Fr Aloysius whom I had the privilege of chatting to last St Stephen's day. He died on Trinity Sunday and was buried yesterday after lying in the Charterhouse chapel on Monday. Fr Aloysius joined the Carthusians during the war - originally a...

This time last year, I posted about the Tyburn Pilgrimage so you can read up there about the present form of today's Pilgrimage. Miles Jesu also have a Tyburn Walk which will probably take the place of the Guild's pilgrimage over the next few years. Miles Jesu have also obtained the excellent "pamphlets" (today they would probably be published as 200 page paperbacks) and I am sure that they will continue to promote the knowledge of England's Catholic history. Last year we could not go down to the Crypt at Tyburn because of the works taking place to provide disabled access. These have now been completed and so we were able once again to visit the fascinating exhibition of pictures and relics associated with the English Martyrs. The crypt altar (above) is fashioned to recall the triple scaffold at Tyburn where many people could be hanged at the same time. On the front is the legend: JESU JESU JESU ESTO MIHI JESUS Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, be to me a Jesus (=saviour) whi...

At Parkminster today, I was continuing with the tract De Deo Uno . We were considering the ways in which we can, in this life, know God. In particular we looked at the Summa Theologica Prima Pars , question 13 on the names of God. In this section, we considered the various ways in which we can, in this life reach towards the essence of God, even though (in this life) we cannot attain any intuitive vision of the essence of God. There are: 1. The way of affirmation by which we predicate certain attributes of God – that he is good, almighty etc. 2. The way of negation by which all limitations and imperfections are excluded from God. For example, God is not mortal, God is infinite etc. (Some of the Fathers also negated such things as goodness of God because our idea of goodness is limited.) 3. The way of eminence by which we explicitly assert the superabundant divine perfection above anything that the created mind can conceive. When looking at Lateran IV 's condemnation of the Abbot ...

Our Mass on the feast of St Stephen is always one in which we pay special attention to the altar servers. The Guild of St Stephen has a serious and solemn enrolment ceremony which I use each year, awarding servers with their Guild medals to mark the fact that they have served well and regularly. The material for my sermon was provided by Elizabeth Wang's book "The Purpose of the Priesthood: A Message from Christ", available from Radiant Light . The book is very much from the perspective of a lay woman inviting priests to reflect on the needs of the laity - to receive the teaching of the magisterium faithfully preached, to be given sound moral and spiritual advice, and to be helped to understand the real presence of Christ and the sacrifice of the Mass. At the end of the book, she proposes three faults that priests should correct: resentment, grumbling (particularly grumbling at God to the detriment of our adoration of him) and irreverence, particularly in Church. I spoke ...

Take a look at the photos of various Carthusian houses on this Liturgy site from New Zealand.

Many thanks to Thomas from the Netherlands for news of a CD just published in France with the entire Carthusian Night Office from La Grande Chartreuse , recorded by Philip Groening. Here is a link to the CD at the French Amazon site. (I have just ordered it - the site accepted my UK Amazon email and password.) At Parkminster on Monday, the Novice Master invited me again to the Christmas party which takes place on St Stephen's Day. I will take my camera. They record my lectures on a cassette recorder but cassettes are now becoming scarce so they are looking at upgrading. I suggested a digital recorder and mp3 players which are now quite cheap. This week we tried out my digital recorder and they have borrowed it to transfer the mp3 file to a computer. I'm going to ask if it will be all right for me one week to record the Salve Regina . The Carthusian version is similar to the solemn Salve in the Roman liturgy but there are one or two differences which will be of interest.

Gosh but was today a bit frantic! An early Mass for a deceased person, followed by binning most of my post and dealing with some of it, finalising the talk for tonight and then motoring off to Parkminster . The M25 was ghastly today and despite leaving early, I arrived 15 minutes late, just as the Novice Master was about to give up on me. Deo Gratias ! If he had sent the novices and simply professed back to their cells, it would have taken ages for them all to gather again. Sadly, I had to miss Vespers today in order to drive back round the M25, and up the A2 to North Greenwich to take the tube. Even so, the traffic meant I was a little late meeting Fr Richard Whinder at the Spaghetti House in Victoria before the Faith in Focus meeting. There was a good attendance for the talk on "The challenge of the Sexual Orientation Regulations legislation." Several blog readers were there and I was happy to meet one or two commenters in person. I spoke about the SORs and their impac...