The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Quite a while ago, St Anthony Communications sent me a copy of their new DVD on Confession (in which I have a brief cameo role.) Sorry to be so long in giving notice of it. The DVD is quite hard-hitting at the beginning, not compromising on the nature of sin. Then it moves to explain the mercy of God and the provision which He made for His Church to minister the forgiveness of sins. Fr Nicholas Schofield, Fr Marcus Holden, Fr Andrew Pinsent and Fr Thomas Crean OP offer some very good insights into the sacrament of Penance. Fr Jeremy Davies an experienced exorcist, also speaks from the heart with great effect. The DVD is 20 minutes long, which makes it a good element of an evening of recollection or a part of sacramental preparation. It is available for £9.95 from St Anthony Communications where you can see a short preview.

St Margaret Clitherow was martyred on 25 March 1586 for the "crime" of harbouring priests. She refused to enter a plea for fear that her children and servants would be forced to give evidence against her. The penalty in such a case was to be pressed to death. She was laid on the floor, a sharp stone was placed under her back, a door was put on top of her and weights put on the door. She took fifteen minutes to die. Her last words were "Jesu! Jesu! Jesu! have mercy on me!" Mary's Dowry Productions have issued the following trailer for their forthcoming DVD about St Margaret Clitherow:

The DVD "Arise Once More" has public screenings next week at various venues (including Blackfen). I have just uploaded the promotional clip to YouTube:

St Anthony Communications have produced a DVD called "Arise Once More" to offer an encouraging and hopeful look at Catholicism in Britain today and to encourage Catholics to revive the faith by their example, teaching and witness. The film gives a summary of the history of Catholicism in Britain, beginning with St Alban and the beginning of Christianity in these isles, following the great cultural, artistic and educational achievements of the middle ages, looking at the tragedy of the Reformation, and the Second Spring which brought new life to the Church. The last section of the film focusses on the need for a revival of Catholic life and the steps necessary to achieve it. I have just watched the film through and I think it is an excellent resource for parishes, offering an upbeat response to the dismal secularist propaganda about the Catholic Church that can be discouraging to ordinary Catholics. The commentary is provided by James and Joanna Bogle, Fr Marcus Holden, Fr An...

The Italian website Maranatha has provided a series of YouTube videos giving an explanation of how to celebrate Low Mass in the usus antiquior . There are sets with explanations in Italian, French and English. There is also a set of videos with the whole Mass from beginning to end . If you can understand Italian, I recommend the introduction by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos. ( Here on YouTube ). I have translated a few sentences for you from near the end of the video: The extraordinary form of the Roman Rite has been for centuries the spiritual nourishment of the Christian West. It has inspired Gregorian chant and polyphony, and the noble architecture of Churches; it has made stone and marble pray, has filled spaces with sacred silence and a contemplative atmosphere which helps modesty. It invites us simultaneously to prayer and purity. [...] With courage and decisiveness, Pope Benedict XVI has determined to keep alive this patrimony of culture and faith as a spur to holiness also for fu...

Veilleurs Dans La Nuit ("Watchmen of the night") is a film showing a day in the life of the Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux from Matins at 3.30am to compline at 7.45pm. There are many vids, clips and photos around of lovely monasteries, glorious chant, and atmospheric photos of the consecration. "Veilleurs Dans La Nuit" has all these in abundance but also offers simple but outstandingly effective teaching on the monastic life in particular, much of it applicable to the Christian life in general. For example, there is footage of a monk at his solemn profession singing the Suscipe: Suscipe me, Domine, secundum eloquium tuum et vivam; et non confundas me ab expectatione mea. Accept me, O Lord, according to your word, and I shall live; and do not disappoint me in my hope. (Ps 119:116) This is followed by a monk explaining: "What he sings then is a commitment for his entire future. Man's greatness and nobility lies in his being able to pledge himself by a w...

Mary's Dowry Productions have sent me a DVD with five-minute biographies of several saints, illustrated with classical works of art. The DVD has lives of Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Paul, Saint Joseph, Saint Faustina, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua. This is volume 1 of Well Known Saints : volume 2 is in production. One use of the DVD would be to show at Confirmation classes to help young people choose a patron saint. I would suggest that it would also be useful as an introduction or conclusion to Family Prayers, perhaps on the feast of each of the saints. Each short biography ends with some scripture or a prayer that parents or an older child could read to the others. The DVD is £9.99 from Mary's Dowry Productions Online Shop . The same team have now released " St Edumund Campion: a hero returns " and have sent me a copy. I'll do a post about that when I have had a chance to watch it.

Fr Armand de malleray writes to say that on Thursday 5 February, there will be a presentation of the EWTN-FSSP DVD tutorial on the Extraordinary Mass, by the priests of the FSSP in England. This will be at 7pm at the London Oratory (St Wilfrid’s Hall). Fr de Malleray FSSP will give the presentation which will be followed by the projection of extracts of the DVD (the interview by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, and the spiritual explanation by Fr Calvin Goodwin, FSSP). There will be refreshment afterwards. Copies of the DVD will be available for purchase at the special launch price of £12. Entrance to the event is free and all are welcome. There will be a Low Mass beforehand at 6pm in the Little Oratory, celebrated by Fr Armand de Malleray. The FSSP kindly sent me a copy of the two DVD set and I must say that it is an excellent resource for priests or seminarians wishing to learn how to celebrate mass according to the usus antiquior . You can choose from four different camera angles and the ...

Mary's Dowry Productions are working hard on their new film of St Edmund Campion. The clip above is the first "teaser trailer" and another one is projected for early in the New Year. I'm looking forward to this film and it is good to be able to show the trailer on the feast day of St Edmund Campion. Here is a good summary of his life from the page dedicated to the film at the Mary's Dowry website. In 1580 a Jesuit Priest returned to his homeland on a secret mission to minister to the Catholics of England during a time when to hear Mass or celebrate Mass was outlawed. The Queen and her new government had forbidden the Catholic priesthood in England in the hope of killing the Catholic Faith. Edmund Campion was an extremely gifted and intelligent Oxford student, a friend of the Queen, a regular at Court, renowned for his wit, his smile, and even acquiring a 'fan base' that dressed like him and imitated his manerisms when he was a professor. Lord Leiceste...