Chesterton Knew The Importance of Ecumenical Dialogue

Chesterton Knew The Importance of Ecumenical Dialogue

Saturday 27 November 2010

Urgent, Pro Life Vigil At London Abortuary


"Here at The Good Counsel Network, we are intending to increase the weekday pro-life presence outside marie stopes abortuary, 108 Whitfield Street, W1T 5EA. The nearest tube stations are Great Portland Street and Warren Street. The week commencing Monday 29th November 2010, I will be there pavement counselling from 9am-1.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. We hope to have prayer supporters, counsellors and Priests to cover all of these times.

The Holy Father has asked all the faithful to have a Vigil of Prayer for Nascent Human Life, during the first week of Advent. As we prepare for the coming of Our Saviour’s birth, and as we meditate on Our Lord developing in the womb of Mary, and recall His vulnerability and how He was born in the humble dwelling of a stable, the flight from Herod’s tyranny to Egypt, and the putting to death of the new born Innocents, I invite you to come to the abortuary and pray. What a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child during Advent. Any turn around that happens outside an abortuary is due to God's grace granted through the peaceful prayerful witness of Priests and lay faithful.
If you can’t come for the whole four and half hours, I encourage you to do two hours.

Whatever time you can spare is much appreciated, and will help save many children, through God’s Grace from the tyrannical clutches of the new “Herod”, and save many Mums and Dads from anguish and despair.

If you are unable to come, due to infirmity or ill health, please find time even for a short while to pray, and fast if you are able, while we are there, so that hearts may be changed and despairing souls transformed and illuminated through the Merciful Heart of Christ.
If you can't stand for long periods of time, feel free to bring a fold up chair. If you are able to come for the whole of, or part of the vigil, please email me at info@goodcounselnetwork.freeserve.co.uk or call me on 02077231740. I look forward to seeing you there. Without your prayerful presence, Mothers may not choose life for their children."
I have taken this from the Good Counsel blog, if you can attend please contact them so they know when enough people will be there.

Wednesday 24 November 2010

"Genuflect, Genuflect, No, No, Not You My Lord!"


Having spent part of the morning before the Confirmations explaining to Nathanael, my three and a half year old son, how to greet a Bishop, I thought all would go well.

We waited for the last Candidates to have their photo taken with the Bishop, and then I asked, "My Lord, although he was not Confirmed today my son would like to have his photo taken if it is not too much trouble".

"Of course, of course" came the reply from Bishop Stack and then before you could say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Bishop Stack was down on one knee to have his photo taken with Nathanael!

(Note for members of my Family and any other pagans; When one meets a Catholic Bishop, one genuflects [goes down on one knee] and kisses the ring on his right hand.)

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Blogland Graveyard & Death Threats!

When I started blogging I noticed that there are a lot of 'dead' blogs out there, that have just stopped suddenly. Until now I had just thought that most of these bloggers had just run out of things to say, or their Mums had found out and put a stop to it(Go DJC, go!). But then I put up my post Old Rite Confirmations and received the following comment which I published.

Mac McLernon said...
I see you took advantage of my setting up a photo-shoot of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer... and you didn't come and say hallo.

I shall sulk.

However, it could have been much, much more serious. If you'd snapped me, I would have to hunt you down and kill you...

;-)


This put me thinking and I was amazed to find how many 'dead' blogs had a last post along the lines of "Here is a rare photo of Mulier Fortis" etc.

Saturday 20 November 2010

Old Rite Confirmations


Bishop Stack, very kindly Confirmed 39 Catholics today in the Old Rite, at St James, Spanish Place. One of whom was my nephew, Michael, son of Moira. I was privileged to be his Sponsor.

This is the third year that Bishop Stack has carried out these Confirmations, organised by The Latin Mass Society. God bless him, I say. Do drop him a line (lindamurphy@rcdow.org.uk) of thanks along with one to Vincent Archbishop Nichols (archbishop@rcdow.org.uk) for continuing this annual event.

Everyone was there, but it was nice to see the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, aka Translapine Redemptorists as I read their blog from time to time.

Friday 19 November 2010

The Wisdom Of Tolkien, Again


'Why? Why do the fools fly?' said Denethor. 'Better to burn sooner than late, for burn we must. Go back to your bonfire! And I? I will go now to my pyre. To my pyre! No tomb for Denethor and Faramir. No tomb! No long slow sleep of death embalmed. We will burn like the heathen kings before ever a ship sailed from the West. The West has failed. Go back and burn!'
(The Siege of Gondor, The Return of the King, JRR Tolkien)

With these few words, JRR Tolkien clearly shows us the folly of suicide, euthanasia and cremation all in one go! If it is not clear to you, then please read the whole of The Lord of the Rings (again I hope). Remember that while the Church may allow cremation, it does not recommend it! This old pagan ritual came back into practice in the early 1900's for those who did not want a Christian Burial.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Stay Home And Save Lives, This Thursday


And the people of Ninevah believed in God; they proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least…God saw their efforts to renounce their evil ways. And God relented about the disaster which He had threatened to bring on them, and He did not bring it.
(Jonah 3:5,10)

So there we have it. Thursday 18th November is a National Day of Prayer & Fasting for Life. I know this is a hard one for Hobbits, but please give it a go. In the two years that these Days have taken place the number of abortions in Wales & England have gone down!

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Society of St Pius X Priest Prays At Abortuary

Amongst a number of anonymous comments I received in light of my W.A.S. Alliance Attacks Holy Father post was a link to this;

"Supporters of Integrity and Action descended upon Marie Stopes London HQ in Whitfield Street during the afternoon of Saturday 16th October.

Fourteen I&A supporters led by a chaplain, Fr. Matthew Clifton, SSPX, arrived outside Marie Stopes House to find several courageous souls already stationed there as part of the international 40-Days-for-Life campaign.

These, and other, brave souls are maintaining a prayerful presence outside the Marie Stopes headquarters day and night for 40 days, ending on 31st October.

The unexpected arrival of our group during the 40-Days campaign was warmly welcomed and Fr. Clifton led everyone for a couple of hours in the singing of the rosary interspersed with some impressive polyphony from the assembled choir in between decades.

Many pro-life leaflets were handed-out, as always, and pavement counselors were on hand to speak with women on their way to the abortuary and to provide them with hope and information about practical help that is available to distressed mothers and their unborn children."

Friday 5 November 2010

Help End The Culture of Death


"Help end the Death Culture and the annul Killing of 200,000 children by abortion.

Saturday 13th November at 13:30 - 15:30

Join the Euro-Prolife Prayer Procession
Starting at Westminster Cathedral London and ending at Westminster Abbey

I hope you, your family and friends will join us for the 4th Euro-Prolife procession to be held on the Saturday 13th November from London's Westminster Cathedral to the Abbey.

Over the past 42 years Britain has industrialised and commercialised the mass killing of unborn children in their mother's wombs. Since 1968 over 7 million unborn children have been killed primarily funded by our state.

Abortion takes the life of an innocent child and hurts the mother and seriously damages the moral culture of our society.

Let us demonstrate with our presences that life is sacred and no one has the right to take a life, let along the life of innocent little ones.

I pray you could sacrifice this time on the 13th November to join us in prays for an end to this scourge of our time. "

Thursday 4 November 2010

Advent Silent Retreat


Starts 5pm on Friday 10th December 2010, ends 4pm on Sunday 12th December 2010. Theme: ‘St Joseph, a model of virtues’. Retreat Master: Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP. Prices (include £10 for the FSSP and the remainder for the Abbey, including 17.5% VAT): per person with full board accommodation: £116 for a single room; £92 for a shared room. Significant discounts granted on request by the Abbey for students, unemployed etc. Booking: please send a £20 deposit cheque made payable to FSSP ENGLAND to: FSSP Advent Retreat, 17, Eastern Avenue, Reading, Berks., RG1 5RU. Inquiries: malleray@fssp.org or by post.

Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form each of the 3 days (at 6pm on the Friday). Please specify any special requirements (diet, mobility). Location: Douai Abbey, Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5TQ, England. Nearest railway station: Midgham. Abbey website: http://www.douaiabbey.org.uk/.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

'Ann Widdecombe' Prays At Abortuary


My 3 year old son watches Strictly Come Dancing (we do turn quite a bit of it off) and is supporting Ann Widdecombe. This is because she said, ‘I have no raunchy side. I told producers ‘what I wouldn’t show the Pope, I won’t show the audience. And I would show the Pope very little.’

He has named his little lamb Ann Widdecombe. When I told him we were going to the 'clinic' to pray for the babies again last Wednesday evening, he insisted that Ann wanted to come with us, and so she did!

I just kept thinking about Jesus the Lamb of God, lambs to the slaughter, etc.

There have been many silent 'heroes' of the 40 Days for Life, my beautiful Wife had the first slot last Wednesday, see her post, but she was also there at the end of the day when we went to pray with her before driving her home. I parked the car at the abortuary, we prayed, went for something to eat, came back for the car to find a Catholic there at 9.15pm on his own quietly praying the Rosary. We told him, "well done" and went home.

Monday 1 November 2010

Pro-Lifers 50, Pro-Death Demo 9....So We Won!


Yes, yes, yes, I know it is not about numbers when it comes to Pro-Life issues, we are right even when outnumbered, but it is nice never-the-less.

On Saturday there were 50 Pro-Lifers at maries stopes abortuary as part of the 40 Days for Life and 9 on the pro-death counter demo (other reports said it was only 8! but in all fairness I will use the higher figure reported to me). Unlike the mainstream media I will not be counting the unseen Legions of Darkness in the area as the Rosary soon puts them to flight.

Today's Daily Mail, amidst all of it's lies had to tell the truth about one of the Pro-Lifers (my niece in fact) being 'pretty'. See photo
And then to cap it all Cardiff City Football Club went top!