Wednesday 27 August 2014

By way of an explanation

Some of you may have noticed that my postings, of late, have been, somewhat sparse in nature.

Whilst this may be a cause of delight in some circles it has also prompted a series of questions from some good friends concerned with regard to my welfare.

Well, truth of the matter is that I am fighting the battle against an aggressive cancer and have been in and out of hospital over the past 8 weeks (and more to come, I suspect).

So, to those of you who are aware of my situation, and who have been fervently praying and offering Masses on my behalf,  thank you most sincerely and I and ask forgiveness for doing so corporately).

I hope that I shall soon be able to resume postings albeit on a rather sporadic basis.

 

54 comments:

  1. I had certainly missed you, Please be assured of remembrance in Mass.
    Every good wish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Philippians 4:13 πάντα ἰσχύω ἐν Tῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με. (I can do all through Him Who strengthens me.

    Prayers, of course.

    God bless!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very sorry to learn of your illness. I will keep you, and Mrs Collins, in my prayers.

    God bless,
    Dorothy B

    ReplyDelete
  4. On my Daily Prayer List, Richard.

    No charge.

    in Domino

    ReplyDelete
  5. God Bless to you, prayers tonight.

    Patrick.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whilst we have had our differences - to put it mildly! - I would never wish this on anyone, Richard, so I pray you will have the best of care and return to full health over time.
    God Bless.
    Sue.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We've missed your blog. Please be assured of our prayers. Will request Masses for you. God bless

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Richard

    If you fight this with the courage, determination (and sometimes - it has to be said! - bloody-mindedness) you show in all other arenas, with God's grace all your friends pray you will win.

    God bless you and keep you, dear Richard!

    Michael Gormally

    ReplyDelete
  9. Will include you along with my young pastor and others who are fighting cancers. Sorry to learn of your ordeal.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good luck and God Bless! I'll keep you in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Novena To
    St. Peregrine
    Glorious wonder-worker, St. Peregrine, you answered the divine call with a ready spirit, and forsook all the comforts of a life of ease and all the empty honours of the world to dedicate yourself to God in the Order of His holy Mother.
    You labored manfully for the salvation of souls. In union with Jesus crucified, you endured painful sufferings with such patience as to deserve to be healed miraculously of an incurable cancer in your leg by a touch of His divine hand.
    Obtain for me the grace to answer every call of God and to fulfil His will in all the events of life. Enkindle in my heart a consuming zeal for the salvation of all men.
    Deliver me from the infirmities that afflict my body (especially.....).
    Obtain for me also a perfect resignation to the sufferings it may please God to send me, so that, imitating our crucified Savior and His sorrowful Mother, I may merit eternal glory in heaven.

    St. Peregrine, pray for me and for all who invoke your aid.


    Prayer to Saint Peregrine

    O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you.
    For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fibre of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favoured with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you.
    (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying)
    Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy.
    Amen.

    ReplyDelete
  12. So many prayers for you dear Richard from all our family. We will remember you at the Pro life witness on Saturday as I know this cause is very close to your heart.

    May God Bless you now and ever,
    Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Richard, I was thinking about you last evening. I count the collection at Corpus Christi in Maiden Lane after work. I call in always to light a few candles to St. Joseph naked just think of people who pop into my mind. You have my prayers and the protection of St. Joseph. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Prayers for you, and for your family.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dear Richard. Prayers and yet more prayers for you and your family. God Bless.

    ReplyDelete
  16. As a reader of many International blogs, I have just occasionally read yours, but always with much delight. So, please, be assured that my next Rosary Novena will be for you, for the recovering of your health, and for your family to be able to cope with this by the assistance of our Lady, the Holy Mother Mary.

    Rhizotomos
    Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!

    ReplyDelete
  17. So sorry to hear this. I will say a prayer for your welfare and recovery. I hope you soon feel well enough to return to your regular blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Richard, I had heard of your battle earlier today from Laurence England. You will be in my prayers Fight the good fight.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am sure some great good will come through your sufferings. I add my meagre prayers to those of your many loving friends. The Lord be with you.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rosaries on their way. God bless you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Prayers of course. Hope all will be well soon. Scary G.

    ReplyDelete
  22. You're in our daily prayers. God bless you. Your sister in Christ. Lynda

    ReplyDelete
  23. God be with you and your family and may Our Lady of Good Success pray for you, and fight the good fight. Prayers will be said.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Expect a forest fire of candles for you before an image of Our Lady of LaSalette.

    - Mack in Texas

    ReplyDelete
  25. Dear Richard: My prayers for you while you continue this battle for your earthly life. I have missed your postings indeed and have had a Mass said for you as well. God bless you and your family. Sincerely, St. Joseph's Apprentice - Portable Altars

    ReplyDelete
  26. I am new to your blog. I pray the Risen Lord will comfort strengthen and heal you ,

    ReplyDelete
  27. Dear Richard,

    maybe you would like to try praying to Saint Ezequiel Moreno, the patron saint of cancer patients. May you, by his intercession, be either cured or receive the strength and consolation to carry your cross to eternal glory.

    There's not much about him in English, maybe you can get an idea here:

    http://augustinians.net/index.php?page=moreno_en

    God bless,

    Konstantin

    ReplyDelete
  28. This is sad news indeed. Though prayers - and there are many (^) coming your way Richard - can move mountains.
    May Jesus and Mary keep you always in their tender loving care.

    Kathleen (from CP&S)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Richard. I will pray for you at mass today, the feast of St Augustine.

    Anne O' Kneemus

    ReplyDelete
  30. Prayed for you at Mass this morning. May this suffering be your purgatory. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I will add your name to my daily prayers for the sick and for the comfort of your family.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Konstantin is running three Catholic blogs in German language. If you have some reminiscences from your early studies of this language, you may appreciate :

    Die Verfolgung der katholischen Kirche unter dem Hitler-Regime
    Die auswärtigen Missionen
    Heiligstes Herz Jesu

    Rhizotomos
    Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!

    P. S. I don't like to post under "Anonymus", but WordPress have their own mysteries refusing my registrated pseudonym as Rhizotomos, which means in ancient Greek the gatherer of medicinal herbs/roots (rhizomes).

    ReplyDelete
  33. Will pray hard for you. God bless!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. My prayers are with you and your family...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Richard,

    What can I say? You have my understanding, sympathy and prayers. I too have been there and survived, for the present, badly wounded but still able to put up a fight of sorts. Chin up!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Richard,
    Prayers are being offered for you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Richard, So sorry to hear your news. I have arranged for a traditional Mass to be said for you by a priest from Golgotha monastery, Papa Stronsay.

    I have just been reading a short extract from a poem by Charles Peguy, 'the Portal of the Mystery of Hope',
    In the poem itself, hope is portrayed as a little child, but a child of greater immediate urgency than her serious older sisters, faith and charity. Besides, says Péguy (or rather, says God: Péguy is not afraid to put words in the Deity’s mouth), hope is one of the most remarkable things in the world: -

    "A Better Tomorrow"

    'The faith that I love best, says God, is hope.
    Faith doesn’t surprise me.
    It’s not surprising
    I am so resplendent in my creation. . . .
    That in order really not to see me these poor people would have to be blind.
    Charity says God, that doesn’t surprise me.
    It’s not surprising.
    These poor creatures are so miserable that unless they had a heart of stone, how could they not have love for one another.
    How could they not love their brothers.
    How could they not take the bread from their own mouth, their daily bread, in order to give it to the unhappy children who pass by.
    And my son had such love for them. . . .
    But hope, says God, that is something that surprises me.
    Even me.
    That is surprising.
    That these poor children see how things are going and believe that tomorrow things will go better.
    That they see how things are going today and believe that they will go better tomorrow morning.
    That is surprising and it’s by far the greatest marvel of our grace.
    And I’m surprised by it myself.
    And my grace must indeed be an incredible force.'

    Apologies for deleting my previous comment, but it seemed to have duplicated itself, and I thought it best to re-write it.
    You and your family remembered daily in our prayers.
    Best wishes, Brian.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Dear Richard
    I've just read your post. I'm so sorry to hear of this. I'll offer up a prayer for you, Mrs Collins and your family. Keep on going. You're a man with inner strength and a strong faith. Your posts on your blog are a testament to that. God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Dear Richard, your blog is the first one that I read each day, so have been very disappointed to find nothing. I am so sorry to hear of your illness, and pray for a full recovery for you, or that you will be given the strength to bear your suffering. I know that so many prayers will be said for you. God bless you.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Mr. Collins, your blog postings are always appreciated. I pray that God restores your health and gives comfort to you and your family. May Our Blessed Mother pray for you. Looking forward to many, many blog entries from you in the future. +JMJ+

    ReplyDelete
  42. Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

    I. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you
    will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be
    opened to you." Behold, I knock, I seek and ask for the grace
    of . . . (here name your request). Our Father . . . Hail Mary . .
    . Glory Be to the Father . . . Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all
    my trust in You.

    II. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask
    anything of the Father in My Name, He will give it to you.
    Behold, in Your Name, I ask the Father for the grace of . . .
    (here name your request). Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . .
    Glory Be to the Father . . . Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all
    my trust in You."

    III. O my Jesus, You have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and
    earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."
    Encouraged by Your infallible words I now ask for the grace
    of (here name your request). Our Father . . . Hail Mary . . .
    Glory Be to the Father . . . Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all
    my trust in You.

    O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for Whom it is impossible not to have
    compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners
    and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours. Say the Hail, Holy Queen and add: St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

    - - St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

    ReplyDelete
  43. Dear Richard, I will continue to pray for you and your family. Peace be with you. Wendell

    ReplyDelete
  44. I am very sorry to hear of your trouble. Praying for a swift recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  45. We've only just learned of this Richard, because we've spent most of the last week in hospital with Mum who has sadly suffered a Stroke.

    Please be assured of our prayers for you and your family.

    In the love of Christ.
    Alan and Angeline.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Dear Richard,
    Please be assured of my prayers. I'm sorry to hear of your illness but I also know that cancer is no match for a traddie who has the entire celestial court on his side. With every hope and prayer that you will soon feel better. Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  47. prayers....so many of my friends are suffering...God bless you and yours.

    STM

    ReplyDelete
  48. Ha, I thought something had happened! Thank goodness it's not a silencing bishop to pawn move. But very sad to hear what it is! Gritted teeth required, the treatment is horrible. I pray for your full recovery back to you blasting stuff out of the water in your old inimitable style. Or maybe a new style. Who knows? Trust, pray, grit your teeth, and carry on. Also come back, we miss you.:-)

    ReplyDelete
  49. God bless you good servant.....I pray for your quick and total recovery.

    Kyrie eleison.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Rhizotomos to Richard Collins

    As my Rosary Novena started for you on August 27 has been finished on 4 September, I started a new one, just for you ! And I will continue this way until you give us some positive news !!

    Rhizotomos
    Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Richard,
    i am reading this only now, you are in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete