tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36825501164457901172024-03-18T18:34:41.795+00:00LINEN ON THE HEDGEROWMore than ever I feel the need of having Thee close to me.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Corinthians 12:7-10Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.comBlogger1954125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-64005097727830024042014-10-14T13:47:00.000+01:002014-10-14T13:47:45.502+01:00REQUIEM MASS FOR RICHARD COLLINS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span>A Requiem Mass for Richard Collins will be held on Tuesday 21st October at 12 noon at St David's and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, Dew Street, 9 Fountain Row, Haverfordwest, SA61 1SX. This will be followed by a funeral breakfast - details will be provided on the day.</span><br />
<br /><span>Please could you let us know in the comments box below if you will be attending. </span><br /><span></span><br />
We are also appealing for additional singers for the Requiem Mass, please let us know if you are able to help.<br />
<br /><span>We were greatly supported by The Paul Sartori Foundation whilst Richard was ill. We received extraordinary compassionate care from wonderful hospice nurses in the nights leading up to Richard's death. As such, in lieu of flowers, we would request any donations to be made to The Paul Sartori Foundation. </span><span>Donations may be sent c/o The Treasurer, The Paul Sartori Foundation, 31 Haven Road, Haverfordwest, SA61 1DU.</span><br /><span></span><br /><span>Enquiries can be made to Roy Folland & Son Funeral Directors, 01437 763821.</span><br /><span></span><br /><span></span><br /><span></span><br /><span></span></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-41658524404208714462014-10-11T14:17:00.000+01:002014-10-11T14:54:51.064+01:00REQUIESCAT IN PACE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
It is with great personal sadness that we, the Collins Family, must inform the loyal followers of Linen on the Hedgerow, that our beautiful father, husband and grandfather, Richard Collins, has died peacefully at home this morning surrounded by those who loved him most. He was blessed to receive the Last Rites and Holy Mass was celebrated in the Extraordinary Form at his bedside. Please pray for the repose of his soul.<br />
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Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com107tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-77896975184776466822014-09-19T09:56:00.002+01:002014-09-19T09:56:14.212+01:00Something a little different Madam?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Now it is not often that you will find posts dealing with secular affairs such as banking on this blog but I'm afraid that I have strayed from the path after hearing a rather interesting story from a young lady of my acqaintance.<br />
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It concerns the fact that this young lady, let's call her Miss Argery, went in search of a better deal from her bank (which happens to be Lloyds Bank of the sign of the black horse).<br />
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Her friendly manager went smoothly through her affairs before posing the question:<br />
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"Would you like to open an Islamic account?"<br />
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"Aherm" said Miss Argery, "Now why would I, a good Catholic girl, be wishing to do that?"<br />
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It seems, you see, that we now have special bank accounts for all sorts of things.<br />
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There is one for the under 19s, one for school students and, of course, one for graduates.<br />
And to this list has been added one for Muslims, or, at least, those who are sensitive to the issues of mortgages for example.<br />
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We are all aware that immorally high and devious interest rate schemes are to be condemned and that, in Islamic, Jewish and Catholic law are considered sinful and that, furthermore, may involve one in a grave sin. <br />
But a modest mortgage on number 23, Railway Cuttings, does not, by and large, normally commit oneself to the fiery pit.<br />
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Under Islamic (Sharia) Law, such deals may well be considered sinful and, therefore, there exists a series of varied loans that skirt around the problem - all well and good, but should this be on the shopping list for young Brits keen to forge a way for themselves in the world of domestic property?<br />
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Quite what Lloyds Bank think that they are playing at is beyond me.<br />
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As a percentage of the British population the Muslims rate somewhere below 5% - not a figure that would seem to deserve a special promotional push from the bigwigs of Gresham Street.<br />
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So why is this scheme thrust before us?<br />
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I hate to appear xenophobic but here, in the gentle lands of West Wales with the Preseli Mountains making an amazing backdrop to a coastline that is clearly designed to take one's breath away, I really do not wish to be "sold" on tenets of the framework of the Islamic faith.<br />
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Perhaps Lloyds are in need of a few letters of protest.<br />
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That is our way of dealing with matters or organisations that we object to.<br />
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Others might go down the Fatwa route. But that is not our way.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-5479895138402145722014-09-13T18:22:00.000+01:002014-09-13T18:22:32.832+01:00Bishop Kieran and the baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A correspondence in The Daily Telegraph has focussed on infants and their place in church, particularly when they are crying.<br />
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A correspondent wrote in to relate a story concerning Bishop Kieran Conry of the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton who, upon delivering a sermon noticed a young mother struggling out of her pew clutching a loudly screaming infant.<br />
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In true pastoral fashion the Bishop stopped his homily to say: "Please do not worry, your baby is not bothering us".<br />
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The mother responded: "Maybe not Bishop but you are clearly bothering him".<br />
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What Bishop Conry is also unaware of is the fact that his homilies have this effect on most traditional Catholics in his Diocese.<br />
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As put downers go this must rank pretty high.<br />
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The remaining infants in the church, presumably held back from walking out, perhaps should receive some sort of Vatican medal as a reward for their fortitude.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-32626361050804429602014-09-11T11:36:00.002+01:002014-09-11T11:38:55.845+01:00"My life is but a weaving....."<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A good friend sent me this poem and it has stayed with me, preying on my mind and focussing my thoughts.<br />
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I am not normally a fan of "Christian" poetry; you know - the sort written by people called Charity Lovesall.<br />
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But this poem has resonance.....do you agree?<br />
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<b>My life is but a weaving</b></div>
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<b>Between the Lord and me;</b></div>
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<b>I may not choose the colours–</b></div>
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<b>He knows what they should be.</b></div>
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<b>For He can view the pattern</b></div>
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<b>Upon the upper side</b></div>
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<b>While I can see it only</b></div>
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<b>On this, the under side.</b></div>
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<b>Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,</b></div>
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<b>Which seems so strange to me;</b></div>
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<b>But I will trust His judgment</b></div>
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<b>And work on faithfully.</b></div>
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<b>‘Tis He who fills the shuttle,</b></div>
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<b>And He knows what is best;</b></div>
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<b>So I shall weave in earnest,</b></div>
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<b>And leave to Him the rest.</b></div>
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<b>Not ’til the loom is silent</b></div>
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<b>And the shuttles cease to fly</b></div>
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<b>Shall God unroll the canvas</b></div>
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<b>And explain the reason why.</b></div>
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<b>The dark threads are as needed</b></div>
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<b>In the Weaver’s skilful hand</b></div>
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<b>As the threads of gold and silver</b></div>
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<b>In the pattern He has planned.</b></div>
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<b>Anon</b></div>
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Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-31395996302912127012014-09-06T09:24:00.004+01:002014-09-06T09:24:45.308+01:00The real barrier to the Latin Mass? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not without prayer!</td></tr>
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A few weeks ago I posted on the topic of young priests saying the Latin Mass, or rather, why more young priests do not say the Old Mass. You may refresh your memories HERE.<br />
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Of course I belaboured the Bishops and the liberal majority but it was a note from a priest friend that made me take a closer look at the main impediment to the return of Mass in the Extraordinary Form.<br />
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My priest friend (PF) stated that it was all too often the Parish Priest who blocked the way, and after some head scratching I think that he is correct.<br />
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In parishes where there is a Senior Priest and an assistant priest (what we used to quaintly call 'a curate') then it goes without saying that the junior partner defers to the senior.<br />
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And most 'Senior Partners' were probably ordained in the fresh and heady times of the aftermath of Vatican II when change was the thing and babies were being chucked out along with the bath water.<br />
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Now that those young ordinands of the 70s and 80s have established themselves comfortably in the rather relaxed mode of modern Holy Mother Church, it is, perhaps, asking too much of them to revert to a Mass that they must surely feel uncertain of.<br />
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Liturgically, the EF is a world apart from the OF and to have to swallow one's pride and actually take lessons in the offering of the Mass must be a galling prospect.<br />
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Worse still to wake up on a Monday morning to find that the curate has forgotten to return the sanctuary to its OF format and that the altar is facing the 'wrong way' and that the front row of pews has been moved forward to act as communion rails.<br />
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It is quite natural for the PP to expect the curate fall in line with his own wishes and only the power of prayer (and time) will resolve the situation.<br />
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I sometimes think that we at the traditional end of HMC forget what a potent weapon we have in the Rosary and that a regular group meeting up to say the Rosary together would bring about more of a change of attitude than all the letters to the Bishop and beyond.<br />
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True or false?</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-83419118249120502012014-08-27T12:20:00.000+01:002014-08-27T12:20:27.084+01:00By way of an explanation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some of you may have noticed that my postings, of late, have been, somewhat sparse in nature.<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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).<br />
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I hope that I shall soon be able to resume postings albeit on a rather sporadic basis.<br />
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</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-71275465448478266122014-07-31T11:50:00.003+01:002014-08-01T10:30:46.705+01:00It must be tough in the modern Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A friend told me recently that she had become a parish "greeter" and, as well as making me feel distinctly nauseous, this news also made me think that the poor old modernists have much to suffer these days.<br />
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It was so much less demanding pre Vatican II, you just went to Mass and got on with your prayers, you didn't have to worry about the many duties and demands that have accumulated post 1970.</div>
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For a start, as a lay person you did not have to think twice about arriving at church and entering your pew; the holy water fonts would be full and ready for hands to be dipped in prior to a blessing and the tabernacle would be positioned centre back of the Sanctuary and all you had to do was genuflect, not bob or curtsey or bow.</div>
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We did not have "greeters" then. </div>
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Before 1970 all Catholics had a mature disposition that enabled them to arrive at the church and make the hazardous journey to the pew without some leering loon stuffing a parish newsletter in their hands.</div>
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And the choirs today have a heavy burden to carry. </div>
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How they cope with all those descants and neumes when singing 'Shine, Jesus shine' is beyond me.</div>
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These days altar servers also have to focus very hard to learn English and then walk in a semi straight line to the sanctuary before repeating the process in reverse when Mass is finished; so demanding, such a challenge.</div>
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As for Extraordinary Ministers it seems to me that the only occasion that they are not required is at an Extraordinary Mass - curiouser and curiouser.</div>
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Spare a thought. also, for the poor parish priest. </div>
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Pre Vatican II they just concentrated on giving a sermon based on the teachings of Christ whereas, today, they have to have completed a module on the art of being a stand up comedian before they finish Year One of their Seminary Studies.</div>
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For my part I shall remain firmly planted in the traditional Church, free from greeters, liturgists, extraordinary ministers and wise cracking priests.</div>
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It's so much easier in Latin!</div>
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Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-38656710732887819172014-07-27T09:35:00.001+01:002014-07-27T09:37:22.580+01:00Why a busy priest is not necessarily a good priest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have broken my blogging fast to report on an extraordinary young man that I met this week.<br />
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He is the new(ish) curate in our local parish (the one whose Masses I do not attend as they are all Novus Ordo).<br />
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For a start, this young man looks like a priest.<br />
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He is well turned out; neatly groomed hair, polished shoes and......of course, you know what is to follow....he wears the collar and the black suit.<br />
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But I was even more impressed by his statement that he would never own up to being "busy" if asked by one of his parishioners.<br />
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"People will often not ask a busy priest to bring them the Last Rites or to hear their Confession" he told me.<br />
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"If anyone asks me if I am busy I always answer - just so,so"<br />
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Wise words from one so young.<br />
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I believe that this priest could well celebrate the Latin Trdentine Mass in the future, please remember him in your prayers.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-45697166765527190652014-07-21T09:22:00.002+01:002014-07-21T17:20:06.167+01:00There will now be....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
....a brief intermission - to allow for some time for reflection (not a Protect the Pope type of reflection) and also some time to relax and enjoy the Pembrokeshire sunshine and my Old English Game bantams (who have chicks).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New life, fresh hope</td></tr>
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<br />
Also, time to consider where I am going with this blog.<br />
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Many bloggers are going through a crisis of something or other right now so I feel it is only right that I should join them.<br />
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I bemoan the wars and tragedies that surround us, I rend my garments at the ineptitude of the machinery of the Catholic Church but, above all.....a very big above all.....<br />
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...I will not bemoan my Catholic Faith.<br />
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Now is the time to be counted; it is not the time for closing the laptop and curling up in a foetal position and sucking one's thumb.<br />
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We are now under pressure as never before - but this is what being a Catholic is all about so.....rejoice!</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-2143121594273230092014-07-16T09:53:00.001+01:002014-07-16T09:53:46.013+01:00Dental care, life assurance and the Latin Mass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAIvEzY5f9Y/U8WFKhytfBI/AAAAAAAAF-8/EH5ChhJxZ54/s1600/life+assurance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAIvEzY5f9Y/U8WFKhytfBI/AAAAAAAAF-8/EH5ChhJxZ54/s1600/life+assurance.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could you get a better eternal life assurance policy than the Latin Mass?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Several people have commented on my previous <a href="http://linenonthehedgerow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/why-dont-more-young-priests-celebrate.html">post</a> that posed the question as to why more young priests do not celebrate the TLM.<br />
<br />
They say (and I fully agree with them) that there is little demand, and that when the Mass is made available no more than ten or twelve old fogeys turn up.<br />
<br />
Quite true.<br />
<br />
So why bother with the Mass of all Time.....no one, it seems, really wants it apart from a few cranky old traditionalists and a clique of discerning young people?<br />
<br />
Why go through all that pain of being bashed by the Bishop and all the worthies of the parish - stick with the dull and uninspiring Protestant Mass?<br />
<br />
So how often do you re-visit your Life Assurance Policies and bring them up to date?<br />
<br />
And when did you last remind your dentist that you were due for a check up? Never? Really?<br />
<br />
The thing is that we all too often avoid the things in life that are hard or require some effort on our part.<br />
<br />
Young priests who offer the Latin Mass should persevere with their small congregations and allow the Mass to take hold.<br />
<br />
It is not an instant "love it" process for most.<br />
<br />
People need time to come to terms with the quiet, the lack of "participation" and the solemnity of the occasion.<br />
<br />
Did you "love" Classical Music when you first heard it or did you mature into it over a period of many years?<br />
<br />
The Latin Mass is not a performance that one either likes or dislikes; it is the ancient form of the Holy Mass as verified by Pope St Pius V on 14th July 1570 (see <a href="http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius05/p5quopri.htm">HERE</a>).<br />
<br />
It is the core value of the Catholic Faith and one that requires nourishing and cherishing to bring it to its full glory.<br />
<br />
Don't just try it once - attend the Latin Mass at least ten times before you make a judgement.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-12990128093018256292014-07-15T12:48:00.002+01:002014-07-15T12:48:40.353+01:00Why don't more young priests celebrate the Latin Mass?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I keep reading reports of young priests who are stepping up to the mark and offering the Tridentine Latin Mass but, for the life of me, I can't find any of them....they're as rare as a humble bishop!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ssbeK3TiKQ/U8UUQYHD_QI/AAAAAAAAF-s/_AzI0P5FTJg/s1600/edmund+campion_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8ssbeK3TiKQ/U8UUQYHD_QI/AAAAAAAAF-s/_AzI0P5FTJg/s1600/edmund+campion_01.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edmund Campion stepped up to the mark for the sake of<br />the Latin Tridentine Mass!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And, if you were to conduct a survey of the parishes of England and Wales, I suspect you would find that the number of Latin Masses being offered is now in decline.<br />
<br />
Something is happening 'twixt ordination and actual pastoral priesthood; what could that be?<br />
<br />
Well, I have little doubt (and quite a bundle of anecdotal evidence) that suggests that peer pressure plays a major role in disaffecting a young priest from celebrating the Mass of all Time.<br />
<br />
Imagine walking into the monthly diocesan clergy meeting and having all heads turn in your direction while all conversation abruptly dries up.<br />
<br />
The "gang" mentality hangs heavy when modernist priests are in their herd mode and a pretty merciless lot they can be.<br />
<br />
And then, of course, there are the parishioners....bless 'em.<br />
<br />
As soon as there is the hint of a Latin Mass they are going to be writing their poisonous letters to the Bish and forming little action groups to bring pressure to bear on the poor, unfortunate curate.<br />
<br />
Finally, of course, there is the Bishop himself.<br />
<br />
As he welcomes his newly ordained priest to the Diocese with a glass of rather dodgy brown sherry (he saves the La Ina for his mates) he places a paternal arm on the shoulder of the young priest and says:<br />
<br />
"Now one thing I don't want to have to talk about is the introduction of the lacey cassocky type Masses that have become a bit of a fad in seminaries today...gottit?<br />
<br />
It is going to take an incredibly brave young man to face up to that barrage of iniquity and to go ahead and proceed to offer the Latin Mass.<br />
<br />
But we do need our priests to stand up and take that pressure and invective and, in the light of what the Martyrs of England and Wales have suffered, I do not think that it is too much to ask.<br />
<br />
If a priest is afraid to offer part of his legitimate armoury of Masses, he cannot be much of a priest, surely?<br />
<br />
If Christ suffered on our behalf then surely it is legitimate to offer the Mass that He created, rather than the milksop one that is available in most parishes today?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>St Edmund Campion - pray for our priests! Our Lady give them strength!</b></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-55152804530549658822014-07-11T16:19:00.000+01:002014-07-11T16:21:12.559+01:00The Novus Ordo exposed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This short video clip presents the case for the Tridentine Latin Mass clearly and unequivocally.<br />
<br />
Of course, we have heard all this before but this fine priest (Fr George Gabet FSSP) talks to camera passionately and without rancour.<br />
<br />
I was also rather taken by one of the comments.<br />
<br />
It reads as follows:-<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;">"The difference is that the Novus Ordo service has Protestant influences, If you are fine with that then attend."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">That, too, is a succinct
statement and one difficult to argue with.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.030000686645508px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbwrH53-4oU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbwrH53-4oU</a></span></span></div>
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-17126996889374023062014-07-10T15:34:00.000+01:002014-07-10T15:34:39.400+01:00Bishop's move?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEinHCxA29o/U76i-uYzS8I/AAAAAAAAF-Q/Me35lB5esk8/s1600/bish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EEinHCxA29o/U76i-uYzS8I/AAAAAAAAF-Q/Me35lB5esk8/s1600/bish.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
What happens when a Bishop of England and Wales retires?<br />
<br />
By that I mean that he no longer lurks around his old Diocese but takes off to spend his remaining years on earth doing - what?<br />
<br />
There are some, no doubt, who seek a home within a monastery, especially if they are of an Order and that would appear to be a good and wholesome way of contemplating the hourglass, in the company of one's brothers in Christ.<br />
<br />
Some, no doubt, take off for the two bedroomed bungalow in Surbiton within easy reach of the golf course, fair enough; each to his own.<br />
<br />
But, how would it be if the Bishop Emeritus in question cast his eyes on a rather luxurious flat in the heart of London's Mayfair, South Kensington or Knightsbridge?<br />
<br />
Might that cause one to pause and wonder on the complexities of following a humble life style?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_k6eQTW1MZQ/U76kC4LCQvI/AAAAAAAAF-c/kSx_OJxeJyc/s1600/pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_k6eQTW1MZQ/U76kC4LCQvI/AAAAAAAAF-c/kSx_OJxeJyc/s1600/pad.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A humble retreat fit for a king (or a Bishop)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Especially if the price tag was, let us say, in excess of £1,500,000?<br />
<br />
Now the laws of litigation prevent me from going further and, indeed, I am not sure that it would be a good thing to reveal the name of the Bishop concerned but it does seem to me a very long way from the sort of life Christ would wish one of His own to abide by.<br />
<br />
But then, this Bishop does belong to the Church of Nice or, should that be the Church of Nice 'n' Easy?</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-27047975948698602682014-07-02T06:43:00.001+01:002014-07-02T06:43:24.879+01:00Save a frog and send a bishop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dsdw8UhQ8Y/U7L2amNg3JI/AAAAAAAAF98/avyWhq9UyNo/s1600/Cyclorana_alboguttata_med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Dsdw8UhQ8Y/U7L2amNg3JI/AAAAAAAAF98/avyWhq9UyNo/s1600/Cyclorana_alboguttata_med.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's it to be? Frog or Bishop, frog or Bishop, <br />
frog or....oh, definitely the Bishop!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/10936941/Hibernating-frog-could-help-astronauts-conquer-Mars.html">The Daily Telegraph </a>of 1st July reports on a tiny species of frog that is being used in space research.<br />
<br />
Apparently, this frog, small and insignificant and humble as it might be, has the capacity to shut down its functions and slow its body rate to such a degree that it barely appears alive.<br />
<br />
The breathing rate slows to a virtual halt and all sensory processes are shut down.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
And yet the
frog, <i>Cyclorana alboguttata</i>, suffers
not from muscle wastage, it remains as fit as a fiddle despite spending a large
proportion of its life motionless, inert and inactive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The perceived
benefits of such research focus largely on aiding astronauts engaged in long
haul space programme trips in remaining fit and well throughout their journey
and without any loss of muscle usage due to their lack of activity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Catholic
Bishops of England and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Wales</st1:country-region>
(most of ‘em) have long held this secret of combining a total lack of muscle
activity with no loss of actual muscle function.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They, just like <i>Cycloranan albaguttata, </i>are able to
remain totally immobile, lifting not one finger and yet still survive without
any apparent loss of body ability.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would seem to
be only fair, therefore, if we sent a few of them up into Outer Space and saved poor old
froggy, <i>Cyclorana albaguttata,</i> from a
boring and sterile existence floating around in some space craft or other.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All nominations
gratefully accepted.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-6833765925132844492014-07-01T05:07:00.000+01:002014-07-01T05:07:09.336+01:00The story of a Lincolnshire parish church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In 1976 Mrs L and myself, still yet to achieve the joy of parenthood, moved to Bourne in Lincolnshire.<br />
<br />
The church was a typical English post Victorian structure, rectangular, pretty plain, much like a village hall with statues.<br />
<br />
But, we liked it. We attended the Novus Ordo Mass and the sense of being part of a Catholic community was reasonably strong.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hnxnR7MGWgY/U7IzKj8SmpI/AAAAAAAAF9s/dneQ5GqtSrU/s1600/bourne_church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hnxnR7MGWgY/U7IzKj8SmpI/AAAAAAAAF9s/dneQ5GqtSrU/s1600/bourne_church.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A church where people go round in circles - St Gilbert of Sempringham,<br />
Bourne, Lincolnshire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Within a year, a new parish church had been completed......a circular one...of course!<br />
<br />
I have never appreciated the reasoning behind circular or semi circular church design.<br />
<br />
To me it was a constant source of distraction and irritation as, when you stared straight ahead, instead of looking at the tabernacle you locked eyeballs with members of the parish Mother's Union or the Secretary of the Bingo Club.<br />
<br />
The new church must have cost a pretty penny as it featured some revolutionary (literally) developments.<br />
<br />
Sliding screens were in place so that the sanctuary could be shut off and a bar and food preparation area exposed.<br />
<br />
We never attended any social events there but, I guess it had greater use as a base for dances and whist drives than it had for Holy Mass.<br />
<br />
This is a theme that I keep returning to but such developments are symptomatic of the post Vatican 2 era when all rational thinking was flushed away in a scramble to make ourselves more ordinary.<br />
<br />
Fr Oswald Baker used to describe it as: "putting the Church in a boiler suit" - workmen's overalls.<br />
<br />
The functional and unassuming fabric of the church was disposed of, out went the altar rails, away went the statues (to be replaced by wrought iron figures and impressionist type images), the tabernacle was moved to some obscure corner and the altar morphed into a good old Protestant table.<br />
<br />
It followed quite naturally that genuflecting was redundant and that the holy water fonts were left to go dry.<br />
<br />
There is nothing unique about this story, it happened everywhere in the world.<br />
<br />
But it does illustrate just how embedded the ways of the new religion have become.<br />
<br />
At the time of the Protestant Reformation England and Wales the Catholic population just as quickly adopted the new faith and forgot the true one that had nurtured the sick and the frail, educated the young and provided work for the poor.<br />
<br />
And it is precisely the same in the post Vatican II era.<br />
<br />
The collective memory (not a rose tinted on by any means) has gone and, in its place?<br />
<br />
Nothing of substance, nothing of depth, nothing that can last - just a circular Church where you go round and round in ever diminishing circles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-46925922024830298672014-06-29T06:56:00.001+01:002014-06-29T06:56:27.700+01:00How to fight against secularism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--G_skg8iC3o/U6wPDCTJ5sI/AAAAAAAAF8k/20B9U6YIPkQ/s1600/don+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--G_skg8iC3o/U6wPDCTJ5sI/AAAAAAAAF8k/20B9U6YIPkQ/s1600/don+c.jpg" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Take one good priest, one crucifix....and one dog (a cat really will not do)<br />
<br />
That's all you need really. A pastor unafraid of his bishop, the parish council and of the law of the land.<br />
<br />
Of course, not every good priest is a 'Don Camillo'<br />
<br />
Many fight with their intellect rather than by using brawn, but this fictional Italian priest sets a pretty good role model to follow.<br />
<br />
Even if, sometimes, he displays the very human characteristic of getting it totally wrong.<br />
<br />
The good Lord is always by his side and good always triumphs....<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mwA3u941trA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://don%20camillo%20-%20the%20procession/">Don Camillo - The Procession</a></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-53967472805681073192014-06-28T03:54:00.000+01:002014-06-28T12:50:56.746+01:00Sedevacantism and the way of Our Lady<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P27_9HN6T4E/U64skrrcJ9I/AAAAAAAAF9Q/gOq4c8o6QdE/s1600/sede.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P27_9HN6T4E/U64skrrcJ9I/AAAAAAAAF9Q/gOq4c8o6QdE/s1600/sede.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I received some sad news concerning good friends who apparently are in the process of becoming sedevacantists - the belief that we have no valid pope and, indeed, have not had one since the reign of Pope Piux XII.<br />
<br />
It is always sad when a family member walks out. <br />
<br />
The family left behind are hit hard by such a move, why?<br />
<br />
Imagine your son or daughter saying that they no longer believe in the family structure and that, therefore, they will no longer be attending family events; birthdays, weddings, parties of any kind.<br />
<br />
Of course, to walk out on Christ is a far more serious affair although, I doubt that they would see it from that point of view.<br />
<br />
I guess that their case would be based on the fact that they wish to follow Christ more authentically (in their minds) and that leaving the 'family' is a sacrifice that they must make for the sake of Christ.<br />
<br />
I don't know. The Church in England and Wales has lost some real beacons of light to sedevacantism.<br />
<br />
Fr Oswald Baker RIP of Downham Market fame was probably our greatest loss.<br />
<br />
Bishop Williamson of the SSPX, whom I presume is a 'vacant seater' is another, less mourned loss.<br />
<br />
Some years ago our family were linked with a large family of French traditional Catholics. We visited one another, their children came to stay to improve their English over the 1990 'dry' period in Britain, when Latin Masses were as rare as hen's teeth.<br />
<br />
Over the years we realised that they were SSPX, but, no matter.<br />
<br />
Two of the sons went forward to become seminarians and, finally, one visited as a priest, keen to celebrate Mass in our home.<br />
A warning bell began to ring in my brain and I made enquiries.<br />
<br />
He was not a Catholic priest but a member of a 'sedevacantist' group who had appointed their own pope who now lives on the top floor of a Paris apartment.<br />
<br />
I discovered that there are many such groups, all with their various nominated popes living in Paris or Milwaukee or Chipping Sodbury.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I quashed the celebration of the 'Mass' that he had planned.<br />
<br />
I have never seen the logic of disregarding Rome in favour of some dodgy voting of 20 or 30 of the followers to determine the appointment of Pope X.<br />
<br />
Michael Voris makes a good point regarding sedevacantism and that is, that Our Lady stayed by her Son on the cross; she did not walk away:-<br />
<br />
"If someone believes that the Catholic Church has become a bad place to be, what is that person supposed to do? Join another Church? Break away from the visible, corrupt Catholic Church and form an alternative, more faithful version of the Catholic Church (see CMRI and SSPX)? Leave the Catholic Church entirely and join an allegedly more faithful Christian assembly? Give up on religion entirely and go the "I'm spiritual but not religious" crowd? Organize "Recognize and Resist" movements within the Catholic Church and relentlessly attack Her from the inside? Seek Church reform via some kind of coup d'etat and replace current leadership with ... what?<br />
<br />
None of these responses is authentically Catholic. The only authentically Catholic response is the example of Our Lady who, throughout Her Son's Passion, stood by Him with full confidence, in spite of all appearances, that God's Will was and would be done. No matter how bloodied, beaten and defeated Our Lord appeared throughout His Passion and Death, He was still Our Lord, and neither the flight of the Apostles nor their fear is remembered as a positive example to follow.<br />
<br />
We are called in the face of the Church's Passion to be faithful disciples close to Our Lady. To titillate ourselves with “ecclesiastical porn,” to feed our anxieties and worries with doubts about Our Lord's very promise to be with His Church until the end of time, to reject Our Lord's "Peace be to you" spoken to His very frightened followers after the Resurrection, is to abandon Our Lord Himself. The crisis in the Church today invites us to be Saints not cowards. No matter how it appears, we are always able to be "persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42) We can continue to be faithful to the duties of our state in life, to daily recitation of the Rosary, to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, to the need for penance and mortification, to the need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the Faith"<br />
<br />
I think that, in our current crisis within the Church, many are hearing the false call of 'no Pope' and that many souls are in the process of becoming lost.<br />
<br />
But we are bound to the Mystical Body and, to cut off part of that body is to cause immense pain and suffering, not least of all to Our Blessed Lord who sacrificed Himself for us so that we could grow as a family with Him, not in some Paris suburb but in the fullness and richness of His Church in Rome.<br />
<br />
Please pray for my friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
Fr Carota has an excellent post on sedevacantism <a href="http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2013/02/23/sedevacantist-and-traditional-catholics-who-stay-with-the-pope">HERE</a> and Michael Voris takes a look through the history of disobedience in the Faith <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdkxddT2Pmo&feature=player_detailpage">HERE</a><br />
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-28473768969664716652014-06-27T02:16:00.002+01:002014-06-27T02:22:04.078+01:00How to alter an.......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">.....altar?</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0Q2R8Os6dk/U6zFN-VnLgI/AAAAAAAAF9A/Jh8UZ5wMKS0/s1600/altar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0Q2R8Os6dk/U6zFN-VnLgI/AAAAAAAAF9A/Jh8UZ5wMKS0/s1600/altar.jpg" height="290" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one we made earlier....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I am indebted once again, to my good friend MC who has unselfishly given up his own blog in order to focus on his work for the LMS.</div>
<br />
Below is a short video clip.<br />
<br />
It makes compulsive viewing.<br />
<br />
It is the sort of stuff that nightmares are made of (for the followers of The Church of Nice).<br />
<br />
It shows a plain old 1970s pre cast concrete block sort of a table and the 15 minute transformation process that reveals the altar for what it should always be; a suitable platform whereon to rest the Body of Christ for an unbloody repeat of the sacrifice of Calvary.<br />
<br />
As a butterfly emerges from its larval stage, so the traditional altar emerges in all its glory; and can there be anyone out there who prefers the Portland Cement version?<br />
<br />
If so, hang your head in shame and take a walking holiday along El Camino.....to give your head a chance to clear:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://vimeo.com/41971561"><span style="font-size: x-large;">http://vimeo.com/41971561</span></a></div>
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-28761050754720864592014-06-26T11:06:00.000+01:002014-06-26T11:06:07.849+01:00St Brigid....and a prayer for beer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
St Brigid (or, St Bride as she is called in this part of Wales) is credited as having composed this prayer.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfgkrEpJ1Aw/U6vtwpLedKI/AAAAAAAAF8U/TutmjwBxogw/s1600/dewi+sant.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfgkrEpJ1Aw/U6vtwpLedKI/AAAAAAAAF8U/TutmjwBxogw/s1600/dewi+sant.jpeg" height="320" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reverend James was a non conformist but Dewi Sant (St David)<br />is Catholic through and through!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And, because it also embraces beer as its theme, I think it rather....err......umm.....lovely?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p>I should like a great lake of beer to
give to God.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I should like the angels of Heaven to be
tippling there for all eternity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I should like the men of Heaven to live with
me, to dance and sing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
If they wanted I’d put at their disposal
vats of suffering<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
White cups of love I’d give them with a
heart and a half.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Sweet pitchers of mercy I’d offer to
every man.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’d make Heaven a cheerful spot,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Because the happy heart is true.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’d make men happy for their own sakes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I should like Jesus to be there too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’d like the people of Heaven to gather
from all the parishes around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’d give a special welcome to the women,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
The three Marys of great renown.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I’d sit with the men, the women o God,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
There by the great lake of beer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
We’d be drinking good health forever,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
And every drop would be a prayer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background: white; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #373737; padding: 0cm;"><em><br /></em></span></i></div>
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-89299240410267018272014-06-25T20:56:00.000+01:002014-06-25T20:56:35.668+01:00Fatima and our present day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fr George Mary Roth is a Franciscan Friar of the Immaculate.<br />
<br />
He is also a fine orator and never better than in this homily on Fatima and the present day...time to "wake up"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qNWf5YpR8zI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWf5YpR8zI</span></div>
</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-73850848897125591262014-06-23T08:10:00.001+01:002014-06-23T09:52:23.244+01:00The 7 second Mona Lisa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Back in the 1960s (remember those?) the French Ministry of Culture arranged for the original of the Mona Lisa to tour Japan so that it could be viewed and admired by a race keenly appreciative of art and of Franzwa art especially.<br />
<br />
Very quickly they found that the galleries and The French Embassy offices where the ML was displayed, became swamped and gridlocked by thousand upon thousand of Japanese hungry for a culture bite.<br />
<br />
Things got out of hand. The normally quiet and polite Japanese people had changed into a lynch mob intent upon gaining some minutes of reflective appreciation in the presence of the painting.<br />
<br />
The authorities, acting in a typically Japanese manner, worked out through logic and a slide rule that each person required no more than 7 seconds in which to drink in the portrait, gasp at the artist's fine sense of perspective and think deeply on the use of colours and shade.<br />
<br />
They then set about enforcing the rule so that there was a constant, shuffling flow of bodies, each pausing for the mandatory 7 seconds.<br />
<br />
That leads me to consider how much time we spend before a crucifix each day or, if we are fortunate, before the Blessed Sacrament?<br />
<br />
Of course, we have The Forty Hours devotion, but that's only once every few months or so and, if we were to do a calculation based on the length of time that would would out at per day, it would probably be less than seven seconds per day.<br />
<br />
At school, the good Dominican nuns of Burnt Oak used to tell us to spend three minutes. "with" Our Lord each day and remember His Blessed Name at every sensible opportunity.<br />
<br />
That meant focusing on the intricate brain surgery or hi speed train tasks in front of you and, afterwards, when all was complete, say a quick prayer.<br />
<br />
I don't think that in the last fifty years of an ever increasing foot on the pedal world, we spend much time at all thinking of things spiritual.<br />
I certainly don't think that many Catholic schools would encourage their students to pray often or spend a daily period with The Lord.<br />
<br />
Perhaps we do need a directive along the Japanese lines that tells us we must spend seven seconds in silent prayer each day.....and then, keep shuffling on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-62117019964539791782014-06-22T06:02:00.002+01:002014-06-22T06:02:38.585+01:00Now let me get this straight....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
......we are bound to love our fellow man....no arguments there.<br />
<br />
But, I loathe Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. That's not right.....I must, MUST, not, loathe them.<br />
<br />
Now what was it Our Blessed Lord said about Herod?<br />
<br />
I think he called him a fox......pretty much akin to saying: "you skunk"<br />
<br />
And what punishment did Our Lord outline for those who abused children, women and the weak and feeble? Did he mention something about millstones round the neck?<br />
<br />
I am sure Our Lord disliked (loathed) those who dealt in hard cash in the temple....he used a whip to express his regard for them.<br />
<br />
Ho, hum.<br />
<br />
And there is a long litany of saints who were bad tempered grouches and worse.<br />
<br />
Love is the key but loathing of the sin and a possible "dislike " of the sinner follows on close behind.<br />
<br />
Put it another way; did the Good Samaritan "love" the poor beaten up traveller whom we believe was Jewish.<br />
<br />
Of course, yes.<br />
<br />
But did he "like" him?<br />
<br />
It may be some time before we have certain knowledge of the answer to that one.<br />
<br />
And, I am making a bit of a long link betwixt "like" and "loathe" but, it exists, believe me.<br />
<br />
That really is the nub of where Laurence England and I seem to be at variance.<br />
<br />
And I wish the Guild well but it is here that (not just for this reason) we shall part company.<br />
<br />
The fault lies with me.....I'm not really a clubby sort of person.<br />
<br />
Curmudgeons, even Catholic ones, are best ploughing their own, solitary furrow (sob, gasp)<br />
<br />
Goodbye Blessed Titus, May God's Providence be with you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-65238998289895835902014-06-19T16:23:00.000+01:002014-06-19T16:23:13.619+01:00Are the wheels coming off the Guild's bus?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I admit to not being quite up to speed with what is taking place with regard to the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma and, what is more, I am rather too stretched on other fronts to bone up on the facts.<br />
<br />
I hope, therefore, that the chairman and fellow guild members will overlook any discrepancies as regards my "take" as to what's what.<br />
<br />
It appears that Laurence England is asking for members to submit drafts of their posts for approval and, is even suggesting that a code of conduct must be observed even on their own blogs.<br />
The Guild, it would seem, does not wish to appear guilty by association.<br />
<br />
When Dylan Parry first mooted the concept of a guild it was informally agreed that members should conform to a code with regard to their posts on the Guild blog. All posts should be in accord with the teachings of Holy Mother Church and all bloggers should uphold the principles of Christian charity towards others in their writings.<br />
<br />
Their personal blogs remained a matter for them to consider; they were beyond the remit of the Guild itself.<br />
<br />
We then come to the grey, blurry issue of criticising one's fellow man.<br />
<br />
I see nothing wrong in that (on one's own blog). In fact, under the creaking infrastructure of HMC, I believe we have a duty to criticise and expose issues that would otherwise be ignored.<br />
Always on the basis, of course, of Christian charity. <br />
<br />
I really cannot countenance a committee whose role it would be to scrutinise posts or, worse, check up on individual blogs.<br />
<br />
Maybe I have got the wrong end of the stick.<br />
<br />
But, the Guild, in my opinion, is struggling somewhat. This has nothing to do with the<br />
Chairman, it involves issues that have never been discussed in any detail.<br />
<br />
The thing is, now that we have the Guild, what do we do with it?<br />
<br />
It is fine to have an 'unstructured' group but we should not be too surprised when the wheels start to come off.<br />
<br />
Sad as it may seem, we do need some simple form of constitution and, possibly, a mini action group to move us on from an annual Mass and lunch afterwards.<br />
<br />
Perhaps we need a more lighter, streamlined programme that embraces the occasional Mass in London followed by a few jars of the 'O be joyful'.<br />
<br />
And we need a slightly more formal protocol as to our posts.....but we do not need an Index to assess and appraise.<br />
<br />
If anyone steps out of line, as they will, from time to time, then take the post down....job for the Chairman or his deputy.<br />
<br />
But no witch hunts into our personal blogs.......that way leads to a membership in single figures.<br />
<br />
This is meant to be helpful rather than a snipe at what is taking place.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3682550116445790117.post-2602970176400475512014-06-18T15:31:00.001+01:002014-06-18T15:38:03.985+01:00There will now be.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
....a brief intermission.<br />
<br />
So sorry, just taking a short rest to give you some respite.<br />
<br />
<br />
Special apologies to commentators that I have not been able to respond to.</div>
Richard Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10826907710570316952noreply@blogger.com5