I don't want my priest smelling like a sheep!

The Holy Father has addressed the clergy, calling on them to have something of the smell of sheep about them - Ewe de Cologne, if you like (ouch!).

Pope Francis wants the priesthood to be less concerned with self absorption and more hands on with the flock.

Here are his words on the subject:

“This is precisely the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, lose heart and become in a sense collectors of antiquities or novelties — instead of being shepherds living with ‘the smell of the sheep,’” he said.

“This is what I am asking you,” he said with emphasis, looking up from his prepared text, “be shepherds with the smell of sheep,” so that people can sense the priest is not just concerned with his own congregation, but is also a fisher of men.

I understand his meaning and without question he is right.
But our priests, surely, should not be tainted with the smell of the flock?

They should be of the flock but not in it, if you get my meaning.

He then proceeds to talk about priests being "fishers of men".

That statement, too is, needless to say, completely appropriate being, Our Lord's own words.

So what's it to be?

The smell of sheep or the smell of fish?

The answer is, both. We need, first of all, fishermen to catch the souls and then good shepherds to care and nurture them.

But the fishermen need to be discerning; those that wish to wriggle their way into the Church without any intention of abiding by the teachings of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Father are best, how shall I phrase this charitably?

Chucked back, that's it....sling 'em back in the pond from whence they came!



Prompted by Petrus at Men are Like Wine

Father's Day.....3 books, two robins, a bomb and...a nutjob!

Despite the fact that it's origins are horribly commercial, I suspect most Fathers look forward to receiving a gift of sorts from their offspring.

I was providentially fortunate to receive gifts from all four of my sprogs; they all remembered, DG.

Dealing with them in descending order, I received 'Holloway' from my son (we share a love of the writings of Robert Macfarlane (I know not his fellow authors); and the fact that the book is dedicated to the memory of the late Roger Deakin (he who used to swim in every type of stretch of water in the British Isles; from bogs to lochs and canals to salmon rivers, makes it extra special).

The subject matter is the area of Dorset made famous by Geoffrey Household's novel 'Rogue Male' - the patch of land around the parish of Chideock.

In the novel, Household's hero takes refuge in a Catholic Chapel (Our Lady and the English Martyrs at Chideock) while on the run from Nazi agents who want to do rather unpleasant things to him.

                             A section of the wall from the sacristy in Chideock

He then moves from the Chapel to an old drover's lane, so overgrown with trees and brambles that a natural and very private archway (Holloway) is formed and this is where he holes up. 

This disused track is still there today (if you can find it) and thus the subject matter of the book focuses on track and chapel.

If there were Michelin stars awarded for Churches, the Chapel of Our Lady and the English Martyrs would surpass the normal three.

On the first floor, in the old sacristy, you may make out faded frescoes on the walls; the very same that would have been brightly visible to the martyrs of Chideock: among them being, Fr Thomas Pilchard and his lay companion and convert, William Pike (yes, really). Fr Hugh Green (who was beheaded and his head used as a football by the loutish mob) and Fr Cornelius.

But, I digress. Two iron robins and a jar of Fortnum and Mason nuts formed gift number two.

I have never eaten F & M nuts before but can vouch for the fact that they are so good that one may inhale them. 

The robins, as I write, are perched on my shelf watching every move I make, ready to flit down for a meal of a few iron filings.

The third gift was another book but one comprising photographs from a recent family get together; making a memorable record of a memorable day. One that will now stay as clear in my mind as the day itself.

And, finally, a book on Latin. 

Ho hum you may say but this is 'Latin for Gardeners' and it deals with the origins of plant names proving yet again, as in medicine and zoology, Latin is far from dead and in constant use. 

And the bomb?

Well, this is a seed bomb, more hand grenade really, impregnated with seeds of the blue cornflower.

You just remove the firing pin, John Wayne fashion, and lob into the middle of a flower bed.

The rain and nature does the rest.

My sort of gardening.

But.....has a Father been forgotten? A Father overlooked?

Yes, remember that our priests are, of course, our most important Fathers, and, if you have not bought a gift for your priest, remember him in your prayers.

A prayer for Priests

O Jesus, eternal Priest, keep Thy Priests within the shelter

Of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may touch them.

Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch

Thy Sacred Body.

Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with

Thy Precious Blood.

Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with

the sublime mark of the Priesthood.

Let Thy Holy Love surround them

From the world’s contagion.

Bless their labours with abundant fruit,

And, may the souls to whom they minister,

Be their joy here and their everlasting

Crown forever.

Mary, Queen of Priests, pray for us:

Obtain for us numerous and holy Priests.

Amen

The prayer of a Priest....on a Sunday night

Tonight, Lord, I am alone.

Little by little the sounds died down in the church,

The people went away,

And I came home,

Alone.

I passed peole who were returning from a walk.

I went by the cinema that was disgorging its crowd.

I skirted cafe terraces where tired strollers were trying to prolong

the pleasures of a Sunday holiday.

I bumped into youngsters playing on the footpath,

Youngsters, Lord.

Other people's youngsters who will never be my own.

Here I am Lord,

Alone.

The silence troubles me,

The solitude oppresses me.

Lord, I'm 35 years old,

A body made like others,

ready for work,

A heart meant for love,

But I've given you all.

It's true, of course, that you needed it.

I've given you all, but it's hard Lord.

It's hard to give one's body; it would like to give itself to others.

It's hard to love everyone and claim no one.

It's hard to shake a hand and not want to retain it.

It's hard to inspire affection, to give it to you.

It's hard to be nothing to oneself in order to be

everything to others.

It's hard to be like others, among others, and to be of them.

It's hard to always give without trying to receive.

It's hard to seek out others and to be unsought oneself.

It's hard to suffer from the sins of others, and yet

be obliged to hear and bear them.

It's hard to be told secrets, and be unable to share them.

It's hard to carry others and never, even for a moment, be carried.

It's hard to sustain the feeble and never be able to lean on

one who is strong.

It's hard to be alone.

Alone before the world.

Alone before suffering,

                   death,

                sin.

Son, you are not alone,

I am with you,

I am you.

For I needed another vehicle to continue

my Incarnation and my Redemption.

Out of all eternity, I chose you.

I need you.

I need your hands to continue to bless,

I need your lips to continue to speak,

I need your body to continue to suffer,

I need your heart to continue to love,

I need you to continue to save,

Stay with me, son.

Here I am, Lord;

 Here is my body,

Here is my heart,

Here is my soul.

Grant that I may be big enough to reach the world,

Strong enough to carry it,

Pure enough to embrace it without wanting to keep it.

Grant that I may be a meeting-place,

but a temporary one,

A road that does not end in itself,

because everything to be gathered there,

everything human, leads towards you.

Lord, tonight, while all is still  and I feel sharply

the sting of solitude,

While men devour my soul And I feel incapable

of satisfying their hunger,

While the whole world presses on my shoulders with

all its weight of misery and sin,

I repeat to you my "yes" - not in a burst of laughter,

but slowly, clearly, humbly,

Alone, Lord, before you,

In the peace of the evening.

Fr Michel Quoist RIP 

Michel Quoist, priest: born Le Havre 18 June 1921; ordained priest 1947; died Le Havre 18 December 1997.

"THE DEVIL IS ABROAD"

Fr Z has posted a chilling four word message on his blog...."The Devil is abroad." 

We know, of course, that the devil is always abroad but I think that Fr Z means that he is abroad in an extraordinary way right now. Priests and Bishops are under attack, the Holy Father is under attack and the Church is being persecuted in a good old fashioned medieval style throughout the world. But it is our clergy who are so very vulnerable. If you wish to destroy a priest, it's easy. Just one allegation and phut! that's the end of a priestly vocation and the chance of a fat wad of cash for the accuser. There have been many genuine cases of priestly abuse but, I am sure, that equally, many have been false, trumped up charges. It is hard to distinguish between the lie and the truth. Sadly, it is often our best and most prominent priests who face the challenge of an unjust accusation and it must be a constant, nagging fear for them.

 Avoiding situations where one might be alone with a female parishioner or a minor, walking into deliberate traps set by the perverse, reported to the Bishop for carrying out their duties diligently. The priest's lot is not a happy one right now. They need our prayers more than ever, offer a Rosary or even a decade to the cause. Pray daily to Our Lady that she will place her foot on the neck of Satan and break him in his attempt to ruin the lives of our priests. The prayer below is actually meant for priests to say in order to secure their own protection from the devil but, I am sure, it will be equally effective if said on behalf of a priest. Say it whenever possible, expecially for our blogging Fathers!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost

Most glorious Prince of the heavenly

Armies, Saint Michael the Archangel, defend

us in “our battle against principalities and

powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness,

against the spirits of wickedness in the high

places” (Ephes., VI, l2). Come to the assistance of

men who God has created to His likeness and

whom He has redeemed at a great price from the

tyranny of the devil. Holy Church venerates thee

as her guardian and protector; to thee, the Lord has

entrusted the souls of the redeemed to be led into

heaven. Pray therefore the God of Peace to crush

Satan beneath our feet, that he may no longer retain

men captive and do injury to the Church. Offer our

prayers to the Most High that without cry come

 unto Thee.

V. May the Lord be with thee.

God of Heaven, God of Earth, God of Angels, God of Archangels, God of Patriarchs, God of Prophets, God of Apostles, God of Martyrs, God of Confessors, God of Virgins, God Who has power to give life after death and rest after work, because there is no other God than Thee and there can be no other, for Thou art the Creator of all things, visible and invisible, of whose Reign there shall be no end. We humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy Glorious Majesty and we beseech Thee to deliver us by Thy Power from all the tyranny of the infernal spirits, from their snares, their lies and their furious wickedness; deign, O' Lord, to grant us Thy powerful protection and to keep us safe and sound. We beseech Thee through Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.



From the snares of the devil,
All: Deliver us O Lord.

  Grant that Thy Church may serve Thee in secure libertyAll: We beseech Thee, hear us.
Deign to crush down the enemies of the Holy Church,  All: We beseech Thee, hear us.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on usAMEN 

The Catholic Priest

A 15th century piece of prose - 'His High Office'

(For all of our priests)

For priesthood exceedeth all other thing;

To us Holy Scripture do they teach,

And converteth man from sin heaven to reach;

God hath to them more power given,

Than to any angel that is in Heaven;

With five words he may consecrate

God's Body in flesh and blood to make.

He handleth his Maker between his hands;

The priest bindeth and unbindeth all bands,

Both in earth and heaven;

Thou ministers all the sacraments seven;

Though we kissed thy feet thou were worthy;

Thou art surgeon that cureth sin deadly;

No remedy we find under God

But only priesthood.

Everyman, God gave priests that dignity,

And setteth them in His stead among us to be;

Thus be they above angels in degree.