Wednesday's poem courtesy of Francis Thompson

Thompson's dying words were: "Look for me in the nurseries of Heaven" He was a great lover of children (and I make that comment in a true sense of purity as, indeed the poet meant it).

This is a great favourite of mine...extracts from.....

The Hound of Heaven

by

Francis Thompson (1859-1907)

 

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
  I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
  Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter

  Up vistaed hopes I sped;
             And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
                  But with unhurrying chase,
                  And unperturbèd pace,
                Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
                  They beat--and a Voice beat
                  More instant than the Feet--
                "All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

                  I pleaded, outlaw-wise,
By many a hearted casement, curtained red,
  Trellised with intertwining charities
(For, though I knew His love Who followed,
                  Yet was I sore adread
Lest having Him, I must have naught beside);
But if one little casement parted wide,
  The gust of His approach would clash it to.
  Fear wist not to evade, as Love wist to pursue.
Across the margent of the world I fled,
  And troubled the gold gateways of the stars,
Smiting for shelter on their clanged bars;
                  Fretted to dulcet jars
And silvern chatter the pale ports o' the moon.
I said to dawn, Be sudden; to eve, Be soon;
  With thy young skyey blossoms heap me over
                  From this tremendous Lover!
Float thy vague veil about me, lest He see!
  I tempted all His servitors, but to find
My own betrayal in their constancy,
In faith to Him their fickleness to me,
  Their traitorous trueness, and their loyal deceit.
To all swift things for swiftness did I sue;
  Clung to the whistling mane of every wind.
                  But whether they swept, smoothly fleet,
                The long savannahs of the blue;
                    Or whether, Thunder-driven,
                  They clanged his chariot 'thwart a heaven
Plashy with flying lightnings round the spurn o' their feet--
                  Still with unhurrying chase,
                  And unperturbèd pace,
                Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
                  Came on the following Feet,
                  And a Voice above their beat--
                "Naught shelters thee, who wilt not shelter Me."

I sought no more that after which I strayed
                In face of man or maid;
But still within the little children's eyes
                Seems something, something that replies;
They at least are for me, surely for me!
I turned me to them very wistfully;
But, just as their young eyes grew sudden fair
                With dawning answers there,
Their angel plucked them from me by the hair.
"Come then, ye other children, Nature's--share
With me," said I, "your delicate fellowship;
                Let me greet you lip to lip,
                Let me twine with you caresses,
                  Wantoning
              With our Lady-Mother's vagrant tresses'
                  Banqueting
                With her in her wind-walled palace,
                Underneath her azured daïs,
                Quaffing, as your taintless way is,
                    From a chalice
Lucent-weeping out of the dayspring."
                    So it was done;
I in their delicate fellowship was one--
Drew the bolt of Nature's secrecies.
                  I knew all the swift importings
                  On the wilful face of skies;
                  I knew how the clouds arise
                  Spumèd of the wild sea-snortings;
                    All that's born or dies
                  Rose and drooped with--made them shapers
Of mine own moods, or wailful or divine--
                  With them joyed and was bereaven.
                  I was heavy with the even,
                  When she lit her glimmering tapers
                  Round the day's dead sanctities.
                  I laughed in the morning's eyes.
I triumphed and I saddened with all weather,
                  Heaven and I wept together,
And its sweet tears were salt with mortal mine;
Against the red throb of its sunset-heart
                    I laid my own to beat,
                    And share commingling heat;
But not by that, by that, was eased my human smart.
In vain my tears were wet on Heaven's gray cheek.
For ah! we know not what each other says,
                These things and I; in sound I speak--
Their sound is but their stir, they speak by silences.
Nature, poor stepdame, cannot slake my drouth;
                  Let her, if she would owe me,
Drop yon blue bosom-veil of sky, and show me
                  The breasts of her tenderness;
Never did any milk of hers once bless
                    My thirsting mouth.
                    Nigh and nigh draws the chase,
                    With unperturbèd pace,
                  Deliberate speed, majestic instancy;
                    And past those noisèd Feet
                    A voice comes yet more fleet--
"Lo naught contents thee, who content'st not Me."

                  Now of that long pursuit
                  Comes on at hand the bruit;
                That Voice is round me like a bursting sea:
                  "And is thy earth so marred,
                  Shattered in shard on shard?
                Lo, all things fly thee, for thou fliest Me!
                Strange, piteous, futile thing,
Wherefore should any set thee love apart?
Seeing none but I makes much of naught," He said,
"And human love needs human meriting,
                How hast thou merited--
Of all man's clotted clay rhe dingiest clot?
                Alack, thou knowest not
How little worthy of any love thou art!
Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee
                Save Me, save only Me?
All which I took from thee I did but take,
                Not for thy harms.
But just that thou might'st seek it in my arms.
                All which thy child's mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for the at home;
                Rise, clasp My hand, and come!"

  Halts by me that footfall;
  Is my gloom, after all,
Shade of His hand, outstreched caressingly?
  "Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,
  I am He Whom thou seekest!
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me."

Apologies to some bloggers

There have been some excellent posts of late and I always try to leave a comment in such cases (it can seem as if you are the only blogger on the planet at times when you receive no comments).

However, I have an imp in my system that allows me to comment on some sites but, on others, after I have committed my gem of wisdom to the combox, it suddenly disappears and I am shunted back to the Blogger site. Very frustrating and if anyone knows how to cure it.....there's a full rosary in it for you!

So, my apologies to Catholic and Welsh, A Reluctant Sinner, Last Welsh Martyr (it can't just be a Welsh thing can it?)....and, of course, the erudite and excellent Left Footer (and a few more besides).

Normal comments will be resumed as soon as possible!

What do you fancy? An Indian or Chinese?

Mmmm.....well, I had an Indian last Sunday so maybe I'll go for the Chinese. No, silly, I am not talking about take away meals....it's the Mass! You know, the one where back in the 70s there was all that fuss about how you must have Mass in the vernacular and how Latin must be kicked into touch? Got it?

I really am sorry to raise this again especially as I posted on it recently but I have received reports that indicate that more and more overseas priests are being appointed to parishes left right and centre and that they bring with them, their own language (and culture) Masses.




Indian curry, Yes! - Indian Mass - No thanks!


I am not a xenophobe, honest, it's just that nothing gets a Bishop in a tizz quicker than asking for an Extraordinary Form of Mass to be provided. "A what?" he roars "Doncha know that it's anti women and unchristian and, anyway, there's no call for it?"
Funny the way people always say "there's no call for it" just when you are asking them for it!
"B-b-but Bishop" one stammers, "you have parishes with Mass in the Malabar Rite, in Putonghua, Tagalog, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Yiddish (well, maybe not the last one) why can't we have it in a universal language like, err, like Latin?"

"Listen you elitist racist scum just you forget about all that fancy Latiney nonsense and forget about having it in English too, or Welsh for that matter. With the lack of vocations and the way Rome treats us Bishops you are very lucky to have a Mass at all!"
"Sorry Bishop, what about Erse?"

Now an innate and rare sense of fairness compels me to tell you that Kate at
Australia Incognita disagrees with me. She has a case to state and you may read it on her excellent blog. But I am adamant in my stance.
The world is surely set on its head when we no longer even have an English Mass to attend.

Oh, and by the way, from now on this blog will be available in Serbo-Croat, Ket and Shqip. Howda?

More news from Cardinal Vaughan

The outcome of the Appeal Court hearing of 9th March is still awaited but the Vaughan Parents are determined to carry on the fight regardless of whether they win or lose.

Three new patrons have joined the ranks, they are: Colin Mawby, (Composer and former Master of the Music at Westminster Cathedral), Anthony Speaight QC and Judith Mossman, Professor of Classics at Nottingham University.

Another candlelit vigil outside the school gates is planned for 6.30pm on 6th April, please attend if at all possible, last time over 600 supporters turned out, the pressure needs to be maintained.

PLUS......a new website has been created http://www.savethevaughan.com/ AND.......
a petition is circulating but it requires a hard copy which is obtainable from the new site.

And if you are unclear as to what it's all about here is a statement from the Parents that says it all:

The Vaughan Parents' Action Group is determined to preserve the Vaughan's distinctive Catholic ethos, its London-wide intake, and its academic, musical and sporting excellence and will pursue its campaign to ensure this relentlessly and by every possible means.

Who could possibly argue against those objectives?

THE CABINET OF DECEIT

It constitutes a lie, sitting there under the massive stairwell, unobtrusive despite its size. Most if not all, pass it by without a second glance. It's a nice piece of furniture but there is nothing special about it to attract attention, it's just a sideboard, cabinet, call it what you will.

No flash photography allowed so apologies for the quality here

You may be somewhat astonished, therefore that Fine Art auctioneers, Christie's has placed an insurance value of £3 million on it.....that's $488 million in USA currency.
Not something to be sneezed at perhaps?

Why so special? You could pick up a  look-alike model for under £1000 at any half decent auction house. The clue lies in its name......in Warwickshire's Coughton Court, family seat of the Catholic Throckmorton family, it is known as "The Mass Cabinet".

Aha....the penny/dime is dropping....this has links with the Reformation, Catholic recusancy, undercover priests and the rest. If you speak kindly to one of the guides they may consider opening the doors for you but, after careful consideration they say: "No". So then if you speak particularly obsequiously in a wheedling fashion to the top guide (no, not Arkela) she may relent and yield to your flattery by carefully, oh so carefully, opening the cabinet doors.

Be warned, this is a jaw dropping event. What is revealed within is not what one would expect to find in a cabinet; instead the eye is treated to a display of drawers and doors all crafted exquisitely by some Tudor craftsman or men in a manner that would be hard to reproduce  even using computer aided technology today. It is, of course, not a cabinet but an altar, hidden from prying eyes.

As I am a person who has difficulty in even nailing together a bird nesting box for the garden, I am impressed beyond words. Each minute set of drawers, intended to house patens, palls, purificators and other small altar items. The cupboards perhaps to house amices, chalices and the like.

But glory of glories, the centrepiece is worth a post just to itself. Behold a small tabernacle with a glass front, again precision crafted: just imagine exposition taking place with a 12" high monstrance behind the glass.

The centrepiece, a tabernacle in miniature

The wood used in the construction (that seems too clumsy a word for such a divine object) is, so we are told, a Caribbean softwood that requires carving immediately, more or less. It then hardens to a mahogany type density. I am not sure that this rings true. For my money, carving in fine detail requires a hard wood to start with in order to achieve sharp delineation. My guess is that it is teak or, more likely, mahogany.
It does not really matter.
What does matter is that this cabinet duped the pursuivants, those who would spy and track down our priests and their supporters. It is better really than a priests' hole which were built to totally deceive the eye by their very invisibility.
The Mass Cabinet is a shade, dare I say, magical as first you see it and then you don't.
It is Father Brown's postman; so commonly seen and such an accepted part of the scenery that he escapes notice altogether.
How the Throckmorton family must have held back their chortles as the pursuivants marched to and fro within the house, tapping on the panelling, peering up the fireplaces and looking behind the portraits hanging on the wall.

If they only knew it, what they were seeking was under their very noses - there is a metaphor lurking there somewhere!

Coughton Court (pronounced Co-ton) is a National Trust property in the English Midlands. It is well worth a visit. Many members of the Throckmorton family emigrated to Boston, Virginia and other parts of the USA to escape the persecutions...but more of that in a post to come.

The moment every priest fears.....

Fr John Corapi - an "other Christ"

They are easy targets for those with a grudge, the mentally unhinged or those who are just plain malevolent. All one has to do is launch an accusation: "He assaulted me in the Sacristy bishop" and the damage is done. The priest is suspended pending an inquiry, maybe, even the civil authorities are involved and a court case is the result.

Guilty until proven innocent!


But the damage does not stop there. The branding has only just begun, there will be whispers, mothers will hide their children when he is around and the invitations to Sunday lunch will dry up; whatever the outcome, guilty or innocent.


It must be tempting to those of the Judas mould to inform on a priest (even an innocent one) and then take the thirty pieces offered by the Diocese. Except that, it's much more than 30 pieces, it's more likely to be thousands of dollars or pounds that are on offer.


Now the great television evangelist, Fr John Corapi, SOLT, has been falsely accused (I believe). Anyone in Great Britain who has watched his EWTN Monday at 9pm programme could not fail to believe in this man - probably our greatest media orator since Archbishop Fulton Sheen.


Here is his account in his own words:

A Call for Prayer

On Ash Wednesday I learned that a former employee sent a three-page letter to several bishops accusing me of everything from drug addiction to multiple sexual exploits with her and several other adult women. There seems to no longer be the need for a complaint to be deemed “credible” in order for Church authorities to pull the trigger on the Church’s procedure, which was in recent years crafted to respond to cases of the sexual abuse of minors. I am not accused of that, but it seems, once again, that they now don’t have to deem the complaint to be credible or not, and it is being applied broadly to respond to all complaints. I have been placed on "administrative leave" as the result of this.

  I’ll certainly cooperate with the process, but personally believe that it is seriously flawed, and is tantamount to treating the priest as guilty “just in case”, then through the process determining if he is innocent. The resultant damage to the accused is immediate, irreparable, and serious, especially for someone like myself, since I am so well known. I am not alone in this assessment, as multiple canon lawyers and civil and criminal attorneys have stated publicly that the procedure does grave damage to the accused from the outset, regardless of rhetoric denying this, and has little regard for any form of meaningful due process.

  All of the allegations in the complaint are false, and I ask you to pray for all concerned


Ends/...........


Pray for Fr Corapi and email him a message of support. He is undergoing the same trials that Christ endured right now and this is an opportunity for us to repay him for his wise counsel via EWTN and his writings.
Here is his website http://www.fathercorapi.com/

First we sell them guns and then we bomb them.....

.....Libya 2011 and we stand on the cusp of yet another conflict. I have no hang ups about the arms industry, it is a necessary fact of life if we are to defend ourselves against those who would see us enslaved a la Hitler or fundamentalist Islam.
But I do have an intense dislike for a total lack of moral concern as shown by our attitude over the arms industry.
Since the end of the Second World War we have been served well by the nuclear defence industry and the code of conduct that accompanies it, namely, only the "civilised" nations are permitted to own nuclear weaponry and the consequence of its use would, in all likelihood, destroy aggressor and defender alike.
Now, this policy may be presently coming apart at the seams when one considers North Korea and Iran but it has held well for 60 years.

Is it too naive of me to think that the "civilised" powers ought to adopt the same practice when it comes to conventional weaponry, that is, we keep it to ourselves and do not sell it on to the Gaddafis, Mugabes and Al-Bashirs. Would that be such an economic disaster?

Photo: BBC
It is difficult to find a picture reference of Gaddafi
in which he looks relatively sane

There is a grim irony in the fact that both Gulf Wars involved us in largely blowing up tanks and weaponry that originated in Sheffield or Illinois and now we are about to do the same thing in Libya.

Of course, if we had not supplied arms to Gaddafi he would have just bought inferior versions from Russia and China but at least we would have a portion of the moral high ground and there would have been the benefit of us warring with a better class of weapon that might, arguably, be more effective at ending a conflict sooner rather than later.

Hail Holy Joseph Hail!

From roma aeterna

	Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Chaste spouse of Mary, hail! Pure as the lily flower In Eden's peaceful vale! Hail, holy Joseph, hail! You were God's chosen one: To you the Word made flesh Was subject as a Son.
	Hail, holy Joseph, hail! O friend of angels, hail! Assist the hearts that faint And guide the steps that fail. Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Pricne of the house of God, May His best graces be By your dear hands bestowed.
	Hail, holy Joseph, hail! Teach us our flesh to tame. And, Mary, keep the hearts That honor Joseph's name; He loved you with a love Of holy purity: We pray that we may be As pure in love as he.

This great saint and patron of the Church is an inspiration to all fathers (especially) and also those who seek a new home.

Litany of St. Joseph  V/ Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. V/ Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy. V/ Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. V/ Jesus, hear us. R/ Jesus, graciously hear us. V/ God, the Father of Heaven, R/ have mercy on us. V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, R/ have mercy on us. V/ God, the Holy Spirit, R/ have mercy on us. V/ Holy Trinity, One God, R/ have mercy on us.  R/for ff: pray for us. Holy Mary, St. Joseph, Renowned offspring of David, Light of Patriarchs, Spouse of the Mother of God, Chaste guardian of the Virgin, Foster father of the Son of God, Diligent protector of Christ, Head of the Holy Family, Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most strong, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful, Mirror of patience, Lover of poverty, Model of artisans, Glory of home life, Guardian of virgins, Pillar of families, Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, Patron of the dying, Terror of demons, Protector of Holy Church, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R/ spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, R/ graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. R/ have mercy on us. He made him the lord of his household. R/ And prince over all his possessions.  Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. R/ Amen.



Does this refer to the Benedictines?

"What funny folk we Catholics are,

We feast on sausages

And fast on caviar”

Anon


I always thought that this was attributable to GKC but it appears on my records as Anon.

When is a Mass invalid?

For many years now we have only ever attended the Extraordinary Form of Mass. When our children were small we were English Mass Catholics with an intensely traditional outlook. When we moved to Wales we found that the Novus Ordo Mass, as it then was called, was quite different from what we had been used to. There was little reverence, the laity milled around on the sanctuary at various odd occasions during the Mass, children were invited up to sit on the priest's lap while he gave his sermon and much more besides.
After a great deal of soul searching we left never to return. From that day on we only ever went to a Latin Mass and it has held our children (for the most part) in good stead.
Whereas the children of our contemporaries have all with one exception, left the faith (along with their parents).

Part of our rationale was that there was an issue at the time, of a large percentage of British priests who reportedly did not believe in transubstantiation. Now, if what I read today is true there are Bishops and other members of the hierarchy who also now hold to this lack of belief. If the priest does not believe then each and every Mass that he celebrates must surely be invalid? That was our basis for change. There was never a shadow of doubt that a priest who celebrated the Latin Mass did not believe that the bread and wine changed to the body and blood of Our Lord at the Consecration. And that, I believe, holds true today.

If I am correct in my analysis, this does make attending an Ordinary Form Mass something of a lottery. How are you to know whether the priest believes or not?
Well, I tend to observe the outward signs; if the Mass is celebrated reverently and if all liturgical requirements are observed, I am certain that the Mass is valid.
If, however, some or all of the following indicators are in place, my estimate would be that the priest does not believe in transubstantiation and, therefore, the Mass is invalid:-

1. Ceramic chalices and vessels
2. Ordinary bread or wine that does not conform to specification
3. Garish and inappropriate vestments
4. Liturgical aberrations such as lay men and women joining the priest at the Consecration and taking an active role, EMHCs removing or returning the Blessed Sacrament to the tabernacle
5. Inappropriate music or hymns/songs

                                  Photo: BBC
                      A definite no on two counts, earthenware chalice and unleavened bread

Now I stress that these are only indicators of possible invalidity, their use by a priest might render the Mass illicit but not invalid provided that belief existed.
A priest being in a state of mortal sin does not invalidate the Mass per se although it may well be a reason for changing parishes if this is a continual state eg a priest living openly in a relationship with a woman.

Here are the Church's conditions for a Mass to be valid:

1. INTENT: The priest must have the belief as cited by The Council of Trent -

Council of Trent, Seventh Session March 3rd, 1547: Canon 11: " If anyone says that in ministers, when they effect and confer the sacraments, there is not required at least the intention of doing what the Church does, [Eugene IV in the decr. cited.] let him be anathema."

2. VALID ORDINATION : The priest must be validly ordained

3. THE INTEGRITY OF THE MATTER : This refers to the specific make up of the bread and the wine eg the bread must be unleavened and made from wheat

So what happens if a Mass is invalid? Does that mean that transubstantiation has not taken place?

I believe that to be the case but I am sure that someone out there will have a good point to make.

Hail glorious St Patrick!

At school in London's Burnt Oak, St Patrick's Day was an occasion for school sports, competitions and general celebration. Football, Netball, Tennis matches abounded with, of course, two teams, English and Irish. The trouble was, all claimed an Irish ancestry on this day which left the English teams much depleted in terms of talent. The result was a thorough thrashing for England but all taken in good part.

         This hymn to St Patrick is rather schmaltzy but I like it all the same.

Hail, glorious St. Patrick, dear saint of our isle,
On us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile;
And now thou art high in the mansions above,
On Erin's green valleys look down in thy love.

(optional repeat)
On Erin's green valleys, on Erin's green valleys,
On Erin's green valleys look down in thy love.

Hail, glorious St. Patrick, thy words were once strong
Against Satan's wiles and a heretic throng;
Not less is thy might where in Heaven thou art;
Oh, come to our aid, in our battle take part!

In a war against sin, in the fight for the faith,
Dear Saint, may thy children resist to the death;
May their strength be in meekness, in penance, and prayer,
Their banner the Cross, which they glory to bear.

Thy people, now exiles on many a shore,
Shall love and revere thee till time be no more;
And the fire thou hast kindled shall ever burn bright,
Its warmth undiminished, undying its light.

Ever bless and defend the sweet land of our birth,
Where the shamrock still blooms as when thou wert on earth,
And our hearts shall yet burn, wherever we roam,
For God and St. Patrick, and our native home.

 



Happy Feast to all of Irish descent!

Pray for Japan, pray for the world, Fatima and Akita - "live the Rosary"

A group of Catholic priests survived the Hiroshima bomb in 1945, living just metres from the epicentre which wiped out all buildings and people within a wide area. How did they survive? This clip tells a little of the story; they "lived Fatima" they "prayed the Rosary"
In 1973, a Japanese nun received Our Lady in a series of visions, the message of Fatima was repeated in Akita.  
  


This extract is from The Catholic Knight blog - link at the end.

Exactly what is the message of Fatima? For the average laymen it amounts to just three things....

1. Repent of your sins.
2. Believe the gospel.
3. Pray the rosary.

It is essentially the same message given at Akita.

Our Lady of Akita

According to this prophecy at Akita, and many others from many places around the world, what Japan has just suffered will be magnified and spread throughout the world in the not-too-distant future. The people of Japan now bear a great burden, to repent of their sins, turn to Jesus Christ, and spread to the world the message of warning His mother gave to them in 1973. They MUST do this.  The message was given to them.  It is their burden to carry.  May God give them the strength to do just that and heal their nation.  May God give us all the strength to continue to pray the rosary and plead for His mercy.

Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.

St. Peter Baptist, martyr and patron of Japan, pray for us.

St. Francis Xavier, patron of Japan, pray for us.

St. Paul Miki, martyr, pray for us.

St. Anthony Dainan, martyr, pray for us.

St. Anthony Ishida, martyr, pray for us.

St. Francis Nagasaki, martyr, pray for us.

St. Francis of St. Bonaventure, martyr, pray for us.

St. Gabriel Jusuke, martyr, pray for us.

St. Gaius Francis, martyr, pray for us.

St. James Kisai, martyr, pray for us.

St. Joachim Sakachibara, martyr, pray for us.

St. John Kokumbuku, martyr, pray for us.

St. John Soan de Goto, martyr, pray for us.

St. Leonard Kimura, martyr, pray for us.

St. Leo Tanaka, martyr, pray for us.

St. Louis Ibachi, martyr, pray for us.

St. Louise of Omura, martyr, pray for us.

St. Matthias of Meako, martyr, pray for us.

St. Michael Kozaki, martyr, pray for us.

St. Paul Aybara, martyr, pray for us.

St. Peter Shukeshiko, martyr, pray for us.

St. Romanus Aybara, martyr, pray for us.

St. Thomas Danki, martyr, pray for us.

St. Thomas Kozaki, martyr, pray for us.

St. Vincent Kaun, martyr, pray for us.

Holy Martyrs of Japan, pray for us.

God our Father,

you guide everything in wisdom and love.

Accept the prayers we offer for the nation of Japan;

by the wisdom of their leaders and integrity of their citizens,

may their suffering be lessened,

may harmony and justice be restored

and may there be lasting prosperity and peace.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

H/T The Catholic Knight

 Ends/....

It is a sad fact, that, after the Atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki in the August of 1945, the Japanese, naturally, developed a fear, even hatred of all things nuclear. Now we have the Sendai disaster with its nuclear overtones and we again have the voice of Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Akita ringing in our ears: "Pray, Do Penance, Repent"