Newsletter 14th June 2015
Today, at last, we reach the Sundays in Ordinary time – today the eleventh Sunday of the year. The green vestments have appeared once again and we will continue to use them until Advent. If you have your own Missal, the Scripture readings are taken from the second cycle – this year the gospels are taken from St. Mark.
Friday is the feast of St. Alban, the first martyr in England. By tradition, he was a Roman soldier and died in the 3rd Century. This means that there was Christianity in Our Land before the arrival of Augustine. St. Alban is the patron of our College in Spain and his statue stands above the high altar in the chapel.
There is a second collection today for the National Catholic Fund, the fund that that supports the central administration of the Church in this country.
The Justice and Peace Committee meets next Sunday after the 11am Mass.
A request please to turn off mobile phones totally when you come to Mass – not to leave them on the standby mode – the reason for this is they disturb the loop system provided in the Church for those who are hard of hearing – the conflicting signals cause the loop to cut out.
I cooked some rhubarb from the garden recently. The trick is to begin with only a tiny amount of water and add only a small amount of water as required. Do not add too much sugar and it will retain its sharp taste. It provides an agreeable alternative to apple for use with a pork chop.
The great nephew enjoyed his recent visit. He would gladly spend all day playing trains with me – the only problem is that there are other things to do. He eats an enormous quantity of food- watch out as he helps himself to tasty morsels from your plate if he is a bit short himself.
To my great disappointment, wooden shutters have been put up at London Bridge station so it is no longer possible to observe the progress of the works from the train. The alternatives seem to be either a visit to the top of the Shard, or if you cannot afford this, the invention of a sick relative in the Guy’s tower who needs frequent visits. The present plan is that the Charing Cross lines will be completed by August 2016.
My herbs continue to make progress: the second attempt at basil was not a success: I think the soil was too damp: so I am now on my third attempt this year. The pot of chives is doing well and here is plenty of parsley. The cress is overgrown so I will up-root it and start again. Plenty of flowers on the olive tree and the bees have helped the apple trees.
For Corpus Christi, Hopkin’s translation of the Adore Te Devote:
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See Lord at the service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
For your entertainment, some thoughts from a 19th century Yorkshire parson:
When I began to thump the pulpit cushion on my first coming to Foston, the accumulated date of 150 years made such a cloud that for some minutes I lost sight of my congregation.
And
I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed that there were thirty-nine Muses and only nine articles.
And to finish, a prayer from St. Jane de Chantal:
O my Lord, I am in a dry land, all dried up and cracked by the violence of the north wind and the cold: but as you see, I ask for nothing more; you will send me both dew and warmth when it pleases you.
Best wishes to you all
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon.