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Newsletter 20th November 2011
Today is the Feast of Christ, the King. This is the last Sunday in the Church’s year. Next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.
To celebrate the feast, at 6.30 today we will have benediction with the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the prayer of Consecration to Christ the King.
There is a second collection today to support the work of the Catholic Youth Service.
The new Mass books have arrived and we will begin to use them from next Sunday. They contain the new responses, the Gloria and the Creed as well as the new translations for the Eucharistic Prayers and the Collects. If you have an old missal of your own, only the readings will remain the same. As yet small new missals have not been published but we hope to have some samples to show you within the next few weeks. A very important request – please do not take the Mass books away with you – we need them for all the Masses. If one is taken in error, please bring it back promptly.
I am off to Douai Abbey on Tuesday morning for a meeting of the Historic Churches Committee. With a very early start, I can avoid the traffic delays and arrive at the Abbey for the end of the morning office and in good time for the Community Mass. If the agenda is not too difficult, we can complete our work before lunch and the journey home is not too difficult. Also a chance to visit the Abbey book shop – to give away a secret – at this time of year they usually have some titles giving help suggestions for Sunday homilies.
Tuesday is the feast of St. Cecilia Little is known of her but by tradition she was a Roman martyr of the 3rd century. She is the patron of musicians. An important day in the past in Spain as we used to light the stoves for the first time on this day. Castile in November can be cold and so we looked forward to this day.
Here is Pope’s Ode on St. Cecilia’s day:
Bourne on the swelling notes our souls aspire,
While solemn airs improve the sacred fire;
And angels lean from heaven to hear.
Of Orpheus now no more let Poets tell,
To bright Cecilia great power is given;
His numbers raised a shade from hell,
Hers lift the soul to heaven.
And a prayer:
God our Father, our strength in adversity, our health in our weakness, our comfort in sorrow, be merciful to your people. Give us hope and new life as we rest in your mercy and your love. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen
Christmas cards will be available for sale in the Repository from today.
Another recipe, this time from Murcia. Cook a chopped onion and some garlic in oil until they are soft and some chopped tomatoes and some black pepper, continuing to cook over a gentle heat until everything is tender. Add some drained red beans and some cooked and sliced green beans. Meanwhile cook some long grained rice, rinse and drain. Mix everything together and to continue to cook for a moment or two, making sure that it does not catch. Season to taste and serve hot.
Memories of London Trams – you can find the famous film – The Elephant will Never Forget – if you dial up the LT Museum Web site. The producer was sacked by the Transport Commission film unit. He was instructed to record the arrival of the last tram on the final night but headed off with his cameraman for a couple of weeks without permission and produced this wonderful film.
I must go to see the great-nephew again soon – he is coming up for four months now. Regular appearances on Facebook: he was enjoying a wedding recently. When his mother was tiny, we used to take her out to all sorts of impossible events, but she was always game and wanted to come with us.
Just space to mention that work on the Angelus room is now proceeding and we hope to be able to overcome the problem with the floor.
Best wishes to you all.
Monsignor Nicholas Rothon