Newsletter 29th August 2012

Newsletter 29th July

Once again newsletters written well in advance, but I hope that by the time you read this, all will have gone well and at least gradually, things are getting back to normal.

Today we have an additional Mass: this is particularly for the benefit of visitors to our parish who are here for the Olympic Games.

Holiday weeks and I hope that you will be able to enjoy a break and maybe travel to some interesting places. I will be here throughout August but a trip to Venice for a few days in September is part of the plan. Time to brush up on some Italian. You may recall a mention of some Henry James earlier in the year. I recently re-read “The Aspern Papers” and was intrigued to discover that it might be based on the life of Byron.

During the month of August the organists and the choirs will be taking a rest. Thanks for all their efforts during the course of the year. There will be a Latin Mass as usual at 11 next Sunday but this will be a said Mass.

The prayer service for the 100 days of Peace was most impressive. Not too long but a mixture of prayers, readings and music based on the Peace Icon, which we have left on display.

It is the first birthday of the great nephew this week so I will have to call across to see him. He seems to be coping with several words, though he is not quite ready to have a conversation with his grandfather. I have provided him with a good supply of wooden building blocks, but so far his preference is to topple them over rather than to arrange some elaborate constructions.

A word of thanks for those who help with the classes for the children on Saturdays. Theresa is moving abroad for a time and Sue has taken over the rota for the older ones. Also Michelle is in the process of handing over the rota for the younger ones. It is a very important part of our parish life and I hope that the parents can share in looking after the classes and looking after our children.
We now have a date for the Confirmations from Bishop Lynch: 28th April at the 11am Mass. It is a little earlier than I anticipated so I will be working on the timetable for the classes over the next couple of weeks to ensure that we can fit everything in.

The new Routemasters on route 38 and proving to be quite elusive. A few people have seen them but they do not seem to be about every day. It is possible that there are some teething problems. Although the original RMs proved to be long lived and most reliable, in there very early days there were many problems and they were far from popular with the engineering staff.

Here is a recipe from the Canary Islands. You will need some green bananas. Peel them and put them lengthwise. Fry in some ht oil, drain and dust with some castor sugar. Sprinkle with some lemon juice and if you are brave a drop of brandy. You can serve them hot or cold.

From “The Cloud of unknowing”:
Lift up your heart to God with humble love: and mean God himself, and not what you get out of him. Indeed, hate to think of anything but God himself, so that nothing occupies your mind of the will but only God.

A description of the Emperor Charles V from Encyclopaedia Britannica: Charles was undeniably plain. He confessed that he was by nature ugly, but that as artists usually painted him uglier than he was, strangers on seeing him were agreeably disappointed.

Even now A.A. Milne makes me squeam:
Oh! Thank you god, for a lovely day.
And what was the other I had to say?
I said Bless Daddy, so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember it. God bless me.
(Hush, hush, nobody cares –
Christopher Robin has fallen downstairs.)

And after this you are going to need a prayer:
God our Father, direct our ways and make us increase and abound in love to one another and to all; that we may be established in purity of heart and in holiness before you at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Best wishes to you all

Monsignor Nicholas Rothon

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