Father Tom

Our dear Father Tom has just come back from a retreat in Australia. I was so pleased to see him on the altar this morning and I thanked God for his safe return. He is a great priest and has a lovely warmth of manner. When he preaches he holds the Bible so he can flip backwards and forwards to show how the readings are part of the whole message of the Bible. As I love reading the Bible I also love this style of preaching.

Best of all he says the Latin Mass for us. Deo Gratias for Fr Tom.

Besuty 2

Is there anything more beautiful than getting up before sunrise and praying to the almighty and eternal God? I don't think so. The silence, the stillness, the lone candle flckering - and you alone with God (apart from your guardian angel and the saints that is). What a blessed time.

Beauty 1

I am haunted by a longing for beauty. How can I get more beauty in my life and is right to long for it? Can a Christian lead a beautiful life when the ugliness of sin - both mine and others - intrudes so much? Should we want beauty?

I'm going to make it my aim and will keep you posted.

The Latin Mass (again)

I went to the Latin Mass again today. It's only held once a fortnight in this area but how I love it! The reverence, the silence...with just the priest and altar server speaking quietly, the peace and joy. Words cannot express it. And our beloved priest, Fr T, speaks very frankly to us about the way we should live as Christians. He has told us he couldn't be so open at a parish Mass as people would be offended. Today he told us bluntly that we had to be Christ to a fallen world and explained what that meant. Very challenging and quite scary, so we try and we pray to the Holy Spirit.

THank you Jesus for the Blessed Latin Mass.

Offering up

For several weeks now I have been quite ill which is a novel experience for me. As I was being admitted to hospital the nurse said incredulously "At your age you've never had a general anaesthetic before?" and I answered "I've never even been in hospital before." (Even my babies had been born at home, and were very easy births) We agreed I had been very 'lucky'("blessed" I said to myself). So this was my first experience of 'offering up' my pain to God for others, I'd read about it, and knew how important it was but I'd never had the chance to actually do it before. And I was rather disappointed when I did. I don't know what I expected...an easing of the pain? ...a feeling of peace?...I don't know. But whatever I expected it didn't happen; the pain was just as bad, there was no lessening of my distress, I was still as scared. But in faith I believed that I was helping some priest somewhere. Praise God.

Sacred Heart.

As June is the month of the Sacred Heart I decided to add this beautiful prayer to my daily prayers. I say it often during the day: 'Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.'

Such a blessing from the vast treasury of our Church.

Dreams

I'm thinking of writing a book for parents about how to introduce children to the Mass, starting when they are very small. Is it a dream or a plan? I'm not sure at the moment. I'm just praying for God's guidance and playing around with ideas. If it's a dream it'll fade: if it's God's Will a plan will emerge. As with everything prayer is the key.