Institute of Christ the King in Belfast

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I’ve just been informed that Monsignor Schmitz and Canon Lebocq of the Institute of Christ the King will be at St Paul’s Church, Falls Road, Belfast on the evening of 24 March 2011.

24 March is the feast day of St Gabriel the Archangel, celebrated on the day before the Feast of the Annunciation. It will be good to hear Monsignor Schmitz give a talk at 7pm followed by a celebration of Holy Mass.

I hope that as many people as possible will come to St Paul’s to hear the talk and attend Holy Mass.

St Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, pray for us.

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and three became one

As of today, no further posts will be posted on this site. This does not mean that I am stopping writing on this issue. No, it means that they will be available on my other, and longer running, blog,

Gyronny Herald

I would ask that you go there to read them.

Shame on Glastonbury’s vandal

Gospel for St Nicholas, Bishop & Confessor

 

Today is St Nicholas's Day - the origin of Santa Claus

13-14“Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.  ^15-20“But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary. The prophet Daniel described this. If you’ve read Daniel, you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t return to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back and get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen during the winter or on a Sabbath.

^21-22“This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God’s chosen people, the trouble will be cut short.  ^23-25“If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, ‘Here’s the Messiah!’ or points, ‘There he is!’ don’t fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I’ve given you fair warning.

(Matthew 24:14-23, The Message)

Of Gods and Men

I look forward to the being able to watch the French film Of Gods and Men at Queen’s Film Theatre, Belfast during the week beginning 31 December 2010 (according to Artificial Eye).

Seven French Cistercian monks were kidnapped and then killed at Tibhirine in Algeria, amidst rising religious and factional violence. Their murderers were never found.

“When it happened, as a nation, France was shocked,” says the film’s producer Etienne Comar.

“Ten years later in 2006, the same questions resurfaced. Why did it happen? Why did they die? I decided, as a movie, that rather than portray their death, it was more interesting to show them living. There is no answer to their deaths.”

BBC News

Here is a clip – I want to see more.

Viewers see the monks going about their daily business: praying, singing, healing the sick, cooking in the most unhurried, un-modern fashion.

loc. cit.

This is what happens in monasteries – the silence, the prayer, the listening and searching for God is what is important there.

Prayer for religious vocations

Pope Benedict XVI visits the Cistertian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz.

Hail Mary, full of grace;
all generations call you blessed.

Hail Mother of God; when asked by the angel
to bear the Son of the Most High,
filled with faith, you responded:
“Let it be done unto me.”

Holy Mother of Jesus, at the wedding feast at Cana,
you prompted your Son to perform his first sign.

Be with us as we discern our life’s work
and guide us in the way we are called to follow
in the footsteps of your Son.

Holy Mother of the Savior, at the foot of the cross
you mourned the death of your only Son.

Bless and embrace the loving parents of all priests,
deacons, brothers and sisters.

Holy Mother of the Good Shepherd,
turn your motherly care to this nation.

Intercede for us to the Lord of the harvest
to send more laborers to the harvest
in this land dedicated to your honor.

Queen of Peace, Mirror of Justice, Health of the Sick,
inspire vocations in our time.

Let the word of your Son be made flesh anew
in the lives of persons anxious to proclaim
the good news of everlasting life.
Amen.

Links

Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (American Site)

Ordo Cisterciensis

The Portal Magazine – ignoring the reality

Just after I watched the CNN interview with Bishop Andrew Burnham who is leaving the department of state called the ‘Church of England’ to be received into full communion with the Holy See, I noticed an advertisement for The Portal Magazine. I thought that I should subscribe to it.

Sadly, those who have put the ordering form together, have made it difficult for those of us who recognise the country in which I live as Northern Ireland, and not Ireland. Indeed the choice given for country was:

• England
• Wales
• Scotland
• Ireland
• Not in the UK

Now despite the bail-out by Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom offered to Rialtas na hÉireann, the reality is that Her Britannic Majesty’s United Kingdom consists of those parts of the UK called:

• England, which incorporates other parts including:
  • The Principality of Wales;
  • The Borough of Berwick upon Tweed; and
  • Cornwall;
• Scotland; and
• Northern Ireland.

Éire (or in the English language Ireland) is somewhere quite different and not part of the UK. It would be helpful if the editors would get this distinction correct.

Church recognises differing areas

Of course it may be argued that the Church has hierarchies that recognise different borders to those of the actual states. However, if it were following that system it would be:

• England & Wales;
• Scotland; or
• Ireland.

But on the form it is just after you fill in your postal address.

So how have I left it?

I have filled in my postal address ending with the line

Northern Ireland

and then selected

Ireland

from the list.

I have also sent an email to the editors of the magazine giving them this blog as a reference.

Bring the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to Belfast

Christ the King in Swiebodzin

It would be great if somewhere in Belfast we could have a statue of either Christ the King or even better of The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Perhaps opposite the Spirit of Thanksgiving across the river Lagan, next to the Odyssey Complex?

The Promises of the Sacred Heart

I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.

I will give peace in their families.

I will console them in all their troubles.

I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.

I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.

Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.

Tepid souls shall become fervent.

Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.

I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.

I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.

Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.

In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

Imagine a statue like this in Belfast?

Thanksgiving, Andy Scott (2005), Oxford Street Belfast.

An Act of Consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

To the Sacred Heart of Jesus I give myself and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person and my life, my actions, pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being other than to honor, love and glorify the Sacred Heart. This is my unchanging purpose, namely, to be all His, and to do all things for the love of Him, at the same time renouncing with all my heart whatever is displeasing to Him. I therefore take You, O Sacred Heart, to be the only object of my love, the guardian of my life, my assurance of salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for all the faults of my life and my sure refuge at the hour of death.

Be then, O Heart of goodness, my justification before God the Father, and turn away from me the strokes of his righteous anger. O Heart of love, I put all my confidence in You, for I fear everything from my own wickedness and frailty, but I hope for all things from Your goodness and bounty.

Remove from me all that can displease You or resist Your holy will; let your pure love imprint Your image
so deeply upon my heart, that I shall never be able to forget You or to be separated from You.

May I obtain from all Your loving kindness the grace of having my name written in Your Heart,
for in You I desire to place all my happiness and glory, living and dying in bondage to You.

Amen.

a day of masses for the dead…

Model of the Abbey of Cluny

This Feast, in commemoration of all the faithful departed souls in Purgatory, was instituted in the Benedictine Monastery of Cluny by Abbot Odilo in the year 998. On this day, the Office of the Dead is recited by the clergy. Pope Benedict XV granted to all Priests the privilege of saying three Masses of Requiem:

• one for the faithful departed souls in Purgatory;
• one for the intention of the Holy Father; and
• one for the Priest’s intention.

If this date falls on a Sunday it is transferred to the following day.

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants departed full remission of all their sins, that, through our devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon, which they have always desired. Who live and reign, world without end. Amen.

℣ Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord.

℟ And let perpetual light shine upon them.

℣ May they rest in peace.

℟ Amen.

Mary is the ‘rosa mystica’ – Bl. John Henry Newman

℣Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix. ℟Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Mary is the most beautiful flower that ever was seen in the spiritual world. It is by the power of God’s grace that from this barren and desolate earth there have ever sprung up at all flowers of holiness and glory. And Mary is the Queen of them. She is the Queen of spiritual flowers; and therefore she is called the Rose, for the rose is fitly called of all flowers the most beautiful.

But moreover, she is the Mystical, or hidden Rose; for mystical means hidden. How is she now “hidden” from us more than other saints? What means this singular appellation, which we apply to her specially? The answer to this question introduces us to a third reason for believing in the reunion of her sacred body to her soul, and its assumption into heaven soon after her death, instead of its lingering in the grave until the General Resurrection at the last day.

It is this:—if her body was not taken into heaven, where is it? how comes it that it is hidden from us? why do we not hear of her tomb as being here or there? why are not pilgrimages made to it? why are not relics producible of her, as of the saints in general? Is it not even a natural instinct which makes us reverent towards the places where our dead are buried? We bury our great men honourably. St Peter speaks of the sepulchre of David as known in his day, though he had died many hundreds of years before. When our Lord’s body was taken down from the Cross, He was placed in an honourable tomb. Such too had been the honour paid to St John Baptist, his tomb being spoken of by St Mark as generally known. Christians from the earliest times went from other countries to Jerusalem to see the holy places. And, when the time of persecution was over, they paid still more attention to the bodies of the Saints, as of St Stephen, St Mark, St Barnabas, St Peter, St Paul, and other Apostles and Martyrs. These were transported to great cities, and portions of them sent to this place or that. Thus, from the first to this day it has been a great feature and characteristic of the Church to be most tender and reverent towards the bodies of the Saints. Now, if there was anymore who more than all would be preciously taken care of, it would be our Lady. Why then do we hear nothing of the Blessed Virgin’s body and its separate relices? Why is she thus the hidden Rose? Is it conceivable that they who had been so reverent and careful of the bodies of the Saints and Martyrs should neglect her—her who was the Queen of Martyrs and the Queen of Saints, who was the very Mother of our Lord? It is impossible. Why then is she the hidden Rose? Plainly because that sacred body is in heaven, not on earth.

from Meditations and Devotions, by
Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman, Cong.Orat.

un œuf est un œuf

Whilst we support the general thrust of what Mr Reade says concerning the greatest Festival in the Church’s year, we must remember that he is merely a layman. He is speaking as a ‘bishop’ or rather as various friends of mine would say,

an official of the department of State called the “Church of England”.

However, his orders or rather lack therof, notwithstanding, Mr Reade makes a very good point about the lack of knowledge surrounding the real message of Easter, following on from the campaign for the real message of Christmass. We give you what the ‘Christian’ Institute says on its website, with our comments or editorial marks in red, just to clarify, you understand.

 

An egg recommended by a layman to an ecclesial community. We feel sure that the Sovereign Pontiff would approve of this despite its heretical recommendation.

 

The “Bishop“of Blackburn has called on supermarkets not to be hesitant to stock a ChurchEcclesial Community of England Easter egg that carries a message about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

The Church Ecclesial Community said last month that some retailers maybe reluctant to sell the egg because of its overt Christian theme.

But Rt Revd Mr Nicholas Reade said there would be high demand for it and encouraged stores to put it on their shelves.

Easter

The product, called the Real Easter Egg, is made from fair trade chocolate. Its box carries a message about Good Friday and Easter SunDay, and depicts a hill with three crosses on it.

The “Bishop“ said: “With seven million people going to “church” and others going to Church at least once a month and another seven million supporting the ethos behind Fairtrade, there should be substantial demand”.

He added: “I recently came across a truly shocking statistic: more than 80 million Easter eggs are sold in Britain every year, and not one of them mentions the name of our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ.”

Support

The “Bishop“ has written to all 250 Anglican clergy lay men and women masquerading as clerics and 300 Church Ecclesial Community of England schools in Lancashire, urging them to get behind the Christian egg

He appealed to the clergy lay people masquerading as clerics, saying: “Can I ask for your help with this, in encouraging “church“ schools to consider their support, by commending this project to your “parish“ community, and raising awareness in your local shops and supermarkets, to make these plans a reality?”

The eggs have been developed by Manchester-based The Meaningful Chocolate Company, working in consultation with a number of churches ecclesial communities and dioceses departments of state.

Donations

Donations from the profits will be made to two charities: Baby Lifeline and Traidcraft Exchange.

Last September it was revealed that thousands of schools were adopting a standardised spring break, rather than moving it to coincide with Easter.

Research by The Daily Telegraph newspaper found that schools in a third of local authority areas had adopted a fixed two-week break.

Holidays

Religious leaders criticised the move for downplaying the significance of Easter for the sake of convenience.

Local councils determine the holiday dates for state schools. A survey of half the local councils in England by The Daily Telegraph found that one third had adopted or were about to adopt a fixed spring break.

However, 46 out of 73 authorities said their schools’ spring holidays will continue to correspond to the date of Easter.

There now, isn’t that a better reading of what the “Christian” Institute says. We thought so.