De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

This is a really interesting piece in the National Catholic Register well worth reading, especially for those who are concerned that Pope Francis' liturgical style contrasts somewhat with that of his predecessor. As I have written previously, Pope Francis is not Pope Benedict, nor could he be. His background is very different and his life experiences have no doubt tempered his essential understanding of the efficacious nature of a life lived in relationship with Jesus Christ. The spiritual backdrop of South America is fascinating, and something I know precious little about (although I am reading about it now). Certainly the faith is vibrant and lived out with real integrity, although it perhaps could be said that it faces different challenges. In Europe and the West, we might consider apathy and atheism the great challenge of our time, whereas in South America, there is an undeniable social dimension, along with the challenge wrought by a vibrant and growing evangelical movement. …

There is a wonderful little video here which I think speaks to the heart of the experience of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.


I first discovered this only a few years ago, when my Parish Priest began saying it, once a month, in our Church. I was very interested to see it, at first as some sort of historical curiosity I think; because, born in the seventies, I had never experienced the Mass my Mother spoke about growing up with. The Mass which my fore-bearers experienced.

My initial reaction was one of almost complete confusion, although I was struck by how much more reverent it was. I was fascinated, and wanted to go back to better understand this part of our history. I found that the music was certainly something I enjoyed. I picked up the Latin really quickly and started to prefer it, to feel more at home with it, more connected to the history of my faith.

Now I go whenever it is available, and wish it was more available! It has changed the way I go to Sunday Mass in the Ordina…

"The Eucharist "is the great school in which we learn to see the face of God, we enter into an intimate relationship with Him, and we learn at the same time to turn our gaze towards the final moment of history, when He will satisfy us with the light of his face."
~Pope Benedict XVI, Jan. 16, 2013, General Audience ~

This week (Wednesday 16th February) at Our Lady of Lourdes School, the Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Joseph, Leigh-on-Sea will be presenting the 7th Session of Fr. Robert Barron's excellent and epic Catholicism Project. This fantastic series of documentaries attempt to redress the modern situation that we encounter of other people telling the Catholic story, and telling it wrong! Instead, we need to tell our own story, we need to re-invigorate ourselves with all the beauty, colour and texture of our incredible faith. This series sets out to do that, it is our story told by us.
This week, we are looking at the The Church's Sacrament and Wors…

The Third Commandment given by God to Moses clearly states: "Remember to keep holy Sabbath day. Six days you may labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter, or your male or female slave, or your beast, or by the alien who lives with you. In six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the Lord has blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Ex 20:8-11). The word "Sabbath" is an Anglicised version of the Hebrew Shabbath (שַׁבָּת, or Shabbat), which means means "day of rest". It derives from the verb shavath (שָׁבַת, Strong's Concordance no. 7673 as šāvat, often shavat), defined as "desist from exertion" (often "rest" or "cease"). The word shavath was first used in the Biblical account of the seventh day of Creation (Genesis 2:2-3).
The Sab…