Christmas Eve

Well that's it!

I have had it!

I have been working like a navvy all day and now I am finished.

I nipped out first thing to buy potatoes and carrots from the grocer for tomorrow's dinner. Then I did a little extra shopping for the Christmas Stockings. Everywhere people were wishing each other a merry Christmas or Happy Feast. There was a certain something in the air and that certain something was the joy that comes with celebrating the Birth of Our Lord!

It is a grey dull foggy day here but no one seems to mind. Everyone was chatting and the children were happy and smiling. I wish our world was like this all year round.

When I got home I finished the Cake and then made mince pies and sausage rolls. Then I cleaned the kitchen, and generally assisted AGA who is in charge of clean up as we have a very dear friend coming to Christmas Lunch with us so everything needs a once over. He is also in charge of the Christmas Pudding and Roast Duck we will be having tomorrow.

We shall be going to the Basilica for Midnight Mass although it will kick off at 10pm with a choral concert to which we will go. The church looks so lovely and I thought I would share a couple of pictures with you but not before I have wished you - yes you! the one reading this blog post! - a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

I may have time to post on Boxing Day but if not then I shall be back on the following Weekend as I shall be back in London for the week...

Here is a view that shows the Advent Wreathe suspended form the ceiling and you might just make out, behind the altar, the Christmas tree.

And this is our Nativity scene. It is the nicest crib I have ever seen and is built up gradually over the Advent period until it looks as you can see now (I took the photo yesterday) and later Our Lord will makes His entrance!

Cake complete

Finally the Christmas cake can sit back and rest.  It has had its icing overcoat put on and then has been 'gussied' up for Christmas Day.


I am rather pleased with this particular cake and I found the perfect holly leaves and berries to decorate the top - I just hope it (the cake, not the decoration) tastes okay!
Do you put a candle on your Christmas Cake? I always put one as it is Jesus' Birthday!

Christmas Markets

Because Tom (from Vegas) asked me if I would sometime post pictures from the Christmas markets here in the Dusseldorf area I have finally done so and here they are!

Angels for sale

Gluhwein anyone?

There are always plenty of food stalls

I like the deer on the roof of this stall

The famous Kathe Wohlfarht stall - seller of very nice Christmas decorations

Christmas decorations galore!

More decorations

This is a section of the market around the old town square with our famous ruler Jan Willem, on horse back above us all!  I took this photo from an upstairs shop window, just for this blog!

Another view of the town square section of the market.

The pictures are rather grey because at present it is always raining or just about to rain.

Wow!

I have just returned from a spectacular choral concert given at the St. Suidbertus Basilica here in Kaiserswerth. The Basilica is not a huge building but it was packed. I estimate about 400 were there, of all ages. AGA and I were lucky to find seats!

The concert was performed by the Basilika-Chor St. Suitbertus – this is the parish choir and very good they are too. Two of their number work at the our small supermarket.

There was a lead Soprano as well who was not all that good although I certainly could not do better.

And finally some pieces were performed by the Choralschola St. Suidbertus – this is an all male choir of about 10 parishioners. They perform Gregorian Chant at Mass and are absolutely fab!

Now to the music, which was being performed in honour of MarianSontag (Mary’s Sunday) which we celebrate today in honour of the Blessed Mother.

And what music is was!!!

J.S.Bach: “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”

(Sleepers Awake. Lovely as always)

The Introitus for the 4th Sunday of advent: “Rorate caeli desuper”

(Sung by the Choralschola – it took the breath away!)

Carl Orff: “Tauet, ihr Himmel, fern aus den Hoehen”

(Not being an Orff fan I found this to be turgid. I ma having difficulty translating this one too)

Luis de Vittoria: “Ave Maria”

(I am a major follower of Vittoria – when I saw this was on the programme I was very exited and the performance was exellent!)

Moritz Hauptmann: “Macht hoch die Tuer”

(Make high the door. 19th Century.  Not bad)

Hugh Keyte: “Maria durch ein Dornwald ging”

(Mary by a thorn forest went. A modern-ish piece. Quite nice in a Vicar of Dibbly sort of way)

Jan Kampanus Vodnansky: “O Heiland, reiss die Himmel auf”

(Lovely)

Offertory for the 4th Sunday of Advent: “Ave Maria, gratia plena”

(Wonderful)

Marian Antiphon: :Alma Redemptoris Mater”

(Spectacular)

J.S.Bach: “Mein Glaubiges Herze, frohlocke”

(I think is ‘my heart is glad’ or something like that anyway. It was sung by the Soprano, from the organ loft.

Giovanni Battista Bononcini: “Divertimento No 7”

(Very nice organ piece)

Friedrich von Spee: “Von Kindlein Frisch geboren”

(A Child, flax fresh was born. Such a lovely title. It wouldn’t be a concert without something from our local lad. Beautiful as is all of his work.)

Michael Praetorius: :Es ist ein Ros’ entsrpungen”

(‘We know this as Lo, how a Rose ere blooming’, I like this a lot in English. In German it is just as nice.)

Anonymous: “Jauchzet, ihr Himmel”

(Praise, Heaven. A lovely 17th century piece)

J.S.Bach: “Ehre und Preis sei Gott, dem Herren”

(Honour and Praise to You O God. Only three Bach pieces! I liked this a lot.

Hans Leo Hassler: “Verbum caro factum est”

Then we finished up with everyone singing another, very rousing version of the great Advent hymn “Macht hoch die Tuer”, after which we all wandered off home!

Marzipanning

Today was the day to Marzipan the Christmas cake.

I don't possess a food processor so I cannot grind my own almond meal.  Instead I buy it in packets.  But there are problems in buying the almond meal.  

Firstly, here in Germany they sell almond meal but it is ground with the brown casing and I am sorry but I prefer my marzipan to be unadulterated.  

Secondly, around Christmas time they do sell refined almond meal but the moment the Fraus get a whiff of it in the air they descend upon the shops en masse and then there is none left! 

You have got to be quick!

I pride myself on the fact that I have learnt to be swift, and so, like an experienced old lion seeing a zebra wandering down to the old water hole but knowing that the moment he lets it out of his site the hyenas will be on to it, I zipped into Dusseldorf and beat the Fraus.  I bought 4 packets - 3 to use and 1 to keep.

I mixed the almond meal with icing sugar and castor sugar and almond essence and lemon juice and a beaten egg and formed it into a ball with my hands.  Mixing marzipan by hand is great for your skin too by the way as the oil makes them feel soft. . .

Then it was time to wake up the cake and get him out of his tin. He was looking a bit drowsy but smelt so good. The minute I lifted the lid of the tin I knew this was a good cake. So I took his photo!  And he is a heavy one too.

then I rolled our the marzipan and having coted the cake in warm apricot jam I proceeded to help him on with his first lot of clothing.

Now he is resting on a cake stand in the sittingroom while the marzipan dries a little before going back into his tin. Soon it will be time to apply his outer garment of royal icing fit for a King among cakes, made to celebrate the Birth of Our King!

Christmas?

I’m sorry but Christmas is not for the children.

(And what’s more, the greeting ‘Merry Christmas’ should not be renamed Merry Kidsmas (as heard this past week for the title of a competition on BFBS radio.))

Christmas should not be the occasion of recourse to an unholy outburst of ‘hedonistic materialism’ so recently decried by Pope Benedict.

Of all our Christian Feasts, Christmas has been the one most defiled by the modern world with all its secular consumerism and fashionable agnosticism. It has been transformed from a joy-filled celebration to celebrate the birth of Our Lord into this sin-filled World of ours so that we might be saved; into an occasion for greed, selfishness and out of control materialism.

We buy gifts for our loved ones in memory of the gifts bought by the Three Wise Men but so often we go overboard. We load children with presents so that the real meaning of the gifts is forgotten! And such presents that are mass produced by people who care not one jot for Christ! How often do the presents we buy have anything to actually do with the Christmas message?

And we buy gifts for ourselves! 

What is that all about? 

That is not the true spirit of giving! Buying Christmas gifts for ourselves is selfishness and a crime. If you think that you have money to indulge in by buying presents for yourself, you might do better to give that money to the poor who have nothing.

Christmas is being defiled by all sorts of impiety. 

In one Christmas Market here in Germany I saw a stall that prominently displayed posters and cards etc which depicted illustrations from the 1950s but with profanities scrawled across them. I felt nothing but disgust and shame when I looked upon them. Is that the way to celebrate the Birth of Our Lord? By selling filth?

My goodness but we need one of those old fashioned prophets like Isaiah or Habbakuk to come along and give us a good ticking off!

Of course this is not to say that the entire world defiles Christmas and its message but a goodly proportion do and they surely offend Our Lord.

But hold on one moment - have I a log in my own eye?

Do I also offend The Lord at this time?

Am I living the full spirit of the Christmas message of utter love and self-sacrifice?

No.

My life is filled with moments of back sliding, spiritual laziness, self indulgence and sin.

If I love the Christ Child (and I do!) I must do a lot better and there no more perfect time to begin than right now!

What about you?

Euthanasia

Three Cheers for Pope Benedict XVI!

Why?

He has spoken out against the secularists of Luxembourg.

See here

and here

I looked but did not see any reports of this in the mainstream 'Western' press (although I may not have been looking in the right places).  

I did read the Luxembourg press review of the voting and the fact that a lot of people in the parliament seemed outraged at the Church's attempt to interfere with what they called 'self determination' but where do they see God in this definition?  It appears that they have turned not only heretic but have succumbed to a truly horrible wickedness.

If I am understanding things correctly this dreadful Bill has passed the Second Reading in the Parliament...

and then from Australia comes this this and you realise that our World is growing more wicked than in the times before Christ came into the World to redeem us!!!

48 hours in the life of . . .

. . . a Christmas Cake. 

(This all took place last Sunday and Monday).


Here is the fruit you saw last week, all mixed up now with the flour, eggs, best Irish butter, brown sugar and spices. It all looks rather sickly but believe me if you were to have tasted a bit of the raw mixture from the wooden spoon you might just think you were on the way to Heaven!
Then it was a case of 'into the oven with him'! 

5 and a half hours later out he came. Very hot and angry. 

While he sat on the stove top in his brown paper coat, I quickly prepared his 'bed'.


Left in the tin, sprinkled with a few teaspoons of brandy, the baking paper folded over the top and aluminium foil on top of that, he was wrapped in a towel with a plate placed on his head - for 24 hours while he cooled down.

Monday afternoon, I returned home from school.  The cake was well cool by now so I tipped him out to enable us to get a proper look at him and my goodness what a healthy speciman of a Christmas Cake he is!

Dr Brandy was ever on hand to sprinkle him . . .

. . . after which he was wrapped up in new baking paper, aluminium foil and placed him in a cake tin.
And there he sits even as I type.
He has been in there for one week and has another one to go. I check in on him every second day and 'feed' him with a couple of teaspoons of brandy - he isn't complaining because he knows that next Saturday he will be measured up for his marzipan undergarment!

I am having trouble uploading pictures to Blogger which is extremely irritating!

In the meantime here is a video from YouTube of Away in a Manger.  With Good King Wenceslas this is my favourite Christmas carol.

Six things that make me happy.

A mid-week post because two of my blogging world friends: Philip and Ttony tagged me with a meme to list six things that make me happy...

So here they are:

Food

Food is one of my favourite things. Food, and the presentation of it in appetisingly tasty forms is a wonderful gift from God! Reading about it, cooking it, writing about it and of course eating it: My love of food is all encompassing just like my love of God!

The Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity is one of my favourite things. I love receiving Our Lord at Holy Mass and singing his praises (even in German).  When I go to bed I like to think about the Holy Trinity until I fall asleep – I hope that the time will come when I can spend eternity in the presence of my God!

Books

Books are one of my favourite things. New books to be sure but old books especially. Second hand books. I can spend a happy afternoon or indeed an entire day, looking through old second hand bookshops for treasures that appeal to me. Biographies of Saints and other interesting people, Murder mysteries of the more gentile sort, Poetry and books on the countryside and nature. 

PG Wodehouse never fails to make me laugh. I love the intellectual niceties of ‘Fr Brown’ ‘Brother Cadfael’ and Lord Peter Wimsey. Dame Edith Sitwell’s poetry is fab as is the Earl of Surrey’s. Mary Mitford’s ’Our Village’ is such as nice book. Roper’s Biography of St. Thomas More. Prescott’s bio of Mary Tudor. I could go on. But by far my favourite books are those on all periods of English history. I well remember the time I spotted both volumes of Dr Shirley’s edition of ‘Letters of King Henry III’ in a second hand shop. I know I spent a lot of money on them but now as I look at them sitting there all snug on the bookshelf I feel a happy glow in my heart!

13th Century

The 13th century is one of my favourite things. It was an innocent time. Unsullied by the bleakness of the Black Death. The passions of the people were exceedingly childlike and they had a child like trust in God although they didn’t always do good. When they were happy they laughed out loud and when they were sad they cried. They were an uncomplicated people. True there were fights and indeed they were sometimes big ones as at the Battles of Lewes and of Evesham. There was also a lot of legal wrangling. 13th Century in England was presided over by one of my heroes, the artistic King Henry III (I know not to everyone’s taste). Then there was St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, Abbess Euphemia of Wherewell, St. Louis IX, St. Thomas Aquinas, Eleanor of Provence, Richard of Cornwall, and the list goes on. And there was a growth in gardening, the introduction of more comfortable habitation at all levels of society, new discoveries and glorious churches that sore to the skies. What a time to be alive!

Family and Friends

Family and friends are among my favourite things. My mother, my best friend AGA, my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, my cousins, friends at work and at play and when blogging  – they all go to make my life pleasurable. How could they not be a part of my favourite things!

Music

Music is one of my favourite things. Baroque music is my great love (especially Handel and old Jean Philippe Rameau after whom my car was named). Handel is alleged to have said that the only music that Englishmen liked was the sort they could tap their feet to – and that is me! I love dance music. Not for me andante or lento. I want gigues, vivace and presto!  And yes it is true that I sing 'Rule Britannia' at the top of my voice while baking cakes. . .

During the 80s and 90s I listened to dance music loudly, all the time and I still listen to it today along with various current ones which I store on my iPod for when I am doing the cleaning or on a plane flight, or studying… Actually I am listening to it as I type this post (Mind you, I am also eating a large piece of Stollen (German Christmas cake) spread with butter and raspberry jam)

At the age of forty-five, I am too ‘ancient’ to go to a nightclub without looking silly. I would probably get tired rather quickly if I did go as well as being shocked by the licentiousness and vulgarity, but I can still enjoy the music providing the lyrics are okay. 

Having said that though I also find that these days I enjoy the more dramatically sublime (if you can say such a thing) music of the likes of Vittoria, Tallis and Monteverdi, provided, like Ttony, you can play it loud. The Coronation music for King James II is a particular favourite of mine and would you think me silly if I was to say that Vaughan Williams’ ‘The Lake Ascending’ always brings tears to my eyes? I always think that it is such heart-stirringly brave music.

Yikes! That is a very long explanation! Mea culpa if I became boring ...

Okay so there are my six. 

Mind you I could have put in some more as there are many things arising from being surrounded by God’s most wondrous bounty that make me happy!

Now as for who I would tag. . .

It is tricky because some of my possible candidates have already been tagged...

I chose:

Tom my cyber cousin in Vegas

Adrienne (because she hasn't posted one yet although I bet she has been tagged already.)

Elderflower 

Rita who writes some of the most thoughtful posts I know

Terry over there at the Abbey Roads Sites

Louise who write a very amusing yet thought provoking blog

Catholic Hero

By now many of you will have read about the courageous stand of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg over the proposed Bill going through his country's parliament to legalise euthanasia.  If you have not then I refer  you to this blog post at the Hermeneutic of continuity .

As a result of his stand the Grand Duke is being scandalously attacked by the Media.

I don't see anyone in the public eye standing up for him.  I hope the archbishop steps forward but I haven't heard or read anything in that regard this far. . .

I admire the Grand Duke's stand and his determination to hold to his Faith against the whims of the materialistic, secular world who wish to perpetrate such a wicked act, thus attempting to remove God from the picture and override His will when it comes to the time of death for all of us.  What a horrible Christmas present for the people of Luxembourg!

Anyway, I was reading all the various posts in response to the blog post and thought: "yes its all very well to say that I agree with what the Grand Duke is doing, but what can I do?"

Well the answer is simple. 

Firstly I can pray to God for the Grand Duke and his family,as well as for the parliament and the Luxembourg people.

Secondly I can write an email of support to this courageous man and tell him that I support him in his hour of need - and so this is what I have done!  Why don't you follow me and do the same. The email address appears to be:

service.presse@gdl.etat.lu 

and you can write in English so really you have no excuse!

Okay, I admit it

I think that I am addicted to blogging and my so called breather has lasted 5 days...

I just couldn't keep away from my blog and then checking everyone else's.  

My blog is like my own little Internet house and I like it a lot so here I am back again.

I have been thinking about it and I am going to post on weekend's as that is when I have the time.  This week I concentrated on everything else and my studies didn't suffer.

Which is a good thing!

So anyway. . .

Today I went with AGA to Dusseldorf and visited the Christmas markets, and bought some things for my family which I can send off during this week.

It was cold and packed but that is how it always is.  There were lots of French, Dutch and English being spoken because German Christmas markets are rather famous and a lot of people come to see them and spend their money.

In the afternoon I visited the much smaller version in Kaiserswerth and listened to the children from our school sing for the market go-ers.  I took some photos and I must say that they sang so nicely after which the teacher/parent choir sang as well.

After that and a little rest I went to the Vigil Mass which this week was in honour of all the alter servers.  There were about fifty of them there, from Kaiserswerth and the three sister churches, and the priest gave a lovely sermon on his own childhood alter serving which made them laugh, and cleverly worked into it a lesson on the Gospel reading.

I was in two minds about going to Mass this evening because I was tired and it is rather cold outside...

And then I thought I wouldn't end up going tomorrow either because I have the Christmas cake to supervise and ... and .... and .... the excuses piled up.

Then I stopped.

I LOVE Jesus so how on earth could I be thinking that I wouldn't go and see him and receive him into my heart this weekend?  Why would I not want to go and see my best friend in the whole world?  True, I do have things to do tomorrow and I prefer the Vigil Mass as it is a quieter one (which is more to my inclination) So I put on my hat, coat and gloves, grabbed my missal and sallied forth and I am so glad I did because I always feel so revived when I receive Our Lord.  

It makes my heart shout out how much I love Him!  

Does it do that for you?

Taking a breather

I'm taking a breather from blogging for a while.

I just have too much work on my plate at present to concentrate on it.  Not only my day to day work but my University studies which are increasingly taking up more and more of my free time!

I keep posting in spurts and then time passes and I feel guilty and then think that no one will be reading my posts anyway.

Maybe I am trying to put too much into blogging.  Too eager.  Too much trying to make my mark!  

And I see so much uncharitable-ness in the Catholic blogging sphere that I disagree with.  Sometimes it seems to border on Pharisee-ism and that makes me sad and a bit like Jeffery Smith whose blogs I enjoy so much!  (Mind you I see a lot of niceness and true practicing of God's presence as well.)

Anyway, I shall see how things are in the new year.

Sunday relaxation

It is a perfect Sunday for sitting around doing very little.  It is cold and raining on and off outside.  My essay is finished bar one final proof-read tomorrow and so I cam do what I like. . .

I was having a look around the Internet when I discovered this book meme on Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter and as she did say that anyone could do it, and I love reading, I decided to take part. 

What you have to do is take the book closest to you at this moment (not the one you like the most or the one you think is the best one to choose) and turn to page 56.

Then copy out the fifth sentence plus the next 2 to 5 sentences following.  Then you pass it on to 5 others.

So here is my contribution:

Title: 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame

The fifth sentence on page 56: "They found themselves standing on the very edge of the Wild Wood."

Subsequent sentences:  "Rocks and brambles and tree roots behind them, confusedly heaped and tangled; in front a great space of quiet fields, hemmed by lines of hedges black on the snow, and, far ahead, a glint of the familiar old river, while the wintry sun hung red and low over the horizon.  The Otter, as knowing all the paths, took charge of the party, and they trailed out on a bee-line for a distant stile.  Pausing there a moment and looking back, they saw the whole mass of the Wild Wood, dense, menacing, compact, grimly set in vast white surroundings; simultaneously they turned and made swiftly for home, for firelight and the familiar things it played on, for the voice, sounding cheerily outside their window, of the river they knew and trusted in all its moods, that never made then afraid with any amazement."

It's as funny thing but this little book sits rather unobtrusively on the bookshelf, near to this chair, an you wouldn't even realise it was there, but my hand went to it automatically when I turned to get the book for this meme.

I won't choose anyone in particular to do this as I am not sure who, if anyone, will be reading my post!  But if you are then why not give this gentle meme a go!

I wee bit of self gratuitous narcicism

You Are 2: The Helper

You always put on a happy face and try to help those around you. You're incredibly empathetic and care about everyone you know. Able to see the good in others, you're thoughtful, warm, and sincere. You connect with people who are charming and charismatic. At Your Best: You are deeply giving, altruistic, and humble. You devote your life to others while caring for yourself too. At Your Worst: You are manipulative and enjoy making other people guilty. Your Fixation: Rejection Your Primary Fear: Being unworthy of love Your Primary Desire: To be loved unconditionally Other Number 2's: Mother Teresa, John Travolta, Princess Diana, Dr. Phil, and Mr. Rogers.

What Number Are You?

I didn't realise that Blessed Theresa of Calcutta took this test too!

Ready . . . Steady . . .

The fruit for the Christmas Cake has been mixed and is now sitting around biding its time for one week...

The Advent Wreath is prepared and ready for action.

So roll on Christmas!

Prayers

Prayers

Practicing God's Presence.

Offer up prayers for the people of Mumbai as they come to terms with the terrible and tragic evens of the past few days.

Offer up prayers for those who died

Offer up prayers for those who grieve

and offer up prayers for the souls of those people who perpetrated such a wicked act - both the organisers and those who carried them out.

NB:  The photo came from Yahoo News.

It all started . . .

It all started on Sunday while I was in Stockholm.

Top temperature was -2 Celsius.

The snow storm struck while I was trying to find the city's only Catholic Church so that I could light a candle for my father.  

Disoriented by the snow in our faces plus the bitter cold we had to give up the search but then AGA saw a large red church and so we went in there.  It was a Lutheran church but that is fine with me as all churches are God's house albeit in various states of repair.  It looked as though they were having some sort of a prayer service with guitars and singing but as we walked in they were having a breather while someone spoke (in Swedish so I have no idea what they were saying but everyone was listening and occasionally nodding.)

It was very quiet when we walked in so I slipped across to the candle holder and lit my candle for my Dad.  Then we left and made our way to the airport.

It gets dark at 3:30 at this point of time and so as the bus made its way along the highway you could see nothing, the snow storm blocking out even the light from the street lights.

The plane was due to leave for Dusseldorf at 8:10 in the evening.  At 10 we still had not left but had changed  gates

At 11 we were still waiting

At 12 we were still waiting

At 12:30 we were on the plane but waiting to be de-iced

At 1 we had been de-iced twice and were on our way.

At 2 in the morning we finally struggled through the door of our apartment.

When I was in my 20s I could go out nightclubbing or with my friends, get home at 6 have 1 hours sleep and be ready for work.  True, I would be rubbish by the end of the day but I could still deal quite competently with my work.  

Now I am 45 and having only five hours sleep left me exhausted!

So I am only just getting back to normal on Thursday - four days later and I still have my module essay to complete!

Oh well that IS life I suppose...

An anniversary

It is Christian charity to pray for the dead and I would ask you to please remember my father Colin in your prayers this Sunday.  He died thirteen years ago on the 23rd of November 1995 of a most horrible brain tumour, six weeks after diagnosis.  In that short time the tumour robbed his of almost all his faculties to our great distress and his dying, while a merciful release, left a large gap in the lives of his wife and children.

I don't have a photo on my computer of him in latter years but the one I have posted is of him in his twenties when he lived in Canada.  Before he married and settled down, he had lived in Canada, journeyed to Mexico and then rode on horseback across America from south to north before returning to Canada and then back to England.  He had many adventures and nearly died of black water fever (a form of malaria). He lived for a while on a Native American reservation where he interviewed them about their lives, visited an old people home because he heard that one of the last American gunfighters was still alive and living there.  He use to say that he did things that you just couldn't do today.

We had just convinced my father to write an account of these adventures of his when he died. I could go on writing about him but that would be to bore everyone although I will add that he was a poet and the best of fathers, who always had time for his children.  Even after all this time we miss him a lot.  His ashes are scattered on the shores of Lake Buttermere in the Lake District: the place he loved best in the world.

Please remember him in your prayers this weekend as I shall be doing in Stockholm.  I pray that his time in purgatory is short and that he enjoys the glorious vision of Our Lord as soon as possible!

An experiment with the Ave Maria

My brain is still too stuffed up with a cold to think of anything to post however, I am attempting to post my first video and if this works you will be able to see a video of 'The Priests' singing Ave Maria which never fails to move my heart. It is linked from a rather good website: Gloria.tv.
I hope it works and I hope you enjoy it!

A . . . A . . . A . . .TSCHOO!!

Yesterday I went to the Saturday evening Vigil Mass which was in memory of the German War Dead.  We call it, if I understand it correctly, People's Sadness Day

A very dignified, quiet affair with the St Sebastian Brotherhood in attendance carrying their Marian banners.  Some wore morning dress complete with top hats while others were in a bottle green Hussar uniform.  We remembered those killed in Kaiserswerth and those killed who came from Kaiserswerth.  Afterwards there was a procession to the war memorial near the old castle but I slipped off home because it was a cold night and I was not feeling 100% . . .

and the results?

Today I have a bad cold and an essay to finish for my latest module and I want both done and dusted by Thursday as I am going to Stockholm for a long weekend!

This morning I lay in bed having a cup of tea very kindly provided by AGA and reading a Country Homes and Interiors magazine.  The people in those magazines have such lovely houses with beautiful furnishing etc.  One day I hope to have a house like that although I see that most of the owners are either merchant bankers or managing directors of this or that...

Patron Saints for 2009

This week I received my patron Saint for 2009 from Angela over at  Where Angels go.

St Polycarp of Smyrna.

I know next to nothing about St Polycarp so I had better start researching, although I did read that he had known those who had known Jesus which I think is awe inspiring!

(I asked for patrons for everyone and Angela has kindly agreed, so now AGA and my immediate family all have patrons for next year which is extremely kind of her.)

St Martin's Day

Today is the feast of St Martin of Tours.  It is a very special day in Germany.  On St Martin's Eve the children light specially made (usually by them) lanterns and walk though the streets of the town or village singing songs in praise of St Martin's charity and in their mist rides St Martin himself, with his mitre and long white beard, riding a white horse and wearing a long cloak to represent that which he shared with the poor man.  In Kaiserswerth St Martin is BIG.  The parade is popular and populous with all the children from the surrounding area taking part, plus all three of our bands playing , the firemen and ambulance men leading St Martin and everyone singing their hearts out in praise of the this great Saint's charity.  I did try to take a photo to share but alas they didn't turn out so instead I have headed my post with a picture of the stained glass window in the church where the saint himself died in 397.  It is in a village on the banks of the Loire called Candes Saint Martin.  His body however does not lay here but in Tours.  A town further along the river.  Apparently what happened was that St Martin was staying here when he died.  Monks from Poitiers and from Tours were with him and of course everyone knew that there was going to be an unholy tussle as to who should have the honour of hosting his tomb.  So, while the monks of Poitiers were asleep, the monks of Tours quietly got up, took the body, loaded it on to a boat and swiftly left for Tours where his remains were interred and where his tomb is!

And here in the chapel attached to the church is a stained glass window depicting the event!

( or rather it would be except that blogger will not upload the photo!)

And finally here is the spot where he died although it is rather difficult to read as the wording has faded over the years . . .

Blog Award

Philip over at Ponte Sisto has very kindly given me an award!
The award is given in recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing.

I thank you Phil for thinking of me, and adding me to such an illustrious group!

I am going to think carefully about who I cam award this to, in turn...

Remembrance Sunday

I had an ancestor who fought at the Battle of Waterloo. 

When he returned home to his family he said that, having witnessed the carnage on the battlefield, he felt certain that there would never be another war because the World just would not be able to cope with such death and destruction. This made such an impact upon his family that the story has been faithfully handed down through each succeeding generation

Unfortunately events have proven that the World has had to cope with much greater episodes of death and destruction through war than that which occurred on the field at Waterloo. Indeed my ancestor’s sword, which he wore and used at Waterloo was destroyed when my grandparents house was destroyed by bombing during World War II.

Today is Remembrance Sunday. It is a grey, windy, rainy old day, which always seems somewhat fitting for such a sombre memorial; and I have just returned home from Mass having prayed my private prayers for all those who gave their lives in such conflicts.

We do not need to know exact numbers but it will suffice to say that thousands upon thousands of men women and children of many nationalities died in the two major conflicts of our lifetime (the two world wars) and in the many other wars before and since. 

Remembrance Sunday is always particularly acquainted with World War I, I guess because it is so close to the 11th of November. I particularly wish to remember these people who were members of my own family and who died on the field of conflict during the years 1914-1918

Will Owen aged 18. A Private in the 16th Battalion Welsh Regiment who was killed in Belgium on the 13 of September 1916. He joined up with his brother. While making an advance under heavy fire, the brother witnessed Will's death. Such was the situation that he could not stop but had to keep moving forward and hold the line.  Will Owen is buried at Essex Farm Cemetery and his grave is somewhere in the photo that heads this post. . .

Leslie James Denman Standen aged 20. Captain in the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment who was killed in France on the 18th of March 1916. Son of a Canon of Lincoln Cathedral. Undergraduate at Christ College, Cambridge.

Edward Joseph Owen aged 35. Rifleman in the 21st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps who was killed in Belgium on the 5th of August 1917. A married man with young children. He joined the army because he felt it his patriotic duty to defend his homeland.  He doesn't have a grave because his remains were, I believe, never found, however he is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres.

George Stephen Robjant aged 38. Private in the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders who was killed in France on the 28th of March 1918. Also a married man. A man who had never quite measured up to his demanding father’s expectations and as such had become somewhat estranged. Turning his back on his family he had opted for the life of a simple farm labourer but had answered the call to defend his country and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Here a verse from the poem entitled 'Flanders Fields' and written at Essex Farm Cemetery by a Canadian , John McCrae:

We are the Dead.  Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders Fields

N.B

I got the first photo is from this Internet site where you can also read the full poem.   The colour photo I took myself.

Success!

It was a coldish sort of day today.  The wind was blowing the leaves off the trees and swirling them around and around.  It put me in the mood for comfort food and having just recently obtained a pudding recipe from my mum I decided that I would give it a go, especially as AGA was also experimenting, with roasted pork belly. . .

But you know how it is when you try something new and you are not the only one going to be looking it?  If you are by yourself and it doesn't work out or doesn't look good you can just pop it in to the bin, or into your mouth if it tastes good.  But if someone else is there and you are experimenting then you want it to turn out perfectly so that you can so in a nonchalant way, oh it was nothing really. . .

Well today that was me.  My canary marmalade pudding turned out perfect and while I was quite modest about it when complimented by AGA, in side I was jumping for joy!  And here is a photo to show you how it turned out.

All this came from God's wondrous bounty!

We ate it with fresh hot custard and afterwards sat rather quietly because we were so full after such a big meal...  But as  you can see there is plenty for tomorrow so if you are in the neighbourhood . . . AGA is talking about having it with cream poured over it.

PS

I took the autumn photo from the sittingroom window this morning so that you can see what I see when I look out of the window at the moment

Re-Evangelisation and me

My dear blogging friend Adrienne, writing in response to the election victory in America, has raised some important issues, which have been seconded and expanded upon by another blogger called Mark from Spokane.

I read this posting with great interest and found myself in full agreement with the sentiments expressed, but I also believe that this applies not just to America but to the whole world!

The election results in America have become the catalyst for Adrienne's post but I think that a shake up of the church militant would be required either way.

While I was riding to school I thought about this topic. 

I tried to think what was the ultimate cause of the way we behave these days. 

This 'me' attitude. 

This 'right to chose' attitude. 

Is it rampant materialism? 

Is it egocentricity?

I think that it is more than that.

I think that it is a turning away from the principles of goodness.

All good things comes from God and so in turning away from goodness the World is, in effect, turning away from God; and that for me is a very distressing and somewhat 'dread-filling' realisation.

But...

(There is always a but, isn't there)

It is all fine and well for me to say what I think about the log in the world's eye when I have one in mine too.

They say that charity begins at home and I guess reform does too.

I can't expect to re-evangelise the Church by myself but we can certainly, with God's help, re-evangelise our own lives:

• We can practice the precepts of the Church.
  
• We can make the Theological and Cardinal Virtues a part of our every day life.
  
• We can pray earnestly that the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit take root in our souls.
  
• We can undertake the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
  
• and we can live the Beatitudes.
  

Unfortunately I don't mind admitting that I am so weak of will and so spiritually lazy that nothing will be accomplished within me personally without God's most gracious help and assistance.  I am like a child who wishes to do something great, but this can only be achieved with the help of loving parents who take the time to make sure that all goes well so that the finished product is as it should be.

I was once told that the desire to want to reform oneself is a gift from Our Father just as the desire the pray is a gift from Him also.  I therefore have something to thank God for already.

I can draw strength from this fact, from more constant prayer, and more importantly, from the Blessed Eucharist! 

And every time I stumble (which I am sure will be constantly taking place) I can get up, ask forgiveness, and keep on going because I must!

It is going to be hard but then the pilgrim road is never an easy one is it. . .

'Onwards Christian Soldiers' might not be considered (by some) to be the most appropriate hymn to be singing at this point but the sentiments it contain (and the tune) are certainly running through my mind as I write this! 

Continued Prayer Request

Here is an update on the twins: Alice and Laura.

Alice is now in the hospital at Colchester and doing quite well and growing. Her grandmother was able to hold her for the first time since she was born.

Laura unfortunately is not doing so well. She was taken to the Gt. Ormond Street Children's Hospital in London for a heart operation before being returned to Norwich where it is hoped that she will begin to make progress.

With one child in Colchester and one in Norwich it is, as you might imagine, very difficult for their parents as well and they can only visit them on alternate days.

Please continue to remember Alice and Laura in your prayers, as well as their parents and if you are in Church and remember them then perhaps you might light a candle too.

Thank you.

All Saints Day 2

And All Saints Day has a special significance in our family as it is my Mum's birthday.

Happy Birthday Mumsy!

Allerheiligen Gemeindemesse Kaiserwerth

Today I attended Mass at our basilica for All Saints Day.

It was beautiful.

We had the organ of course and the Kaiserswerth Schola were singing.

We also had our bishop, two priests and nineteen altar servers.  As they processed in the choristers performed Gergorian chant and I must admit that it made me all goose-bumpy.

All prayers, and responses, the  Credo, Agnus Dei, Sanctus etc. were in Latin although a couple of the hymns were in German, which was nice.

One of our hymns was written by Freidrich von Spee, our local Jesuit lad from the 16th century who was instrumental in, among other things, ending the burning of old people as witches . . .

There was plenty of incense and I paid special attention to the altar server who's job it was to hold the crozier - that always seemed to be my job when I served at Mass and we crozier holders like to stick together!

Our Bishop is a short chap who wears dark glasses most of the time but he is also one of those who talk very loudly and then very softly, accompanied by a lot of arm waving - as a result I could not follow a lot of the sermon - my German being rather poor -although I know he was talking a lot about our Saint Suidbertus.  He also was doing a lot of exhortation with arms raised above his head...

I lit candles for my father and grandmother and AGA's mother and I said a prayer for my fellow bloggers too.

All in all it was a wonderful celebration and the organist got so carried away at the end that we had an almost Handelian ending to the recessional which made everyone clap as it came to an end while everyone was in the midst of leaving.

So that was my All Saints Day.  I hope yours was just as nice

Would you like to sign this petition?

International Call for the Rights and Dignity of the Human Person and the Family

We, the citizens of UN member states, in this year of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948,

Recalling that:

The Universal Declaration is a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all Nations,
Bearing in mind that:
Human rights, dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity and justice constitute the spiritual and moral patrimony on which the union of Nations is based,
Stress that:
Proper consideration must be given to
The right to life of every human being, from conception to natural death, each child having the right to be conceived, born and educated within the family, based on marriage between a woman and a man, the family being the natural and fundamental group unit of society,
The right of every child to be educated by his or her parents, who have a prior and fundamental right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Therefore, we call upon:
All governments to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights properly such that:
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person (Article 3)
Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family (Article 16).
The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State (Article 16).
Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance (Article 25).
Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children (Article 26).

If you agree with this, please sign up here.

Pre-birth infanticide

It isn't only in the UK and the USA that apalling stories of pre birth infanticide are takign place. Here is a terrible story from Australia which I read on the Cardinal Pole blog.
The angels must truly weep at such terrible goings on.

Movies?

I am not a big movie fan. I find a lot of movies far too coarse and vulgar for my liking. I used to like it when I was in my late teens, reading the Vicar General’s movie reviews about what was acceptable and what was not for Catholics to watch. . .

Anyway, as I have got older the movies have become even more of a scandal. Now some, including AGA might accuse me of acting like an elderly duchess at this point but I disagree. There is far too much violence and unacceptable behaviour. . . which begets violence and unacceptable behaviour in its turn. There is very little innocence in movies these days. . .

Okay then, so what movies do I like?

Well I enjoyed watching the first Harry Potter movie, as well as the Narnia movie with my nephew. . . but as to what is on my shelf – not much. Movies - and I mean movies not mini series or BBC dramas etc – are few and far between. 

Could I name ten of my favourite movies at this point of time? 

Certainly! And here they are, although in no particular order:

1. The original Sabrina – Audrey Hepburn was such a beautiful woman and a lovely actress too.

2. Mrs Miniver – Mrs. Miniver is one of my favourite movie heroines.

3. The Scarlet and the Black – I like these heroic movies

4. The Margaret Rutherford Miss Marples – a comic genius

5. Miss Potter – a wonderful movie to watch. 

6. Zulu – it is so much more than just a war movie.

7. Babette’s Feast – I love art house movies

8. Cold Comfort Farm – funny and timeless

9. The David Suchet Hercule Poirots – he is the best Poirot I think.

And finally

And rather apt for the month of the Rosary:

10. The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima.

My goodness I LOVE that movie. I could watch it over and over. I know it is somewhat dated but I get so caught up in it. 

And it makes me cry – in a good way. 

I cry when they are in prison and they say the Rosary with the prisoners, I cry when Lucia is being punished for supposedly making things up, I cry when the miracles take place. 

And yet it makes me happy at the same time!