Intentions for #twitterangelus update

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Sorry it has taken me too long to do this.

From the comments on my last post on this subject everyone seems in favour of having intentions for #twitterangelus. The idea of having different intentions at different times seems to be acceptable and people have approved the structure I suggested with two modifications: firstly that the main intentions should be at 6 pm because more people are able to take part by tweeting (I know at noon a lot of people, including me, pray along even though they are not able to use the Net) and secondly that some of my intentions were too Anglocentric.

Taking those comments on board and reflecting on the idea over the last fortnight, I would like to propose the following:

6 am- Two fixed intentions:

  • the those in the womb especially those in danger today
  • for the sanctification of the internet and in particular the Catholic presence online.

Noon – Private intentions of those taking part

6 pm – Intentions that change:

  • one long term
  • others that are suggested weekly

This is slightly different from my original suggestion. It has occurred to me that with a prayer that celebrates the incarnation and firmly places this at the point of Our Lord’s conception (i.e. the Annunciation) it is appropriate to remember those in the womb and the start of the day feels the right time to do this. The second intention was inspired by the one that Ben Travato chose yesterday which seems to me to be one to preserve. Again the start of the day is the right time to do this.

I have always liked the idea of unspoken intentions so I have preserved this in my suggestion.

In order to get prayers for the unborn in at noon I have added the short-term and long-term prayers together at dusk.

Is that structure acceptable?

Assuming it his, here is how I think it could work. Someone needs to collect requests for the intentions either via email or combox and publish them weekly. We could set up a blog specifically to do this or someone could add a page to their existing blog. I suggest the latter for now to explore how it works with the possibility of moving to a separate blog (which would be the ideal, I think) later. I would be willing to do this but equally happy (or perhaps happier) if someone else took this responsibility on. The weekly page would contain the text for tweeting and the intentions, possibly with a link to some suitable music. I It would be published some time on Saturday ready for the start of each week. The volunteer would set up a blog page open to comments for prayers or would set up an email account for people to use.

Update: Mark Pucket has set up a blog specifically for #twitterangelus prayer intentions here. Please take a look and suggest your intentions for next week.

I suggest we aim to get this agreed and in place for next Sunday.

As far as a long term intention is concerned, I think we should take the Pope’s general intention for May but use it beyond this month. It is: “That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society.” England and Wales desperately needs our prayers for the protection of family life by, most importantly, maintaining the current legal definition of marriage. Using the Pope’s wording would include other aspects of family life and be relevant to other countries.

As regards the days for the English to include tweeting the Prayer for England I agree with all the suggestions but would add if we are using the 17th November for St Hugh we should include St Hilda on that day too. I would equally be happy to tweet other national prayers on suitable days. In fact I think we should.

By the way, I know we have been saying the Regina Caeli during Eastertide which doesn’t celebrate the incarnation explicitly but I believe it does so implicitly. See here for a justification of this claim.

Coalition for Marriage Petition

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I normally leave more controversial issues to for other people to comment on, this being an account of my visits to various holy places rather than a space for discussion of serious issues. However I understand that this image is considered potentially homophobic and offensive by the ASA. You can read about it here.

Homophobia is defined as fear of or contempt for lesbians or gay men. I’d be very interested if anyone could point out how this “advert” falls within that definition. Whilst I have no fear of or contempt for people with same-sex attraction I am contemptuous of the ASA for not being able to tell the difference between a serious complaint and a silly one.

 

Intentions for #twitterangelus

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Several people on Twitter have been tweeting the Angelus (or since Easter, the Regina Caeli). You can read about it on Ben Travato’s blog here and here.

I have suggested that it might be a good idea to specify intentions for the prayers. Here is how it might work. The Regina Caeli or Angelus is said three times a day. This arrangement of intentions is a possibility:

Dawn: A short-term intention agreed beforehand (probably the night before)

Noon: Main intention prayed for over an extended period of time.

Evening: Private intentions of those taking part

Actually it might be the case that more people take part at 6 pm so perhaps the main intention should be prayed for at that time.

If I had to suggest a main intention it would be for the definition of marriage as the voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others to remain enshrined in law in this country. This could be our intention at least until the end of the consultation.

On the other hand, it is appropriate for a prayer that celebrates the Incarnation and clearly links this to the Annunciation to be said for the unborn so perhaps that intention should be part of the routine.

Alternatively it has been suggested that we should pray for the Pope’s intentions (which reminds me I have not checked what they are for May).

What do others think?

On a similar note, we tweeted the Prayer for England on St George’s day. Are there other special English feast days when we should do the same? My suggestions 4th May (Friday – English Martyrs) 24th September (Our Lady of Walsingham) and perhaps 13th October (St Edward the Confessor).

Again what do others think?

Prayer for England for #twitterangelus

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Just in case anyone wants to follow the Regina Caeli with the Prayer for England today (Solemnity of St George), here it is divided into sections.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother look down in mercy upon England, thy dowry #twitterangelus

and upon us who greatly hope and trust in thee. #twitterangelus

By thee it was that Jesus, our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; #twitterangelus

and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more. #twitterangelus

Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross, O Sorrowful Mother, #twitterangelus

Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold, #twitterangelus

they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. #twitterangelus

Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith, fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, #twitterangelus

together with thee in our heavenly home. #twitterangelus

AMEN.  #twitterangelus

All Twelve Mini Pilgrimages Completed. What Now?

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The last Pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral brought the cycle of 12 (1 a month for a year) to an end. At this point it is worth reviewing all twelve.

At Westminster I realised how important it is to be proud of my Catholic faith and to keep improving and developing. At Ilkley I rediscovered the generosity of God, the Stations of the Cross and the Angelus. In Liverpool I realised the importance of praying for those in positions of power and influence. In Fernyhalgh I was inspired by the faith and confidence of St John Bosco and his great devotion to Our Lady. In St Helens I reflected on the need for the re-conversion of England and the inspirational energy and patience of Blessed Dominic Barberi. At Whitby I found optimism in the face of our current difficult circumstances. At Knaresborough I rediscovered (or maybe found for the first time) the power of the Rosary. In Birmingham I was reminded of the importance of getting the small things right and of witnessing to the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. In York I realised the importance of witnessing to my faith with clarity and courage and the importance of improving my understanding of it. At Ampleforth I drew up a rule of life (I have had a look at it and I can see I have followed it with only mixed success). On the island of Lindisfarne I reflected on the importance of the Mass and in Durham and Jarrow I was inspired by the continuity of faith in these islands.

One question I have to ask myself is whether to continue with these mini pilgrimages. The inspiration for them came from a book about Christian Leadership (see here) which suggested that a Christian Leader ought to take out 1 day a month for prayer and reflection. As we like to say in education, what impact has this had? Personally the change has been significant. I pray more, I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation more and I have a better understanding of my faith. So far so good; I have noticed a difference. Has it made me a better husband and father and as the inspiration for starting was professional, has it made be better at my job? Honestly I am not sure but if it makes a difference to me I would hope that those around me notice too.

Two further decisions to be made: should I continue with these mini pilgrimages and should I continue to blog about them? The first one is a “no-brainer”. Given that it has made a significant difference to me I feel compelled to continue. As regards blogging, well that has had two benefits at least. Firstly it has given me the discipline to continue when time got tight in the autumn. In addition it has made me reflect on and write about each day. This has enhanced the benefit at the time and has given me something to look back on which has been valuable too. Of course I could do this in a private journal but I doubt I would find the time to do so.

So the decision is to continue with the mini pilgrimages and to continue writing about them. It’s up to you whether you continue to read.

Use of the Word “Genetricem” in the Regina Caeli

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If you are looking for something authoritative and erudite then look elsewhere. The thoughts here are a result of a few minutes’ reflection, reading and internet research. If you know I have made an error please point it out in a comment.

I have been really enjoying taking part in the #twitterangelus and the Regina Caeli which you can read about on Ben Travato’s site here (and for more on praying the Angelus on twitter here)

The language for the prayer on twitter is either Latin and English with both languages having their advocates. Part of the prayer in Latin goes: “ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae.” which is translated as: “that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of eternal life.” This got me thinking; why is the word “Genetricem” (accusative declension for Gentrix) used for mother when the normal word would be “Matrem” (accusative declension for Mater)? (Note: knowing that “mater” is the Latin for “mother” and that declension happens to Latin nouns pretty much exhausts my knowledge about Latin – remember you aren’t getting anything erudite here and I had to look the “accusative” bit up.)

A bit of internet research showed me that the word “genetrix” could be used to mean mother but also had the meaning of female ancestor. I wondered whether genetrix could be a title for Mary because that might explain its use. Sure enough further searches revealed that “Genetrix Dei” was a title for Mary that was confirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431. It is the Latin equivalent of the Greek “Theotokos”.  The Council of Ephesus was called to settle a Christological dispute. Nestorius of Constantinople was attacking the use of “Theotokos” in popular piety. He held Christ had two separate natures, human and divine and that Mary was only the mother of Jesus the man and not the Mother of God. The council condemned this as heresy and affirmed that Christ’s human and divine natures were united. It confirmed that Mary was indeed the Mother of God.

What’s interesting to me here is that in Ordinary Time when we say the Angelus itself we are celebrating explicitly the incarnation: “The word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us” (or “Et Verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis” as some would prefer). In Easter when we pray the Regina Caeli instead, by the use of Genetricem we do the same thing implicitly.

It is also worth noting that our understanding of Christ is inextricably linked to our understanding of Our Lady.

Of course in the Ave Maria the phrase “Mother of God” is “Mater Dei” in Latin; don’t ask me why Genetrix isn’t used here. You will need to ask someone whose understanding is based on more than a few minutes’ study.

Sources:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 456 – 511

Council of Ephesus (Catholic Encyclopaedia)

How to Read Church History Volume 1, Jean Comby, SCM Press, London 1985

Work in progress

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My final pilgrimage of the year was to Westminster Cathedral and the Tyburn Convent.

Westminster Cathedral

I have been to Westminster Cathedral a couple of times before and to be honest, I was not that impressed. It is clear when you go in it isn’t complete. Also there is an awful lot of marble; I suspect that I may have absorbed some Anglican sensibilities from the general culture and my initial reaction was that it is all a bit much.

However this time I was much more impressed. Though not perfect, from the inside this is a beautiful building and some of the mosaic work is exquisite especially in the Lady Chapel which was where we began with Morning Prayer.

High up on the walls of the Lady Chapel are mosaics of scenes from Mary’s life. If you can’t get to see the originals then I recommend this book: Chapters of Gold: The life of Mary in Mosaics by Rachel Billington and Gered Mankowitz but as with most things the original is the best. The photography in the book is excellent but no-one could catch the effect of sunlight on gold. The mosaics themselves make an excellent meditative devotion and would also make very good illustrations for the some of the Mysteries of the Rosary. Other mosaics in the Cathedral are also very impressive; I particularly like the Holy Family mosaic in St Joseph’s Chapel.

The Cathedral is a rich treasure as a place of prayer. Morning and Evening prayer are celebrated (and if you go outside school holidays they are sung), there are at least 4 Masses every day and exposition in the afternoon. I thoroughly recommend a visit.

Tyburn Convent

Tyburn Convent is next to Hyde Park within a stone’s throw of the site of the original Tyburn gallows. It’s worth a visit for two reasons – firstly there is adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from morning to evening and in their crypt they have relics of martyrs executed at Tyburn and elsewhere. You have to arrive at the right time to see the relics – 10:30 am, 3:30 pm or 5:30 pm. The relics themselves are interesting (although there are so many of them and it is challenging to your ignorance when you don’t know anything about the person to whom they belong).

What particularly impressed me was a set of stained glassed windows relating the lives of the Martyrs with the Corporal Works of Mercy and the Beatitudes. These windows are worth the visit alone.

The other thing about relics, of course, is that they emphasise the reality of lives of those they belong to. It is very easy to consider the lives of martyrs as stories to illustrate steadfastness, courage and fidelity. The truth is we are talking about real lives of those who had to undergo real suffering in order to pass the faith on to us.

It was also worth it for me to visit the convent because I learned that 85 English Martyrs were beatified by John Paul II in 1987. How this event passed me by at the time I can’t begin to explain especially as two of them were associated with my home town. Sometimes I worry that I am going through life half asleep.

The Day

We began with Morning Prayer followed imediately by Mass. We then had time for Confession and prayer in the Cathedral. For lunch we ate in the Cathedral Cafe which was very reasonable. In the afternoon more prayer, a short time of Eucharistic Adoration and then we took the tube to Tyburn Convent for a tour of the Crypt, some more Eucharistic adoration and some time in silent contemplation by the site of the Tyburn Gallows. (We were silent – the traffic was noisy.)

John Southworth

One reason for visiting Westminster Cathedral was to visit the shrine of John Southworth. Our family has a very tenuous connection to John Southworth so he has always been one of the English martyrs I have had a particular devotion to. Apart from the obvious courage and fortitude shown by all of our martyrs John Southworth was impressive for his work in relieving poverty and suffering during the plague of 1636. He saw clearly his vocation to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of his charges.

Reflections on the day

Why was my reaction to the Cathedral different this visit? I think it was because the previous visits had been for interest rather than prayer; you know the kind of thing – “do” London – see the sights and as a good Catholic I ought to pop in to Westminster Cathedral to “have a look”. I suspect visiting with the intention of prayer made all the difference.

The spiritual reading I chose to take was a little heavy going: “Transformed by Grace: Scripture, Sacraments and the Sonship of Christ” by Scott Hahn and Don Wulstan Mork however it does emphasise the importance of an integrated approach to faith and life which echoes, for me, the life of St John Southworth.

The Cathedral itself is interesting. Those who built it were clearly proudly Catholic and wanted a proper Catholic place of worship. They were not afraid to run counter to current tastes for Churches to express this. It is also an inspiration for me that the Cathedral is still not finished. I feel this to be true about myself but in spite of the fact there is lots I need to develop by the grace of God there is there something to celebrate at certainly the potential to improve. Just like the Cathedral, we are all works in progress.

Link to some photos of a higher standard than usual – Mrs Pilgrim took them.

So that is the final pilgrimage of the cycle. That in itself poses questions. Should I continue with my pilgrimages next year? What about this blog; should I write more posts? I will reflect on this and post something in due course. My instinct now is to continue with both. They have certainly helped me to develop spiritually over the last 12 months.

Easter Pilgrimage Plans

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So I am all set for the twelfth and final mini pilgrimage on Wednesday.

We start at 10:00 am at Westminster Cathedral for Morning Prayer and Mass. After some time praying at the Shrine of St John Southworth we will visit the Tyburn Convent where they have exposition all day. We are travelling by train (the night before because of the strange way our railways are run, this is cheaper than catching a train in the morning).

Yes, I know that London is not in the North.

So why London? Well I have tried to find inspiration in Feast Days. In a couple of weeks’ time we have the Feast of St George so it is a good time to celebrate England by a visit to the Capital and the national Cathedral.

In addition the Cathedral is dedicated to Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ which makes it a suitable Easter venue.

The main attraction is the Shrine because there is a very tenuous family connection to the Saint.

For reflection I will be taking the Catechism to read up on Easter and Pentecost plus “Does the Bible Really Say That?: Discovering Catholic Teaching in Scripture” by Patrick Madrid and “Transformed by Grace: Scripture, Sacraments and the Sonship of Christ” by Scott Hahn and Don Wulstan Mork.

I will let you know how it goes.

Ilkely (but not the moor and I did have a hat)

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The destination

Last weekend I made my Lenten pilgrimage to Calvary near Myddelton Lodge, Ilkley. This area has a long association with Catholicism in England. Myddelton Lodge was a recusant house during Penal times. In 1922 the Passionist Fathers purchased the property and set up a retreat house. I suspect they were the ones who erected a Stations of the Cross in the woods at the back of the property in an enclosure they called “Calvary”. Myddelton Lodge passed to the Diocese of Leeds in the 80’s. The cost of updating was too great so the Diocese sold the house and most of the land and used the proceeds to build a new retreat house next door: Myddelton Grange.

The Grange chapel contains the relics of a local martyr, Blessed Christopher Wharton so the Grange is a shrine. However it is also the Diocesan Youth retreat centre so they, understandably, do not welcome strangers visiting.

I selected this venue because I wanted to the Stations of the Cross outside. Alternatives I considered were Our Lady of Mount Grace, Ushaw, (thanks to James Preece and Ben Travato for these suggestions) or Ladyewell near Prescot. Observant readers will know that I have already been to Ladyewell; I was not sure about access at Ushaw now the seminary has closed and James indicated that the stations at Mount Grace are quite basic. Myddelton also has the advantage of being (almost) at the top of a hill which adds to the Calvary experience.

The plan was to attend Mass at the Sacred Heart church in Ilkley, walk up the hill for Stations of the Cross and then return to Ilkley for some further reading.

The day

Sacred Heart does not have a website so I had to do some guesswork about when Mass would be. “Not earlier than 10 am,” I thought: wrong – the energetic Catholics of Ilkley get up early for their Saturday mass and start at 9:30 in the morning. This meant I arrived just in time to see the congregation leaving. Nevertheless I did have time to say the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in church instead.

The Dilemma

Walking up the hill I found the Stations behind Myddelton Grange and began to pray. At Noon I was faced with I dilemma: whilst praying the 8th station the Angelus bell sounded; what should I do – break off from the station to say the Angelus or continue, perhaps saying the Angelus later?

This incident has got me thinking about the Angelus itself. Isn’t it wonderful to have a regular reminder of the great blessing of the incarnation? Shouldn’t we be praying this prayer more often so why don’t more of our churches be sounding an Angelus bell? Maybe 6:00 am might cause offense and distress but Noon and 6:00 pm should not offend anyone. I have since learned that St Margaret’s (an Anglican church in Ilkley) also rings the Angelus bell. If they can do it why can’t we?

The Stations prayer I was using was a meditation written by Pope Benedict XVI (before he became Pope) for Easter 2005 which you can find here. I thoroughly recommend them. A number of things struck me for the first time. For the First Station his Holiness points out that at Pentecost many of those who called for Christ’s death were “cut to the heart” by what they had done meaning that this Station can be an opportunity to call for conversion.

He also does something interesting with the three falls, linking the first to human pride, the second to the modern falling away from faith and the third to the failures of those who belong to the Church. He links the 10th Station to a lack of respect for human life at its most vulnerable: in the womb and towards the end of life and for the final Station he links Nicodemus gift of nard to our responsibility to ensure our faith is “once more the fragrance which returns us to the path of life”. The whole thing is really very thought-provoking and prayerful. I urge you to read it.

The final meditation for the day was the CCC sections 595 to 630 which cover the Passion.

Thoughts from the day

Firstly there is something about pride. It is very human to want to do great things whether it is to influence young people (the pride of a teacher) or even people reading this blog (bloggers pride) but the really significant human achievement was accomplished by Our Lord on the Cross. For us, God’s plan might have our most important task as being something that to human eyes is quite insignificant. Prayer and humility are so important.

Secondly I realise I have been neglecting some important Catholic devotions – the Angelus and the Stations of the Cross. It’s a very long time since I prayed the Way of the Cross and a long time since I last said the Angelus. When I heard the bell I realised how much I missed marking the incarnation at the centre of the day. I have now set my phone up to ring at noon but haven’t yet found a good enough audio clip for it to sound like a proper Angelus bell. When saying the Stations I did feel a deep sense of joy – a real feeling that the events described though horrible and unjust were the events of a truly Good Friday. I need to make more time for the Stations.

Thirdly there is a huge contrast between human pride and the way God operates. CCC 618 says: “.. Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries.” The idea that we can sanctify our own suffering by adding it to his is not new but what struck me is the generosity of this.

As a resolution I will be following the Way of the Cross at least one more time before Easter and I might have a word with my Parish Priest about ringing an Angelus bell in our church.

Update: I have corrected the link to Pope Benedict’s stataions (thank you Ben) and I have added a link to some pictures on Flikr

Two Concerns (or do I mean moans)

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Having spent a great day at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral yesterday, it seems churlish to moan but I do have three worries about what I say when I was there.

Firstly the charging policy for the Crypt – £3 for adults (fair enough), £2 for Children (fair enough again) and £8 for families (good idea to give a discount to encourage families to do something spiritual together) a family consisting of up to 2 adults and up to 3 children (What? Surely that can’t be right).

Given that Catholic parents are supposed to be open to life what on earth are we doing buying in to the worldly notion that having more than a few children is a bit “odd” and not to be encouraged by discounts or anything?

To illustrate what I mean, on a visit to Ireland about 10 years ago I visited a Stone Age site and paid with a family ticket. We had our own children plus a niece and a nephew with us. I asked the cashier how many children could be included on a family ticket: she could not understand the concept. “They are all part of your family, aren’t they,” she said. We did not even have to pay extra for the extra two. Ireland has changed a lot in the last decade and maybe they are no longer as enlightened as they used to be. However that’s exactly the understanding of “family” we should be promoting in our Cathedrals.

Secondly, the Cathedral has an Amnesty Chapel. Clearly this dates to the time before Amnesty International lost its way over human rights. The authorities have changed the chapel so that the candle no longer mirrors the Amnesty International logo. However there is still literature promoting the work of AI on the chapel noticeboard. Ironically, the next Chapel as you go round is the Children’s chapel with a candle burning in memory of all “God’s children who have died in the womb or in infancy”.

However nothing I have said here should discourage people from visiting the Cathedral if they have a chance.