Happy Saint Joseph's!

I have always been a fan of celebrating saints days and would always find it amusing when my Irish friends would tell me I'm an honorary Irishman on Saint Patrick's Day. I would often reply, whilst imbibing Guinness that like Saint Patrick I'm British and Catholic. 

Today we celebrate Saint Joseph's day - a powerful intercessor for all men but especially fathers, husbands, those struggling to be pure, those seeking work and those looking for a new home. 

It is also my son's feast day - we shall find a way of celebrating his baptism and saints day as he grows older but please spare a prayer for him - on the eve of his 5th month that he may, like Saint Joseph love Our Lord and Our Lady and grow into a man of strength, gentleness, kindness and manly virtue. 

IF - for Catholics

The poem "IF" penned by Rudyard Kipling is my favourite secular piece of writing in the English language. Every father should teach this to their sons if they want them to become real men. The poem reinforces true manly virtues of strength, forgiveness, humility in times of triumph and resilience when disaster strikes. 

With apologies to Kipling, I have attempted to rewrite this poem for my fellow Catholics, to remind myself and anyone who might read this, that in this life we make choices - and they have eternal consequences:

If you can keen the faith when all about you,

Are losing theirs and sometimes mocking you;

If you can trust Our Lord when others doubt Him,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can love those who treat you with derision, 

In person, or on a blog, online

Say a rosary, don't cause more division

Pray to bless them especially at that time. 

If you can pray, giving glory to Our Father

If you can think of Him with salvation as your aim;

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

But glorify Him throughout all the same 

If you can bear to hear the Faith be spoken

Of, derided by the ignorant and the fool

Or the Church, Christ gave His life for, body broken,

Mocked, but calmly defend her, keeping cool. 

If you can genuflect when He's before you,

If you bow your head at the Holy Name;

While others disrespect Him and laugh at you,

Although no one else will do the same;

If you can't bear to know the grace you're given

Was lost, by just one mortal sin,

Then respond, quickly seek to be forgiven,

Be absolved, a life of grace again begin;

If you can surf the web yet keep your virtue, 

Or write a blog, yet not lose the common touch;

If the plight of the unborn and those in poverty moves you,

If you help them out, but no one knows too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With prayer 'til anger's at an end;

Yours is true life - and graces without limit,

And what is more, you'll get to heaven my friend.    

(With apologies to Rudyard Kipling)

Fast, Pray, Love

The book, and later, film called, "Eat, Pray, Love" never appealed to me but many have said that it was pretty self indulgent. 

Lent could be described as a time to "Fast, Pray and Love."  I'm not very good at Lent. I have great intentions on Ash Wednesday then on Friday night as I'm having a pint or Saturday afternoon when I'm halfway through a chocolate bar I tend to remember what I'm giving up. 

This Lent I aim to be more purposeful - not only chose to fast from something each day but to pray more, especially when I particularly desire that chocolate bar or beer. 

Love is perhaps a key message in Lent - we give to the poor but we also joyfully look forward to remembering what Christ did for us - and celebrate Easter three days later. 

May we deny ourselves, pray and seek to love more whilst, remembering today's Gospel, being joyful. 

Walking in darkness

The other day I decided to go for a run but after about 20 minutes realised that I'm not as fit as I'd like to be and so it turned into more of a walk - run - walk. 

Exploring the town in which I live led me to travel down unfamiliar paths and I soon found my way on unfamiliar ground. I since realised that if we are to explore new areas we probably shouldn't do so when it's dark, raining and one's mobile battery is about to die. 

My wife and I had an interesting discussion when I returned home, several hours later, cold, wet and suitably contrite. 

What did I learn in this mini adventure? Sometimes in life different paths seem interesting but if we don't walk in the light of Christ we are headed for darkness and despair. I also learned about the kindness of strangers and the importance of better communication. 

In life's daily journey let us remember the words of Christ:

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not live in darkness but have the light of life." John 8:12

Remembering a Pro Life Hero

The Lutheran pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is perhaps one of the greatest pro-life heroes of the 20th Century. Today is the anniversary of his birth and the following words should inspire and challenge us to do more to protect life: 

"Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak ... Christians should give more offence, shock the world far more, than they are doing now."

The Holy Name of Jesus

Today is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus in the older calendar of the Roman Rite. 

The liturgy and the scriptures and prayers within highlight the great power of the name of Jesus. It is a reminder that this name alone is a powerful prayer, it makes

Satan flee and should be used only in prayer or with the utmost respect. There is also an indulgence attached to the invocation of the Holy Name. 

The liturgy both before and after Vatican II  insists that we bow every time the name of Jesus is mentioned and of course to use the name as a swear word is a grave sin - sacralige. I recently read that traditionally Catholiics would pray, "Blessed be the name of The Lord" when they heard this name being use blasphemously - this would be a great custom to restore. 

May we grow in love for Christ and His Holy Name daily. 

Sunshine award

I was delighted to hear that I was awarded the Sunshine Blog award from both Jackie Parkes and Richard Collins. 

One of my duties shall be to nominate ten other blogs which I shall do in a few days time. My other solemn duty to share ten things about myself on this blog. This doesn't come easy to me but here goes:

1.  I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church teaches, believes and proclaims to be revealed by God.  

2. I am a sinner, aware of my need for God's grace and wouldn't go more than a week without Confession if possible and receive the Eucharist several times a month. 

3.  I have a beautiful, loving and patient wife who encourages me to be the man I am and respects me as the head of our family under Christ. I am passionately in love with this woman, my best friend, and mother of my young son. 

4.  I'm not entirely sure who reads this blog and always appreciate feedback but made two choices: never to give my name and to refrain from needlessly criticising any other person. I hope to share thoughts, amuse and possibly inspire other people - not bring them down. 

5.  I'm an Englishman whose lived in two foreign countries: Wales and Hong Kong (where I grew in appreciation of English traditions, rugby and cricket respectively) and have been fortunate enough to have worked in and / or visited five continents and ovee 50 countries including the Holy Land and what is left of the Papal States. 

6.  Although born in the 1970s, I feel more at home worshipping at a (Tridentine) Latin Mass and once had various internet trolls threatening to have me burnt at the stake as a heretic when I wrote a spoof article wanting a more meaningful liturgy and concluding that the old rite is what is needed. Sadly, Damian Thompson, removed the death threats from the blog, which I rather enjoyed. 

7. I was once threatened with excommunication by Cardinal Basil Hume when I told him that I hoped Anglican prayers would be more efficacious for about 90 minutes when it had been reported that he and the ArchMinister of Canterbury were to attend the FA Cup final together cheering and praying for Newcastle and Arsenal respectively. 

8.  I spent a year as a seminarian and later a year as a novice monk at Ampleforth. Although neither were to be my vocation I treasure those times and the friends I made at each. I should pray for vocations more often than I do. 

9.  I was once hugged by a lady Anglican minister who was concerned that I wouldn't like her because she's a woman and I reassured her that I believe that her ordination is just as valid as her male counterparts. 

10. I believe in genuine ecumenism, but it has to based on the highest, not the lowest, common denominator. Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox friends have all encouraged me in my faith and despite being a Papist and a layman, have spoken at several Protestant churches in Hong Kong. I prefer faithful non Catholic Christians who genuinely seek God and to liberal Catholics who water down the faith any day.