Being present to the Presence

Conservative thinks themselves above Liberal, Liberal thinks they are Liberal, Protestants set themselves against catholic, fundamentalists set themselves against everyone. All sincerely seek God in Jesus ! What the heck has it come to ?

More and more I see the contemplative mind as the antidote to all of the above. Being present to God in the NOW, being transformed by the Gospel of and the presence of Jesus, being transformed by God rather than entrenching my position as a liberal, Tridentinist, Franciscan or whatever. The presence of God is the presence of God is the presence of God.

I thank God so much for teachers like Richard Rohr and Cynthia Bourgeault. Also for loved ones and friends who reflect the presence in their life, the God in whose image they too were made.

God is present to us in the now, be transformed by God, not by belonging . . .

Catholic TV

Having just recovered from a shocking chest infection with my back going in the middle of it all, I thought I’d share some of the ways the Internet and catholic TV on the internet helped me pass the time.

First of all, I’m not usually this insular, just searching for catholic TV, but if I widened my ‘view’ I don’t think I’d have ever watched anything.

If you have found any other good TV resources please let me know. I’d be fascinated to hear – honest ! Here goes

Watch and Pray. A whole range of places in Ireland to observe Mass, the Rosary, parts of the Office or Eucharistic adoration and some classic non-committal hymn singing.

Have a nosey at the grotto in Lourdes on live TV, join in with the Rosary or watch any of the archived programs.

The Catholic community of St Paul in Leesburg, Florida have a webcam online 24 hours of the day. Sunday Mass is a lively affair with a thoughtful homily. Occasionally you might come across choir practice or a weekday service. Part of the Catholic Community Television Network (CCTN) archived programs from St Pauls can be found here

CatholicTV.tv appears to be based in Belgium and has a number of archived programs. Beware, some are only trailers, though eventually you might find a really fascinating program such as this interview with Gerard W Hughes.

CatholicTV.com had some of the best and worst of programs I found. On the sad side take a look at this and I dare you not to cringe. However, the series, 'Catholic Destinations' give an insight to places of pilgrimage you might not have been to and would like to know more about, eg the Shrine of St Therese of Lisieux

“Salt and Light Television” based in Toronto have some brilliant documentary programs that can be watched online. You can watch a super documentary on Mary MacKillop and there are links to a range of programs on You Tube

Finally You Tube is always a varied source of inspirational and ‘outspirational’ offerings. I hope my two weeks in bed has been worthwhile for you and that my being called to stillness has been worth it.

Fr Gerry Malone CSsR Questions Mandatory Celibacy for Priests

Independent Catholic News are running this story relating to mandatory celibacy for Roman Catholic priests. Fr Gerry Moloney, CSsR says: “The issue of mandatory celibacy has to be looked at”. Recognising that married priests already minister in the Church through former Anglicans who joined the Catholic Church, Fr Moloney asks if the thousands of men who left the priesthood in order to marry could be readmitted. He further asks whether the Year for Priests has anything special to say to women?

He concludes that the Year for Priests is “a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our priests and the work they do but it must also allow for an open, honest discussion about the priest shortage, and what the Holy Spirit might be saying to us about this crisis.”

Have a look for yourself and thankyou so much Fr Moloney for daring to speak the unspeakable ! Find out more about reality magazine here.

A Minute for Madeleine . . .

Please take one minute to watch this video of Madeleine McCann who was taken from her family whilst on holiday in Portugal. If you think you have any news, please contact the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre here

Ecumenical Christian Chrch UK

The Ecumenical Christian Church UK has updated their website. Why not go and have a look ?

In the Ecumenical Christian Church UK you will find ...

a Sacramental Church that is open to all
an inclusive church for all, regardless of gender or orientation
a Church that is faithful to the historic teachings of the universal church
they are open to new expressions of that faith

but don't trust my word on that, go and have a look . . . .

Bishops Without Mitres !

This ones for a friend of mine ! Bishops without Mitres - whatever next ?

They're the 2009 Episcopal Ordinations within the international initiative Roman Catholic Women Priests

Episcopal Ordinations April 19, 2009
Bishops pictured from left to right: Ida Raming (Germany) Regina Nicolosi (Minnesota),
Patricia Fresen (Germany), Andrea Johnson (Maryland), Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger (Austria),
Joan Houk (Pennslyvania), Bridget Mary Meehan (Virginia and Florida

Catholica !

How on earth has it taken me so long to discover Catholica ? It's a veritable minefield of challenges and common sense in a catholic world of invisible motives and 'lets stick to the Papal thread' stories. It's not for the canonically convinced, but for those with a predisposition towards putting people before churchianity. I feel like I've found a new friend. Go have a look here . . .

Ordination of Morag Liebert

Bridget Mary's Blog ran the news of the ordination to Priesthood of Morag Liebert, the first woman to be ordained, in the UK, into the international initiative "Roman Catholic Women Priests." This initiative aims to bring about “a new model of ordained ministry in a renewed Roman Catholic Church." Morags ordination took place in Augustine United Church in Edinburgh, Scotland on Oct. 24, 2009. Congratulations Morag !

Change has to be created by people generous enough to pursue the vision of an inclusive ‘catholic’ church. If prophetic individuals and groups can show how the Church of God could be then maybe this will bring about a real vision of hope. Morag can be seen 2nd from the left in this clip from her ordination.

Blessed Mary MacKillop

A film about the life of Blessed Mary MacKillop has been released by Salt and Light Television, a Canadian based catholic television network. The video can be freely watched online and is well worth a visit.

Once the introductions are over a detailed account of her life is given. To view the film go to the webpage, scroll down a little and click on the play symbol.

Remember, "When you see a need tend to it." - Mary MacKillop

Gerard W Hughes

Being laid up in bed at the moment has it's benefits. Just found an interview with Gerard W Hughes. I'd like to know if there's any more of this interview to be found on the web. Click on the picture or here to watch the short interview.

Vestments

Over the past few weeks I’ve been chewing over the reasons why many Christian denominations use vestments in their worship, with some using them more elaborately than others. Some see them as a distraction, an outdated irrelevance left over from imperial Rome or even idolatrous. Others see them as beautifying worship or enhancing the dignity of the office the wearer represents e.g. a priest acting ‘in persona Christi.’

I’m beginning to think that as human beings we have an inbuilt desire to dress in a manner that enables us to say something about ourselves. Think of the many situations in which people of many countries, faiths or affiliation wear clothing to identify function, status or belonging. School uniform, football club kit, Masonic regalia, university graduates, Goths, traditional dress, skinheads, tribal clothing, religious habit, designer wear, Royal family ceremonial all say something about our affiliation, status or our spiritual/temporal outlook.

I think it important to scratch the surface and to challenge why such regalia are used whilst recognising that such things do draw people together. Even the rejection of such things draws people together in a similar way.

Anti Vatican II Revisionist

As people are beginning to write a ‘revisionist’ history of the II Vatican Council this website provides a breath of fresh air, just as the open windows intended. There are some excellent essays especially about reception of the Council. Regardless of whether you are Roman or not this website is a solid schooling in the Council and it’s effect on recent church history.

Geoffrey Nobes

What a wonderful antidote to a stressful day ! Unwind in a spirit of prayerful thanksgiving as this music gently absolves and heals the wounds of the day ! This weeks promise - to find out more about his music - a wonderful antidote to some of the triumphalist clashing and clanging of cymbals style of liturgical music. Thankyou Geoffrey and Kevin Mayhew.

Prayer

It has been said that prayer is to the soul and the spiritual life, what air is to the lungs and body. If the lungs don’t work properly the body doesn’t perform the way it should and if you don’t pray, the same can be said of the soul. In a praying soul the vision of God grows in the mind, heart and spirit of the pray-er.

Personal relationships (coupled with a huge dose of honesty about yourself, knowing your personal traits) reflect the vision of God that is growing in your heart and mind. This is true in very close relationships with a spouse or partner, those we consider friends, those we consider acquaintances and then the vast majority of people who we meet on busses, trains, in the shops and so on.

We both feed and reflect on the life of God through praying the scriptures, especially the Gospels and spiritual reading. This reflecting has to be your reflection, free from ‘pious’ generalisations. It shouldn’t be forced. There are no right answers. In a room of 100 people each person would reflect differently on the words of Jesus, “Do not be afraid.”

Keep a journal. Note any thoughts that stick out during your time of prayer or jump into your head throughout the day. What is your first thought on waking up ? – write it in your journal. Week by week the journal may begin to reflect God’s revealing presence in your life. You may be pleasantly surprised. You may be shocked.

I think it was Brennan Manning in “The Ragamuffin Gospels” who said, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” Not a bad starting point for a pilgrimage in the spirit ?

"Future Church"

Strange to have only found this site today. “Future Church” has some fascinating articles, so relevant to the renewal of Catholicism in our day. A campaign for optional celibacy for Roman Catholic priests is their banner project and they are supported by the no less important projects to increase scripture references to women in the Liturgy, celebrate women witnesses the place of Mary Magdalen as an apostle to the Apostles and women in church leadership.

Future Church believes that it must work with the Roman Catholic Church to create a climate for change. I personally think that change has now to be created by people brave enough to pursue the vision of an inclusive ‘catholic’ church. The Roman Church doesn’t want change. Perhaps if prophetic individuals and groups can show how the Church of God should be then maybe, just maybe there may be created a vision of hope.

St Maria Skobtsova

Big thumbs up to "Gay Mystic" for this post about the Orthodox Dorothy Day, St Maria Skobtsova. This fascinating lady is so worthy of mention and she would so understand the emerging church.

Have a good read about her, clicking on the photo or above link.

Thankyou also for his thumbs up of the United Ecumenical Catholic Church !

Transitus of St Francis of Assisi

From it’s earliest days the followers of St Francis have gathered on the anniversary of his death to celebrate his transitus, that is, St. Francis' passage from earthly life into everlasting life. Here, we, too, gathered to celebrate the light, which Francis was to his world.

But, our celebration was not only a memorial, a remembering of one who has gone before us. It was also a celebration of the spirit of Francis in our midst today, in each of us. This is a time when we, inspired by Francis, consider how we can be light for our world.

St Francis left his followers a mandate as he lay dying. “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.”

A Contemplative Mind ?

As a child, did you ever stand on a chair at the kitchen sink, hands in a bowl of water, tap running, filling cup after cup of water and pouring it into an already full bowl ? Sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once from a great height for a deeper thumping noise as the water hits the overflowing basin ? The inquisitiveness, discovering the wateryness of water. How you can use water to make sounds, long short, deep, loud or soft.

This is the ‘attitude’ of the Contemplative mind. To 'behold' the world around us, to wonder at the ordinariness of everyday life, the people we encounter, our experiences and encounters that discover us. In prayerful reflection to encounter the life of God in all things. Encountering the revelation of the ‘Godlyness’ of God in all things, as we explored the ‘wateryness’ of water as children.

A contemplative life is also a journey both into yourself and out of yourself. It is a pilgrimage through your aspirations and motives, a journey in self discovery of the ‘youyness’ of you ! How does this ‘you’ look at other people and the world around you ? Examine your motives both good and those that shut us off from the world around us. If creation has it’s source in the Creator, then all are holy and everything that has life and breath is Holy.

Here the journey out of yourself begins, as all things are therefore sustained in the life of our Creator. If this is so, then all things are somehow one, reflecting the mystery of God who creates and sustains us. As Cardinal Newman says*, “I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons, God has not created me for naught”

The contemplative mind is journey, pilgrimage and gift. We discover the journey in prayerful reflection upon the ordinariness of everyday. We listen within to the taste, touch, smell, sight and none-sense of all things, as the Mystery of God is present to us loving, longing and seducing.

*Meditations and Devotions Pt II Hope in God the Creator 2: 2-3

Persecution

A short post to celebrate the freedom we have to live our catholic, Christian faith in relative peace. So many people around the world pay a great price for their faith. I have just come across this website Persecution, which makes known the suffering of ordinary people, persecuted because of ignorance and injustice. Take time out to have a look at their website here.

Relics of St Therese in Liverpool

I’ve had the banner advertising the presence of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux in Great Britain, on the blog for as long as the blog has existed. At last they arrived in Liverpool and off we went to pray quietly near them in the superb Cathedral of Christ the King.

There were hundreds of people there. A background chatter of personal stories hummed around the cathedral. People were meeting other people, who were telling stories ‘binding’ themselves in their common love of the Saint of Lisieux. “Have you come from St Helens ?”, “My grandmother went to Lisieux” and on and on the whispering stories went.

The power of this little girl who joyfully lived much of her life, unknown in Carmel, until her death at the age of 24. All these hundreds of people bound together in religious faith. Each one with a story, each one loved by God, by a girl who wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth, who in the heart of the Church wanted to be love . . . we certainly need more love in the heart of the Church.

St Therese pray for us . . .