Willkommen, Vatican Tannenbaum

Very many thanks to Mark Miles, the Oasis is pleased and proud to welcome the Vatican Christmas Tree, see left. As the Holy Father said a few days ago, it has been brought from the darkness of the Ardennes Forest to symbolise the Light of the Incarnation in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Benedict and Walsingham: Things on my mind Part 2

In all the speculations about venues which our Holy Father may visit, if and when he comes to the UK next year, I have not once seen a mention of Walsingham. He has made a habit of visiting the most important national shrine of every country he has visited. He probably knows and values the significance and history of Walsingham better than many English Catholics do these days. I will find it very hard to believe that he will set foot in the 'dowry of Mary' and not visit Walsingham. It would probably have to be a private un-televised visit because the infra-structure of the place could not cope with vast crowds. Nevertheless, please join me in praying that Pope Benedict will be the first pope since the Reformation to be a pilgrim there. If he is not, it will be a missed opportunity of gargantuan proportions. My hopes are high that he will risk no such thing.

The other point is of course, that there is an Anglo-Catholic shrine at Walsingham. In the present 'climate' a papal visit to this and to the pre-reformation Slipper Chapel where pilgrims used to leave their footwear before completing the final stage of the pilgirmage, would speak volumes. Other places in England that I would wish him to visit, unfettered by politics and the 'establishment'? St. Dunstans in Sussex which has the head of St. Thomas More , St. Etheldreda's church, the only pre-reformation church in London still in Catholic hands, and of course the shrine of St. Thomas a Beckett at Canterbury. But most of all, please - Walsingham!

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us and for England, thy Dowry..

"Gregorian" Mass from Notre Dame Paris on Christmas Morning

kto will broadcast this Mass at 9am UK time on Christmas Day. It remains to be seen and heard whether "Gregorian" is meant in the sense of Cardinal Castrillon's coinage for the EF, or whether it simply means that Plainchant will be sung - probably the latter. That said, Cardinal Vingt-trois has already celebrated two EF Masses this year, although not in Notre Dame. and neither was televised so far as I know. Are we about to see him make history in his own cathedral? If not, it will still be worth tuning in, for the spiritually and aesthetically uplifting experience of hearing the Chant in that setting.

The broadcast will finish in good time for the channel to go ove to Rome for the "Urbi et Orbi" at 11am, again UK time.

A "Goodnight" thought from Pope Benedict, given in English at today's Angelus

"Like Mary, who travelled the hill country of Judea to viisit her cousin Elizabeth, the Church is called to journey through history proclaiming the wondrous message of Salvation."l

Tenth Anniversary Celebrations on kto: Interviews with Cardinal Bertone and Cardinal Ouillet of Quebec

ALL TIMES GIVEN ARE UK TIMES.

Today:
2.3o pm Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State.
A good report on the interview is available in English at Zenit

7.30 pm Cardinal Marc Ouillet, Archbishop of Quebec

These are both repeat broadcasts and can also be viewed as videos on kto at any time.
N.B. There may be slight adjustments in statedscheduled times.

Tomorrow:
10 am kto will broadcast the ceremony in Rome as the Pope conveys his Christmas wishes to the Roman Curia. Even if you don't understand Italian or French you can enjoy it visually.

Naturally kto will also cover Wednesday's General Audiece (9.30 am); Christmas Eve Midnight Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica by Pope Benedict (9pm); Christmas Day - His "Urbi et Orbi" from the central Loggia (11 am)

Pope Benedict and Venerable Pius XII: Things on my mind Part I

The news is but a few hours old and it is no surprise that already 'Jewish groups' are registering their outrage at the Pope's decision to sign the decree which makes Pius XII Venerable. The reasons why they react in this way are not the point of this post. Its point is that it astonishes me that anyone in his or her right mind would think that Pope Benedict would have done such a thing had he not been certain of facts.

We all know how long, in the normal way, the Vatican takes to dig up relevant records. Does anyone really think that the Supreme Pontiff cannot command that these records be presented for his inspection as and when he wishes? (In any case, there are already enough records in the public domain that militate against the disgraceful smear campaign that has been conducted against Pius XII for decades.) Does anyone really think that Joseph Ratzinger, arguably the most intellectually gifted, cautious and balanced Pope since Pius himself would take risks in this matter? Jewish groups had asked him to delay this decree until THEY had been able to examine the Vatican records. I pray that the more sensible ones among them will realise that the Pope himself has seen them, and THAT IS ENOUGH. To suggest otherwise is to question the integrity of the Pope himself and it is my belief that informed Jews would wish to do no such thing.

Finally, can anyone really imagine that Pope Benedict would want to die with a distorion of the truth upon his conscience, to the endangerment of his own immortal soul and thereby the eventual bringing of the Papacy itself into irredeemable disrepute? And this a man whose entire life has been 'a love affair with the truth'? It does not bear thinking about.

May God bless, defend and strengthen our beloved Holy Father, and may we, whilst it is God's will to keep him with us, listen to him, learn from him and love him.

Two new 'Venerables'

Pope Benedict signed the decrees today, making Venerable, Pope Pius XII and Pope John Paul II.
Deo gratias.

I received the news by email from catholicculture.org at 3.45pm European time. Special thanks to them.

Litany of St. Thomas More by Bishop Michael Salterelli (R.I.P.)

Litany of St. Thomas More, Martyr and patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers

Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy
Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy

Christ, hear us
Christ, graciously hear us

St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr,
Pray for us (repeat after each invocation)
St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates
St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life
St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ
St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage
St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith
St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world
Spare us O Lord

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world
Graciously hear us O Lord

Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world
Have mercy on us


Let us pray:


O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martydom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defence and promotion of the sanctity of human life - the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers, Pray for us.

"The laws of England are like a grove of oaks. Cut them down and...................." St. Thomas More


Looking back over my fifty years as a Catholic I recognise that not infrequently a certain phenomenon has re-occurred. This has always been manifest in the following way. Over a concentrated period of days or even weeks, a certain Saint or devotion keeps cropping up, quite outside anything for which I have been consciously searching. At first I am surprised and tend to think that it is merely coincidence, then as things develop and the saint seems to be refusing to go away, I realise that Cardinal Newman's term 'God's little providences' is more appropriate. Every time, I have thought, how could I have been so dull, so deaf and so blind? And yet it is good to realise my own spiritual disabilites because that means that I can never become blase, nor expect that these things may happen again. And yet they do. It's as if the saint is saying to me, particularly in this season of Advent, 'Look, you are supposed to be vigilant, awake and listening. Beg my intercession. Have you forgotten me?'


Readers who followed my reports on the recent EF weekend here in St. Romain, will know that the co-patron, of our house chapel, with and under the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, is St. Thomas More. Why St Thomas?

When I was sixteen and before we broke up from school in the summer of 1959 we were given a short preparatory reading list for the A level studies that would begin in September. In my case this included History, in particular of the Tudors and the Reformation.. For some months I'd been receiving instruction in the Faith. The reading I did at that time enraged me because I sensed it embodied, condoned and encouraged a lie. The 'establishment' of my own beloved country had been built on this lie ever since. I could write pages about the intellectual and spiritual contortions I went through in succeeding months. Suffice to say that it was the Holy Mass, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ within it, and the deaths of our Martyrs, notably of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher that made me Catholic. Perhaps I respect and love St. John Fisher in a different way because he was first a priest and then a bishop. I chose St. Thomas to be c0-patron of our chapel because he was the father of a family. There are many others of course but in my youth St. Thomas More was for me the quintessence of the English Catholic layman. He still is.

During the EF weekend I felt his presence and after Father had left although I was occupied with the reports and photos, I knew that I wanted to hang the reproduction of the Holbein portrait of St. Thomas in the study which I've been meaning to do for a long time. Then:

December 8:
I read that the Holy Father, during his visit to England in September 2010, will speak to both Houses of Parliament from the very spot in Westminster Hall where St. Thomas was condemned to death. I wept on reading this. St. Thomas More pray for us.

December 13:
In the morning I finally hung the portrait in the study.
In the afternoon did my daily check on Mulier Fortis, to find that she had posted about St. Thomas More. Quite unseasonally because as you know his feast is in June. Her post had been inspired by a conversation with Leutgeb and centred around one of my favourite films of all time 'A Man for all Seasons' in which St. Thomas makes the salutary quip to the betraying Richard Rich, ' But for Wales?' ( I wanted to email Mac there and then, but someone phoned or hammered on the front door and the moment passed. The person from Porlock is ever with us.) St. Thomas More pray for us.

December 14th
Read of the concern of our English and Welsh bishops about legislation that is being considered in UK parliament which would criminalise the Church for its opposition to women priests. (This is the same 'government' that will receive our Holy Father in Westminster Hall? If the legislation is allowed then they should arrest him on the spot for voicing the Church's teaching. Can things get any more illogical or just plain daft?
St. Thomas More pray for us.

December 15th
During a final trawl of my favourite blogs last night I was further disturbed to read on WDTPRS about the White House and Senator Ben Nelson.
And then thanks to Fr. Z, it was there, the thing that I suspect St. Thomas More wanted me to find, to pray and to encourage others to pray too. It is the Litany of St. Thomas More by the late Bishop Michael Salterelli and is at 'The Catholic Key Blog'. I cannot get a workable link and so will type it out tomorrow in a separate post. Please join me in praying it as a Novena between now and Christmas, and not just for Senator Nelson. We are indeed in evil case.

As for the quote which opens this post, I can't remember how it ends! I've searched unsuccessfully for years. If anyone is familiar with it, do please let me know.

Fr Mark Kirby O.S.B. on St. John of the Cross

This post of Fr Mark's: "Though it Be Night" was the treasure that awaited me after breakfast this morning. I'm sure you've read it by now, but if not please go to his Vultus Christi blog.

St. John of the Cross tomorrow

Time to contemplate 'the thicket of the Cross'.

Tango has posted more news in the combox of the most recent post about Fr Blondel (RIP). The Holy Father mentioned him today at the Angelus, and the other priests who have been killed in South Africa this year. Otherwise there has not been much comment here in France. Has anyone picked up anything in the British or American Press or online, apart from Zenit which I mentioned earlier. Thank you Tango. Without you I probably would not know anything about this.

The Angelus in Rome today was a joyful occasion - on Gaudete Sunday what else? And our Holy Father gave himself to it genuinely of course. But on another level we all know he is outraged by the Irish abuse scandal report and that he is composing a letter to the Irish faithful. May this help to dry the tears and bind up the wounds of decades, and may the Irish people actually receive his unadulterated, unedited words. May nobody anymore impede communication between this most holy Pope and his frightened and confused flock.

As I said, now that Gaudete Sunday is over for another year, it is time to renew our contemplation of 'the thicket of the cross'. Surely this can only deepen our understanding of, and joy in, the Incarnation of Our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

More Photos as promised - 2

Three more of the chapel and three of the library taken from the chapel

1.

More little details

Top left below beam - little shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux
Parially obscured by beam - chair at the wooden prie-dieu - an old replica of the one used by Churchill during WWII. It has a large oval relief of St. George and the dragon in the leather of its backrest. The ebay seller did not know its provenance. He thought it might be the original but described it as a replica in the interests of honesty.

Prie dieu - from Antique Church Furnishings, salvaged from a closed convent.

In foreground left behind beam - one of eight cane French-style prie dieu from Tournai Cathedral, obtained when they were throwing out about 70 of them several years ago.

Centre -hanging from beam in foreground - entrance bell bought at Emmaus Charity near Angouleme.

Above Our Lady of Lourdes - Icon of Christ Pantocrator - from same source as altar icons.
On upright beam, extreme right - Holy water stoup - one of the few things in the chapel without a history - bought new at the CTS London, at least ten years ago.

Sorry you can't see these items in detail. Will try to post close-ups as the months pass.

2.

Three more details

Above chaire behind Communion rail - Icon of Elijah and the Raven given as a present by my Spiritual Director.
To the right of this - hanging sanctuary lamp, not yet properly affixed to the beam.
The Communion rail was put in by an English friend who lives across the road. We used an old beam found lying on the property when we bought it in 1989.

3.

Iron plant stands
From a French Brocante site on ebay

4.

A section of the Library

Taken from behind Communion rail in chapel. Apologies for the hoover on the sofa. I didn't have time to move it, or the mat on the red carpet. It looks as if a visiting Moslem has left his prayer mat behind. Not so, I assure you.

5.

Another shot of the Library

Taken from chapel sanctuary. On window sill behind keyboard - statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She spends the winter indoors and goes into the garden for Spring and Summer. There she has her own little grotto.

Centrally on the wall is a painting of a detail of the 14th century facade of Aubeterre St. Jacques Church which is two km away. The white board below the painting and crucifix is a relic from the time I used the library as a classroom, that is up to summer 2008. I wrote something on the board a couple of weeks ago just to amuse myself. It's still there. Any guesses as to what it might be I wonder?

6.

And a final one taken from the gallery - bottom of chapel stairs visible at lower right of picture.

More Photos as promised - 1

First, two of this year's Advent wreath on the freezer top in the kitchen!

Adorned with a 'Golden Showers' Rose for the Immaculate Conception

I went into the Advent section of the garden on the morning of December 8th (the garden is planted according to the liturgical seasons) and found one rose blooming on the climbing 'Golden Showers'. Coincidence if you wish, but I take it as a gift from our Immaculate Mother and one which I rejoice to give back to her. This section of the garden has several roses planted for her. But 'Golden Showers' was planted to memorialise the golden slippers she wears in the Apparition at Lourdes. It is not possible to look at it without hearing her words to St. Bernadette: "I am the Immaculate Conception."

The Little Yellow Stars are Winter Jasmine and there's a rose hip near the right hand foreground violet candle.

Winter Jasmine represents St. John the Evangelist in my garden. I'll post an explanation as to why when we reach his feast. The embroidered cloth, also with yellow stars, was worked by my husband's paternal grandmother (RIP) and was perfect for this picture.

A plant growing out of the top of my head? Friends might say that wouldn't be surprising! No, just a wall vase.

To the left above my head, Shrine to St. Catherine Laboure, St. Louise de Marillac and the great St. Vincent de Paul. Centre: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus . The statue is old and was given to me by Violet Sparkes (RIP) former sacristan of St. Mary's Cadogan St. London - Auntie Vi as she was affectionately known to members of the choir. Underneath the statue - to the left, St. Claude Colombieres, and right St. Jean Eudes with a relic of St. Margaret Mary between them, and her picture on the table.

The candlestand: The three lights burning are for my Birmingham sisters and our special intentions, for all my spiritual priest and seminarian 'sons', and for my blogging friends and spiritual mothers worldwide.

Our Lady of Lourdes and Queen of Peace

To the right of the Most Sacred Heart is the little statue of Our Lady of Lourdes and beneath that a picture of Our Lady of Peace in St. Mary the Virgin, Bourne St., London SW1. This is where I pray for all my Anglo Catholic friends that they may come home soon.

Longshot of altar with icons of the Evangelists and the Apostles

A closer one.

Icon on wall right behind altar: St. Mary Magdalene with Jesus in the Garden of Resurrection

And the Sacred Heart blessing the house to the right of picture

All the icons came from Greece. The white card in front of the altar crucifix is the dedication of Brother Juan Diego of Fr Mark's embryonic Monastery in Tulsa. Brother received the holy habit on December 7th. "May God who has begun this work in him, bring it to fulfilment."

More tomorrow with some of the library taken from the chapel.

God bless you all and have a truly joyful Gaudete Sunday.

The French Oasis: More and better photos, hopefully tomorrow night

But most probably that will be all until early next week. Have just realised Christmas is only a fortnight away! Cribs, cards, pies, puddings (already done) trees, lights and ACTION!

iN THE MEANTIME, POPE BENEDICT'S SOUND-BITE OF THE WEEK:
"The Mass is not a rite of socialisation: Jesus Christ is truly present in it."

Fr. Blondel R.I.P: More news.

More details of arrests, reactions in South Africa and Father's funeral details now in the combox of previous posts, courtesy of and many thanks to Tango.

Fr. Blondel R.I.P.:Latest news

Tango has left an update in the combox of my post of yesterday about Father Blondel's fatal shooting. Please read and pray.

Fr. Blondel RIP: the fourth priest to be murdered in South Africa this year.

Tango has sent me a newspaper report of Father's murder, I think in the Johannesburg area. He has posted it as a comment on my post of 30th of March this year: 'Father Sham knew us'.
Until I can post in greater detail please scroll to the post and read what Tango has sent. Fr. Blondel was 70 years old and it seems was taken to his eternal reward on the Eve of the Immaculate Conception. I know it is unnecessary to ask for your prayers, for Father, for the perpetrators of his murder and for South Africa.

Extraordinary Weekend: Acknowledgements and the future of the Mass in St. Romain

First of all I thank Our Lord Himself and His priest who enabled Him to come to us.

Next, Fr Mark Kirby. who suggested that I try and arrange the weekend and who, for a long time, has given me the constant support of his prayers and written encouragement.

Then Annie of the Arundel and Brighton LMS blog and her 'collaborator', who together were responsible for putting me in touch with the Father who spent the weekend with us.

Then my three 'spiritual sisters' in Birmingham Archdiocese who have prayed with me for a long time that such a thing would happen.

Thanks also to Mark Miles for his prayers, encouragement and practical help with the photos.

Thanks to all of you who have prayed and read and/or commented on the Blog - Mac (Mulier Fortis), Brian (Whtesmoke Ahoy!), Sandy, Annie, Clare and Pelerin and to those of you who have contacted me by email. If you are not mentioned here it is because I don't know who you are or because I know you prefer your names to be kept private. And your anonymity here does not mean that my gratitude to you is any the less heartfelt. Thank you to all Spiritual Mothers who are in contact with me and to my readers and followers of both the Oasis and Spiritual Mothers of Priests blogs.

THE FUTURE: A couple of practical problems

These showed themselves during the weekend. First it became apparent that the altar is too low. It needs to be raised on a dais. If anyone wants to build such a thing, they are welcome to spent a few days free working holiday with us whenever they like once the New Year has begun! The second problem is that for a priest of Father's height (6' 2") the beam above the altar is also too low for comfort. This can be solved by moving the altar forward by a foot, or by changing the position of the altar to be against the end wall of the house, where the Sacred Heart shrine now is. (I can do either of these adjustments myself but neither of them would make 'versus populum' celebration a possibility.)

CANON LAW AS REGARDS RESERVATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

This dictates that two Masses a month be said in the place of reservation. These can be said on consecutive days, which is why two Masses were celebrated here, Father Mark and I had originally hoped that reservation would be possible. Had I been able to find a priest to come and offer two Masses in December, the Blessed Sacrament could have remained with us. As no priest had been found, Our Lord could not stay. In any case, after the first occasion which in our case can be counted as a 'pastoral necessity' (too true it was!!), the reservation and the Masses hve to be sanctioned by the bishop. IF THERE ARE ANY PRIESTS READING THIS WHO KNOW ME OR WHO KNOW PRIESTS I KNOW, AND WHO FANCY THE IDEA OF A FEW DAYS of FREE PEACE AND QUIET WITH US IN EXCHANGE 'FOR DUTIES', PLEASE GET IN TOUCH at probenoit16@live.com Your accommodation whilst with us is the exclusive use of the first floor. In the meantime I will be writing to the Vicar General of the Diocese and also have a contact at the FSSP in France. Father discussed this with me and he didn't see why the parish church couldn't be opened for Mass and Holy Hour if I can find a priest. I think I know that permission is less likely to be granted for the church if such a priest wished to celebrate the 'Usus Antiquior' but I may be wrong. I will also be contacting Paix Liturgique about this. We shall see, but again, PLEASE PRAY FOR THE DESIRED OUTCOME.

A BYRD-SONG* AND EF BLOG FEST IN ST ROMAIN NEXT SUMMER?
(*Thanks too, to my dear friend Stephen, to whom I owe this charming little linguistic conceit.)

Think about it please. We could accommodate two priests in the house. the rest of any group would have to book into the local auberge two or three minutes walk away from us. It is a one star, confortable and reasonaby priced part of the Logis de France chain. B & B would be a good option if I could have help in the kitchen from some of the gathered company! As well as liturgical celebrations including Mass of course, I would suggest sessions of Chant practice and rehearsal of the Byrd for Four and a couple of motets, once in the house chapel and once in the church, if good enough! Please let me have your reactions/suggestions/questions either via combox or email as above.

God bless you all and thank you again.
Jane

Extraordinary form Weekend in rural France: Part VI - First Sunday in Advent - The second Mass and Confession

Hard to believe it is a whole week ago today since the alarm woke me to the same thoughts and prayers as had been in my heart and on my lips when sleep had overtaken me a few hours earlier. After the morning offering and getting ready for the day, the impulse to run upstairs to the chapel was almost overpowering, but we had agreed on Father's having a lie-in and disturbing him could not be risked - the chapel is directly over his bedroom - a good place for a priest to sleep, directly at Our Lord's feet, so to speak. And before Father came down for breakfast there was kitchen work to be done. Vegetables had to be prepared and a huge loin of pork put in the oven for lunch.

By 10.30am he and I were upstairs before the altar having finished practical preparations for the Mass and so there was time for recollection and prayer beforehand. At 11am Father went to vest. I wasn't as nervous as I'd been the previous day but every bit as concentrated. It would be slightly different today because of the additon of the Creed, so I must keep alert. The little entrance bell rang once more, and the second Mass began in our little chapel of the Sacred Heart and St. Thomas More.

Again I felt the totally unmerited privilege of what was happening, of what was being given to me, and expected of me as I contemplated the ineffable mystery of the Sacrifice being enacted before me.

Now is not the time to enter into a comparison between the Usus Antiquior and the Novus Ordo of the Mass, which on the two occasions described in these posts would most definitely favour the former. I will however share a few thoughts which occurred to me during the Masses themselves or during subsequent reflection. Firstly the age, ambience, smallness of the place of celebration, and intimacy of the occasions, seemed to cry out for the older form. Spiritually and aesthetically, it answered that call perfectly. I was close enough to the altar to be able to hear the whispered Canon and even the spoken parts were sotto voce. Anything more would have been a jarring and inappropriate discomfort. Secondly, during the Epistles and Gospels I was listening to the same ones as were heard by our Martyrs of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The old Mass is immutable, day in day out, year in year out until the end of time. Thirdly, I realised how much I appreciated the doing and saying of things twice or three times in the old Mass. This for at least two reasons. First because it allows the priest his own 'Confiteor' and 'Domine non sum dignus'. To me this is profoundly important because he is in a totally different relationship to Christ than are we the laity. But second, for us, it gives time for the reality of what is being prayed to sink in. The 'Domine non sum dignus' for instance, was a particular case in point for me this last weekend. 'Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof........'

I am quite willing to concede that my love for the old Mass stems from the fact that first hearing it fifty years ago, played a significant part in my conversion from fairly low Anglicanism to Catholicism. Under a decade was to pass between my reception into the Church, and as it turned out, the widespread and quite brutal removal of the 'Mass of Ages', 'the most beautiful thing, this side of heaven'. It will always be those things to me. I have been obedient to the 'Novus Ordo', although I'll admit that for many years I was spoiled by being a member of a Latin church choir which sang Gregorian Chant and Renaissance polyphonic settings of the Mass uninterruptedly (and still does), even though after the 'changes' it was to the new rite in Latin, in itself, probably one of the best-kept secrets of the post-conciliar period! And so for the past forty years whenever I have been at an EF Mass, it has been as if to greet a beloved friend and to feel immediately at home and at peace with it.

The Mass of the first Sunday of Advent was obviously different from the Saturday Mass in many respects. A personal difference was that when Mass ended the previous day, there was still so much to look forward to, including this Mass which was now proceeding to its inevitable conclusion. At least three powerful responses were in my soul and I could almost feel it being expanded to make room for them all so that they would not conflict - sorrow for my own inadequacy and sinfulness; dread of the yearning, aching void that would come after Our Lord had left us; and yet faith, hope and firm expectation of His coming again to us, here in this house if it is His will; and of course in His Second coming at the end of time...............

At the end of the Mass, Father handed me the lit candle and I preceded him down the stairs as he took the Blessed Sacrament to Colin, waiting in the kitchen. He was given the Host that had been in the monstrance at yesterday's Holy Hour, and as Father prepared the ciborium, I felt the expected stab of acceptance that once we left the chapel Our Lord would no longer be in it, not until the next time............. In the kitchen I knelt on the tiled floor whilst Colin received.
Afterwards Father apologised for not having already asked us if we would like Confession. I accepted and we went upstairs again.

After Confession I lit the candles at the little shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes and offered my penance. Before leaving the chapel, I asked Father to extinguish her candles when he came down to lunch, and then went down to finish getting it ready. As I descended it occurred to me that I had probably earned a plenary indulgence during the weekend and offered further thanksgiving for that.

In poor words I have tried to share some of the joy, wonder and awe of that weekend. Of course I was doomed to failure from the outset, but I pray that a little of the truth of it has somehow been conveyed and that at least you all agree that the Oasis has indeed lived up to its name. Truly, it was the best beginning to Advent that I have ever experienced.

Next post: Acknowledgements ; the Future: Canon Law, the Bishop and Byrd-song?

An Extraordinary Form Weekend in Rural France: A few photographs

As explained in an earlier post, Father's camera was adversely affected by being left in his car all night. This first one is of the poorest quality. The smoky atmosphere was NOT caused by clouds of incense, more's the pity! The rest are much better! Many thanks to Mark Miles for his assistance in posting them.

1. The Sanctuary taken from the Sacristy.

VENI DOMINE, ET NOLI TARDARE!

Credence table in front of the altar; to right of photo you should just be able to make out the white statue of the Sacred Heart blessing the library and house below. The tops of two library bookcases can be seen bottom right of photo.

2. Another, closer one from the Sacristy.

AD TE LEVAVI ANIMAM MEAM!

Lit sanctuary lamp peeping out from behind leftmost beam, denoting the Lord's presence in the tabernacle; dressed chalice and altar Missal in place. In extreme left foreground the two framed plaques are a) printed record of the chapel's blessing and dedication under the patronage of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Thomas More on Candlemas 1994 b) an engraving of the Presentation in the Temple.

3 Close up of Altar ready for Msss on the First Sunday of Advent.

EXCITA. QUAESUMUS, DOMINE, POTENTIAM TUAM, ET VENI!

Sorry about the ironing, the altar cloth did not appear as creased in reality! Note already mentioned 'priest hole' back left behind altar. I like the aureole effect the lighting has created above the tabernacle.

4. Altar from my prie-dieu in the chapel

UNIVERSI QUI TE EXPECTANT, NON CONFUNDENTUR, DOMINE .

To left in front of sanctuary lamp stand is communion rail draped ready with white linen cloth.

5. The Vesting table ready for the priest.

INTROIBO AD ALTARE DEI, AD DEUM QUI LAETIFICAT JUVENTUTEM MEAM!

The tryptych shows the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child (centre); The Nativity of Our Lord (right); and The Presentation in the Temple (left). The left and right panels can be closed to reveal two further pictures - on the right S. Veronica with the Holy Face of Jesus, and on the left, the Good Shepherd with a lamb. I bought the piece at Antique Church Furnishings in the UK. It's a second hand outlet for discarded ecclesiastical items which the proprietor salvages with great love. This tryptych, he told me, had once belonged to a former auxiliary bishop of Arundel and Brighton, whose private chapel it had once adorned..

Above the tryptych are the framed Vesting Prayers in Latin and English, to the right of these, are small pictures of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica. To the left of the prayers is a warning to the priest about the low beam above his head! On the table to the left of the vestments is a small picture of St. Jean Vianney, and behind the lefthand panel of the tryptych is the Prayer of St. Pius V.

I'm hoping to post the photos taken with the conventional camera as soon as I can, probably towards the end of next week as the film has to go into the nearest town for developing.

NEXT POST ABOUT THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT AND THE SECOND MASS HERE, POSSIBLY TONIGHT, BUT IF NOT, THEN MOST CERTAINLY TOMORROW. GOD BLESS ALL MY READERS FOR THEIR PATIENCE AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MULIER FORTIS WHO RENEWED HER PRIVATE VOWS TODAY. AD MULTOS ANNOS MAC!