How to alter an.......

.....altar?

Here's one we made earlier....

I am indebted once again, to my good friend MC who has unselfishly given up his own blog in order to focus on his work for the LMS.

Below is a short video clip.

It makes compulsive viewing.

It is the sort of stuff that nightmares are made of (for the followers of The Church of Nice).

It shows a plain old 1970s pre cast concrete block sort of a table and the 15 minute transformation process that reveals the altar for what it should always be; a suitable platform whereon to rest the Body of Christ for an unbloody repeat of the sacrifice of Calvary.

As a butterfly emerges from its larval stage, so the traditional altar emerges in all its glory; and can there be anyone out there who prefers the Portland Cement version?

If so, hang your head in shame and take a walking holiday along El Camino.....to give your head a chance to clear:

 

http://vimeo.com/41971561

"The time has come to choose a side"

That line is taken from a post currently circulating.

Today it's the  'Disillusion of the Monasteries'

The subject of the post is the disgraceful attack on the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate and the author opines that the time to choose between what she neatly dubs "Novusordoism" and "The Faith of our Fathers" is upon us.

To me, the only constant source in the Church that meets the description of "Faith of our Fathers" is the SSPX, ever steady as a rock.

As the nearest SSPX Church is about 160 miles from where I live, and, as we have a good priest who sees to our EF Mass needs within 65 miles or so, I am not inclined to jump - just yet!

What events would need to take place for Mrs L and myself to head for the SSPX fold?

Well, I do not claim to have any inside knowledge or, certainly, no special knowledge that allows me to see into the future, but, it does not take too much of an imagination to ponder on what the 'ungodly' may do ere long.

My fear, and it is just that, at present, is that the next move will be against the Fraternal Society of St Peter and its priests.

After all, if the FFIs are having to swear an oath of fealty to the Novus Ordo, it can't be too long before the FSSP will be pushed towards the same cliff edge.

Certainly, the time is drawing near when priests and religious, whether in an order or secular, will have to face up to an oath of modernism, if Hilary White is correct in her assumption.

Priests such as Fr Thwaites RIP and Fr Lessiter refused to obey their bishops long, long ago.

They chose obedience to God over obedience to their bishop and, when you assess the quality of the bishops, there is no doubt that they made the right choice.

The words "Come follow Me" could take on a rather more poignant aspect in the near future.

PLEASE NOTE: I fear I upset Hilary White by misinterpreting her words and I have amended the above post accordingly and apologise unreservedly to HJMW.

It's easier than skiing - celebrating the Latin Mass

I posted earlier in the week stating that celebrating the Latin Mass was not exactly easy but neither was it hard.

Now, after scratching around in my press cuttings file I find a letter that was published in The Catholic Herald that makes it quite clear that it is actually easy - the author of the letter?

None other than Father Julian Large, Cong. Orat., new Provost of the London Oratory.

Fr Large must have written the letter at least six years ago and I hope that he does not mind me bringing it to the light of day but, some young seminarian may draw great comfort from it.

Here it is...........

"Sir - I never passed a driving test, I do not ski and I can hardly swim.
My violin teacher advised me to give up all hope of learning to play any musical instrument on my second lesson.

I failed Maths O -level twice, and my French makes Parisian waiters wince.

I did, however, manage to teach myself how to celebrate the Traditional Mass (report, February 22nd).

It took one week reading J O'Connell's 'The Celebration of Mass' and practising on the desk in my room, and an hour's dry run with a patient priest the day before my ordination in 2003.

It can't be so difficult."

Great! Now it just requires that a Bishop upon reading my blog (extremely unlikely) takes the initiative (a word seldom found in or around Cathedrals) and orders 50 copies of this wonderful book and instructs orders his priests to do as Fr Large did and learn it, pdq!

And here's another example of a 'Distance Learning' resource that is also available (aka training video).......credit to the FSSP....

                                      The EF Mass - "It can't be so difficult"

The Seddon Deadly Sins

Yep, watch out New Holland, I am heading your way, well, next March to be precise. We (Mrs L and me) will be staying in Belgravia with our son, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.

The flights are booked, the bank manager is in intensive care and I am busy brushing off my scout hat and burning my corks so that I will blend in well with the locals.

I love Australia and look forward to attending EF Masses as celebrated in the Melbourne Diocese so very sensibly in parishes shared with OF priests.
It is FSSP country and we shall be there for Easter so, hopefully, a triduum is in view...we shall see.

Maybe..even...a trans world blognic? Who knows? We shall be staying in the Melbourne suburb of Seddon aka Belgravia.
And, certainly I shall pay this little bistro a visit. It's name is a real killer...it's called...wait for it!

THE SEDDON DEADLY SINS! - Ripper, as they allegedly say.

A gift that surpasses all understanding

Annie Elizabeth has a good post on the new parish created by Bishop Mark Davies in tandem with the ICKSP and how they desperately need funds.

Fr Tim Finigan has a similar post covering what used to be the Church of The Sacred Heart in Limerick, Ireland.

Both are worthwhile causes and the call goes out for Catholic philanthropists to come to the fore. In fact, not just philanthropists but all Catholics.

This chalice could accommodate many wedding rings!

But, not so very many years ago a similar call was made on behalf of the newly formed seminary for late vocations at Osterley, West London.

The aptly named, Campion House needed sacred vessels, chalices, ciboria and so on.

The Archbishop of Westminster at the time made a call for a sacrifice above and beyond all others and the women of the Diocese (and the country) responded by donating their wedding and engagement rings and other items of jewellery. My mother gave away her engagement ring. To my mind that was one great personal sacrifice; but, how wonderful to think that the bond of one's earthly love for one another was perpetuated and fulfilled in the love of God and that such an item should then be used to hold the body and blood of Christ. Whew......that's a big picture to take in!

So, if there are any Catholics out there who would like to  lighten their pockets and widen the eye of the needle in so doing, please cough up!