Is this the best crib in the land?

Most church cribs are pretty good in my opinion.
And, of late,  garden centres and cash and carries have started retailing two foot high crib figures, so there may be a resurgence of displays in shop windows in the future.

It would seem to me, that church groups might well start a fundraising campaign to buy crib figures that they can loan out to interested retailers at Christmas.

Some years ago the Red Cross organisation (apart from denying that their 'cross' had anything to do with Christianity) placed a ban on cribs being displayed in their shop windows.

And now, in the American Forces canteen in the encampment at Guantanamo Bay, I read that a crib (what do they call them in the US?) put in place by some members of a construction team, has had to be removed to a chapel just in case anyone becomes overcome by fundamentalist tendencies and starts reciting the Rosary or something.

Having also read today in The Daily Fascist, that most young people believe that Father Christmas appears in the Bible, it might be a much needed initiative.

But, please tell me, don't you think that the crib below is quite the best in the country?

It is the work of Fr Jason Jones of The Sacred Heart Church in Morriston, near Swansea.

Every detail is there, just as it probably was in Bethlehem; there are a few chickens nestling down in the straw, the odd lamb, of course, a duck or two (why not?).

And, if you take your time to study all of the scene, you may see other animals, such as.........but look for yourself.

Let me help you out, there's a donkey, all the way from Finestrat, maybe. Some glowing lanterns. 

What's that on the sack of grain?

A rat! Heavens above! But what would be more natural to find in a stable? 

Even the Vatican has its share of rodents who like nothing better than to gnaw away at the heart of the Church.

Now, you may think (depending upon your attitude towards felines) that there's an animal species missing.

Here they are (groan)....

Could they have travelled all the way from Blogfen?

                                          No crib is complete without a hen

The Feast of the Assumption - in Wales

Just one year on, the Missa Cantata on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be celebrated again at The Church of The Sacred Heart, Morriston, Near Swansea at 12 noon.

Just as it took place in 2012.

It would be fruitless to video it again, the Latin Mass is the Latin Mass.

Except that, I suspect, the Newcastle Emlyn Schola will sing a different Mass this year - Palestrina? Byrd?

Quis scit?

Sorry for the poor sound quality.

And, should you find yourself able to attend this Mass, remember to take a pork pie or a chicken leg with you for a feast after Mass.

A Mass for the New Year......and no less than 4 seminarians!

The EF Mass celebrated on New Year's Eve at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Morriston, near Swansea, was attended by a congregation of around 30 including four young men in the throes of their vocational training (not NVQs) for the priesthood.

An Apple at Benediction? So sensible!

And, what is more, they came from three continents!

During Benediction after Mass, another member of the congregation, a priest from Argentina, was seen busily consulting his mobile.

Tut! tut! one could not help but think (actually, I did not notice him, this information was passed to me afterwards, just in case any nasty comments were being pointed in my direction)..................
.......but, in fact, he was looking up the words to the hymns on his iPhone.

Great!
Much better than thumbing through massive hymn books full of  classics such as "I wish I was a wriggly worm" and, of course, the dreaded, "SJS"

What's an iPhone?

This special feast!

Dedicated to Father Jason Jones and his parishioners at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Morriston, Swansea

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus    A partial indulgence is attached to this litany.
Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy Lord, have mercy Christ, hear us Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, God the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, Heart of Jesus, of Infinite Majesty, Heart of Jesus, Sacred Temple of God, Heart of Jesus, Tabernacle of the Most High, Heart of Jesus, House of God and Gate of Heaven, Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity, Heart of Jesus, abode of justice and love, Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, Heart of Jesus, in whom are all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells the fullness of divinity, Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, Heart of Jesus, patient and most merciful, Heart of Jesus, enriching all who invoke Thee, Heart of Jesus, fountain of life and holiness, Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our sins, Heart of Jesus, loaded down with opprobrium, Heart of Jesus, bruised for our offenses, Heart of Jesus, obedient to death, Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, Heart of Jesus, our peace and our reconciliation, Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who trust in Thee, Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee, Heart of Jesus, delight of all the Saints, Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, V. Jesus, meek and humble of heart.	Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously  hear us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. have mercy on us. spare us, O Lord. graciously hear us,  O Lord. have mercy on us, O Lord. R. Make our hearts like to Thine.
Let us pray; Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and  satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name  of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.

Mass in West Wales - transformed into the Sistine Chapel

This Sunday's EF Mass was a sad Mass and a joyous Mass, it was the farewell Sung Mass of Fr Jason Jones who is about to take up duties as Parish Priest at The Sacred Heart, Morriston, Nr Swansea. Fr Jones, as always, celebrated the Mass with breathtaking reverence and the singing of the choir transformed the rather cliched 70s style church of Our Lady of the Taper (sorry, Our Lady but I'm sure you dislike the architecture as much as I do) in Cardigan into Rome's Sistine Chapel.
The Mass was one of Byrd's and the choir's singing was plaintive and pleading and beautiful to the extreme. The sanctuary was full to the brim of the angelic host, more than could be counted (it is quite fruitless trying to count angels, they just will not keep still and they're also invisible so it makes it absolutely impossible).
The altar servers were brilliant and faultless, well the MC was a bit rubbish, but Corey  ploughed on valiantly. All in all, it was an occasion to remember.
I also remember Mill Hill Father, Father Hughes berating us parishioners at Courtfield years ago because someone had said to him that morning after Mass: "Wonderful Mass Father".
"Every Mass is a wonderful Mass" he thundered at us and, of course, he was right. But last Sunday we experienced another wonderful Mass plus one with an extra helping of God's grace.
Afterwards tea and buns and a modest presentation, modest because we do not really believe Fr Jones is leaving us....we will just see him a little less often!
And after that, Benediction.

Tea and buns and a presentation!

I suspect that Morriston will not know what sort of a treat they are in for. Poor dears, I think they have been in freefall since Vatican II and probably are quite used to putting on Telly Tubby outfits and prancing around the sanctuary every Sunday.
 If that is the case, they might have experienced the last Lah Lah or Twinkie Winky performance. Fr J is nothing if not even handed betwixt OF and EF but liturgical abuse and breaches of Canon Law he will not have anywhere within 5000 miles of him. Good.
He will, of course, suffer the lot of every priest that leads his flock honestly towards salvation and that is, criticism and sniping from those who believe that they know better than the Holy Father.
I wish him well for the future and the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit to accompany him in his ministry.

         "Blessed are those that are persecuted
               for My names'  sake:
               for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"

Father Jason Jones and Corey, a great altar server!

AU REVOIR, FATHER AND GOD BLESS!