Palm Sunday

In recent years we have not been at the Oratory for this feast, which is a sort of mini-Holy week all rolled into one. Indeed, it anticipates the coming days' commemoration of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday by recounting these events in the Gospel, which were chanted by two deacons (priests in this case!) and a cantor.

But a preceding part of the normal Mass makes for quite an exciting change in tone from Lent: the blessing and procession of palms recalls the triumphant entry into Jerusalem of Our Lord Jesus Christ, before he was given up to death.

Gloria, laus et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe, Redemptor: Cui puerile decus prompsit Hosanna pium

Glory and praise to Thee, Redeemer blest! To whom their glad hosannas children poured

There is thus a two-fold expression of the theology of the Cross for this season; that of triumphant joy, and that of sorrowful sadness. We are well aware this week that the Passion which we commemorate on Good Friday is a solemn, sad and almost barren occasion. But we are reminded today in advance that "Dicéndo natiónibus: Regnávit a ligno Deus!" (the world was told that from a tree the Lord should reign; from Vexilla Regis, the hymn for tonight's Vespers)

How can such suffering and violence, which was indeed inflicted upon many in Ancient Rome, be regarded as a joyous victory? That is a pivotal question in Christianity, and one that can reward us greatly if we seek the true answer. For many years before I began practising the Faith ardently, I asked myself, "What is the meaning of suffering? When is suffering just?" Most people in life have faced some sort of hardship, and I felt that I had too, in an almost unjust measure. In terms of grief and loss, I felt empty with an overwhelming burning of interior pain, the likes of which I wondered: would it destroy me, or make me stronger?

The fact is, we only tend to truly grow and develop through loss and difficulty. The Church encourages us, and prompts us every year during Lent and Passiontide, to embrace this. We lose the singing of the Gloria in our liturgy, the organ music and flowers in church, and the statues which inspire so much joy and comfort are veiled and hidden. Ultimately, on Good Friday, the altar will be stripped bare and even the Blessed Sacrament will be absent.

Our love of God can only be truly discovered if we consider how utterly dependent upon him we are. It was my realisation, whilst spending time in Africa with people who were desolate and impoverished, that a reliance on God is so much greater and stronger when we have nothing else at all. Thus, when we consider our unhealthy desires and attachments, we grow to realise that it will be necessary to experience loss and suffering if we are to grasp more firmly to the most important thing in life: the Rock of Christ and His Church. It is furthermore in death that we experience loss, "as by fire," (1 Corinthians 3:15) in the most ultimate way, because our whole life's work will be tried, and the character which we have formed will be purged like Gold in a furnace. Therefore the constant need to purify ourselves to make us capable and worthy of being wholly with God, is realised both before and after death.

It is difficult to comprehend how Christ's suffering could atone for the sin of all humanity, and thus free us from its eternal effects. I have just tried to explain and fathom it, but it is so difficult. Perhaps in some way, we can only gain a small grasp through God's revelation:

Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our iniquities, he was bruised for our sins: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray, every one hath turned aside into his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth: he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.
He was taken away from distress, and from judgement: who shall declare his generation? because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.
And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.
And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity: if he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed, and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.

Isaiah 53:4-10

This, written hundreds of years before Christ was born, gives us an insight into the suffering servant, who "as the Son of man is not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a redemption for many." (St Matthew 20:28)

Our liturgy today, and over the next week, will reflect these essential truths. God appears in a human form many times throughout the Old Testament, and thus could easily have continued to preach and teach us throughout history. But instead, God becomes human - so that he could die and pay the ultimate price, as a supreme act of love for His Creation. As we approach Christ's glorious resurrection of Easter Day, we must pass through, as by fire, the painful process whereby we die to Sin, and are born afresh into newness of life. This is all the more true for the catechumens, who this Easter will die to Sin with Christ through their Baptism. (Colossians 2)

These feasts are not merely a commemoration with reference to the person of Jesus, but also by a union of faith and love, they will bind us closer to Christ, and thus become an actual reality for the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.

Second and Last Photos by Peter Jennings © 2008

Holy Week & Easter at the Oratory

For all Mass and service times over the next week and into the Paschal Triduum, see the new Oratory Website. It includes all music that will be sung at these occasions.

To see some photos of last year's Triduum, and something of what to expect from the Birmingham Oratory at this time of year, have a look at my collection here.

Judica Sunday

Judica me, Deus, et discérne causam meam de gente non sancta:
ab hómine iníquo et dolóso éripe me:
quia tu es fortitúdo mea

Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause against an ungodly nation:
O deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man:
for Thou art my God and my strength

- Psalm 42

The Jews therefore said to Him: Thou art not yet fifty years old: and hast Thou seen Abraham?

Jesus said to them: Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.
They took up stones therefore to cast at Him:
but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.

- St John's Gospel; 8:56-59

Today at the Oratory all the statues are veiled, to assist us for the last part of Lent: Passiontide. This last fortnight before Easter commemorates the last year of Our Lord's life, as illustrated in this Gospel passage, when "Jesus hid Himself" because his hour had not yet come. In like manner then, the glory of the Church's Saints and the exaltation of her images give way to the sombre tone of the Liturgy, when we recall the ignominy with which Our Lord faced. Passiontide will culminate in Good Friday, when we meditate upon the Passion and death of Jesus, making that witness of pain and sorrow which the Blessed Virgin Mary endured, our own.

Our Lady is the perfect model of the way the faithful should respond to God's Grace, and accept the Lord Jesus into their hearts. For this reason we Catholics constantly seek the help of Our Lady to conform our hearts and orientate them towards God's saving power. Her prayers for us are those of a loving and tender mother, always ready to present our lives in the most perfect way to her Divine Son.

It is only by uniting ourselves with Christ's Passion, especially at this time of year, but also at every Mass, that we can partake in the saving sacrifice which is the atonement of humanity. By finally rejoicing on Easter Day at the Risen Lord, we will therefore awaken the new creation in ourselves, which is a living reality when we receive communion at every Mass.

Meanwhile Maddy continues to invest in her new-found love of chocolate, perhaps as a preparation of her own for Easter Day (and therefore the inevitable chocolate Easter Eggs)! Its a good job our Lenten penance was not to give up this succulent and wholesome foodstuff...

Cadbury World

For the passed few years, we have been renting a house in the pleasant south Birmingham suburb of Selly Oak. Just on our borders is the village of Bournville, once a rural farmland area, but developed by the Cadbury family around their famous chocolate factory. So today we took advantage of one of our last opportunities to walk around the corner and have a tour around the factory, gaining all important insights into the chocolate making process. Of course, the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but we are told enough on the tour to realise its a complicated business.

The tour begins in the Amazon rainforest, where the Mayan people (of Apocalypto fame) sacrifice each other to their many gods in order to ensure a good cocoa crop. Then they start trading with their Aztec neighbours, who will give a slave in exchange for a hundred cocoa beans. Then comes the Spaniard explorers, who sample the curious chocolate drink and take it back to Europe. Their own modified recipe left out the chilli spices of their South American friends, and replaced it with nutmeg and sugar. It was a closely guarded secret until Spanish royalty married into the French court. Very soon we were all guzzling chocolate drink over the latest high society gossip and gambling.

But the chocolate story only really gets underway when cocoa beans become cheap enough for the Cadbury brothers to take over their father’s little Birmingham shop, and establish a huge chocolate factory, mass-producing chocolate with their famous blend of full fat dairy milk with chocolate. Yum. The rest is history. But the thing I found particularly fascinating was the way the Cadbury brothers blended their Quaker-christian values with their sly business sense: Their goal was to establish a whole community away from smoggy Birmingham, in the countryside, nearby the main rail and canal networks. They named it after the Bourn-brook which flows passed the area: Bournville. They were responsible for schools, churches, a swimming pool, cricket green, and most importantly good quality housing for their workforce. The Bournville Village Trust still exists today to continue the work which they began. We could learn a lot from this sense of community working together, especially when considering the breakdown of social fabric prevalent today; with gang rule and drunken yobbishness dominating many of Birmingham's streets.

The day was really about chocolate, of course. As well as Wendy and I, Maddy was tucking into the complimentary dairy milk with great gusto. We got to see the packing factory where sumptuous liquid chocolate turns into freshly wrapped bars. And we even got to go on a ‘Cadabra’ ride whereby we saw miniature cocoa bean people in 'Beanville' enjoying life to the full (presumably before being liquidised). I wonder if the late great Cardinal John Henry Newman would have ever sampled the luscious chocolate of the nearby Bournville factory. Lets hope our new home is in an area of equally prestigious Brummie heritage!

An Empty Cave

Today I met Tomas, who was present for the glorious Laetere Sunday High Mass, with beautiful Rose Vestments worn by the Oratory Fathers. Go and read his blog now!

Oh, and Happy Mothering Sunday! (oh yes, its too late, but I've only just finished work.)

Astromech Droid

Those who are familiar with the term used as the title for this article, would probably also be interested, if not downright excited, about the prospect of a real-life R2-D2 to provide technical support around the home. But why? (you may ask) would you need an astromech droid? After all, we are not in a galaxy far, far away; we have no need of an on-board robot for space travel; we don't have the need to interpret computer terminals (since Microsoft is so reliable and easy to understand!); and we don't need anything to serve drinks on a Hutt's sail barge.

However - there is a far more pressing matter around the typical domestic home: multimedia. This is the age of photographic and audio digital trickery. Things are rapidly advancing and no home seems complete without a computer, television, games system, DVD player, digital camera, iPod, etc. Well, our household is no exception. Despite, or perhaps because of, a fleeting spell of puritanism - I wanted more control over my family's exposure to the mass media through the television. However, getting rid of the box was never an option; we love movies too much (the wholesome type, as well as mindless violent ones)! Some priestly advise mentioned a projector to make the movie experience more special, thus moving away from the "turn on, tune in, cop out" approach. Much debate on the dangers of television ensured, but an exciting game of international rugby convinced our household to renew the TV licence!

Anyway, back onto R2D2 (affectionately referred to as 'Artoo'). How could he possibly help the situation? Well, in case you missed it, for some time Nikko Electronics (the well known makers of scale replica radio-controlled cars) have been working on a prototype limited edition product: an R2D2 Projector and Multimedia Centre! Of course, any Star Wars fan would go weak at the knees, proclaiming "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" (of affording such a gadget). But even normal people would perhaps see the attractiveness of such an invention.

I am thus proud to be one of the first to test-drive this baby. Fresh from the factories of Malaysia, came in international express delivery, a huge 15kg box with a formidable little cylindrical robot inside. Number 63/4000 European models. This guy is quite something. What immediately strikes you is the attention to detail: this is an exact replica (in manageable half-scale) of the "overweight glob of grease" who almost single-handedly saved an entire galactic republic in the Star Wars saga(!) Every little panel seems to open up, with flashing blue lights and R2's characteristic bleeps reminding you of the care and attention that has gone into the design.

On his front is an iPod docking bay, which pops out, springs round, ready to cradle and charge anything from a Nano 1st generation up to a 5th generation video iPod, and even the new iPod touch. A 20 Watt 2-way 4 speaker system located in Artoo's underbelly ensures that a crisp sound emanates without having to wire up a speaker system. Artoo can also transmit a signal on FM frequency, making it possible to hear through radios all around your house.

Without being at all noticeable, a slot in Artoo's chest accommodates a DVD/CD slot, allowing all manner of digital media to be played. This includes music CDs, but also DVD movies, and more obscure formats such as JPEG, MPEG-4, WMA, MP3, VCD, etc. This fully supports digital out and surround sound if required, with outputs accessible from a concealed panel in Artoo's back. But what use are these video capabilities without the top notch feature of it all: A Texas Instruments DLP Projection system. Reminiscent of the projecting power of the real R2D2 (without the holographic ability), any image can be projected up to 6.6 metres in size. With a resolution of 1024 x 768, this is an impressive, although not fully High Definition picture. The contrast ratio is typically 1800:1 with 1500 ANSI Lumens of brightness. I really don't understand what all these terms mean; but my experience of playing what few DVDs we haven't packed up in boxes show, is an impressive bright and vibrant picture. A fairly dark room, like any projector, helps the experience greatly. But this is a powerful piece of kit, even requiring all Artoo's head ports to be opened up to aid ventilation with cooling fans (which makes him look like a blasted Artoo from the final film on Endor, but thankfully without the carbon scoring).

Adding to the fun of projecting movies, there is another compartment on Artoo's front which flips open to reveal memory card slots (SD, MMC, Smart media) and a USB port. No longer do photos have to be viewed on a tiny little camera screen, before they are uploaded to a computer or printed. Instant slide shows!

And of course there are various inputs at the back of Artoo. All are concealed with little flippable panels - including the power cable (AC mains is required to use the projector). These inputs support most things, with S-video, RCA video and audio ports (the yellow, white and red ones) and DVI-I for High Definition media, including of course laptop computers (making Artoo a good friend in the work place for important presentations... If you can maintain your professionalism). It would be nice if the High Def format were supported with an integrated BluRay/HD DVD drive; alas this would undoubtedly push prices up, but its absence makes the long term prospect of R2 shaky, as the DVD format will gradually become obsolete. Who knows how quickly that will be. At least with the DVI-I port he will always be compatible with the next generation of machines. It goes without saying that an 80- page instruction manual details a huge amount of settings and features, making compatibility and flexibility a priority.

But who are we kidding? We just want to have some fun with Artoo, right? Well, unplug him from the mains and flip his power onto 'RC' setting, and we have a fully controllable and portable robot. All his movements (forward, backwards, spinning, head rotate, incline) are controlled by the infra-red controller (the same way a TV is controlled). This makes for slightly clumsy controls, and not as accurate or precise as radio-controlled vehicles. Also, the lack of an autonomous mode, which is entirely feasible in this day and age, and indeed utilised in another Star Wars R2D2 product, makes for a bit of a disappointment.

However, the integrated controller makes up for it: a replica of the millenium falcon spaceship from the Star Wars Trilogy: with lit cockpit and boosters, and a docking stand which plays noises sampled from the films ("Han Solo, captain of the Millenium Falcon"!) A quick press on the boosters and a full control panel pops out, with all the features and settings of the R2 unit in one place. Failing this, there is also a basic control panel that pops out of Artoo above his DVD slot, to enable playing of movies.

The first thing that shocked me about Artoo when I turned him on were the shrieks he kept making at me! I was worried that he wasn't happy, despite all his lights and twinkling. It turns out he has some special safety sensors, some on his legs to stop him getting trapped, and one on his head to prevent obstructions to the projector. Thankfully, these sensors can easily be turned off if Artoo's shrieks become tiresome. Or, you could use him as a bedroom alarm (but perhaps not a burglar alarm: judging from his pitiful performance in Star Wars Episode II and the simple fact that HE HIMSELF would be liable to get stolen!!)

It all leaves little doubt: this is no toy, but a hardcore piece of 21st century gadgetry. I hope we can have lots of fun with Artoo, especially as we move house in the next few weeks. In his new abode, there will be less cardboard boxes to navigate around, and more DVDs on display to enjoy. Who knows, maybe there will even be a nice white wall somewhere for him to project things onto. One thing I do know: there is now a higher insurance premium!

Stats

Now that Lacrimarum Valle has reached 50,000 visits, I would like to thank you all for reading. Especially those bloggers who encouraged and welcomed me so much in the very beginning. In many ways Blogging is an act of community. It very quickly draws together like-minded people and makes us realise we're not completely barking mad (just mostly) and not as isolated in our views as is apparent from everyday life.

Now that the hits meter has calmed down a bit after a little Fr Z/Fr TF/NLM spike, I will get back to the mundane writing of articles which has become sadly less frequent since I began full-time paid employment. If possible, some prayers will be greatly appreciated as I get through the next few hurdles of my life: Passing my Foundation Year 1 Assessment; Finding a new job for August, and moving house. All of which should be complete by April.

Lent is becoming bitterly apparent in our home at this time, as more and more belongings become boxed up (or thrown out) leaving us within a bear and barren shell. It is cold and it echos. Perhaps the closest I will ever get to monastic austerity...

"All this excitement...

... has overrun the circuits of my counterpart; If you don't mind, I'd like to take him down to maintenance"

HE HAS ARRIVED!!!

Review to follow. See more here.

Cathedra Petri

STATUIT ei Dóminus testaméntum pacis, et príncipem fecit eum: ut sit illi sacerdótii dígnita ub aetérnum.

The Lord made to him a covenant of peace, and made him a prince; that the dignity of priesthood should be to him for ever.

Ecclesiasticus 45:30

Today's feast celebrates the episcopal dignity and universal primacy of St Peter, Prince of the Apostles. It has only a remote relation to the material chair, whose reliquary is pictured above, and is still venerated in the apse of the Vatican Basilica, as a symbol of the supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome.

The reliquary pictured above is designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in the form of a cathedra. The relic it contains is a fragment of the cathedra used by subsequent bishops of Rome, and now represents St Peter's very teaching authority. However, the feast of the Chair of St Peter was celebrated centuries before this chair was given to the Pope, by Charles the Bald, in 875. It is a beautiful sight at the back of St Peter's: there is a clear allusion to the chair being divinely inspired and derived from the Holy Spirit, with the heavenly dove lit through the window, and angels holding it aloft the altar. Text surrounding the piece is taken from St Matthew's Gospel:

[Jesus] asked his disciples, saying: "Whom do men say that the Son of man is?" But they said: "Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Jesus saith to them: "But whom do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said: "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answering, said to him:
"Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."

Matthew 16:13-19

St Peter, by divine revelation, made this declaration of faith, and was awarded by our Lord with a special role in the Church: Petros (or Rock) signifies a strength and support for the whole building of the Church, in which he is beside Christ as a chief foundation stone: Chief pastor, ruler and governor. His ecclesiastical powers are signified by the keys to the kingdom, much like a King's Prime Minister would have the keys to access everything under his rule.

Christ's kingship over our souls is exercised on earth by Peter and his successors, whom Christ appointed to head the Church, and made depositories of divine powers (the ability to bind and loose). In his travelling to Rome St Peter established his See there, and ultimately shed his blood for the Church by being crucified.

Subsequent Bishops of Rome share in this teaching authority, which is essential for full visible Christian Unity. Most enduring schisms originate from a refusal to keep allegiance with the Pope, and very soon Christian doctrine is deformed and altered. Of course, Popes throughout history will not have always acted strictly according to the laws of Christian charity, prudence, etc. and their sins are no doubt magnified by their important office. But insofar as they have protected and safeguarded Christian Truth, in declaring Dogma against abundant heresies, and reaffirmed the ancient Doctrine of the Church as given by Christ in the deposit of Faith, the Holy Spirit has been active and powerful. This is what is known as 'Papal Infalliability', and refers to times in which the Pope speaks ex cathedra (from the Chair) in exercising his full teaching authority in this regard.

As Christ promised St Peter, the gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church - and any so-called-christian subscribing to a theory of mass apostasy from the Faith, is effectively calling Our Lord a liar.

Welcome

I have just been preparing a post for Friday's feast of the Chair of St Peter: and notice I have had more visits in the last hour than I usually have in a whole day! This is due solely to two most important and popular blogs linking to me: What does the Prayer Really Say? and The New Liturgical Movement. Thank you very much to you both!

Since many new faces have just found their way here, I bid you all a fine welcome. If you would like to know more about me and my blog, simply click on the "welcome" tab at the top left hand corner. There is also more small print to be found on the "contact" tab.

God bless you all!