A Gardeners Lament

Absolute kudos to Pat Bilton for this little poem published in the latest issue of The Pug Dog Club Bulletin (Autumn 2010). To illustrate our solidarity, I have illustrated it with some photos of our own! Enjoy:



I used to have a lovely lawn with stripes from end to end,

when people called, I really could, on compliments depend.




But that was several years before, I'm afraid to say, my lawn's no more.

'But why?' you ask, 'What did occur?' two stubborn balls of puggy fur.




They saw that lawn, without ado, and claimed it as a puggy loo!

So, my aspirations fade, I've had to let them pass

and face the fact, my once lush lawn is now just puggy grass!!

- Pat Bilton

Louis' stay in Hospital

It is quite a shock to have a little child of mine in hospital. It doesn't make it any easier being a Doctor and being able to understand things. The striking thing is how much suffering it causes for us parents; being in an unusual place, out of one's comfort zone. The sense of being out of control is overwhelming. Mummy hasn't been off the ward in 36 hours, and must be feeling cabin fever! All of this to accentuate our worry and pain.

Yet amongst all this, the little child still has a striking grin, an unbridled honesty. Consolable in his delicate state, and not seeking sympathy or false pampering. He strives for independence and expects the same things he always has.

It's a complete microcosm. We're all thrown together amidst our own unspoken sufferings, yet united in this journey through our common human condition. This is the price of Love.

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Louis is Poorly

My son Louis, now nearly 9 months old, is in hospital due to a nasty infection, commonly called croup, which has given him laboured breathing.

Last night was pretty awful, requiring oral steroid and nebulised Adrenaline... but he's perked up a lot today remaining under close observations.




I'm about to go home to look after his big sister (3) for the night. The children's ward is nice with a bed in his room for Mum to stay in. He's always been a very robust baby, and so such a strong reaction has really surprised us. Even with breathing being visibly such hard work for him, he remains remarkably upbeat!

Your prayers are invaluable and we are very grateful for them, especially as we were unable to go to Mass today. Tonight, Day 3, is notoriously the peak of the illness so we hope things won't deteriorate too much tonight, when the croup inevitably worsens.

On an even more personal note, yesterday was the 13th anniversary of the death of my elder brother Damian, who was only 21. This made the whole experience all the more poignant, enough to really test one's resignation to the Lord's will. St Margaret Mary Aloque, ora pro nobis. Sacred Heart of Jesus, miserere nobis!

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Solemn High Requiem

Friday 5th November 2010 at 7pm
St John Fisher Church, 1 Cofton Road, West Heath



Parish Priest Fr George Grynowski will this year offer our Anniversary Requiem Mass for deceased Parishioners and LMS Members. If you would like a loved one's name to be included in the Absolutions at the Catafalque, please leave as a comment.




Last year our first High Requiem was offered at West Bromwich, and for this occasion ensemble 1685 sung a stunning renaissance setting by Jean Richafort, which was a UK first. This year they have kindly offered to return for a repeat performance, which will raise our hearts and minds to God once again.

Jean Richafort (1480-1547)
This polyphonic setting of the Ordinary of the Requiem Mass was composed in honour of the composer's teacher, Josquin Desprez, following Josquin's death in 1521. Richafort held several posts in the Low Countries but also appears to have been attached to the French Court. The Requiem uses fragments of the older composer's work hidden in the rich texture of 6-part writing.

Please support this wonderful opportunity. Full Mass books will be provided and Frs Jan Nowotnik and Christopher Miller from neighbouring parishes will also assist as Deacon and Subdeacon.

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Time- remember...

Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
All things have their season, and in their times all things pass under heaven.


A time to be born and a time to die.


A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.


A time to kill, and a time to heal.


A time to destroy, and a time to build.



A time to weep, and a time to laugh.


A time to mourn, and a time to dance.


A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather.



A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.



A time to get, and a time to lose.



A time to keep, and a time to cast away.



A time to rend, and a time to sew.



A time to keep silence, and a time to speak.



A time of love, and a time of hatred.


A time of war, and a time of peace.



What hath man more of his labour? I have seen the trouble, which God hath given the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made all things good in their time, and hath delivered the world to their consideration, so that man cannot find out the work which God hath made from the beginning to the end.
And I have known that there was no better thing than to rejoice, and to do well in this life. For every man that eateth and drinketh, and seeth good of his labour, this is the gift of God.


I have learned that all the works which God hath made, continue for ever: we cannot add any thing, nor take away from those things which God hath made that he may be feared. That which hath been made, the same continueth: the things that shall be, have already been: and God restoreth that which is past.






-- Posted From Wend's iPod Touch WiFi (4.5Mb/s)
Virgin Media Broadband

Great Doctor....

St. Jerome, Confessor and Doctor of the Church
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-19
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled. He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.







St. Jerome Painting by Eric Armusik

Powerful Saint: Ora pro nobis

The Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel (Michaelmas Day)
Gospel: Matthew 18:1-10
At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who thinkest thou is the greater in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them, And said: Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of scandals. For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless woe to that man by whom the scandal cometh. And if thy hand, or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to go into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee having one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. See that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Welcome Holy Father!

The excitement about the Holy Father being in the United Kingdom is immense! Our family have been watching it on our home projector and following every movement and word of Pope Benedict XVI on his historic visit to our country. The last time a Pope came to this country was in 1982, when I was still a baby in South Africa, and Wendy was a baby only Louis' age with her big sister being shown the event by her mother on the television. This visit is of national importance, and not just for Catholics but for everyone.

Wendy Receiving
Confirmation

The top photo is from the Holy Father's first day as Pope, having been elected in 2005. I remember this time so vividly because we were closely following this on the television too. During that time, of the death of Pope John Paul II and his successor's election, it was only a week after Wendy had been received into the Catholic Faith from Anglicanism. A year later, in Easter 2006, Wendy's mother followed suit. It was therefore most interesting to have us all together this evening, watching the Holy Father meet Dr Rowan Williams, and take part in joint Evening Prayer at Westminster Abbey and pray before the tomb of St Edward the Confessor, the great King of England. The Holy Father chose to reinterate the fact that he is the successor of St Peter, and charged with the task keeping Christendom unified. I see this unity as flowing from full Catholic Doctrine and Apostolic Tradition. Unfortunately, having chosen to reject the authority of the Pope, the Church of England has progressively fallen deeper into confusion, to the point where their Primate, the 'Archbishop of Canterbury', has no hope of keeping in unity his own communion, let alone striving for deeper unity with the rest of Christendom.

We have tickets to wait outside the Birmingham Oratory when the Holy Father comes there on Sunday. This is particularly exciting for us since it will be immediately after the Beatification of John Henry Newman, who we have been devoted towards for the last five years since the same 'Kindly Light' led Wendy towards the Church. It is unfortunate that his example is now being distorted to present him as a Patron of Conscientious Objection from the Church's teaching, as well as Homosexuality, and even Ecumenism. None of these agendas accurately reflects Newman's legacy, but as long as it is in the full glare of media attention, this is an inevitable drawback. History will surely see him, and the English Oratory, in its proper light, despite the short-term silence and lack of voice for the Truth.



Serving Mass in the Chapel
now dedicated to Newman

 So this coming Sunday afternoon, unfortunately during a period of night-shifts for me (starting tonight), we will be showing our support for the Holy Father outside our beloved Oratory, and cheering his arrival. We will also have the opportunity of being some of the first pilgrims after the Pope to pray in the newly renovated Shrine to Blessed John Henry Newman; a chapel previously remembered by us with fondness when it was dedicated to St Philip Neri, and when Fr Philip Cleevely used to say private Mass there with our noisy family in attendence!

If everything happens as it has so far, the support for the Holy Father in Birmingham will be immense. We have a wonderful Catholic History in this Archdiocese, and a large Catholic Population which has swelled in recent years to include lots of Eastern Europeans. We are honoured to have the Vicar of Christ here to celebrate it with us! And perhaps he will stop his Popemobile to bless a few more babies!

EWTN coverage of the Holy Fathers visit to UK

IRONDALE, AL (August 18, 2010) - EWTN Global Catholic Network will provide live coverage of every public event during Pope Benedict XVI’s historic visit to England and Scotland Sept. 16-19, numerous original productions on the life and works of Cardinal John Henry Newman, who will be beatified by the Pope during his visit, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.

Coverage will be seen and heard on all nine EWTN Television Networks worldwide, and can be heard in English, Spanish, French and German; on EWTN Radio Network, and at www.ewtn.com through live streaming video. (Find EWTN Television at www.ewtn.com/channelfinder and EWTN Radio at http://www.ewtn.com/radio/amfm.htm or on Sirius Satellite Channel 160.)

Special live coverage will be provided by EWTN News Anchor Raymond Arroyo, who has covered more papal events than anyone in the industry and who obtained the only English language interview in existence today with the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. (Contact EWTN to arrange an interview.)

“To my mind, this visit to the U.K. is to Pope Benedict XVI’s papacy what Pope John Paul II’s visit to Poland was to his,” said “World Over” Host Raymond Arroyo, who will anchor EWTN’s coverage. “Not enough attention is being paid to the historicity of this seismic moment.”

EWTN’s coverage of these events will include exclusive interviews with Deacon John “Jack” Sullivan, who prayed to Newman for healing after watching a series on the saint on EWTN and whose resulting miracle is responsible for Newman’s beatification; Cormack Murphy O’Connor, former Archbishop of Westminster, who worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes to make this papal trip possible; Lord David Alton, a member of Parliament, who will discuss the government’s view of the trip and what Catholics can expect; Westminster’s current Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams, and many others!

You’ll also travel to the Birmingham Oratory and the rooms in which Newman lived and worked; Westminster Hall, where St. Thomas More was condemned to death; the Guild Chapel and much more.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 30th year, is available in 160 million television households in 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.


From www.catholic.org


It also looks like there is live coverage via the official papal visit website.




-- Posted From Wend's iPod Touch WiFi (4.5Mb/s)
Virgin Media Broadband

Raynet on Patrol

Louis' Grandad is a member of Raynet and has been on patrol today for radio cover at the jumbo run, which is a charity event where 30 disabled children are given a day out in motorcycle sidecars!