AS I WAS SAYING...
The old journalists' adage still holds: annoy people sufficiently and they will write your copy for you! Last week's piece here on St. Blaise and related matters provoked a number of responses. A couple of them were themselves provocatively humorous. In the main, it must be said, the responses were critical and negative. (One correspondent pleaded with me to 'give the people what they want'. What I want desperately right now is a cigarette. What I need however, is a good walk and some exercise.) The foregoing is a representative sample of some of the material that came in: (While this particular letter was signed, I don't believe it was intended for publication. Consequently, it would be most unfair to reveal the name of the author):
"I am a regular visitor at St Augustine's. I write to express my incredulity at the insensitivity of your response in the Newsletter, to the complaints of a number of people, when they learned that the traditional blessing of throats would not be given. Your remark that the Sunday Liturgy will always supersede that of the Saint, is a mystery to me. The simple blessing was always given when Mass had ended. In all my years of receiving the blessing , I can't recall the practice being dropped on a Sunday. With respect Father, you come across in the piece -and at times in the past- as being disdainful of simple faith, relegating it to the realms of superstition. This truly is a worrying prospect for oldies like myself....."
The writer is patently sincere in his convictions, and he feels hard done by. But, on April 3rd, 1969, Paul VI promulgated the Apostolic Constitution, Missale Romanum. This document approved the new Roman Missal, revised by the Decrees of the Second Vatican Council. In his introduction to the that Missal, Paul VI quotes from the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: "Other celebrations, unless they be truly of great importance, shall never have precedence over the Sunday Celebration." As I pointed out here last Sunday, the Feast of St. Blaise, when it falls on a weekday, is merely an 'Optional Memoria'. Clearly its celebration is not permitted on a Sunday.
So that has been the law of the Church since April 3rd, 1969. Yet, some 33 years later, it still remains a mystery to our aggrieved correspondent. He accused me of being 'disdainful of the simple faith'. He has chosen the wrong target, I fear. His arrow should be aimed at the real sources of his problem: the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome, Pope Paul VI and his eminent successors, including the present incumbent Far from being disdainful of the simple faith, 'I have but done my duty'.
As I intimated here last week, we (both people and priests) sorely need a whole re-education, a renewal, in both the scriptures and in Church teaching. Piously protesting the simplicity of our faith is absolutely no excuse for remaining in blissful ignorance of its actual content. With the need for this renewal in mind, we will put our hand to the Gospel plough on Wednesday night next. (See later for details). Who knows what treasures we might uncover!
-Dick Lyng.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
- TROCAIRE BOXES: Trocaire Boxes are still available at the back of the Church Take one per family, fill it full, and return to the Church rejoicing on Easter Sunday morning!
- THE CHURCH RENOVATION GROUP: This group will meet again on tomorrow night, Monday February 21st at 5.30 in the front parlour. They have drawn up sketches of three possible 're-ordering plans'. With just a little more fine-tuning, these will be ready for public consumption!
- RUBBISH: The side walls and niches of our Church are being used again as rubbish dumps. The offenders are a few thick, unthinking business people in the immediate vicinity of the Church, together with four private apartment dwellers. Why don't they simply leave their own garbage outside their own bloody doors for collection? And the practice is illegal. But the Corporation lacks either the interest, the energy or the courage to implement its own legislation. Would some member of the congregation take on this project and address it rather directly? It involves the unpleasant task of going through the bags with gloved hands, and retrieving names and addresses. Finances will be made available for legal expenses incurred. I just don't want to get involved myself in that game right now, but I will fully support whoever undertakes the task. Any takers?
SCRIPTURE AND EUCHARIST
This 'Lenten Exercise' is designed primarily for Readers and Eucharistic Ministers (both established, unestablished and Disestablished!), but by no means confined to these categories. (I will be issuing invites to others who may be interested). Initially at any rate, we will devote three nights to the topics: Wednesday next, February 20th, Wednesday, March 6th and Wednesday, March 20th. Each session, at 8.00, will last no more than 90 minutes. In the course of the three nights, we will explore, in sequence:The format of each session will be as follows:
- The evolution of the Eucharist through history
- The altered understanding provided by the Vatican II
- What contemporary theologians are trying to say!
(a) a short essay;
(b) 10 minute oral presentation;
(c) discussions in small groups.
The session will conclude with
(d) a 5 minute summary of ground covered.
It might even be interesting!
LIAM MELLOWS HURLING CLUB
The Annual Mass for the deceased members of Liam Mellow's Club on Wednesday next in the Clubhouse at 8.00. Families and friends of the deceased memebrs will be particularly welcome.
A BIRD IN THE HAND.......
{Mary Taylor, while 'putting her house in order' recently, happened upon this charming letter from another time. The 'Fr. Arnold' in question is the late Peadar Arnold, an uncle of Mary and a priest of the diocese of Raphoe. The present whereabouts of the canary in question is not known. Thanks Mary.}
P. O'KANE & CO., LTD F. X. Cannon, Esq.,
WHOLESALE WINE & SPIRIT BONDERS & MERCHANTS
REGISTERED OFFICE
32 UPPER MAIN STREET,
BUNCRANA
Co. Donegal
Spirit Merchant,
Ardara,
Co. Donegal.
21st. June, 1961
Dear Mr. Cannon,Very pleased to learn from your letter that the Canary arrived safely for Father Arnold and I had a very nice letter from him thanking me for sending it.
[The] Canary sent Father Arnold is a brother of your bird; but possibly from a later nest, likely late last Summer and it turned out a very nice singer with a fair amount of rolling, but it picked up some harsh choppy notes from the other birds, but may now revert to original song and it should respond well to training by a good songster after its first moult (or should singing lessons be [given] during moulting period?).
By the way, Father Arnold's bird is not used to a hot room, so should not be put in a very hot room, it would likely cause moulting.
From memory I think Father Arnold's bird is one that got dragged out of the nest when only a few days old, and I found it on the floor of the cage cold and apparently as good as dead. But on putting it back in the nest it revived with the heat and I consider it the prettiest of all the 13 young birds raised by the Orange Rollar Hen/Cinnamon Border Cock last season and I am very pleased it got such a good home.
Kindest regards,
Yours faithfully,
Louis O'Kane
(Managing Director)
DID YOU KNOW.............?
Europe, North America, Japan and Australia combined to have 20% of the world's population and over 80% of the world's income. They eat 70% of the world's food.As I said here last week, it's a strange world indeed!
- McDonald's spend one billion dollars in advertising and promotion each year.
- The Annual world military expenditure is 1 trillion dollars. Only 1.9% of this would be needed to eliminate starvation and malnutrition in the world.
- In developing countries, 1 child in 10 dies before their fifth birthday. In the USA, it is one in 165.
- A house cat in the USA will eat more beef in a single year than a man in Bangladesh, or a woman in Haiti.
- In 1820 the richest 20% of the world's population received 3 times as much as the poorest 20%.
- 1870: 7 times
- 1913: 11 times
- 1960: 30 times
- 1990: 60 times
- 1997: 74 times
- 1998: 86 times.
COUSIN FOSBURY
Cousin Fosbury
took his highjumping seriously.
To ensure a floppier flop
he consulted a contortionist
and had his vertebrae removed
by a backstreet vertebraeortionist.
Now he clears 8 foot with ease
and sleeps with his head
tucked under his knees.
-From 'Sporting Relations,' by Roger McGough.
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