REMINDER - MONTHLY MASS THIS WEDNESDAY

The monthly Mass of the Grand Priory will be a sung Mass at St James's Spanish Place at 7 pm this coming Wednesday, 28th March, the Mass of a Feria of Lent. The celebrant will be Father David Irwin.

GOOD WISHES TO OUR FRIENDS IN THE INSTITUTE OF CHRIST-THE-KING - Updated

The Lady altar at the shrine church.

Monsignor Gilles Wach, Superior General and founder of the Institute of Christ-the-King Sovereign Priest, and a good friend to the Order of Malta, who has on several occasion celebrated Mass in the Conventual Church, notably in two previous years on Ash Wednesday, will be in England this weekend for the establishment of the shrine church of Saints Peter, Paul and Philomena at New Brighton in the Wirral.

This church, known to sailors as the Dome of Home, as it is visible far out to sea from ships coming into Liverpool, will become the first in Britain to be entrusted to the Institute of Christ-the-King Sovereign Priest, a society of Apostolic life of Pontifical Right. The shrine church will be a special place of prayer and devotion open every day for adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The ceremony will be presided by His Excellency Bishop Mark Davies, bishop of Shrewsbury, by whose generous invitation the Institute have come to these shores. The Bishop will preach the homily, and the Superior General will be celebrant at the High Mass. Various members of the Order, long-term friends of the Institute, will be present.

We wish the Bishop and the Institute well in this new Apostolate in Britain, and pray that it may bear many fruits, both in the Wirral and in the wider Church in this country.

As reported here on the Diocese of Shrewsbury website, in recognition of the importance of the work of the Institute in the renewal of the Church, the Sovereign Pontiff has granted a plenary indulgence to all who attend the opening of the shrine at the Mass on Saturday morning.  We share His Lordship's evident joy in the wonderful development in his Diocese.

Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pray for us.

Prayers at the foot of the altar

UPDATE:

This was a truly glorious occasion, attended by members of the Grand Priory, including the Chancellor, His Excellency Fra' Duncan Gallie, amongst 1,000 Faithful.  The Church looked magnificent, and the ceremonies were conducted with dignity and majesty.  Bishop Davies preached an inspiring homily which may be read on the Diocesan website HERE, and their site also carries a full report HERE.  Additional pictures are available HERE, and Canon Meney's own pictures from the shrine HERE.

"GAY MARRIAGE" - ACTION NEEDED

Raphael. Marriage of the Virgin, Milan

The Government's consultation on this subject begins today, the siren trumpets sounding loud and hollow in the moral vacuum which this country has become, as the Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone, says that the state should "facilitate, encourage and rejoice" in people's desire to marry. It would be funny if it were not so iniquitous.

Earlier this week Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, publicly criticised the Church's teaching on Marriage, underlining his dissent from the statement made last week by the Holy Father (see post below) and reemphasised his enthusiasm for a policy which he has supported continuously since before his conversion to the Catholic Church, as reported in the Independent, here.  It is most illuminating that this man should support the Coalition Government on this one issue, and we can hope that it will do their cause no good.

Please SIGN the Petition at COALITION FOR MARRIAGE, here, as our Bishops have asked us.

Please also WRITE to your MP, and to 10 Downing Street.  It has been observed that paper letters, which received replies, are more effective.  Click above for the respective addressees.

Tuitio Fidei - this is why we are here in the Order.  Now is the time for action in this onslaught against humanity.

Our Lady of Philermo, pray for us

Queen of the Family, pray for us

St Joseph, pray for us

St John the Baptist, pray for us

Saints Joachim and Anne, pray for us

ARCHBISHOPS' LETTER ON MARRIAGE

As the Government launches its controversial consultation on changing the nature of legal marriage in this country, their graces the Archbishops of Westminster and Southwark issue the following letter, which, with the agreement of the diocesan bishops of the country, is being read in all oratories and parish churches throughout England and Wales at all Masses today, the third Sunday of Lent.

A Letter on Marriage from the President and Vice-President of the

Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

This week the Coalition Government is expected to present its consultation paper on the proposed change in the legal definition of marriage so as to open the institution of marriage to same-sex partnerships.

Today we want to put before you the Catholic vision of marriage and the light it casts on the importance of marriage for our society.

The roots of the institution of marriage lie in our nature. Male and female we have been created, and written into our nature is this pattern of complementarity and fertility. This pattern is, of course, affirmed by many other religious traditions. Christian teaching fills out this pattern and reveals its deepest meaning, but neither the Church nor the State has the power to change this fundamental understanding of marriage itself. Nor is this simply a matter of public opinion. Understood as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and for the creation and upbringing of children, marriage is an expression of our fundamental humanity. Its status in law is the prudent fruit of experience, for the good of the spouses and the good of the family. In this way society esteems the married couple as the source and guardians of the next generation. As an institution marriage is at the foundation of our society.

There are many reasons why people get married. For most couples, there is an instinctive understanding that the stability of a marriage provides the best context for the flourishing of their relationship and for bringing up their children. Society recognises marriage as an important institution for these same reasons: to enhance stability in society and to respect and support parents in the crucial task of having children and bringing them up as well as possible.

The Church starts from this appreciation that marriage is a natural institution, and indeed the Church recognises civil marriage. The Catholic understanding of marriage, however, raises this to a new level. As the Catechism says: ‘The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, by its nature is ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptised persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.’ (para.1601)

These rather abstract words are reflected however imperfectly in the experience of married couples. We know that at the heart of a good marriage is a relationship of astonishing power and richness, for the couple, their children, their wider circle of friends and relations and society. As a Sacrament, this is a place where divine grace flows. Indeed, marriage is a sharing in the mystery of God’s own life: the unending and perfect flow of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We know, too, that just as God’s love is creative, so too the love of husband and wife is creative of new life. It is open, in its essence, to welcoming new life, ready to love and nurture that life to its fullness, not only here on earth but also into eternity.

This is a high and noble vision, for marriage is a high and noble vocation. It is not easily followed. But we are sure that Christ is at the heart of marriage, for his presence is a sure gift of the God who is Love, who wants nothing more than for the love of husband and wife to find its fulfilment. So the daily effort that marriage requires, the many ways in which family living breaks and reshapes us, is a sharing in the mission of Christ, that of making visible in the world the creative and forgiving love of God.

In these ways we understand marriage to be a call to holiness for a husband and wife, with children recognised and loved as the gift of God, with fidelity and permanence as the boundaries which create its sacred space. Marriage is also a crucial witness in our society, contributing to its stability, its capacity for compassion and forgiveness and its future, in a way that no other institution can.

In putting before you these thoughts about why marriage is so important, we also want to recognise the experience of those who have suffered the pain of bereavement or relationship breakdown and their contribution to the Church and society. Many provide a remarkable example of courage and fidelity. Many strive to make the best out of difficult and complex situations. We hope that they are always welcomed and helped to feel valued members of our parish communities.

The reasons given by our government for wanting to change the definition of marriage are those of equality and discrimination. But our present law does not discriminate unjustly when it requires both a man and a woman for marriage. It simply recognises and protects the distinctive nature of marriage.

Changing the legal definition of marriage would be a profoundly radical step. Its consequences should be taken seriously now. The law helps to shape and form social and cultural values. A change in the law would gradually and inevitably transform society’s understanding of the purpose of marriage. It would reduce it just to the commitment of the two people involved. There would be no recognition of the complementarity of male and female or that marriage is intended for the procreation and education of children.

We have a duty to married people today, and to those who come after us, to do all we can to ensure that the true meaning of marriage is not lost for future generations.

With every blessing,

Most Reverend Vincent Nichols 

Most Reverend Peter Smith

11th March 2012

The pdf of the text may be downloaded here.

POPE BENEDICT ON MARRIAGE

Photo: Stefano Spaziani

The Holy Father has today, to the Bishops of the United States, offered this teaching upon Marriage.

In our previous meetings I acknowledged our concern about threats to freedom of conscience, religion and worship which need to be addressed urgently, so that all men and women of faith, and the institutions they inspire, can act in accordance with their deepest moral convictions. In this talk I would like to discuss another serious issue which you raised with me during my Pastoral Visit to America, namely, the contemporary crisis of marriage and the family, and, more generally, of the Christian vision of human sexuality. It is in fact increasingly evident that a weakened appreciation of the indissolubility of the marriage covenant, and the widespread rejection of a responsible, mature sexual ethic grounded in the practice of chastity, have led to grave societal problems bearing an immense human and economic cost.

...

In this regard, particular mention must be made of the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage. The Church’s conscientious effort to resist this pressure calls for a reasoned defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons, essentially rooted in the complementarity of the sexes and oriented to procreation. Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage. Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice, since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike.

In our conversations, some of you have pointed with concern to the growing difficulties encountered in communicating the Church’s teaching on marriage and the family in its integrity, and to a decrease in the number of young people who approach the sacrament of matrimony. Certainly we must acknowledge deficiencies in the catechesis of recent decades, which failed at times to communicate the rich heritage of Catholic teaching on marriage as a natural institution elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament, the vocation of Christian spouses in society and in the Church, and the practice of marital chastity. This teaching, stated with increasing clarity by the post-conciliar magisterium and comprehensively presented in both the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, needs to be restored to its proper place in preaching and catechetical instruction.

...

In this great pastoral effort there is an urgent need for the entire Christian community to recover an appreciation of the virtue of chastity. The integrating and liberating function of this virtue (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2338-2343) should be emphasized by a formation of the heart, which presents the Christian understanding of sexuality as a source of genuine freedom, happiness and the fulfilment of our fundamental and innate human vocation to love. It is not merely a question of presenting arguments, but of appealing to an integrated, consistent and uplifting vision of human sexuality. The richness of this vision is more sound and appealing than the permissive ideologies exalted in some quarters; these in fact constitute a powerful and destructive form of counter-catechesis for the young.

Young people need to encounter the Church’s teaching in its integrity, challenging and countercultural as that teaching may be; more importantly, they need to see it embodied by faithful married couples who bear convincing witness to its truth. They also need to be supported as they struggle to make wise choices at a difficult and confusing time in their lives. Chastity, as the Catechism reminds us, involves an ongoing "apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom" (2339). In a society which increasingly tends to misunderstand and even ridicule this essential dimension of Christian teaching, young people need to be reassured that "if we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, absolutely nothing, of what makes life free, beautiful and great" (Homily, Inaugural Mass of the Pontificate, 24 April 2005).

Let me conclude by recalling that all our efforts in this area are ultimately concerned with the good of children, who have a fundamental right to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. Children are the greatest treasure and the future of every society: truly caring for them means recognizing our responsibility to teach, defend and live the moral virtues which are the key to human fulfillment. It is my hope that the Church in the United States, however chastened by the events of the past decade, will persevere in its historic mission of educating the young and thus contribute to the consolidation of that sound family life which is the surest guarantee of intergenerational solidarity and the health of society as a whole.

Benedict XVI

Address to Bishops of the United States (Regions VII-IX) (click for full text)

LENT TALK - ST JOHN'S HOSPICE

The Day-Centre at St John's Hopsice

This evening, the Wednesday Lent course at St James's Spanish Place continues with a talk by Andrew Gallini, the Director of Clinical Services at St John’s Hospice which is part of the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth. The treatment of the terminally ill – and their proper palliative care – is a crucial area of modern medicine and social provision: this should be a fascinating and instructive evening. 

Refreshments are offered after the 6pm Mass in the social centre at St James's Church, where the talk will be given at 7pm – followed by questions and discussion, finishing at 8pm (Compline is sung at 6.40pm in church that same evening).

More information on the Hospice, and how to donate, may be found HERE.

THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE - PETITION

The Marriage of the Virgin, by Philippe de Champaigne, 1644

There is no need to rehearse here the much publicised attacks upon Marriage, an institution formed by God as part of His plan of Creation (which is why it has existed in most peoples and religions from time immemorial) which are being proposed by this Government, currently undertaking 'consultation' on introducing 'marriage' for people of the same sex.

Members of the Order of Malta, with its charge of Tuitio Fidei, are obliged to engage in this controversy, and to take up suitable arms in the defense of God's created order, and of the Church's indissoluble teaching.

There are many ways in which we can do this, at local, parish and other levels; with our children and their school-friends, and among our own friends.

We should also write to our Member of Parliament, and it is useful to sign petitions when they come up, to make our voices heard in the public square. We should also encourage our Bishops to take a strong stand.

The Coalition for Marriage, a charity set up to fight this battle, has a petition HERE. Please sign it; it only takes a moment. They also have a paper version for distribution to non-computer friends. This campaign is supported by the Catholic Bishop's Conference, as explained by Archbishop Peter Smith HERE.

The Daily Telegraph has a poll, which the 'same-sex-marriage' lobby is currently winning 76-24%. Shame on the supposedly conservative readership of that organ, please visit it HERE to help redress the balance. The question is posed as a choice between being nice to everyone and giving them the 'right' to get married, as opposed to maintaining tradition and God's teaching, which is, by thinly veiled implication, unkind. This modern relativist obsession with being seen to be nice is a spectacular success of the Devil. It seems a very poor bargain to sell one's soul just to be liked by a few random people. It is, nevertheless, endemic.

We must not lose sight of the fact that at last year's Conservative Party conference, in his main speech the Prime Minister, David Cameron, said: ''I don't support gay marriage in spite of being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I am a Conservative.''  We are not called upon to understand this statement, but we must as Christians heed it.

The government, hand in hand with the secular cognoscenti, is trying to marginalise religious views as bigoted and out-of-touch: a tasteful silence will only play into the hands of those who use arguments of relativity to attack the values for which we stand and which we know to be right.

The gauntlet has been thrown down, it is our job to take it up.

 

Our Lady of Philermo, pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us
Holy Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for us

REPORT ON OXFORD RECOLLECTION

Vespers in St Benet's Hall chapel

Ten members of the Order, of whom five are professed knights, together with 10 Companions and friends met in Oxford for the latest Recollection on Saturday last, 25th February. Lauds and Vespers of the Little Office of Our Lady were both sung in the Chapel of St Benet's Hall by kind permission of the Master, Fr Felix Stephens OSB. Mass for the Feast of St Matthias was celebrated in the Sacred Heart Chapel of the Oxford Oratory with music sung by a schola of Knights. It was a pleasure as ever to welcome visitors from other Associations of the Order.

Father Joseph Welch of The Oxford Oratory gave two most inspiring and informative recollections on Psalm 118. This Psalm is a description of a soul's resistance to temptation and the importance of constantly seeking God's grace. Many members of the Order will be familiar with the Psalm through the recitation of the Breviary. The day included Benediction and Holy Hour at the Oratory, served by two Companions whom it is hoped will soon be joining the Order. A suitably Lenten lunch was preceded by a reading from the Rule of Blessed Raymond du Puy and a commentary on it, taken form the studies on the Rule which have recently been undertaken by members of the Grand Priory and chaplains in Oxford.

The day finished with Sung Vespers in the Chapel of St Benet’s Hall, followed by tea.

Our confrere Fra' John Eidinow, who is a Fellow of St Benet's Hall, as cantor at Vespers.

NOTICE - FEBRUARY DAY OF RECOLLECTION - OXFORD

The Sacred Heart chapel at the Oratory

The next Day of Recollection will take place on Saturday 25th February 2012 in Oxford, through the kindness of the Fathers of the Oratory and the Master of St Benet’s Hall. The Conferences will be given by Fr Joseph Welch of the Oxford Oratory. A levy of £10 per head will be taken to cover the costs of the day apart from lunch, which will be charged separately.

As ever, everyone is welcome: ALL members of BASMOM, other members of the Order in Britain, Companions and guests.

The Oratory is at 25 Woodstock Road Oxford OX2 6HA, and St Benet’s Hall is a few doors away at 38 St Giles’. Parking in central Oxford is extremely limited. It is recommended to use ‘Park and Ride’ –the route between Redbridge and Pear Tree car parks passes by the Oratory. The Westgate Multi-storey is about 15 minutes away. There are frequent trains up from London and the station is about 15 minutes’ walk. The Oxford tube coach service stops at Gloucester Green which is about 10 minutes away.

HORARIUM
10.00am Arrive at Oxford Oratory, Porter's Lodge
10.30am Lauds at St Benet’s Hall
11.00am First Conference at The Oratory-followed by opportunity for Confession/recitation of the Rosary
12.00 noon Mass - Saturday in Lent - at The Oratory
Lunch: Details to be announced
2.30pm Second Conference at The Oratory
3.15pm Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at The Oratory
4.00pm Vespers at St Benet’s Hall followed by tea

NEW BISHOP OF TARBES AND LOURDES

Monseigneur Nicolas Brouwet

On Saturday last the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Holy See announced the appointment of Monseigneur Nicolas Brouwet, formerly Auxiliary bishop of Nanterre, as the new Bishop of Tarbes et Lourdes. His Excellency will be 50 years old in August this year, and will also this year celebrate the 20th anniversary of his priestly ordination. He was educated at the Sorbonne and the French College in Rome, during which time he taught for two years at the seminary in Jerusalem. 

We offer our congratulations, both to Monseigneur Brouwet, and to this important pilgrim diocese.

Monseigneur Brouwet is known already to the pages of this blog, as he celebrated the closing Pontifical Mass at Chartres last year, a pilgrimage which has for a long time been part of the activity of members of the French Association of the Order, and dear to the heart of our beloved Grand Master. See report here. 

It is a great blessing for the Order to have such a learned and pious man, deeply imbued with the sense of Christian pilgrimage, to preside over this see so close to the heart of the Order of Malta. There can be no doubt that His Excellency will fruitfully animate the Order's annual pilgrimage.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for him.

REPORT - BIRMINGHAM LOURDES REUNION 2012

The Lourdes Reunion at the Birmingham Oratory on Saturday was a great success, some 40 Malades attended the Mass and received the graces of the Sacrament of Annointing of the Sick. Many had travelled long distances in the snow and ice.  It was lovely that this year the Saturday fell on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the World Day of the Sick, so we joined millions around the world in our devotions.

The cold did not deter faithful members of the Order either, some 30 dames and knights attended in choir.

Mass was celebrated by Father Anthony Talbot, who has recently returned to England, a cousin of Lord and Lady Talbot of Malahide, our beloved Vice-President, both of whom were present. Father Talbot preached a very moving "spiritual pilgrimage" to Lourdes, taking his pilgrims gently around the shrine and through the many means of grace which it affords.

We were also joined by the Companions, who shared our celebration of Our Lady's feast as 'Companions' Day' this year. As the Saturday morning every week is the Newman Shrine pilgrims' Mass, there were also many visitors and parishioners present in a pretty full church, many of whom were also able to come up for the Sacrament of Anointing.

Our Lords the Sick watching hopefully as Lady Talbot presides over the tombola

Following Mass the Malades and members of the Order had the most splendid buffet lunch, provided by a large team of volunteers, in the Bl John Henry Newman Museum at the Oratory. Lunch was followed by a talk given by Lady Talbot on the Apparitions at Lourdes, and as ever by a charity auction and tombola. Many happy faces left with wonderful prizes.

Next year's Reunion is planned to be a week or so later, to avoid half-term, allowing more people to  attend, and hopefully have some warmer weather.

Our gratitude goes to all the many helpers who made this such a wonderful day, but specially this year we must thank Major Arbuthnot, for his excellent organisation in his first year in this role, and for his magnificent baked ham!

Fra' Duncan Gallie, Chancellor of the Grand Priory, who has organised this day for the past ten years, was much missed by everyone, as he is away in Rome.

We are extremely grateful to the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory for their truly gracious welcome. 

Our main thanks must, as ever, go to our Lords the Sick.

BIRMINGHAM LOURDES REUNION

Plate and majolica used for the nursing of the Sick at the Hospital in Malta
(photo courtesy of the Museum of St John, London)

This coming Saturday, 11th February, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, at 11am a solemn Mass will be sung at the Birmingham Oratory, Hagley Road, B16 8UE. At the proclamation of the late Holy Father Blessed John-Paul II, this day is observed as World Day for the Sick; during the Mass there will be anointing of Our Lords the Sick, following the practice he encouraged. Any sick or aged person who desires the sustenance of this Sacrament is welcome to receive it.

The Mass will be followed by the Annual Lourdes Reunion, for which reservation is required through the usual channels.

This year the Order will be joined by the members of the Companions who are celebrating Companions Day on this feast.

Members of the Order, Companions and friends are very warmly encouraged to attend and support with their prayers the Order in its work of Obsequium Pauperum at this Mass.

If you are unable to come, please pray for the work of the Order and the Companions this day. Members are encouraged to have a Mass offered for this intention.

Our Lords the Poor and the Sick, pray for us.

THE QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE

V. Domine, salvam fac Reginam nostram Elisabeth.
R. Et exaudi nos in die, qua invocaverimus te.

Oremus.

Quæsumus omnipotens Deus, ut famula tua Elisabeth Regina nostra, qui tua miseratione suscepit regni gubernacula, virtutum etiam omnium percipiat incrementa; quibus decenter ornata, et vitiorum monstra devitare, et ad te qui via, veritas et vita es, cum principe consorte et prole regia, gratiosa valeat pervenire. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Ad Multos Annos!

Plurimusque annos!

VIVAT ! VIVAT! VIVAT!

Click image to see the 41-gun salute in Hyde Park (video sadly not embeddable)

TWITTER

We have been persuaded by several members of the Order to restart our experiment of using Twitter, despite the near total lack of take-up last year. Perhaps times have moved on. There is a link in the sidebar to our Twitter homepage.

Please reTweet, follow, share, or whatever, to make this exercise worthwhile. As a matter of technical interest, reTweeting, in the correct circumstances, is an act of Tuitio Fideo, and may thus bear graces!

TUITIO FIDEI IN MIAMI, FLORIDA

On the Feast of Candlemas last Thursday, the Presentation of the Lord, His Excellency the Most Reverend Monsignor Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami, Conventual Chaplain ad honorem of the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta, celebrated Pontifical High Mass in the church of the Epiphany in Miami. This was the first Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Florida in 50 years. His Excellency wore the cappa, mitre and vestments of the first Archbishop, Monsignor Coleman Carroll, as a sign of the continuity of our Faith and Worship, in a reflection of the practice of our beloved Holy Father.  The Mass was preceded by a workshop for the priests attending in choir - Tuitio Fidei in practice.

Photographs courtesy of Archdiocese of Miami website

In his homily, delivered solemnly from the throne, His Excellency said: “What’s happening tonight should give us an indication of what should be happening in our parishes every Sunday — the dignity, the solemnity, the pageantry, if you will. But it’s not about entertaining people, it’s about worshiping God, along with the tradition and continuity of the faith throughout the ages.”  The full text may be read here.

This liturgical work is central to the Order's charism, as we strive in charity to bring our fellow man closer to Salvation. The sacred Liturgy is the most powerful means the Church gives us to achieve this, and one to which the Order of Malta has throughout its life been devoted in the magnificent churches it built in its various homes.

Tuitio Fidei is the Obsequium Pauperum for the soul, and just as human beings are both spirit and flesh, so these two parts of our work are also one and indivisible.

There is an article on the Archbishop's work in the Order on the Cuban Association website here.

Ad Multos Annos!

H/T WDTPRS

LA VIRGEN DEL ROSARIO

Many of our readers will have seen articles on this elsewhere in recent days, we make no apologies, however, for posting something so relevant to our shared Faith and to the glorious history of our beloved Order.

The image above is of a recently rediscovered statue of the Virgin of the Rosary, which was borne upon his flagship, the Galera Real, by Don John of Austria, Admiral of the Fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

It is upon this beautiful face, now scarred by time and the weather, that many of our brethren in the Order of Malta would have looked on the last day of their life and work for the Order, and before whom they uttered their last prayers. For them and for countless others, it was this sacred image which inspired them to one of the greatest naval victories against the mohammedan forces. The Victory was attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the feast instituted by Pope St Pius V that same year in commemoration.

For many recent years this statue has been lost, but has now been found, and is displayed in the Spanish Naval Museum. Now she is to be restored.  See the article in Spanish HERE.

The statue, of exquisite craftsmanship, delicately painted, with glass eyes, in the finest tradition of the high period of Spanish religious statuary (as seen in the London National Gallery exhibition last year), was almost certainly made in Spain, and was the gift to Don John by the Venetian Republic, as a votive offering. After the battle she was in the care of the Brotherhood of the Galleys in the church of St John de Lebron in Puerto de Santa Maria near Cadiz in southern Spain. Later she was in the possession of the  Spanish Royal Naval College, where the weather took a further toll.

For over four hundred years, her sad expression has retained the awful memories of the dreadful battle; the single glass eye which now stares out at us once surveyed all the bloody horror of war. May her pious regard continue to inspire all Christians in our own generation in our battle for the Catholic Faith.

The Battle of Lepanto.  The Admiral's galley is in the centre foreground, one row back.
It is on the quarterdeck that the statue stood during the battle, sadly unseen in this painting.
(Click to enlarge painting)

HOLY VIRGIN OF THE ROSARY, PRAY FOR US

(H/T to WDTPRS and Hermeneutic of Continuity)

REPORT - WEDNESDAY'S CONVENTUAL MASS

The Conventual Mass on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul was celebrated by Father David Irwin as a sung Mass in the (rather crowded) Lady Chapel of St James's Spanish Place, in the presence of the Grand Prior. A schola of members of the Order and Companions was led by the Chancellor, Fra' Duncan Gallie. 

The Mass was said for the intention of the repose of the soul of Fra' Richard Cheffins, and the intention for the living for a friend of a member of the Order in great distress. Your prayers are requested for both.

As this feast closes the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, a cause so very dear to the heart of the Sovereign Pontiff, the Octave prayers for all those Christians outside Holy Mother Church were said after the Mass, before the singing of the Inviolata.

In the oecumenical spirit which befits this glorious Feast, it is worth recording that at the customary Papal Vespers on this day at the basilica of St Paul without the Walls, the Anglican representative was a member of our separated brothers in the Venerable Order of Saint John, Canon Richardson, who attended in his Order choir dress, representing the Archbishop of Canterbury. Vatican television has a recording of Vespers available HERE.

Canon Richardson sits below the papal throne at the left, while on the far right is
His Eminence Metropolitan Gennadios, representing the Oecumenical Patriarch.

It is worth noting that Vespers was sung entirely to the traditional gregorian chant, and the Faithful joined in throughout singing alternatim with the choir. No patronising concessions were made to congregational singing, for instance the very complex tone of the office hymn was sung by everyone, and it was thus proven how well the Faithful will sing even unfamiliar tones when encouraged to do so. It is a joy for the Grand Priory of England to have such a noble lead to follow in the excellence of the Sacred Liturgy and music!

 FOR UNITY

Let us pray: O God, in Thy mercy thou dost set aright those who have gone astray and Thou dost save those whom Thou hast gathered together. We beseech Thee to pour down upon all Christian people the grace of union with Thee, so that putting aside disunion and attaching themselves to the true shepherd of Thy Church, they may be able to serve Thee humbly and lovingly. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

FRA' RICHARD CHEFFINS RIP - YEAR'S MIND

The Mass at Spanish Place this Wednesday 25th January at 6.45pm will be celebrated for the intention of Fra' Richard Cheffins, who died on the 26th January, 2011. Please pray for the repose of his soul. Even if you are unable to attend the Mass, please remember him in your prayer intentions on that day.

Requiescat in Pace

NEXT WEDNESDAY 25TH JAN - CHANGE TO MONTHLY MASSES

The Conventual Masses of the Order in London, which have recently been taking place weekly at St James’s Spanish Place on Thursdays, will be replaced with a monthly Mass on the last Wednesday of the Month, at Spanish Place, starting next Wednesday, the 25th January 2012.


The Masses will begin at 6.45pm.  They will be a sung Mass, and will be followed by a short drinks reception in the Presbytery, by courtesy of the Rector.

The dates for the Year 2012 are as follows:

January 25th – Conversion of St Paul

February 29th – Feria of Lent

March 28th – Wednesday in Passion Week

April 25h – St Mark the Evangelist 

May 30th – Wednesday in the Octave of Pentecost 

June 27th – Votive Mass “Contra Paganos”

July 25th – The Feast of St James. As this is the Patronal Feast of the Parish we shall join their Mass at 6pm.

August 29th – Beheading of St John the Baptist

September 26th – SS Zachary and Elizabeth, Parents of St John the Baptist (anticipated) 

October 31st – Votive Mass for Vocations

November 28th – Votive Mass for the intentions of the Grand Master 

December 26th – St Stephen (Boxing Day) No Mass 

EPIPHANY HOUSE BLESSING

The Church offers us many means to acquire the graces we need for our salvation, among these today is the blessing of our houses on the Epiphany.

This blessing is recommended for all Catholic houses, to help resist all the usual temptations under which we live, but particularly for those which are the family home of children and young people, who can benefit from these additional aids to combat the difficulties of growing up. It is also a fun way of teaching the young children.

The traditional prayers may be found HERE in English, or in a copy of the Roman Ritual, or in some old hand-missals. These blessings do not need a priest, but are frequently and traditionally said by the father of the household.  If you have holy water at home, this may be sprinkled by him on his family and in the main rooms. 

After the blessing, the doorpost or lintol of the front door is marked as below, without additional words, with a piece of ordinary white chalk.  In some countries of central Europe and in parts of the USA, it is customary for the chalk to be blessed by the Parish Priest at the morning Mass, but unblessed chalk may be used just as well if none other is available.

20+C+M+B+12

Between the numerals of the year, the letters stand for Christus Mansionem Benedicat (Christ bless this house) and correspond happily with the traditional names of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Baltahzar, who visited the dwelling of the Holy Family on this day.

As this Feast is transferred to Sunday in many countries, and now also for the time being in England, this Blessing could sensibly be done after Mass this Sunday. For those who visit our houses and see it, it is also a simple piece of Tuitio Fidei, and Catholic witness.

TUITIO FIDEI - POVERTY CHASTITY AND OBEDIENCE - THE TRUE FREEDOM

For the benefit of members of the Order we post below a short interview with a monk of the Benedictine Abbey of Sainte Madeleine at Le Barroux in southern France, in which he explains the three evangelical cousels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience which constitute the vows of life of most of the religious orders and societies in the Catholic Church.  They are called 'evangelical counsels' or the 'counsels of Perfection' as these precepts come from our Our Lord's own teaching in the Gospels.

We should not forget that all Christians are called by Him to this way of living as often as they can, not just those formally set apart as 'religious'. Each counsel opposes one of the three great hindrances to the spiritual life: the love of material goods, the pleasures of the flesh, and the desire for worldly honour and power.  These counsels are not of merit or virtue in themselves, but only when they are practiced for the love of God, and in perfect submission to His will for us.

Within the Order of Malta, the professed knights (knights of Justice) take these three vows, in common with all the ancient religious orders, for whom they form a perpetual obligation.

As in the modern age knights live within the material world, and not in community as once they did, it is helpful to understand the Order's interpretation of the vow of Poverty in this context, which differs from that of  the enclosed monk or priest in community who literally owns neither his clothes nor his books. By ancient tradition it is also known as the vow of 'perfect Charity', and it is in this understanding that it is best understood for the knight of Malta. It is fulfilled by using only that minimum which is necessarily to maintaining our life in the world, without causing scandal of ostentatious denial or of excessive consumption, and submitting obediently to one's superior's will for the use of the surplus for charitable purposes. Each knight will determine the balance with his superior and his spiritual director. Canonically, regardless of how this may be interpreted in practice of local fiscal laws, all the goods of the solemnly professed knight are the property of his priory for his lifetime. 

The other two vows of Chastity and Obedience are much more clearly understood for the knight within their context in the monastic life, and are very beautifully expounded by the monk in this video.

For those not living in a life of celibacy, the life of Chastity is still required of all of us. Especially for those of us living in Marriage, we should not forget that if forms part of the marriage vows. Secular priests too take the vows of Chasity and Obedience, but not of Poverty. It is wrong, as is so often done, to see these three states of life as being somehow in opposition, but rather they are different ways for us each to follow the same goal of personal sanctification, within fidelity to our chosen life. Christian Charity requires us to support and pray for each other's vocation.

Obedience, as we know, has a very special, and indeed unusual, place within the life of the Order of Malta, and our monk's explanation cannot be bettered for the knight in Obedience, uncomfortable as it may sound to many ears.

This video will be of benefit to all Christians in all walks of life.  They are not easy paths, but their rewards are beyond our imagination.

Please pray for this monk and his community.

(H/T : NLM)

TUITIO FIDEI - H. M. THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS BROADCAST

Our Christian Sovereign meditates upon our charitable duty to our neighbour, on tolerance, on  bonds of fraternity, family and community, on Christian love and hope, and on examination of conscience and forgiveness, both on the world stage and also in our lives together, as a response to the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord and Saviour.

With her, we pray:

"O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray;
Cast out our sin and enter in,
Be born in us today.

"It is my prayer that on this Christmas Day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God,  through Christ our Lord."

Elizabeth R .

CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

For those who still have last minute presents to buy, this collection of Maltese sacred music from the archives of the cathedral in Mdina may be ordered online from New College Oxford.  Click anywhere.

THE GREATER O ANTIPHONS

Today the Church gives us the beginning of the final preparation for Christmas, in the greater O Antiphons of the Magnificat, the gospel canticle at Vespers.

Each one highlights a title for the Messiah; also, each refers to the one of the prophecies of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.

O Sapientia: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.”  

O Adonai: “O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.”  

O Radix Jesse: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” 

O Clavis David: “O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.”  

O Oriens: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.”  

O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” 

O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Saviour of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.”

The words of the antiphons are an acrostic, the initial letter of each name, starting with the last, spell:

ERO CRAS - "Tomorrow I shall be here!"


The combox is open to allow pedantic corrections of the translation of "ero cras", together with other contributions and spiritual reflections on these sacred days.

JOHN RALEIGH CHICHESTER-CONSTABLE RIP

______________________________________________________________________________

The Conventual Mass at Spanish Place this evening was offered by Father David Irwin for the repose of the soul of John Raleigh Chichester-Constable, knight of Honour and Devotion, who died on 7th December, at the age of 84.

John Chichester-Constable joined the Order in 1981, a man of deep and private piety and committed to charitable work, he was a very good friend and an amiable and unassuming host to many members of the Order at Burton Constable, his family house in Yorkshire which he spent much of his life restoring with his late wife Gay.  He will be much missed.  He is survived by his daughter Rodrica, dame of Honour and devotion of the Order, and grandson Jack.

Requiescat in Pace

______________________________________________________________________________

FATHER HEMER'S ADVENT RECOLLECTION

We are deeply grateful to Father John Hemer MHM for his most inspiring talks, and for allowing us the reproduce his notes here.

Click the "read more" link below for the full texts.  These are lecture notes, rather than finished texts to be read aloud, and are thus useful aids for private study and mediation.

There are two talks, both of which were nearly an hour long, so we are attaching below links to two PDF files, so they may conveniently be downloaded and printed for leisurely study.

Click here for PDF of first talk on St John the Baptist.   
Click here for PDF of second talk on the Prologue of St John's Gospel.

John The Baptist.

In Mt. 311-12 John presents a picture of the coming Messiah – for him Jesus - where the lines are very sharply drawn: His winnowing fan is in his hand, he will clear the threshing floor his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that never goes out.

A popular idea at his time. This is what it will be like. Once we thought all of us were the chosen people but some of us behave so badly that they must have to face retribution. And there were different definitions of who was right and wrong. People haven’t stopped being moralistic, they are just moralistic in a different way.

John’s God is not harsh or angry but just and consistent. He will not  leave goodness unrewarded nor wickedness punished. He expects Jesus to follow on from here. He also believes that the ‘Day of the Lord’ has arrived, that God is intervening in a special way.

Because of the manifest evil around him John does expect something frightening, dramatic like fundamentalists, Catholic; Protestant who wait for great portents and signs and disasters which will make everybody believe.

Perhaps Jesus’ coming gives him the courage to finally face Herod, the collaborator, fox, and that leads very quickly to his arrest. John Baptises Jesus, Jesus goes off into the desert for 40 days. John thinks “well it’s only a matter of time before Herod and all his party get their come-uppance so I can say what I want to say”. He’s not too worried when he gets arrested, Jesus the Messiah will soon sort things out. He’s spent plenty of time as a hermit in the desert so apart from the confinement prison is probably no harder and possibly easier than the life he’s led. He just sits and waits for the fireworks to begin. But they don’t.

REPORT - DAY OF RECOLLECTION - ST EDMUND'S COLLEGE, WARE

Last Saturday some 30 members of the Grand Priory, BASMOM and Companions attended the Day of recollection in the glorious setting of St Edmund's College.  Sung Mass (in the Ordinary Form) and the Offices were celebrated in Pugin's glorious chapel, and the talks given by Father John Hemer MHM in the Shrine Chapel of St Edmund.

The texts of Fr Hemers talks will follow in the next post.  These are given for the benefit of those unable to attend, but there was much to take in, and those present will surely welcome the opportunity to study them more closely.

Before Mass, Richard Berkley-Matthews made his Promise of Obedience to the Grand Prior, Fra’ Ian Scott of Ardross, supported by Fra’ Julian Chadwick and the Lady Talbot of Malahide (Vice-President of BASMOM); and during Mass the Grand Prior renewed his own vows, supported by Fra’ John Eidinow and Fra’ Paul Sutherland.  We offer them both, on behalf of all members of the Order, the assurance of our prayers.

Fra' Duncan Gallie gave a most inspiring tour of the College and the quite wonderful Douai museum of recusant history, and the day concluded with veneration of the relic of Saint Edmund, the miraculous power of which had been described to us by Fra' Duncan, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

BLESSING OF THE SCAPULAR FOR THE HABIT OF OBEDIENCE

Lord Jesus Christ, who in becoming man for our salvation deigned to assume our vesture of flesh, bless + this scapular, for your servant is to wear it in thanksgiving to you and in veneration of the blessed Virgin Mary and of Saint John the Baptist. Pour out on him, we pray, your holy blessing, so that when he first puts on this vesture, which is like unto a religious habit, he may obtain, through the prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary and of Saint John the Baptist, your grace to protect him from every evil of mind or body. We ask this of you who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

THE PROMISE OF OBEDIENCE

I, NN, calling on the name of God, promise faithfully to observe the laws of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta; to carry our the duties proper to Knights and Dames in Obedience; and to render due obedience to whichever superior may be given to me. So help me God, the Immaculate Virgin, Saint John the Baptist our glorious patron, Blessed Fra’ Gerard our holy founder and all the Saints of the Order.

REPORT - FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

Members of the Order sat in choir for the sung Mass of this Feast at St James's Spanish Place.  The celebrant was our Chaplain, Father David Irwin.

The music at Mass was: Missa Quarti toni by Victoria, Ave Maria by Victoria, Fuga supra il Magnificat (BWV 733) by J.S. Bach

The Grand Priory's new Marian chasuble, the gift of a generous benefactor, was worn at this Mass for the first time, and can be seen in the above photograph.