Remembering PRESTAGS

Might this be the ultimate FMWmobile?

Why have a house and have to drive to New Zealand's volcanic beaches to warm our aged bones? Let's live on the volcanic beaches!

This baby has a dining room, lounge room, kitchen, toilet and shower!

At night it converts to two double and two single beds. It has two 12V batteries and 240 V power supply so should run two CPAC machines overnight.

The dining table seats four in case we meet any aliens on the road

The lounge rooms suits a glass of wine with long discussions on theology, morality, the decline of Christian Culture, the inability of Americans to fix gun deaths, and the need for greater action on Mask Mandates!

All Python needs is two mates to join him. Preferably those two mates are talking to each other.

Faith

The Mass of Ages Survives Ruined Churches

The Preservation of Fire

Remains Sacred

Easter Sunday Under Lockdown

Good Friday 2

Some photographs from Segovia Cathedral, Spain, taken 16 January 2018.

Good Friday

Some photographs from Toledo Cathedral, Spain, taken 13 January 2018.

Good Friday Brunch

Hot Cross Buns under lockdown.

Where Are Our Shepherds?

Advent

One week until Christmas.

Our decorations are up.

Christmas tree, Sir Lance's bird cage and a Christmas wreath on the door.

The world needs Christ more than ever, but there is so much rejection of Christ and hostility to Christ in the world. Our Saviour is betrayed everywhere, even by some in His own Church.

September 22 - Feast of Saint Maurice and Companions

Happy name day to Python!

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Maurice and Companions.

Maurice was an officer of the Theban Legion. There are two things that set this legion apart from other Roman legions of the time. First, the high number of legionnaires, and second it was made up exclusively of Christians. It was called the Theban Legion (Alkateeba al Teebia) because the men were Egyptian Christian Copts recruited from and stationed in Thebes in Upper Egypt. The leaders of the Theban Legion were Mauritius (St Maurice or St Moritz), Candidus and Exupernis (Exuperantius).

The Thebean legion was one of those which were sent by Dioclesian (who was co-ruler with Maximian) out of the East to compose his army for his expedition into Gaul. The Theban Legion reached Maximian’s army in Gaul to engage the Bagaude by way of the St Bernard’s Pass in the Alps. Here in AD 286  Maximian, fearing religious dissent, organized a universal sacrifice, in which the whole army was required to participate and swear an oath of allegiance, as well as promise to assist in the extermination of Christianity from Gaul. Maximian was uncompromising: he organized the un-Roman rite of adoratio (proskynesis in Greek), which was the Persian rite of worship to the Shah-I-Shah as a living god, translated over to the Roman emperor. Worshippers were obliged to prostrate themselves before the emperor three times, ironically and poignantly for the Christians, as it was just as Satan had asked of Jesus

Maurice and his fellow legionnaires refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods as ordered by the Emperor to insure victory over rebelling Bagaudae. When they refused to obey repeated orders to do so and withdrew from the army encamped at Octodurum (Martigny) near Lake Geneva to Agaunum (St. Maurice-en-Valais), Maximian had the entire Legion of over six thousand men put to death.

The entire legion refused point-blank to sacrifice or take the oaths, incensing Maximian, whoordered the decimation of the legion at Martigny. It was not to be any ordinary decimation. When every tenth man had been butchered, the survivors bucked the trend and enthusiastically reasserted their Christian faith, further enraging Maximian; 666 more soldiers then met their deaths, their blood turning the Rhone and its flood plain crimson. This was repeated until all the soldiers were dead. To the end they were encouraged in their constancy by Maurice and two fellow officers, Exuperius and Candidus. Not all the members of the legion were at Aguanum at the time of the massacre. Some were posted at various points along the military road linking Switzerland with Germany and Italy. These were systematically martyred wherever they were found.

From Father Alban Butler “Saint Maurice and His Companions, Martyrs”. Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints, 1866:

"The emperor sent forth fresh threats that it was in vain they confided in their multitude; and that if they persisted in their disobedience, not a man among them should escape death. The legion, by the advice of their generous leaders, answered him by a dutiful remonstrance, the substance of which was as follows: “We are your soldiers, but are servants of the true God. We owe you military service and obedience; but we cannot renounce Him who is our Creator and Master, and also yours, even whilst you reject him. In all things which are not against his law we most willingly obey you, as we have done hitherto. We readily oppose all your enemies, whoever they are; but we cannot dip our hands in the blood of innocent persons. We have taken an oath to God before we took one to you: you can place no confidence in our second oath, should we violate the first. You command us to punish the Christians: behold we are all such. We confess God the Father, author of all things, and his Son, Jesus Christ. We have seen our companions slain without lamenting them; and we rejoice at their honour. Neither this extremity to which we are reduced, nor any provocation hath tempted us to revolt. We have arms in our hands; but we do not resist, because we had rather die innocent than live by any sin.”

This legion consisted of about six thousand six hundred men, who were all well armed, and might have sold their lives very dear. But they had learned to give to God what is God’s, and to Cæsar what is Cæsar’s, and they showed their courage more in dying than they had ever done in the most hazardous enterprises."

Python loves a good statue:

Interestingly, in relation to Python's second name (and no offense to Alexander the Great), there is a Saint Alexander in the story of the Theban Legion.

Alexander of Bergamo is said to have been a survivor of the decimation of the Theban Legion who escaped to Milan, where he was recognized and imprisoned until he renounced his Christian faith. Nevertheless, Alexander escaped and fled to Como, only to be captured again and brought back to Milan where he was condemned to death by decapitation, but during the execution the executioner’s arms went stiff. He was imprisoned again and once again managed to escape, ending up in Bergamo. Alexander was yet again captured and was  decapitated on 26 August AD 303, where the church of San Alessandro in Colonna now stands.

From the Weapons and Warfare Website:

"Saint Maurice is one of the most popular saints in Western Europe, with over 650 foundations in his name in France alone. Five cathedrals, countless churches, chapels and altars are consecrated in his name all over Europe. Aguanum (Saint Maurice en Valais) has always remained the capital city of veneration of the Thebans and a major pilgrimage resort. An all-night vigil on the night before the feast is regularly attended by up to 1,000 people. On the actual feast day, they carry the relics of the martyrs in the ancient silver caskets. Over seventy towns bear the name of Saint Maurice. In the monastery carrying his name in Switzerland, the vigil ‘Tasbeha’ has been chanted continuously twenty-four hours a day without stopping for more than 500 years now. On 19 July 1941, Pope Pius XII declared Saint Maurice patron Saint of the Italian Army’s Alpini Mountain Infantry Corps".

The Abbey of St. Maurice, Agaunum (French: Abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune or Saint-Maurice-en-Valais) is a Swiss monastery  which dates from the 6th century. The abbey  is best known for its connection to the story of the martyrdom of the Theban Legion, its original practice of perpetual psalmody, and a collection of art and antiquity:

There is also the famous Saint Maurice Cathedral in Angers. Here are two shots (notice also cleverly getting a moon into this post):

 

Wherefore By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them

 

Today at Mass, the Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, was one of my favourite Gospel readings, Matthew 7:15-21:

 

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: [15] Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

[16] By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

[21] Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

 

This reading is so very apt in today's Church, with heresy and perversion everywhere. Right up to the highest levels of the Church. 

Indeed, ever since Vatican II, has the fruits of that Council manifested.

Here is a great summary from the late Michael Davies, who I was privileged to meet many years ago and who was such a faithful son of the Church. The following is from the Appendix to his work "Liturgical Time Bombs" which can be purchased from Amazon. It is important and sobering reading.

 

The Incredible Shrinking Church In England and Wales

   The most evident characteristic of the Catholic Church in England and Wales is that it is shrinking at an incredible rate into what must be termed a state of terminal decline. The official Catholic Directory documents a steady increase in every important aspect of Catholic life until the mid-sixties: then the decline sets in. The figures for marriages and baptisms are not simply alarming, but disastrous. In 1944 there were 30,946 marriages, by 1964 the figure had risen to 45,592-----but by 1999 it had plunged to 13,814, well under half the figure for 1944. The figures for baptisms for the same years are 71,604 (1944), 137,673 (1964), and 63,158 (1999). With fewer children born to Catholic couples each year, the number of marriages must inevitably continue to decline, with even fewer children born-----and so on. Nor can it be presumed that even half the children who are baptized will be practicing their Faith by the time they reach their teens. An examination of the figures for a typical diocese indicates that less than half the children who are baptized  are confirmed, and a report in The Universe as long ago as 1990 gave an estimate of only 11% of young Catholics practicing their Faith when they leave high school.

     Apart from marriages and baptisms, Mass attendance is the most accurate guide to the vitality of the Catholic community. The figure has plunged from 2,114,219 in 1966 to 1,041,728 in 1999 and is still falling at a rate of about 32,000 a year.

      In 1944, 178 priests were ordained; in 1964, 230; and in 1999 only 43-----and in the same year 121 priests died.

      In 1985, twenty years after the Second Vatican Council, bishops from all over the world assembled in Rome to assess the impact of the Council. This gave them the opportunity to admit that their implementation of it had been disastrous, and that drastic measures must be taken to give the Faith a viable future in First World countries.

     Cardinal Basil Hume of Westminster insisted, on behalf of the bishops of England and Wales, that there must be no turning back from the policies they had adopted to implement the Council. A report in The Universe of December 13, 1985 informed us that the Synod had adopted Cardinal Hume's position without a single dissenting voice. The final sentence of this report must be described as ironically prophetic: "In the meantime the people of God have a firm mandate to further Exodus along the route mapped out by the Second Vatican Council." Change the upper case "E" of Exodus to a lower case "e," exodus, and this is precisely what has happened-----and the exodus will continue until Catholicism in England and Wales vanishes into oblivion within thirty years, if not sooner. Without a Divine intervention, the "Second Spring" of the Catholic Faith in England predicted by Cardinal Newman (1801-1890) will end in the bleakest of winters.

The Incredible Shrinking Church In the United States

     In March 2003 there was published in St. Louis what is certainly the most important statistical survey of the Church in the United States since Vatican II: Index of Leading Catholic Indicators: The Church Since Vatican II, by Kenneth C. Jones. ₁ It provides meticulously documented statistics on every aspect of Catholic life subject to statistical verification, and it is illustrated with graphs which depict in a dramatic visual manner the catastrophic collapse of Catholic life in the United States since the Council. With the publication of this book, no rational person could disagree with Father Louis Bouyer that, "Unless we are blind, we must even state bluntly that what we see looks less like the hoped-for regeneration of Catholicism than its accelerated decomposition." ₂

   Mr. Jones has given me his permission to quote from the introduction to his book, but before doing so, I must quote: from a news story in the March 23, 2003 issue of the London Universe. Under the headline "En SuiteMonastery," it reports: "A former Irish Carmelite monastery is expected to 
be turned into a country-club style hotel after its sale to a property developer. The Carmelite order had shut their house in Castle Martyr, Cork, last year after 73 years because of the downfall in vocations." This is but one of thousands of similar examples of the actual, as opposed to the fantasy, fruits of Vatican II. On page 100 of Mr. Jones' book there is a graph revealing that the number of Carmelite seminarians in the United States has decreased from 545 in 1965 to 46 in 2000-----a decline of 92 percent. This figure seems positively healthy when compared with the graph on page 99, relating to the La Salette Fathers, which reveals a decline in the number of seminarians for the same period from 552 to just 1. Figures and graphs for every major religious order are set out in the book, and it would be hard to disagree with Mr. Jones that "The religious orders will soon be virtually non-existent in the United States." In the introduction to his book he writes:

         When Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council in 1962, the Catholic Church in America was in the midst of an unprecedented period of growth. Bishops were ordaining record numbers of priests and building scores of seminaries to handle the surge in vocations. Young women by the thousands gave up lives of comfort for the austerity of the convent. These nuns taught millions of students in the huge system of parochial and private schools.

The ranks of Catholics swelled as parents brought in their babies for Baptism and adult converts flocked to the Church. Lines outside the confessionals were long, and by some estimates three quarters of the faithful went to Mass every Sunday. Given this favorable state of affairs, some Catholics  wondered at the time whether an ecumenical council was opportune-----don't rock the boat, they said.

        The Holy Father chided these people in his opening speech to the Council: "We feel we must disagree with those prophets of gloom who are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the world were at hand." Forty years later the end has not arrived. But we are now facing the disaster.

        Even some in the Vatican have recognized it. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said: "Certainly the results [of Vatican II] seem cruelly opposed to the expectations of everyone, beginning with those of Pope John XXIII and then of Pope Paul VI . . . "

        Since Cardinal Ratzinger made these remarks in 1984, the crisis in the Church has accelerated. In every area that is statistically verifiable-----for example, the number of priests, seminarians, priestless parishes, nuns, Mass attendance, converts and annulments-----the "process of decadence" is apparent.

        I have gathered these statistics in the Index of Leading Catholic Indicators because the magnitude of the emergency is unknown to many. Beyond a vague understanding of a "vocations crisis," both the faithful and the general public have no idea how bad things have been since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Here are some of the stark facts:

• Priests. After skyrocketing from about 27,000 in 1930 to 58,000 in 1965, the number of priests in the United States  dropped to 45,000 in 2002. By 2020,₃ there will be about 31,000 priests-----and only 15,000 will be under the age of 70. Right now there are more priests aged 80 to 84 than there 1 are aged 30 to 34.

• Ordinations. In 1965 there were 1,575 ordinations to the priesthood, in 2002 there were 450, a decline of 350 percent. Taking into account ordinations, deaths and departures, in 1965 there was a net gain of 725 priests. In 1998, there was a net loss of 810.

• Priestless parishes. About 1 percent of parishes, 549, were without a resident priest in 1965. In 2002 there were 2,928 priestless parishes, about 15 percent of U.S. parishes. By 2020, a quarter of all parishes, 4,656, will have no priest.

• Seminarians. Between 1965 and 2002, the number of seminarians dropped from 49,000 to 4,700-----a 90 percent decrease. Without any students, seminaries across the country have been sold or shuttered. There were 596 seminaries in 1965, and only 200 in 2002.

• Sisters. 180,000 sisters were the backbone of the Catholic education and health systems in 1965. In 2002, there were 75,000 sisters, with an average age of 68. By 2020, the number of sisters will drop to 40,000-----and of these, only 21,000 will be aged 70 or under. In 1965, 104,000 sisters were teaching, while in 2002 there were only 8,200 teachers.

• Brothers. The number of professed brothers decreased from about 12,000 in 1965 to 5,700 in 2002, with a further drop to 3,100 projected for 2020.

• Religious Orders. The religious orders will soon be virtually non-existent in the United States. For example, in 1965 there were 5,277 Jesuit priests and 3,559 seminarians; in 2000 there were 3,172 priests and 38 seminarians. There were 2,534 OFM Franciscan priests and 2,251 seminarians in 1965; in 2000 there were 1,492 priests and 60 seminarians. There were 2,434 Christian Brothers in 1965 and 912 seminarians; in 2000 there were 959 Brothers and 7 seminarians. There were 1,148 Redemptorist priests in 1965 and 1,128 seminarians; in 2000 there were 349 priests and 24 seminarians. Every major religious order in the United States mirrors these statistics.

• High Schools. Between 1965 and 2002 the number of diocesan high schools fell from 1,566 to 786. At the same time the number of students dropped from almost 700,000 to 386,000.

• Parochial Grade Schools. There were 10,503 parochial grade schools in 1965 and 6,623 in 2002. The number of students went from 4.5 million to 1.9 million.

• Sacramental Life. In 1965 there were 1.3 million infant baptisms; in 2002 there were 1 million. (In the same period the number of Catholics in the United States rose from 45 million to 65 million.) In 1965 there were 126,000 adult baptisms-----converts-----in 2002 there were 80,000. In 1965 there were 352,000 Catholic marriages, in 2002 there were 256,000. In 1965 there were 338 annulments, in 2002 there were 50,000.

• Mass attendance. A 1958 Gallup poll reported that 74 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1958. A 1994 University of Notre Dame study found that the attendance rate was 26.6 percent. A more recent study by Fordham University professor James Lothian concluded that 65 percent of Catholics went to Sunday Mass in 1965, while the rate dropped to 25 percent in 2000.

The decline in Mass attendance highlights another significant fact; fewer and fewer people who call themselves Catholic actually follow Church rules or accept Church doctrine. For example, a 1999 poll by the National Catholic Reporter shows that 77 percent believe a person can be a 
good Catholic without going to Mass every Sunday, 65 percent believe good Catholics can divorce and remarry, and 53 percent believe Catholics can have abortions and remain in good standing. Only 10 percent of lay religion teachers accept Church teaching on artificial birth control, according to a 2000 University of Notre Dame poll. And a New York Times/CBS poll revealed that 70 percent of Catholics age 18-44 believe the Eucharist is merely a "symbolic reminder" of Jesus.

It is the same incredible shrinking Church in Australia. Declining Mass attendance, and rampant erroneous belief. Modernism triumphant.

I grew up in the liturgical and heretical horrors of the 1970s.  The dark side of the PRESTAGS era. There were glimmers (brief and limited) of sunshine under Pope St John Paul II and Benedict XVI. However any hope of a restoration has faded with the resignation of Benedict XVI and the installation of the St Gallen Mafia's Pope, supported by the Lavender Mafia.

The lightening strike on the day Pope Benedict announced his resignation has turned out to be symbolic. Since then, the accellerator is down and the destruction of what remains of the Church is underway.

I don't think the Church has had such perversion and moral corruption at the highest levels for 500 years. I don't think the Church has had such heresy and doctrinal corruption for 1,700 years.

And now both together.

There are two really good books that describe what has happened to the Church, with each book still managing to encourage hope.

A history of the plot, largely successful, to infiltrate the Church and the consequences is Taylor Marshall's "Infiltration, The Plot to Destroy the Church from Within". Available on Amazon. I have just finished reading this book.

Another book is Michael Voris' "Resistance, Fighting the Devil Within". Also on Amazon. I'm reading this book now.

Here are some extracts from the forward to Michael Voris' book. Spot on. 

Whatever happens, we are each called to remain faithful.

And Christ has won the victory and nothing can change that.

 

Weep For France

 

^{Decline and Fall:}

But There is Hope:

 

Easter Feasting

Good Friday

Crux fidelis inter omnes arbor una noblis

Nulla silva talem profert, fronde, flore, germine

Dulce lignum, dulce clavos, dulce pondus sustinet

Faithful Cross above all other, one and only noble tree.

None in foliage, none in blossom, none in fruit thy peer may be.

Sweetest wood, sweetest iron, sweetest weight is hung on thee.

(Venantius Fortunatus, d 609 AD)

 

Ecce lignum crucis

Venite adoremus

 

The timing of the Good Friday Liturgy in this Church generally gifts us the illumination of the cross with beautiful autumn afternoon light, as if heaven shines on the commemoration of Our Lord's passion and the cross which is now our trophy.

Magnificent Paintings - Pavel Ryzhenko (1970-2014)

A link to these great paintings and more

 

Tota pulchra es, Maria, Et macula originalis non est in te.

Thou art all  fair, O Mary, The original stain is not in thee.

The Immaculate Conception, by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770).

The original is in the Museo Del Prado in Madrid.

 

Per tuam immaculatam Conceptionem, o Maria, redde purum corpus meum et sanctam animam meam.

By thine Immaculate Conception, O Mary, make my body pure and my spirit holy.

Clementines

Rome, Italy.

December 2017.

Ecce lignum crucis. Venite adoremus.

Sweetest wood, and sweetest iron, sweetest Weight is hung on thee.

Not Really Macro.

There are never any insects around when you want them.

I was mucking around trying to get close ups with my 18-200 mm. Not bad shots, but not macro.

Lent is upon us

 The blessed palms from last year's Palm Sunday are burned on Shrove Tuesday to make the ashes.

 

 

The Putting on of Ashes From the Initial "M" in the Introit of the Mass of Ashes on Ash Wednesday From the Missal à l'usage de Saint-Didier d'Avignon  c. 1370  

 

 

           

 

For many centuries, the Roman Liturgy on Ash Wednesday took as the Gospel reading Mk 6:1-6, 16-18, which presents Jesus’ teaching on the inseparable elements of  almsgiving (mercy), prayer and fasting

 

In one of his Discourses, Saint Peter Chrysologus wrote:

""These three things, prayer, fasting and mercy, are a single thing, each drawing life from the others. Fasting is the soul of prayer and mercy the life of fasting. Let no one divide them, because alone they do not survive" (Saint Peter Chrysologus, Discourse 43: PL 52, 320).

some text and missal image borrowed from http://idlespeculations-terryprest.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/memento-homo-quia-pulvis-es-et-in.html 

Rome Total War-Barbarian Invasion

Here is a fun game that I have played on and off for years (it must be over 10 years old). Basically, you start as Rome in the fifth century, with awesome armies, a big empire...

and then the horde arrives

These are Vandals, but there are also Franks, Lombards, Celts, Huns, Goths, Parthians etc. There armies are huge, their generals are nearly unstoppable, and they move in such masses that victory in battle is rare.

The battles are PRESTAGS on steroids: spearman, swordsmen, archers, cavalry, leaders, each with their strengths and weaknesses that you can manoeuvre with God-like precision to take a flank, stiffen a front, or run away to right another day.

However, being the fifth, you have another problem. Christianity is taking root in the empire. So you have to choose to follow Constantine or Julian the Apostate. This means that there is massive unrest in the empire, cities frequently revolting if they do not like your religion. If you build a church in the city, the pagans revolt, if you move a heroic pagan general into a Christian city (to rebuild his battered armies), the Christians revolt. The only solution I have found to this is lots and lots and lots and lots of crucifixions of rebels.

Paul would be impressed to know that you can take Catholic Priests into battle:

While they are useless at battle, when they chant next to your soliders they fight better and the enemies are disheartened. They also speed conversions.

Finally, you are broke at the start. So broke that you cannot afford to pay your army (which means you get more revolts). I find that you have disband all your best troops early on, accept that you will lose a lot of cities quickly, and rebuild your economic infrastructure: road, ports, markets. Cities are fun to improve, but a bit repetitive, something that has been changed in later Total War games:

Your mission, should you play long enough (this is the first time I have completed this game - it takes  loooong time), it to reunite the key provinces of the Roman empire:

When you do, you get a short movie (5 seconds - a bit underwhelming) and the offer of one more turn!

Being so old, this game should run on anything and is still sold for about $10. So if you have nothing to do with the next three months of your life....

Spoilt Rotten On Christmas Day

I was really spoilt on Christmas Day. Perhaps because I am recuperating I got all of my favourites: Turkey, BBQ Pork, Roast Potatoes with Rosemary, Coleslaw and Rich Thick Gravy. No one makes BBQ Pork like my better half. Washed down with an Australian Charddy of course.

We didn't have a pudding with brandy sauce this year, but we did have an alcoholic fruit cake with lots of thick cream.

I got some really cool presents, with an emphasis on Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. Who wants to grow up.

Venite adoremus

In principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum.

Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Omnia per Ipsum facta sunt, et sine

Ipso factum est nihil quod factum est.

In Ipso vita erat, et vita erat Lux hominum.

Et Lux in tenebris lucet et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt ...

Erat lux vera quae inluminat omnem hominem venientem in mundum (Jn 1: 1-5, 9)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ...

That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. 

Needs effort

With Chinese New Year, I used a Chinese Horoscope web site to test Margo and my compatibility. We scored a 40% "Needs Effort", which was very reminiscent of my kindergarten report cards. I wonder what Paul's compatibility horoscope showed?

My effort this Lent are about the same, with a Friday repast that did avoid meat (just):

and a Saturday feast of Shish-kabab (to celebrate the gifts of food, culture and mathematics that Islam brought to Europe).

If we go on a boys weekend in March, I won't get close to a pass for abstinence.

 

 

Penang, Malaysia: Religious Signs

I have seen some great signs in religious buildings.

In the Kek Lok Si Temple 'official shop' (as distinct from the myriad 'less than official' sellers) was the following sign. I'm glad to see the crusade against EMF extends around the world.

In the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Ghost (the same Church I was married in over 24 years ago, although it wasn't a Cathedral then) was a sign on the inside of the Church doors so it would be seen by those leaving Church:

 

Penang, Malaysia: Photographic Challenge #1

After a gruelling end of year work wise, we are finally on holiday in Penang and I have plenty of time to road test my new Nikon.

My first challenge, capture burning incense at the temples. I thought this would be difficult but I was pleasantly surprised.

I had success almost straight away at Beow Hiang Lim Buddhist Temple, although the incense smoke is faint.

Then, I took a better shot at Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple.

The Kek Lok Si Temple complex is reputedly the largest in South East Asia and is still growing. I took the photo below which captures some of the complex looking towards the seven story Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

There are actually more than 10,000 Buddhas in this complex, and many bear the swastika in its correct context, as a Buddhist symbol which represents the turning of the “Dharma wheel”, intended to promote goodwill, compassion, and generosity to all sentient beings.

Happy Birthday

Thoughts and prayers to my very good friend on a difficult birthday.

 

 

Saint Athanasius - saint for our times

St Athanasius 'contra mundum'

"Saint Athanasius lived in the fourth century during the time of what used to be considered the greatest crisis of faith ever to befall the Catholic Church, the Arian Heresy. (The Arians denied the Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ). The vast majority of Churchmen fell into this heresy, so much so that Saint Jerome wrote of the period, "The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Arian"."

Today we might say: "The whole Church groaned and was amazed to find itself Bergoglian Protestant" One might go even further to ask whether "it is amazed to find itself non-christian"

 

Jerusalem desolata est

Demetri has swept away not only my beloved capital city but my whole home island.

It brings to mind the lines from Byrd's motet setting of  Civitas sancti - "Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, desolata est."

 

Civitas sancti tui facta est deserta.        Your holy city has become a wilderness.
Sion deserta facta est,                               Sion is made a wilderness, 
Jerusalem desolata est.                            Jerusalem has been made desolate.

and meanwhile the survivors weep as in Palestrina's Super flumina Babylonis

 

The Look

The look, when you realise that Francis has the ring.

St Pedro Calungsod Chapel

Python's trekking over the last 5 months have thrown up a range of different churches, and this Sunday's experience is no exception: St Pedro Calungsod Chapel in SM Aura.

San Pedro Calungsod in the centre - and I'm not standing on a chair!

The first astonishing point: SM does not stand for Santa Maria. It stands for (I think) shopping mall. The chapel is in a shopping mall. So you walk through a glass entrance past security - I got frisked this time because Westerners are too rich to wear a Middle Earth tee shirt and shorts. (I wore it because I tried to walk to church and it is very hot by 10am -and I got lost - and I was standing in the sun - and the sermon was about a rich young man who had many shortcomings explained in Tagalog, but I looked neither rich, not young, nor a man - seriously, a pony tail - so I was OK.) Then you go up five escalators listening to Christmas music (seriously?). They you step up onto the garden level and queue at a lift (like for a popular yum cha) before riding up to level 7 - the roof. There you are confronted with a crowd - well, from the chest down I was.

At the top of the lift I was confronted by an enormous crowd, and two security agents trying to usher parishioners into spaces. I opted to walk outside and stand at the back, where I could not see the altar, but they had a TV (on the left above) that I could watch. Interestingly, this mass was mostly in English with the prayers of the faithful and the sermon in Tagalog. I am good at picking my few words, and was curious about the number of references to "left" (kaliwa), unless it has a homonym. The president of China got a mention. I'm glad the President of Russia did not, or I would have had to shout "He is just a Puti!"

After mass I peered over the edge and was surpirsed to see slums around the centre. If you expand the picture above, on the right you can see a green hill covered with white crosses. It is the American WW2 memorial. When the crowds dispersed (only partially - it began filling right away for the second service), I squeezed inside to see the altar for real - lots of gold plate!

Anyway, I think this is now my parish church! I note that the first Friday of every month is a Latin mass - I am not sure if I will be here for any first Fridays, but if I do, I will try to attend.

Devotee to Padre Pio

Another area in which I am completely unlike Paul is that I talk to taxi drivers. (Actually, my mother is the same, so it is perhaps a genetic trait. A Darwinist would prove that I have more offspring by talking to taxi drivers. No wonder evangelists want to execute them.)

Yesterday the traffic just stopped at 6:00pm with me still 3 km from home (= 30 minutes, or a hike in a sauna), so the taxi driver decided to teach me Tagalog. I wanted to learn so I mastered given directions to taxi drivers. I mentioned how I went with the Sunday Sermon (Nagsimba ako). The taxi driver asked if I wanted to hear his prayer to Pio answered, and I assented.

He described how his second son had just graduated from Electrical Engineering and needed P8000 ($230) for the ceremony. He only had P1000 so he went to Pio's shrine at church to pray. He lit a candle and reached into his pocket for a few pesos, but only had the 1000, so he popped it in and prayed for the money.

Over the next day every ride he picked up wanted to go to the airport, and after 24 hours he had P5000. He ascribed that to the saint/blessed.

This caused me to reflect on my approach to petition pray. I see it as more make your plans and then rejoice in the outcome, whatever it be. (Hence many descried me as delusional and optimistic!) I wonder if I could ever put 12% of what I needed in the plate.

Holy Family Church, Makati City

Tomorrow I go to mass. I hope it will be in Tagalog so I can say Nagsimba ako. Yesterday I thought I would have a go a walking there so I know the way.

I walked the dotted blue line and the whole way was through a upper class slum - the ground floors were amateur brickwork, the top floor wood and tin. Lots of people were just hanging around looking bored. One little boy was guarding a rooster in a wire cage while his big brother(?) was sending an SMS. Most looked at me - perhaps my height or appearance, or perhaps they were thinking "Nice ponytail".

When I got to the church, the first thing to strike me was that there was a security guard. He looked at me curiously, but waved me through when I pointed up the steps. I think he peered in one me a couple of times to make sure I was behaving myself - he was studying the wall of the church when I walked out.

The surrounds of the church are all tiled, a bit reminiscent of Gaudi's Park Guelle in Barcelona, but the job was more utilitarian than artistic. Even the chairs and interior walls of the courtyard were tiled, although they did boast a Medjegoria-style garden with grotto - the second time I had seen lawn in Manila. The courtyard in front of the church had a little mosaic of the journey of the Holy Family after the slaughter of the innocents (but I suggest the pyramids are a bit too fat north)

Inside the first thing to strike you is the ornately decorated altar. I think it is painted wood covered with gold leaf.

Around the entry there are many statues and reliquies. I was quite taken by the Black Jesus - very delicately worked.

Behind this statue was a glassed in structure which turned out to be the confessional. That is something I have never seen before - even with the screen to hide from the priest, but no-one else.

You can see the photographer in the reflection. I was otherwise alone in the church although something might have been taking place in the balcony above my head as I heard what sounded like sanding or cleaning.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll update this post with a description of the services, although no more photos.

---

Nagsimba ako!

This means "I've been to mass". That is the most complex Filipino I know! Apart from that I can count to three and say yes and no.

Most of the mass was a mystery to me. I could work out Dio, Hesu Christos and Espiritu Santo when they popup up, and I caught that the Gospel was San Marco. The sermon was mostly in Tagalog, punctuated with some English, perhaps for the only westerner in the congregation. The first third of the sermon was about "Days of Fasting and Abstinence". (Perhaps like the orthodox, they are in lent now.) The second third was for the children and involved raising left or right hands in answer to questions and a bit of clapping. The last third had lots of English phrases and was about learning from the wisdom and experience of the elders (and that the greatest blessing God bestowed in the Old Testament was old age - something I'll have the ponder).

I was pleased to finally see some grey haired people, and even one Filipino man who was a bit taller than me - a first for this trip! The children stole the show. There were seven leaders, all perhaps 10-12, who wore a uniform of a white blouse and a long green skirt (or trousers for the boys). My guess is that these were owned by the church and probably would match the liturgical season. They also had multi-coloured ribbons tied to rings on their fingers (that became high prestige items after church amongst their siblings). For each of the hymns and sung parts they children leaders stood on the altar and lead us through the verses with mime/liturgical dance and very proud smiles. In between time their pews were packed with younger children being told what to do by the leaders.

I loved the energy of the parish, and was very happy to move apparently unnoticed amongst them. I think my only error was during the kiss of peace where I began shaking hands only to find everyone else doing a namaste. If that was my only mistake, well and good.

I didn't talk to anyone after mass - I am a bit shy and I won't be back - I am unlikely to end up living in this part of town.

15 August - the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven

From the definition prompulgated by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in Munificentissimus Deus  (the most bountiful God ... link to full text):

"44. For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."

Signum magnum (audio link) is the Introit of the Mass (composed after the definition)  - taken from the Apocalypse - "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

Gaudeamus (audio link) is the ancient introit (which is an option for the new Mass).

Let us jecoice in this great feast and join our voices to Mary's Magnificat (audio link) and continue to ask her to pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

1. Magnificat * anima mea Dominum. 2. Et exsultavit spiritus meus * in Deo salutari meo. 3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: * ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. 4. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus. 5. Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies * timentibus eum. 6. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo * dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. 7. Deposuit potentes de sede, * et exaltavit humiles. 8. Esurientes implevit bonis: * et divites dimisit inanes. 9. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae. 10. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros * Abraham at semini eius in saecula. 11. Gloria Patri, et Filio, * et Spiritui Sancto. 12. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, * et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

1. My soul doth magnify the Lord. 2. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 3. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 4. Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name. 5. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. 6. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. 7. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble. 8. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away. 9. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy. 10. As he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed for ever. 11. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 12. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Sacred Heart, Yeppoon - With a view of Great Keppel Island

Last Sunday I found myself in Yeppoon, so I headed of to Sacred Heart in Lammermoor. Although much of the area north of Rockhampton is flat and close to sea level, there are a few steep hills along the shore - like a ancient volcanic caldera after the surrounding land has been eroded away.

The inside of the church was simple and elegant, but a but much like a tourist resort for my liking. For all that we had a good sermon on reconciliation with indigenous Australians; the priest had so experience working in Aboriginal communities.

Like the other churches I have visited, there is much emphasis on wood work. I liked the Holy Spirit motif in a side chapel (below) but did not take the other works in there as I did not want to discourage parishioners from using it.

One of the parishoners did see me taking the photo and called me over to see their pride an joy. "It came from Israel", he told me proudly, "and is assembled from over three hundred pieces".

It was quite beautifully made, and a bit bigger than a chess board, but for me, a bit lacking in allegory. I wonder, perhaps, if some of the figures are in the wrong place and some face in odd directions.

Anyway, it is farewell to the coast now as I head inland.

St Thomas More - Toowoomba

I went to mass last weekend at St Thomas More's of Toowoomba. Fortuitously, the Feast Day of St Thomas More was only a few days earlier, so he received many mentions. As a patron saint of lawyers, and as one who stood for a holy church and against the fashion of the times, I wonder if my dear friend Paul feels like him at times.

The modern statue shown on the left is not large - perhaps a metre tall - but also made of wood - perhaps another fashion of the times. Unfortunately the priest who said mass was a visitor, and the congregation hung around chatting with him, so I could not find out more about the statue of the history of the parish church nor the artist.

It was clearly a school hall rather than a church (forgive the amateurish image stitching), that brought back memories of mass at Aranda - the last school hall mass I recall. I wonder if Paul and I used to hang around chatting after one of those. For that, it was very well attended, and the priest spoke well on both the saint and the recent encyclical.

St Vincents, Wyangala Dam - a faithful remnant

Clearly church posts are the way to go to get comments and an action on this blog. I am sure there will be many interesting churches on my journey, so this blog will become more robust in its views.

It being Sunday, and as I found myself in Wyangala Waters State Park, I sought out the locals of this small township of Wyangala at the base of the Wyangala Dam. Their little church of St Vincent's was clearly once a community hall, or at least modelled on one.

The church is currently part of the Cowra Parish, which has a number of churches around the region, so St Vincent's is only visited on the third Sunday of the month. This being the second Sunday, we had a Communion Service instead.

I arrived with the congregation - there were five of us. As such, we all formed the welcoming committee, and were all on first name basis after a few minutes. The oldest member of the congregation, (Doreen I think) did her first communion in Borowa, and knew my father-in-laws family. The next oldest, called Sugar, arrived in a sling and enjoyed the fuss made over him. The next, Greg, was in hospital recovering from an operation, so I was given his seat. I can't quite recall the stories of the rest - I am weak on small talk.

The service was lead by Colleen. I have never attended a Communion Service before except for the gap between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This struck me as closer to the morning office, with several psalms recited in two voices. I was invited to read the first reading (replacing Greg still) and the others did the second, gospel and prayers of the faithful. (Doreen was let off.)

After the service, the congregation showed me around the church, but did not know much of the history; I found more on the Wikipedia. However, they were very proud of the etching  they found in the storeroom. They were about dispose of it when the decided to get it valued instead. They found it worth $2000. Unfortunately, it was framed in reflective glass, so I could not get a good shot of it.

Mary after Calvary - It is a bit to romantic and European for my tastes, but it is good that their church has a treasure they are proud of.

More Man-Centered

I thank ThygoCanberra for his lengthy comment and fine analysis on my earlier post. This blog is always better with the participation of Thygo.

Thygo asked what the body of the Church looked like and I have found some photos.

Unfortunately, the front view of the Sanctuary makes it look better than it is (not that I ever liked it at all) and the true horror of the Protestant man-centered prayer hall comes out when viewed in the context of the body of the Church. This is a barren, stark place that architecturally  does not offer much to God. Of course there are the obligatory overhead projection screens.

I think there is a slight slope down to the Altar, which will distort the raised nature of the Sanctuary. The "sitting around the Altar" effect is even more pronounced, and so destroys the concept of everybody, congregation and Priest, facing East towards Christ, from whence He shall come again to judge mankind (cf. St Thomas Aquinas). This is a congregation that looks at itself. There are at least stations of the cross.

The Church that I remember from boyhood in Wodonga is St Augustine's Church (below). It is very telling to compare St Augustine's with the modern travesty because it leaves you in no doubt that one Church (St Augustine's) is Catholic and the other (Sacred Heart) has been transformed into a Protestant hall.