New Advent Resources and A Rant

There are many amazing resources around on the net and I have posted links to a few in previous posts as well as some on my sidebar.

It is getting difficult to keep up with them but ....

This is a beautiful new one as of 3rd December by the Sisters of the Holy Child : an Advent meditation website with the additional bonus of music. It may take some time to load, but Advent is all about waiting. ( Did I hear a groan? !). 

I posted an advent video reflection at the beginning of Advent from the wonderful Christine Sine which has proved so popular that she has kindly enabled this link which takes you to the entire video series in a single click. Splendid !! 

Thanks Christine. You are a true star !

On the same site Christine has a great series of written reflections from various contributors which you can access by clicking here

That's me almost done for now. 

It is back to the "interiority bit "or whatever I am seriously supposed to be doing at this time in Advent. 

But first I'll treat myself to a cup of coffee and a little rant.......




















The way things are going with the Vatican they will have us all wearing sack cloths and ashes in public by next year's Lent and we will all be fasting on Friday's again.

(Two articles in this weeks Catholic Herald suggest that the English bishops are so cock a hoop after the Pope's visit to the UK that they now think that  English Catholicism is not down and out and for some weird reasoning (way beyond mine), they are thinking of reintroducing and reinforcing some heavy weight penitence for Lent next year - oh and Archbishop Vincent Nichols wants us all to make sure we say Bless you when someone sneezes. 

In the Advent letter to his flock, Bishop Kieran Conry of Arundel and Brighton spoke about restoring the Friday Fast.
He also said " 
“Today we are perhaps less willing to be marked out, in case we are marked out as not just different, but ‘odd’.

Amongst the other things the Bishops Conference of  England and Wales are asking us to do are these :

"Pop into the church when you are passing, so that people can see it. (That's funny- I thought Christ said we were to pray in a room where no-one could see us).

Put a crucifix in the window.
If you are at work or with friends and people ask you what you did at the weekend, mention the fact that you went to church." ( Wow!!!!!- that will really get the conversation going.)

I am speechless.
You see what happens when " the boys " get a little encouragement ?


Maybe they have not realised or bothered to notice  that for many people in these hard times we are already on our knees riddled with fear and anxiety and what we need is some joy and encouragement.  

How about if the Bishops wear the sack cloth and ashes and they do the fasting for a change ?

9 comments:

Meredith Gould said...

Love the rant, although the reason for it is nauseating.

claire bangasser said...

Dear Phil,

I find that I am so much happier since I have stopped following the RCC news :-))) The laity is where it's at :-)

Still, I like your ranting. It's good for the soul, the heart, and the spirit!

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

Thanks Meredith - I am glad that you can see where the bile was coming from !
Claire, your point is a valid one !! But I can't let them get away with it. That's just the way I am.

Blessings

Anonymous said...

You go Phil. I am with you all the way. These are becomming scary times...I guess the answer is control and fear???? I'm with you...all..go laity.
Andie

Jan said...

I, too, love the rant, but-but-but-but everything is too frustrating! Thanks for all the Advent links and stuff. You are a gem.

Fran said...

Phil - this is a great rant and I love it. I am, like Meredith, sorry about why you must rant.

That picture of the crying baby says it all. OK, I'm going to FAST now and make sure I tell everyone, that is after I've told them them that I"VE BEEN TO CHURCH which they no doubt saw WHEN I WALKED IN SAYING "HEY LOOK AT ME."

God help us all.

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

Hi Andie and Jan
Thanks for visiting-you know you are very welcome here.
Andie, I really don't know why they do or say these things.Undoubtedly tehre are some in the church that would probably agree with some/all of these proposals and it is so difficult to have dialogue or even disagree these days.
Jan, yes, it is sooooo....frustrating. I am trying not to rant too much on some issues but I haven't done so for a while and I felt this one was mild !
Thanks to all who support me here ! You are So much appreciated. Blessings

Blue Eyed Ennis said...

Hi Fran,
Thanks for your comments- it is always a pleasure to have you visit here. I don't actually balk at the fasting part: in reality the Friday fast has never really gone away but it is the other parts that got to me and also the fact that they just do not consult anyone !!

Fran said...

Oh I don't object either - I was just emphasizing the idiocy of how it was all framed! So negative and controlling, not very Jesus-inspired if you ask me!