Tuesday, September 08, 2015

Presents for Our Lady


A High Church Anglican Brighton clergyman, who was a little eccentric, he used to do tarot readings at parish does, apparently said, "For Our Lady's birthday, it is the tradition of this parish to give her a present, now she doesn't like Black Magic chocolates but she does like a drop of gin of an evening after she has said Vesper".

I know PPs who gather  children around the crib on Christmas day to sing, 'Happy birthday dear Jesus', and would do the same on His Mother's birhday. This morning I was pleased someone turned up with flowers for Our Lady; present's, votive offerings are important, they teach us generosity. Of course what we are after is spiritual generosity, the softening and opening of the heart. Giving or doing tangible things leads to giving and doing something deeper. Symbolically giving a gift can lead to actually giving ourselves.

14 comments:

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

Black magic.

It's 'official' - an abortion is a free pass to annulment - talk about killing two birds with one stone = Francis' magisterium on marriage. I wonder what our Lady thinks? Whatever She thinks, for heavens sake, don't ask 'pope' francis' opinion/magisterium, on what our Lady thinks, we've been down that road before.

http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/46971/papal-motu-proprio-makes-annulment-process-shorter/

Fr Ray Blake said...

Viterbo,
He is not 'pope' francis. he is the Pope and his name is Francis!!

geoff kiernan said...

A little eccentric? Just a little eccentric? with respect Father I would say down right diabolical. Down right Heretical ( Oh hang on he is already a heretic )

Fr Ray Blake said...

Viterbo,
Here is not the place

Fr Ray Blake said...

gk,
benighted!

Nicolas Bellord said...

Viterbo: Entering marriage with the intention of not having children is and has been grounds for a nullity. Having an abortion after the marriage is evidence of having that intention at the time of the marriage so it can be relevant evidence.
Abortion is NOT grounds for annulment and the reference in the motu proprio is to cases where there exists abortion as evidence of the above intention saying that they can be dealt with under the new shorter procedure. Actually the unofficial English translation to which you have given us a link uses the phrase 'procured abortion to prevent procreation'. I am not clear what is meant by this. The Latin is 'abortus procuratus ad vitandam procreationem'. I wonder whether it is a reference to abortifacient contraceptives such as the morning after pill rather than a later abortion proper.

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

It seems everything is Christly in the small print about abortions and the dissolution of marriages...all New Order par for the course. I begin to forget. What is the point of a Barque of Peter? It seems anyone in it may live as anyone else and may worship as anyone else not in it and we all end up at the same place - whether we have a preference for final annihilation not withstanding. Does any one really believe Catholicism is any sort of necessity? It's just a cultural accident or a personal preference as taught for a generation now. No contrary cries in town or in the wilderness about the Blood of Christ.

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

@Fr. My problem is the clearly false idea of the universal character of the Church - the reliable rock. It is rather comprised a vast horizontal plain of sand pits, swamps, and sink holes on both sides of the non-existent confessional, and one has no permission to rest on sacred tradition. Better of being a fox.

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

PS. Where is the place?

geoff kiernan said...

Sorry Father Blake, bur what does 'benighted' mean in this context ? God Bless

Fr Ray Blake said...

GK,
Out in the dark, with the foolish, without a lamp

geoff kiernan said...

Father Blake> Can you tell me what 'benighted' means in this context?? God Bless

Father Blake I am having some trouble getting acknowledgement that I have been successful in sending my messages..... I think I have sorted it out now...... Your response, 'out in the dark with the foolish, without a lamp' is still a little confusing.. sorry to be so obtuse. God Bless You and your work

geoff kiernan said...

I give up,, Still cant seem to send

Fr Ray Blake said...

the clergyman in question is benighted, that is, "in a state of pitiful or contemptible intellectual or moral ignorance."

I understnd in his retirement he was imprisoned for moral turpitude.

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