Learning to love each other

Friendship with Christ, as B16 teaches in his message for World Youth Day this year, is a "demanding apprenticeship". That is because it has its foundation in God's original plan, rather than in my plan or your plan.

It was very lovely to welcome Paul and Hermione to Our Lady Mother of Grace House again this past weekend. They are already "old friends" of this house, and our time together was punctuated with prayer, conversation, walking in the hills and unctious food. We were graced also by a visit from Bro Thomas CFR on Saturday afternoon who brought the light and warmth of his Community to our time together.

It is a special grace for me to welcome young people who are beginning the journey of learning to love each other as a couple. We know that this is one of the most important ways in which young people concretely take up the task of building "brick by brick" the Civilisation of Love.

The journey of love, B16 reminds us, is one in which we are called to "trust in a love that is true, faithful and strong; a love that generates peace and joy; a love that binds people together and allows them to feel free in respect for one another."

There is certainly a great sense of joy between Paul and Hermione, and we ask Our Lady of Guadalupe to be their light and their guide now.

Phos Hilarion

Have you heard of the "Lucenarium"? I can't tell you a great deal about it, but the Lucenarium is a Vigil of Light which is kept on the vigil of Sundays and great Feasts. The word refers to the ceremony of lighting candles while singing the ancient hymn "Phos Hilarion" (Joyful Light).

I first came across it during a visit to the Beatutudes Community in Mortain, Normandy, during 2001. It was celebrated there as a longer and very festive form of the first Vespers of Sunday. I took this up in my last parish in Harrogate and celebrated a Lucenarium there for about 18 months starting in Autumn 2001. During that time I remember looking forward to Saturday evenings and the worship of Christ in the Lucenarium - I always exposed the Blessed Sacrament. I offered these vigils in praise of Christ and for the evangelisation of young people. Each Saturday's vigil would last about one hour and twenty minutes. The consequence of 18 months of praising Christ every Saturday evening was extraordinary: evangelising events for young people took off in my church, in my presbytery and in me, without my planning them. It was a time of great grace.

Well, I going to start celebrating a Lucenarium again on Saturday evenings, and this time I don't intend to stop. I have been prompted to do so by unexpectedly coming across the "Service sheet" I used to use and because of an unexpected conversation with Fr Julian in which we spoke of the Lucenarium. I shall pray with the same intentions as before.

In the future I could see the Lucenarium being celebrated widely on Saturday evenings followed by a Mass on Sunday mornings. If you have the joy of celebrating the Liturgy of Hours you will find a version of the Lucenarium at the back - "Canticles and Gospel Readings for Vigils of Sundays and Feasts".

Here is a translation of the ancient "Phos Hilarion" hymn (which we used at a priest's retreat at Ars):

O Radiant Light, eternal joy of the
Father,

Holy and Blessed Jesus
Christ.

Worthy are You at all times to be
praised by the song of all the Saints,

Son of God, who gave us life, let
the world sing forth your praise.

Bad events & Moral evil

It was a great joy to welcome Fr Richard to the University chaplaincy last night to preach the homily at the evening Mass. He highlighted the difference in yesterday's Gospel reading between bad events - comparing the September 11th destruction of the twin towers to the bad events described by Jesus in the Gospel - which do not destroy human solidarity, and moral evil, which is truly destructive of all that is human.

The Holy Father also spoke on this Gospel in his Angelus address. He said that it indicated that we need constant conversion:

This is, therefore, the point to which Jesus wished to lead those who were listening to him: the need for conversion. He does not present it in moralistic, but rather in realistic terms, as the only appropriate response to events that put human certainties in crisis. In the face of certain misfortunes, he advises, it is no good to blame the victims. What is truly wise, rather, consists in allowing oneself to be questioned by the precariousness of existence and to adopt an attitude of responsibility: to do penance and improve our lives...In short, conversion overcomes evil at its root, which is sin, though it cannot always avoid its consequences.

Describing the New Evangelisation

During the Jubilee Year, the then Cardinal Ratzinger gave a superb address to Catechists, in which he described the nature of the New Evangelisation. Lest this great discourse be forgotten by our readers, I have placed a PDF file of this discourse on the Community of Grace website. You kind find it by visiting the "Holy Father" page on the site.

This teaching comes from the keen vision of one who the Holy Spirit was using very powerfully. And let us recall, that during the last part of the Twentieth Century, the two pricipal forerunners, architects, of the New Evangelisation were precisely John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger. And how wonderful that the Holy Spirit should have chosen Cardinal Ratzinger to lead the Church after John Paul II. We should follow his lead with great diligence.

Condom culture

Yesterday the UK Government published the Sexual Orientations Regulations; these will become law on 7th April 2007. From that time it will be illicit for any (religious) person to prejudice the provision of goods, services, premises, education and public functions to homosexual persons. It is yet to be seen what repercussions there will be.

Knowing that there will surely be repercussions for people of good faith puts us in mind of the Oath which was required of all persons in public office after the promulgation of the Act of Supremacy of 1534, which declared Henry VIII to be Head of the Church in England. On this matter both Cardinal John Fisher and Thomas More defaulted and were executed for High Treason.

In today's Mass the Parable of Dives and Lazarus is read. Christ rejects the rich man for his lack of compassion. Although he takes the side of the poor man he nevertheless makes reference to the poor man's desire for wealth. Christ, on the other hand, is the one who gave up all wealth in order to become poor so that he might lead us to true riches - the riches of His Father's love and mercy which are providentially given to all who hope and trust in the presence and the power of God. Christ's self-emptying was evident from the moment of his conception, but it was revealed in his utter dejection on the Cross. His self-effacing words in the parable of Dives and Lazarus challenge us to move beyond our own self-reliance and be open to the blessing of God.

Condom culture, since it's inception in the 1960s, has lead us to today's paganism. Whenever a condom is used, a person is really saying "I cannot rely on God to bless me, so I will try to bless myself." ("Trying to bless yourself" is a very good definition of paganism.) This culture is so widespread that we are just about all infected to some degree. We do not always trust that God will bless us, so we make a particular deal, we give ourselves a particular treat or we "get two for the price of one" and the Providential Love of God for us goes unrecognised.

The denial of difference bewteen the two sexes, which lies at the heart of homosexual culture, is the most agressive form that paganism takes today. If we cannot recognise the purpose for our being male and female, then we have already rejected the difference which exists between us and God. Condom culture has made homosexuality, which is a real phenomenon that should be considered with great care, into a totem of paganism.

My point is that Christ is calling us very loudly to live in the hope and the reality of God's blessings for all human lives. Will we take that "oath" or will we (be forced to) take a pagan oath of which the condom is the forerunner.

Vatican Lent Website

I've always found the Vatican website very useful, but always a little staid, just giving documentation, but in a rather raw form, and not easily digestible by passing visitors. I'm very happy to see that the Vatican website has now produced its own pastoral section for Lent. It has lots of papal teaching, but very little else yet, but at least it is trying to present it in a form that is useful for the faithful looking to be fed.

Gestures of mercy

This year, following the presedent of the past two years, we are holding the Stations of Cross weekly in the streets. Where I live in Huddersfield the culture of death is very strong: gangs, guns, drugs, alcohol and serial sex - I didn't feel that, as a parish, we should huddle all of our prayer and spirituality inside the church. It is too late in the day for that. Our culture needs to see signs of grace and mercy. If we do not give those gestures, who will?

In fact, it is very easy and fitting to make the Stations in the street. As you can see, we have an 8ft cross which we carry. We move along the pavement stopping every 20 yards or so and very briefly reflect and pray the Stations. It takes not much more than 25 minutes to make the 14 Stations, and many people see us. Occasionally a car blasts its horn at us, but mostly we see people stopping and taking in what they see - and indeed, all who see us know what we are doing. Sometimes children, or even people out walking their dogs will come and join us. What we are doing might seem unusual to some, but in fact, it is necessary. Christ needs to be seen on the streets more than ever. The culture of death sets itself up as a wall against grace and it seems impregnable - but the mercy of God is the most powerful force in the Universe.

At present we're making the Stations in Sheepridge, Huddersfield on Saturdays at 12 noon. In you are in the vicinity come and join us. (There is a Holy Hour in Church beforehand at 11.00am.)

Perhaps you could initiate outdoor Stations in your neighbourhood.

The Gospels day by day

On our University Chaplaincy blog for Lent, I'm doing a daily reflection on the Gospel reading for the day. If anyone is interested, they can find it at this page

A late e-pilgrimage for February

The e-pilgrimage for February arrived on the World Youth Day website rather late, but it's well worth looking at. There is a part of Pope John Paul II's great letter Dilecti Amici as well as testimony, life of a saint, prayer ideas. You can find the e-pilgrimage stuff here.

Here he is

Here is Declan with his new born son Benedict. Marie is recovering well after the birth. They are both very happy new parents. Declan lived and worked with me in my last parish for thirteen months, evangelising young people. He's doing the same now in Balham. He is a great young apostle, and I am very proud of him.

Into the brotherhood

Fr Julian and myself arrived at Ars last Sunday night and walked up the pathway to the front door of the seminary where we were really well received by those who were in the entrance lounge: priests, seminarians and lay members of the Society of John Vianney. We were immediately offered supper, but we had already taken the opportunity of eating in Villefranche on our way from Lyon airport, and we were lead to our rooms where the grace and the tranquility of the house again took us in.

In the morning we were greeted by the wonderfully pastoral view of Ars from the seminary. In the early, still, quiet hours, the seminary chapel was already a haven of prayer for a host of priests who had arrived for the Colloquium.

The theme of the Colloquium was the Holiness of the Diocesan Priest. It is Christ himself who communicates his holiness to the lives of those He has chosen to be priests. Christ gives us the example of how to serve, so that we can transmit His risen life.

The priest is the minister of the new humanity to the old; the one who uniquely transforms the human heart, by crucifying the old humanity and giving new life in its place.

The presence of the St John Vianney was expressed throughout the congress: he was a genuine friend of God who could not live without God's love. Indeed, he was fascinated by God's love. He entered into the logic of self-gift, which is the logic of holiness. He was totally a priest.

We heard how the Rite of Priestly ordination - the way in which the Church has always made priests - reveals at the same time the way in which Christ himself chooses and makes a priest; one who can live with the same attitude and heart as the Eternal Son.

The Eucharist, above all, expresses Christ's love for the Church, a love which finds its inclination in the heart of a priest. Priests have a special companionship with Christ and with His praying heart. Christ advances in the life of a priest precisely through his prayerfulness. This is shown not just in the Mass, but in the Liturgy of Hours by which priests also express their charity for humanity.

During the two and a half days of the Colloquium we we part of a priestly movement whose desire was that each one should live in the plan which God has for him. We were mainly priests, many of them young, but we were joined by many seminarians of the International seminary whose house was hosting our gathering.

There was a tangible sense of the priesthood, of its greatness and of its unique place in God's plan of Salvation. So too, we were absolutely aware of how Christ desires to act in the life of His priest, and of how each priest is called to make himself available to the whole person of Christ, whose Mystery we are to hold and to communicate to many. Being set apart for the work of God has never before been so wonderfully expressed to me (and all of it in French!) Every priest is a doorway to Christ and the Life of Grace. I live in the world as a man and as a priest, and because of that I am forever a gentle subject of the Kingdom which leads me first to seek the Will of the Father and to be a channel of the charity of Jesus Christ.

We definitely want to return to Ars. Come with us next time, for a genuine renewal of the Diocesan Priesthood is happening here.

Practical advice from the Holy Father for priests

On ZENIT yesterday there was a second transcription of a Q & A that the Holy Father recently had with a group of seminarians. This answer particularly stood out to me because it basically echoes the aims of the Société Jean-Marie Vianney, which I wrote about earlier.

Marco Ceccarelli: Diocese of Rome, (Deacon): Your Holiness, in the coming months my companions and I will be ordained priests. We will move from a well-regulated seminary life to the broader context of parish life. What advice can you give us to enable us to adjust as well as possible at the beginning of our priestly ministry?

Benedict XVI: Well, here at the seminary you do have a very good routine. I would say as the first point that it is also important in the life of pastors of the Church, in the daily life of the priest, to preserve as far as possible a certain order. You should never skip Mass -- a day without the Eucharist is incomplete -- and thus already at the seminary we grow up with this daily liturgy. It seems to me very important that we feel the need to be with the Lord in the Eucharist, not as a professional obligation but truly as an interiorly-felt duty, so that the Eucharist should never be missed.

Another important point is to make time for the Liturgy of the Hours and therefore, for this inner freedom: with all the burdens that exist, it frees us and helps us to be more open, to be deeply in touch with the Lord. Of course, we must do all that is required by pastoral life, by the life of a parochial vicar or of a parish priest or by another priestly office. However, I would say, never forget these fixed points, the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, so that you have a certain order in the daily routine. As I said at the outset, we learned not to have to plan the timetable ever anew; "Serva ordinem et ordo servabit te". These are true words.

Next, it is important not to neglect communion with other priests, with one's companions on the way, and not to lose one's personal contact with the Word of God, meditation. How should this be done? I have a fairly simple recipe for it: combine the preparation of the Sunday homily with personal meditation to ensure that these words are not only spoken to others but are really words said by the Lord to me myself, and developed in a personal conversation with the Lord. For this to be possible, my advice is to begin early on Monday, for if one begins on Saturday it is too late, the preparation is hurried and perhaps inspiration is lacking, for one has other things on one's mind. Therefore, I would say, already on Monday, simply read the Readings for the coming Sunday which perhaps seem very difficult: a little like those rocks at Massah and Meribah, where Moses said: "But how can water come from these rocks?". Then stop thinking about these Readings and allow the heart to digest them. Words are processed in the unconscious, and return a little more every day. Obviously, books should also be consulted, as far as possible. And with this interior process, day by day, one sees that a response gradually develops. These words gradually unfold, they become words for me. And since I am a contemporary, they also become words for others. I can then begin to express what I perhaps see in my own theological language in the language of others; the fundamental thought, however, remains the same for others and for myself. Thus, it is possible to have a lasting and silent encounter with the Word that does not demand a lot of time, which perhaps we do not have. But save a little time: only in this way does a Sunday homily mature for others, but my own heart is also touched by the Lord's Word. I am also in touch with a situation when perhaps I have little time available.

I would not dare now to offer too much advice, because life in the large city of Rome is a little different to what I experienced 55 years ago in our Bavaria. But I think these things are essential: the Eucharist, the Office of Readings, prayer and a conversation every day, even a brief one, with the Lord on his words which I must proclaim. And never lose either your friendship with priests, listening to the voice of the living Church, or naturally, availability to the people entrusted to me, because from these very people, with their suffering, their faith experiences, their doubts and difficulties, we too can learn, seek and find God, find our Lord Jesus Christ.

Priests' Conference in Ars

Well we've both been back two days from Ars, but I think there are so many experiences that we've had there that it's difficult to know where to begin.

The Conference - or Colloquium to give it its proper name - had as its subject 'The Diocesan Priesthood: What sort of holiness?' The Conference itself consisted of 14 different papers on various dimensions of the theme - Biblical, Theological, Liturgical, Spiritual, Pastoral.

The Conference began with a major talk given by Cardinal Albert Vanhoye. I remember reading his book 'Priests of the Old Testament, Priest of the New Testament' in seminary - well I remember reading it, but the content is a bit rusty in my memory. He gave a talk on the Biblical dimension of the question of holiness of the priest. He went straight to the heart of the matter, saying that there is no direct reference to the ministers of the Church being priests in the New Testament, but that, because of their intimate consecration to Christ, they share in the priesthood of Christ as described in the letter to the Hebrews. This is a priesthood which is different from that of the Old Testament, where the priest is consecrated because he is separated from the people. The priesthood of Christ is such that he comes close to, and shares in the very nature of the people. The Cardinal concluded that, if we want a true understanding of the holiness of the priest, then we have to look to the image of Christ the High Priest, as presented foremost in the letter to the Hebrews. This indicates a priesthood which is not distant or removed from mankind, but sharing fully in the human reality - that doesn't mean conforming to a particular way of living, but to live fully in the culture.

Another speaker on the first day of the Conference, Fr Philippe Vallin, echoed this understanding of how the priest relates to the holiness of Christ and to the culture by referring to priesthood as 'the ministry of the New Man in the house of the Old Man'. In other words, being the New Adam - Christ - while living in the context of the Old Adam - the world. This has many different ways of being incarnate. Unlike religious life, Diocesan priesthood does not have a specific charism. Rather the Diocesan priest is open to all charisms, integrating the triple munera (to teach, to sanctify and to govern) in pastoral charity, which has as its foundation, openness to the person of Christ.

Being in Ars, it is obvious that there had to be a talk on how the Curé of Ars incarnates this figure of holiness. For many, the image of the Curé is rather remote, considering his holiness and the form of his ministry. And yet, St John Mary Vianney embodies 'pastoral charity' in a particularly radical form, and is an example (as well as intercessor) for priests. Fr Jean-Philippe Nault spoke about three aspects of the Curé's holiness. The first of these is that he shared the heart of the poor. This really sums up the way in which the Curé was personally holy: his own poverty gave him a true humility which was open to union with God. Poverty is what made him a friend with God, incarnating the mercy of God for others, and which became a personal strength for him in adversity. Secondly, the Curé was a great pastor, who gave of himself entirely, symbolised by his many hours spent reconciling sinners with God and the Church. As Pope John Paul II said of him, "He was a martyr of the confessional". The Curé was, in other words, a 'total priest' - everything about him spoke of the priesthood of Christ. Thirdly, the Curé lived the communion of saints. This is important for the holiness of all of us - to live in the communion of saints, recognising that we are not Christians alone, but in company with saints living and departed.

The clearest talk of the whole conference was given by the Rector of the SJMV seminary in Ars, Fr Sylvain Battaille. He spoke on the structure of the liturgy of ordination and the way in which it reveals the theology of Ordination to the priesthood. He showed how each of the parts of the Ordination Rite represent stages in the call and consecration of the Apostles. It was a tremendous overview of the Rite of Ordination, and something I wish I'd had when I was in seminary.

A very interesting talk was given by Fr Matthieu Rougé on the Eucharist and Love of the Church in the life of the priest. He set the celebration of the Eucharist in the framework of the triple munera (to teach, to sanctify, to govern), showing that there is an intimate relationship between all three of these functions. There can be no Eucharist without the Word - the Liturgy of the Word is not just a message from Christ, but is giving Christ himself to his People. This is why it must be presided over by the priest, and why it necessarily precedes the celebration of the Eucharist. The Word proclaimed in the Liturgy of the Word is quasi(sort of) sacramental. Teaching and sanctifying give rise to the priest's role of presiding over a portion of the faithful. The priest, in the Mass, gathers all the People into the Heart of Christ: it is about drawing people into communion. This is then the role of the priest outside the Mass when he is leading his people. Finally, Fr Rougé concluded that the priest has a threefold way of drawing people into sanctification: fraternally, paternally and spousally. He is a brother to all the faithful, based on baptism. We are placed in a fraternity by Christ, and we as priests do not lose that basic baptismal sanctification. But the priest is also 'father'. There can be no brothers if there is no father. The priest represents Christ, who is the 'paterfamilias' - the head of the household of the Church. The priest also has a spousal relationship with the Church. Just as Christ is bridegroom of the Church, his bride, so the priest is drawn into that very same relationship. That demands love and total self-giving, as well as fidelity.

Developing the theme of the holiness of the priest in the exercise of the three functions of teaching, sanctifying and governing the People of God, Fr Jean-Pierre Battut showed how there is an objective holiness to the priesthood. The priest is holy - that's a gift from God. It comes to the priest through his consecration in Ordination. Nobody can take it away, not even the priest himself. But the priest is human, and needs to grow in subjective holiness. And so, although we realise that sacraments are valid when celebrated by a priest who is not committed to growth in holiness, the People are certainly helped by a priest who lives in the search for holiness. The Curé again is an example of this. His personal holiness drew people to conversion. His sacraments were no more valid than anyone else's. But it was his personal holiness which was a draw to the sacraments for those who flocked to Ars.

The Moderator of the SJMV, Fr Philippe Caratgé gave a talk on prayer and the holiness of the Diocesan priest. He said that prayer was necessary for the priest so that he might meditate on the Word which he has to proclaim, find real communion with the Church, and find Christ in the poor. The first stage of knowing Christ is to be known by Him. Meditation on the Word of God is truly a lifelong task of the priest. For the priest the Eucharist is the source of his living vocation, and so a truly prayerful celebration of the Mass together with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament are indispensable for the priest. Finally, it is prayer that leads us to recognise the needs of others. The priest never prays just for himself. He has the duty to pray for the whole Church, and especially those in need. This prayer leads him to recognise the needs of others, and to have the grace to serve them in their needs.

It was a great blessing to have Mgr Guimaraes from the Congregation for the Clergy at the Conference. He spoke about the demands of the minstry and holiness. After a consideration of scenes from the life of the Curé of Ars, he spoke of the priesthood as the daily exercise of the gift given in Ordination, of acting in the person of Christ for his Church. Although the priesthood is a gift which has been given, and lived, for centuries, it is still a contemporary gift, and it will become more contemporary the more we are disposed to put into practice in the realities of life the grace received in ordination. There is no room for mediocrity. Activism (lots of activity and no prayer) is also no answer. The priesthood today - more than ever - demands the holiness of a life completely given over and consecrated. Mgr Guimaraes then made a great link to the teaching of the Holy Father, who underlines the private prayer of the priest before receiving Holy Communion: "never let me be separated from you." Christ calls us his 'friends' - if we remain faithful to Him, we will never be parted from Him.

Finally (phew!), the Bishop of Belley-Ars, Mgr Guy-Marie Bagnard, gave a final talk summing up how holiness is the call of the life dedicated to God in the Sacrament of Holy Order. He mentioned the example of Fr Max Thurian, the Taizé brother who was Protestant, but became Catholic and was ordained as a priest. He said he recognised how Protestantism has robbed the triple munera of the role of sanctification. Protestantism does not see ministry as a sacrament, but as a commission or blessing in order to preach the Word and to direct the community. But these functions end out being just functions, because they are robbed of their Heart - which is the task of sanctification through the sacraments. For Catholics, therefore, the true identity of the priest as the man consecrated to the mediatory priesthood of Christ (although all the baptised share in the priesthood of Christ, only the ordained priest shares in his priesthood of mediation) is paramount for the progress of the Church in holiness. For the priest, it means there is the task of personal sanctification.

Well that was rather exhausting. Not as exhausting as listening to these hours of talks in French however. But it was certainly worth the experience. I may post again on the Conference, about my personal experience of it, but I thought I'd do this task of summarising the talks first.

Year of St Paul?

On ZENIT yesterday:

Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the Basilicia of St. Paul Outside the Walls, said this at a press conference Wednesday. In the meeting the cardinal presented the archaeological research which made it possible to rediscover what is traditionally accepted as St. Paul's sarcophagus under the basilica's main altar.

Cardinal Lanza commented that the idea to dedicate the year 2008-2009, beginning and ending on June 29, the solemnity of St. Peter and Paul, is being considered. The year would also coincide with the second millennium of the Apostle Paul's birth.

The cardinal added that he has mentioned the idea to Benedict XVI, who received it favorably.

However, "no decision has been taken," he stated.

I think this is a great idea. What better springboard for New Evangelisation than a year consecrated to studying St Paul, and to invoking his prayer for radical and courageous Catholic Evangelisation today? When I was a student at University, I always thought St Paul was more for Evangelicals. After all, ever since Luther, St Paul's letters have been the mainstay of Protestant theology. But then when I was in seminary, I systematically read the letters of St Paul as lectio divina - and it opened up a most wonderful new perspective. When I read St Paul now I see how central the person of Christ is, such that we become Christ himself. On my Ordination card I quoted St Paul's letter to the Galatians: "I have been crucified with Christ. Now it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me..."(Gal 2.19-20). Also the figure of Bl Elizabeth of the Trinity, who based her spiritual life around the identification of the Christian as being 'the praise of God's glory'. Our whole life is to be a glorification of God. That is our sole purpose and vocation - to glorify God. Maybe we could write to the Holy Father and support this project for a year of St Paul?

Congratulations

We wish Declan and Marie great happiness: their baby boy, Benedict, was born yesterday.

May he be a great friend of Christ. I wonder who he was named after?

The John-Mary Vianney Society

As Fr Richard said, we're off to Ars today for a few days - probably a few blogless days therefore - for a Colloquium (Conference) entitled "Diocesan Priests - what sort of holiness?". It should be an interesting programme. The lead speaker is the well respected theologian Cardinal Vanhoye. We'll no doubt post some blogs on our return to let you know more about the conference.

Ars is of course well known as the parish of the Holy Curé of Ars, St John Mary Vianney. But it is also, today, the site of a renewal in seminary and priestly life. Here is an excerpt which I've lifted from the AD2000 website

Because of St John Vianney, Ars became a major shrine of France, visited by thousands. Among them was the young Polish priest, Fr Karol Wojtyla, who came there on pilgrimage in 1947. He came again in 1986, this time as Pope John Paul II. Before the Pope's visit, a group of French clergy petitioned him not to go to Ars, alleging that John Vianney's concept of the priesthood was wrong, and unfit for the present day. The Pope's response was to proceed according to plan. He gave a three-part meditation and a homily in Ars, and proclaimed in the clearest terms the essential role of the priest as the one who makes the work of salvation present everywhere in the world.

By his visit to Ars and by what he said there, Pope John Paul stressed that John Vianney's life and teaching were as relevant and as necessary for the world's priests and seminarians today as they were when Pope Pius XI made him their patron in 1929. This also underlined the universal importance of Ars as the heartland of the priesthood.

A year after the Pope's visit to Ars, the local diocese of Belley was given a new bishop. Until his appointment, Bishop Guy Bagnard had been rector of a seminary at Paray-le-Monial. His experience in seminary formation had shown him that God is still calling men to the priesthood, and that, given the right circumstances, many are willing to answer that call. However, unlike most clerics of former years, today's seminarians are older, with a great variety of home backgrounds and personal experiences. Many have given up lucrative professions in order to study for the priesthood; they come with high ideals and expect high standards. Therefore, a new approach to formation is needed.

Bishop Bagnard was acutely aware of the loneliness which affects many priests who live alone; as the local bishop he was very conscious of his duty to guard the charism of St John Vianney on behalf of the whole Church. He took care of both concerns by founding the Society of John Mary Vianney, an association of priests who wish to live their priesthood under the patronage and guidance of the Curé of Ars. Grouped in small fraternities, the Society aims to provide the spiritual and human support necessary for the diocesan priest today.

Bishop Bagnard gave an important task to the Society of John Mary Vianney when he asked it to take charge of the seminary which he opened at Ars in 1988. It began with six candidates; today there are one hundred and twenty men preparing for the priesthood there. About eighty are from France; the rest represent various countries and continents.

The formation begins with a year of discernment; during this year the candidates receive a basic spiritual and doctrinal training. Then follows a two-year course in philosophy and three years of theology.

The seminarians live in groups of about fifteen in various houses in Ars. Each house has an oratory, and one or two resident priests. One of the seminarians is responsible for the day-to-day running of the house. The mid-day meal is taken in the seminary, where the lectures, apart from those in theology, are given.

A happy, friendly atmosphere prevails. The seminarians are loud in their praise of the seminary and the formation which they receive. All professors are required by the statutes to "adhere without reserve to the magisterium ... since they teach in the name of the Church." This is a major contributory factor in the success of the seminary.

One seminarian summed it up as follows: "The crisis in so many seminaries today is due to the lack of proper teaching and formation rather than to the lack of vocations."

Thus the flame lit by St John Mary Vianney and fuelled by Pope John Paul Il and Bishop Bagnard is beginning to radiate through France and beyond.

And beyond it certainly goes, for both Fr Richard and myself are, with the permission of our respective bishops, seeking to become members of the John Mary Vianney Society of priests (SJMV), and so become it's first members in England (it has, at present, members in France, Germany and Canada).

The Society is a Clerical Association of Pontifical Right for Diocesan Priests. That means it is not a religious order, or a clerical institute, but an association which is specifically for Diocesan Priests to support them in their ministry. The life of the Association is guided by the Statutes, which list 10 'Exigences Communes' which each member is expected to live:

1. The daily celebration of Mass
2. The Liturgy of the Hours celebrated with attention, as praise and intercession in the name of the Church
3. Daily prayer, above all other things, in that one cannot of one's day without prayer
4. Confession at least monthly
5. A regular meeting with a Spiritual Director
6. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at least one hour per week
7. Daily Marian prayer
8. Personal study of theology
9. An annual retreat
10. Participation in the life of a local fraternity.

Apart from number 10 these are what one would hope from any diocesan priest. In other words, the principle demands of the SJMV are the same as those of Diocesan Priesthood lived in the way the mind of the Church expresses it. The final element - the meeting in a fraternity - is the way of living out this Diocesan priesthood supported by a community dimension. The ideal of the SJMV is priests actually living in community, but the minimal participation in this community dimension is a monthly meeting of between 3 and 6 priests. The meetings which we already have each month include an overnight stay, Mass celebrated together, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a time of sharing about our priestly ministry over the past month, a good meal (or two), and joint study.

The whole life of the SJMV is an expression of the particular charism, which is priesthood lived under the inspiration of the Curé. This is a priesthood of kindness and mercy, as well as a personally demanding. The charism of the society seeks to encourage vocations to the priesthood, to see all things in the light of evangelisation, and to serve the poor most especially.

In order to become a member of the SJMV, the first thing is to gain the permission of one's bishop and admission as a probationary member for two years for the purposes of discernment. This is then followed by a temporary engagement of three years, followed by a definitive engagement for life. The probationary period can begin from Ordination to the Diaconate. Most members at the moment come from the Ars seminary - which is the seminary of the Society not of the Diocese - but the SJMV is now beginning to expand further afield. The seminary also houses the priests' residence which many English priests have already experienced - the Foyer Sacerdotal Jean Paul II.

Both Fr Richard and I would like to hear from any Diocesan priests who are interested in finding out more about the SJMV. We would invite priests who would wish to come to one of our meetings, with no pressure or obligation to join, but simply to share in our priestly fraternity. There is also a group of lay associates who join the Society. It is for those lay people who wish to support priests and priestly vocations through prayer and active work. It would be good to hear from interested lay people. In any case, please pray for us as we pursue membership of the Society.

The French SJMV website is here

New Papal teaching document coming soon

I'm looking forward to the Pope's first Apostolic Exhortation which will be on the Eucharist. It is the document which sums up what was discussed at the last Synod of Bishops in November 2005 - these documents take some writing. The Pope, in promising that it will be out soon, promises that it is "a document for meditation. It will help both the liturgical celebration as well as personal reflection, both the preparation of homilies as well as the celebration of the Eucharist. And it will serve to guide, illuminate and revitalize popular devotion."I think this could be something big in the life of the Church, helping to bring about the much needed reform of the reform in liturgy. I know liturgy is a dodgy subject to blog about...but I'm sure everyone will hope that this document will contribute to the worthy celebration of the Sacred Mysteries.

Young people in the first place

In a Q&A session with priests of the Diocese of Rome, the Pope spoke about priests working with young people. At the moment it's just reported on ZENIT, and the full text isn't available, mainly because the Pope spoke off the cuff and they have to get a transcript sorted out. His main points were:

• Young people must be a priority for priests, as they live in a world that is so remote from God.
• Priests need to provide opportunities for young people to find the space to have an encounter with Christ.
• Many young people see Jesus as merely a great prophet - but they need to be invited to encounter into the Mystery of Christ, and encounter the true God who is full of mercy.

On a more human level the Pope said that although he recognised that, for Christ, prayer at night was a necessary part of his life, for the Pope it is not possible as he likes to sleep at night. I know how he feels.

Stations at Birmingham University

It's been great to have public Stations of the Cross for the first time on the Campus today. We took our large plain wooden cross and made the way of the Cross at midday, circling the centre of the campus between the library and the Chancellor's Court. This will be happening every Friday lunchtime in Lent. If you're in the area come and join us. Begins at 12 noon on the dot in front of the main University library. Today we had over 20 students joining in - a great act of witness.

Weekend exercises

This evening sees the start of a Youth 2000 Retreat in Harrogate, Yorkshire, for 16 - 35 year olds. It is taking place at St John Fisher High School, HG2 8PT. If you can come - register on the door. For more info visit www.youth2000.org. I will be taking part in this and look forward to an opportunity to be with Him.


Then on Sunday Fr Julian and myself are going to Ars in France (where St John Vianney was Parish Priest), in order to take part in a Colloquium of diocesan priests from all over. This is basically an opportunity for secular priests to enter into conversation together. What we will be taking about is the kind of holiness that we are trying to embrace. Isn't it great that there is a priestly movement going on in the Church, and that there are loads of priests who are creating this movement in friendship with each other and with Him.

We'll tell you about it when we get back.

More from the Holy Father on Lent

The Holy Father, in his catechesis at the Wednesday audience this week, gave a beautifully straightforward teaching on Lent. He shows how Lent is the season par excellence to have the image of Christ renewed within us, and to be renewed in the friendship with Christ which is offered to us:

As we know, man was created to be a friend of God, but the sin of our first parents broke this relationship of trust and love and, as a consequence, humanity is incapable of fulfilling its original vocation. Thanks, however, to the redeeming sacrifice of Christ, we have been rescued from the power of evil: Christ, in fact, writes the apostle John, has been the victim of expiation of our sins (cf. 1 John 2:2); and St. Peter adds: "Christ also died for sins once for all" (cf. 1 Peter 3:18).

On dying with Christ to sin, the baptized person is also reborn to a new life and is freely re-established in his dignity as son of God. For this reason, in the early Christian community, baptism was considered as the "first resurrection" (cf. Revelation 20:5; Romans 6:1-11; John 5:25-28).

Baptism is the source of our new life, and Lent is the time for the renewal of our lives in baptismal grace. This inner conversion is a task which we have for every day of our lives. Here the Pope speaks of the nature of conversion:

From the beginning, therefore, Lent was lived as the time of immediate preparation for baptism, which is administered solemnly during the paschal vigil. The whole of Lent was a journey toward this great encounter with Christ, toward immersion in Christ and the renewal of life. We are already baptized, but often baptism is not very effective in our daily life. Therefore, Lent is also for us a renewed "catechumenate" in which we again go out to encounter our baptism and rediscover and relive it in depth, to again be really Christians.

Therefore, Lent is an opportunity to "be" Christians "again," through a constant process of interior change and of progress in knowledge and love of Christ. Conversion never takes place once and for all, but is a process, an interior journey of our whole life. Certainly this journey of evangelical conversion cannot be limited to a particular period of the year: It is a journey of every day which must embrace our whole existence, every day of our lives.

From this point of view, for every Christian and for all ecclesial communities, Lent is the appropriate spiritual season to train with greater tenacity in the search for God, opening the heart to Christ.

St. Augustine said on one occasion that our life is the sole exercise of the desire to come close to God, of being able to let God enter into our being. "The whole life of the fervent Christian," he says, "is a holy desire." If this is so, in Lent we are invited even more to uproot "from our desires the roots of vanity" to educate the heart in the desire, that is, in the love of God. "God," says St. Augustine, "is all that we desire" (cf. "Tract. in Iohn," 4). And we hope that we really begin to desire God, and in this way desire true life, love itself and truth.

Particularly appropriate is Jesus' exhortation, recorded by the Evangelist Mark: "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15). The sincere desire for God leads us to reject evil and to do good. This conversion of the heart is above all a free gift of God, who created us for himself and has redeemed us in Jesus Christ: Our happiness consists in remaining in him (cf. John 15:3). For this reason, he himself anticipates our desire with his grace and supports our efforts of conversion.

But what does conversion really mean? Conversion means to seek God, to walk with God, to follow docilely the teachings of his Son, Jesus Christ; to be converted is not an effort to fulfill oneself, because the human being is not the architect of his own destiny. We have not made ourselves. Therefore, self-fulfillment is a contradiction and is too little for us. We have a higher destiny.

We could say that conversion consists precisely in not considering ourselves "creators" of ourselves, thus discovering the truth, because we are not authors of ourselves. Conversion consists in accepting freely and with love that we depend totally on God, our true Creator, that we depend on love. This is not dependence but liberty.

To be converted means, therefore, not to pursue personal success, which is something that passes but that, abandoning all human security, we follow the Lord with simplicity and trust, so that Jesus will become for each one, as Teresa of Calcutta liked to say, "my all in all." Whoever lets himself be conquered by him is not afraid of losing his own life, because on the cross he loved us and gave himself for us. And, in fact, by losing our life out of love, we find it again.

Having given us the theme "They will look on him whom they have pierced" for Lent, the Pope then turns to the Cross as the demonstration of God's immense love for us:

I wished to underline the immense love God has for us in the message on the occasion of Lent, published a few days ago, so that Christians of the whole community can pause spiritually during the time of Lent, together with Mary and John, the beloved disciple, before him who on the cross consummated for humanity the sacrifice of his life (cf. John 19:25).

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, the cross is also for us, men and women of our time -- who all too often are distracted by earthly and momentary concerns and interests -- the definitive revelation of divine love and mercy. God is love and his love is the secret of our happiness. However, to enter into this mystery of love there is no other way than that of losing ourselves, of giving ourselves to the way of the cross.

"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark 8:34). For this reason, the Lenten liturgy, on inviting us to reflect and pray, stimulates us to value penance and sacrifice more, to reject sin and evil and to conquer egoism and indifference. Prayer, fasting and penance, works of charity toward brothers, become in this way spiritual paths that we must undertake to return to God in response to the repeated calls to conversion that the liturgy makes today (cf. Galatians 2:12-13; Matthew 6:16-18).

Dear brothers and sisters, may the Lenten period that we undertake today, with the austere and significant rite of the imposition of ashes, be for all a renewed experience of the merciful love of Christ, who on the cross shed his blood for us.

Let us listen to him with docility to learn "to regive" his love to our neighbour, especially those who are suffering and experiencing difficulties. This is the mission of every disciple of Christ, but to carry it out it is necessary to listen to his word and to nourish oneself assiduously on his body and blood. May the Lenten journey, which in the early Church was the journey to Christian initiation, to baptism and the Eucharist, be for us, the baptized, a "Eucharistic" time in which we take part with greater fervour in the sacrifice of the Eucharist.

May the Virgin Mary -- who, after having shared the sorrowful passion of her divine Son, experienced the joy of resurrection -- accompany us during this Lent to the mystery of Easter, supreme revelation of the love of God.

Novena Prayer

The UK Sexual Orientations Regulations are to be contested in the House of Commons at the beginning of March. At present these Regulations are aimed at compelling all adoption agencies to accept homosexual couples as potential guardians. In fact the issue at stake here is not to do with homosexuality or homophobia, but is precisely that one group of people is demanding that another group of people (in this case Catholic Adoption Agencies) offer services which they in conscience cannot deliver. It is always very dangerous territory when a government legislates for conscience.

Could I suggest that you to make a Novena to St Thomas More asking for his intercession, that this matter be overturned by grace and by a surge in public opinion. You might like to cut and paste this Litany:

LITANY OF ST. THOMAS MORE, MARTYR AND PATRON SAINT OF STATESMEN, POLITICIANS AND LAWYERS

V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ, have mercy
R. Christ have mercy
V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ hear us
R. Christ, graciously hear us
V. St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr, R. Pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates
St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life
St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ
St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage
St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith
St. Thomas More, Defender of the Weak and the Poor
St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity
V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Spare us O Lord
V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Graciously hear us O Lord
V. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R. Have mercy on us

Let us pray:
O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life — the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Strong winds

I'm sorry but the Zeppelin encountered very strong winds over north Africa, which meant we could not get a good shot of the dusk. However, as you can see, there will be some golden beaches on the Canary Islands. Gibraltar looks good from up here too.

The Holy Spirit also has been "blowing hard" all day, directing our gaze to Him who "consummated for all manking the sacrifice of His life", and giving us access to "the very dynamic of His self-giving". (B16) Let us welcome the love of Jesus on this first day of Lent and in our evening prayer ask that every man and woman on the face of the earth, may be saved.

Second shot

I hope to post a better picture of Europe this evening ... just setting off.

Vespers for old Europe

As the sun sets over Europe, the seeds of the new age are already growing. It is for this whole land, and more, that we offer our evening prayer of thanksgiving.