New Blogs!

Please see the links list on the right hand side of the page to see a lot of new links from the UK / ROI Church, and worldwide.

Enjoy!

G. K. Chesterton's Anniversary

A post commemorating the English genius G. K. Chesterton over at the Distributist Review blog (US)

Perhaps it puts us to shame that the English people don't have a national day to mark one of our greatest thinkers, writers, and bon-viveurs (in the truest sense), and the most active G. K. C. societies are in the U.S. or Australia.

Maybe it's time to start appreciating him more here in the country he loved, even through it's hard times.

I've been working my way through his novels ("The Man who was Thursday", "Manalive" and lots of Fr. Brown stories). They are amazing not only for their bold, beautiful and often even tender style, but also for the freshness they bring to our gaze on this life God gives us new every day.

The English GKC Society

Ascension Day

In my next essay, I am going to try to explain the Pascal Mystery in the light of the Trinity and the Jesus Christ.

Today I remembered that I had asked my tutor whether or not I could "leave out" the Ascension from the Pascal Mystery, in order to just think about the Cross and Resurrection. Having a big feast day is enough to make me realise something was very wrong with my understanding to ask such a question.....

At CU it was fortunate to have an opportunity to reflect on this feast and find out the Protestants recognise it too...well some of them anyway.

We just spoke about the Ascension as the culmination of the incarnation. Jesus took on our flesh thereby sanctifying the most mundane of our daily tasks. He did the washing up. (Fr Tom's favourite example) To be able to do what God does is an amazing thing. God did the washing up. God elevated our humanity to a great height. A couple of CU asked whether this means they shouldnt have bought dish washers....!!!!!! The smallest of daily tasks take on a great dignity because Jesus has given them this dignity.

The Ascension is the fulfillment...because it trounces the Gnostic notions that only the Spiritual counts and that matter is evil. Jesus rose body and soul into heaven. No mere spiritual resurrection. Finding myself a practical Gnostic in day to day, ignoring my admin considering it as less important than the spiritual side of life, this is a significant discovery.

What I have said is not quite right (perhaps it's the Nestorian heresy, the idea of duality Divine and Human side by side by not "one") because of Jesus we can and should find the spiritual in the physical ordinary side of life. The human and the Divine are united in Him and both now in heaven.

As the chaplain commented, the Ascension is not just about the fact He is body and soul in heaven, but it speak volumes of what it means to be following Christ as spiritual corporal beings. Gaudium et Spes 24...only in Christ does the mystery of man become clear

On Social Communication

On the feast of the Ascension we also celebrate World Communications Day, and we seek to make ever greater use of the resources placed at our disposal by the media in order to promote communication, communion and cooperation between people everywhere.

the address Benedict XVI gave today before praying the midday Regina Caeli (at Zenit.org)

Blogging the Catholic Church in England and Wales

This blog is now dedicated to "Blogging the Catholic Church in England and Wales".

The aim is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-the-minute web resourse on Catholic life and culture in the UK.

Editorial, news and comments are asked from all Catholic readers, but they will be vetted by a central editor.

You are also invited to join the blog as a team member.