Last Saturday, the sisters of the Spiritual Family The Work invited the Fathers and Brothers to Newman’s College at Littlemore to take part in the Forty Hours, where Benediction was given by one of their recently ordained priests. #oxfordoratory
An Island in the Rain
Many of us might dream of an escape to an island. Perhaps the island you think of is full of palm trees and coconut trees, hammocks strung between them and endless sunshine. Perhaps it is the calm of the beach that your fantasy island provides, sea lapping at the sandy shore, not a cloud in the sky nor a care in the world. Today, on Ash Wednesday, another island might come to mind to some. Despite the wild natural beauty of the place, the tranquility, the breath-taking sunsets and sunrises, this is no holiday island, but a place of pilgrimage and a place of penance. On Lough Derg thousands come each year, unshod, fasting, denying themselves sleep and replacing the chatter of conversation with constant prayer. Our fantasy islands are about escape from the world, getting away from it all, a change of scene. And although from the Maldives or the Seychelles we might come home rested (and poorer), that’s all. From this island we are invited to come back changed.
On this island, called, in fact, “Station Island”, the round of “Station Prayers” contains a gesture that is particularly striking. At a simple cross cut into the wall of the church, pilgrims stand facing out, with arms outstretched in the form of the cross, saying three times aloud, “I renounce the world, the flesh and the devil.” Watching this scene, a young man will come along and make this profound sign, then a teenager, and next in line perhaps a woman in her seventies. Bare-foot, hungry, there is an amazing equality in these pilgrims — even down to the wet-weather gear that is almost always needed on this island island lake in Donegal. There is equality in their penitence, in their penance, but also in their desire for the mercy of God. The three days they spend here are not an escape, but rather they think about their lives, they thank God for his blessings and, by disciplining themselves a little, they seek what is most essential, to strengthen their relationship with him. It is a powerful gesture of their need for God.
Lough Derg has always struck me as a sort of mini Lent. Lent is not a time of punishment for punishment’s sake, but a time of renewal of what is most important. Lent is a powerful gesture of our need for God. By paring back for a while, by denying ourselves, by praying more, by thinking of those who have much less than we do, we gain a different optic on our life. We look again and we seek to change for the better. Our Lenten penance is a bit like standing at that cross on Station Island: we renounce those things that can trap us so that we can be freer to love God. It sounds simple, but if only it were so. Rather in stretching out our arms we are reaching out to our God who comes to save us, to lift us up by his grace and help us.
At the end of the three-day pilgrimage on Lough Derg, the pilgrims (shoes on, faces washed) return to the world delighted, a spring in their step, a smile on their face. They have done it! The real joy comes from that reaching out to God, however, of having given him their small gesture, to receive much grace in return. Whatever you do this Lent — whether it’s giving up Mars Bars or merlot — remember that it is really all about the heart that is within our sacrifice, and if in our heart we too reach out more to him, then we too will skip off our own Lenten “island” closer to him and ready to face life a bit better off for it.
We have reached our goal of £20,000 to uncover the Pippet murals in our sanctuary. Thank you to all our generous donors!
The work will begin next Monday.
This old postcard of the church shows how important the murals are to planning the decoration of the whole sanctuary.
It’s still not too late to send a donation. All money will be put towards the next phases of restoring our church to celebrate its 150th birthday.
For more information or to donate go to: www.oxfordoratory.org.uk/murals
#oxfordoratory #oratory150
Our Lent Project this year is Let The Children Live! We welcomed the founder of the charity, Fr Peter Walters, as our guest preacher at all Masses this weekend.
We will be raising money for this project throughout Lent. You can donate to their excellent work directly at https://letthechildrenlive.org
From their website:
“Let The Children Live! is a charity that works in Colombia with children from the streets and shanty-towns of the city of Medellín. These children were once called ‘the disposable ones’ and although that name is no longer used they are still at high social risk from the violence that they experience in the streets and shanty-towns of cities such as Medellín. Most of the danger in the shanty-towns comes from the many gangs that control them. Let The Children Live! is at present working with 320 very vulnerable boys and girls in this city. For most of them it is their last hope. Their ages range from babies to teenagers and they are often unloved and unwanted; even beaten, robbed, raped and sometimes murdered. By the rest of the world they are either unknown or forgotten. The charity, which was founded by Fr Peter Walters, aims to safeguard the lives of these children from the poverty and violence of the streets and shanty-towns, and to make their lives worth living by giving them love, education and a future.”
#oxfordoratory
Today we confirmed ten adults: five newly baptised, three received into Full Communion with the Catholic Church, and two Catholics. Congratulations to them all, and a warm welcome to our new members of the Church!
Our newly confirmed have been preparing since October, and have been the first to attend our classes for adults. They have been waiting for this moment for a while now, but God has been looking forward to this moment for even longer. Monsignor Ronald Knox described how Christ waits for us to receive him in Holy Communion:
“Go to communion in some little country church, where you find yourself alone at the altar rails, or go to midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral, and get sucked into the interminable queue which is slowly moving eastwards — it makes no difference. In either case the sacred Host which you are destined to receive contains the whole of Christ, all meant for you. “Is my friend there?” he is saying; waiting for you, like the person who comes to meet you at a crowded terminus, looking out for that particular trick of walking, that particular way of holding yourself, which will single you out at a distance.”
Please pray for those who received the sacraments today, and those who are still waiting. We have a few more people from our first classes still looking forward to the sacraments, and a whole new class preparing to receive the sacraments in June.
#oxfordoratory
February Music
Friday 2 February Solemn Mass 18:00
Candlemas
Mass for four voices Byrd
Senex puerum portabat Palestrina
Videte Miraculum Tallis
Allegro Maestoso (Sonata II) Mendelssohn
Sunday 4 February Solemn Mass 11:00
5th Sunday of the Year
Missa Vidi speciosam Victoria
Perfice gressus meos Palestrina
Ave regina caelorum Lassus
Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BWV 665 Bach
Sunday 11 February Solemn Mass 11:00
6th Sunday of the Year
Missa Simile est regnum Victoria
Benedictus es Palestrina
Ego sum panis vivus Palestrina
Praeludium ex A, BuxWV 158 Buxtehude
Wednesday 14 February Solemn Mass 18:00
Ash Wednesday
Missa Emendemus Palestrina
Miserere mei Allegri
Miserere mei Byrd
Emendemus in melius Byrd
Sunday 18 February Solemn Mass 11:00
1st Sunday of Lent
Missa Vulnerasti cor meum Morales
Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile Gombert
Usquequo Domine Guerrero
Friday 23 February Sacred Concert 19:30
The Crucifixion
by Sir John Stainer
Tickets available online: tinyurl.com/oratory-stainer
Sunday 25 February Solemn Mass 11:00
2nd Sunday of Lent
Missa Aspice Domine Palestrina
Ne irascaris Domine Byrd
Civitas sancti tui Byrd
FUTURE PLANS (Pt 5)
Along with all the exciting decorative and building work, we will be doing a lot of necessary maintenance to the structure of the building. The roof, stone and brickwork all need attention. A lot of electrical wiring is due to be replaced. There will be a new more efficient underfloor heating system and better lighting.
All of this work is essential if we are to leave to future generations a church that is fit for purpose, and ready to serve the needs of a growing Catholic community in the city of Oxford.
Help us complete Phase 1: www.oxfordoratory.org.uk/murals
#oxfordoratory #oratory150
FUTURE PLANS (Pt 4)
Our plans include finally building the missing baptistery for our church and a new chapel — or Little Oratory — dedicated to St John Henry Newman.
#oxfordoratory #oratory150
FUTURE PLANS (Pt 3)
Not all of the work that needs doing to our church is as visible as the sanctuary decoration, but it is still important. Our sacristy has developed various structural problems and its flat roof is failing. We have plans for a new sacristy, adding a floor for extra storage, and providing a fitting and safe home for the historic vestments, vessels and other items used in the sacred liturgy.
#oxfordoratory #oratory150