A VERY HAPPY & BLESSED CHRISTMAS

Father Mervyn and Ann wish all readers of this Blog a Very Happy Christmas.

BATONS, WATER CANNON AND BULLETS

In a report The Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)  has said: “there were a ‘number of real scenarios’ during August’s youth uprising where greater force and the use of water cannon and even the use of firearms may have been appropriate. It says that if a building or property is subject to an ‘arson attack’ then ‘possibly firearms’ can be used.Situations arising include ‘Barricades and missiles used’, ‘petrol bombs thrown’, ‘Violent attacks on the public in the presence of the police’, ‘Arson attacks on buildings’ or ‘Threats to fire and ambulance’ which can all be responded to by use of water cannon or ‘possible AEPs’.”

Most readers of this blog, will I suspect, have been horrified at the deaths in Syria and Egypt caused by the use of firearms against the people of those countries. Are the Inspectorate of Constabulary really suggesting that police should shoot people in the UK? I really hope that action will be taken to prevent this ever arising; I don’t want to live in a police state where the local police chief can decided to shoot members of the public. I am the first to condemn the riots and the rioters but I’m glad they weren’t shot and hope the situation never arises where that could be the case.

PRAYERS FOR ADVENT 4

God our redeemer, who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son: grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour, so we may be ready to greet him when he comes again as our judge; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Purify our conscience, Almighty God,
by your daily visitation, that Thy Son Jesus Christ,
at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself;
who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Lord, fill our hearts  with you love and as you revealed to us by an angel the coming of your Son as man, so lead us through his suffering and death to the glory of his resurrection, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, oneGod, for ever and ever.

Heavenly Father,
who chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
be the mother of the promised saviour:
Fill us your servants with your grace,
that in all things we may embrace your holy will
and with her rejoice in your salvation;
through Jesus Christ our Lord

METAL THEFT

“My object all sublime
I shall achieve in time —
To let the punishment fit the crime —
The punishment fit the crime”

Over the last year or so many local churches, under and over ground trains, graveyards, cemeteries, war memorials, street and road signs, lightning conductors and many buildings have been targeted by unscrupulous metal thieves. In one local church enormous damage has been done not only to the roof but, by letting water in, to the very fine organ which will be very expensive to restore. And this church has been targeted several times and for a time members of the congregation slept in the church to deter the thieves.

Little seems to be done to apprehend the criminals who, up and down the country, commit this despicable act but perhaps even more important, what about the reprehensible scrap metal dealers who are happy to buy the metal “no questions asked”. If there were no scrap metal dealers prepared to accept stolen metal there wouldn’t be a problem.

But what punishment can be imposed on those who are guilty that might fit the crime and the misery it causes? One might have thought that War Memorials would be sacrosanct. What sort of penalty or punishment would fit the stealing of the brass plates commemorating those who gave their lives in two world wars? Or what would fit those totally heartless scoundrels who desecrated the local cemetery taking the brass markers from graves and cremation plots or those who are accessories in this crime by receiving the stolen plagues.

Perhaps the guilty should be made to compensate the bereaved, to pay for the restoration of the organ and so on but the problem is they will probably never be caught and if they were how could they make any payment as most of the thieves don’t work. Presumably the dealers could do so out of their ill-gotten profits. It seems to me that regrettably this is a low priority crime.

CHRISTMAS TREES OR HOLIDAY TREES?

I am very grateful to one of St. Augustine’s congregation for sending me this. Apparently the White House referred to Christmas Trees as Holiday Trees for the first time this year which prompted CBS presenter, Ben Stein, to present this piece which I would like to share with you. I think it applies just as much to the UK and many other countries as it does to America. If you like it why not copy it and e-mail it to your friends

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejewelled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God ? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbour as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it.... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

Oscar Romero’s view of Christmas

The problem is the majority of the public view Christmas as an excuse for a party where excess is the order of the day. This is so very far removed from the Christian view of the great Festival of the Birth of Jesus. That great Christian martyr of the 20th century, Oscar Romero expressed the Christian view like this:-

On this night, as we Christians have done every year for 20 centuries, we recall that God’ reign is now in this world and that Christ has inaugurated the fulness of time. His birth attests that God is now marching with us in history, that we do not go alone and that our aspiration for peace, for justice, for a reign of divine law, for something holy, is far from earth’s realities. We can hope for it, not because we humans are able to construct that realm of happiness which God’s holy words proclaim, but because the builder of a reign of justice, of love and of peace is already in the midst of us.”

We come together at Christmas to celebrate that Birth all those years ago, when Jesus came into the world as the baby of Bethlehem. For Christians Jesus is the main part of our celebrations and without him Christmas is pointless and futile.

I CANNOT TELL

I have several favourite hymns and one of them is the hymn "I cannot tell" I like the tune, and tunes and words are so much an integrated part of each other when it comes to hymns. But that apart, it’s the words which I find really speak to me. I have been interested to find that in the hymn book Common Praise it is down as a Christmas Hymn.

1  I cannot tell why he, whom angels worship,                            

    should set his love upon the sons of men, or why,    
    as Shepherd, he should seek the wanderers,
    to bring them back, they know not how or when.
    But this I know, that he was born of Mary,
    when Bethlehem's manger was his only home,
    and that he lived at Nazareth and laboured,
    and so the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is come.

One of the things I find totally incredible is that God should be so concerned about his creation, us, that he sent his Son., his only Son to be born in a cave (stable) in Bethlehem. Not only that but as it says in the second verse:

2   I cannot tell how silently he suffered,

     as with his peace he graced this place of tears,
     or how his heart upon the cross was broken,
     the crown of pain to three-and-thirty years.
     But this I know, he heals the broken-hearted,
     and stays our sin, and calms our lurking fear,
     and lifts the burden from the heavy-laden,
     for yet the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is here.

The suffering that Jesus will undergo for our redemption is all ready known as soon as he is born. Mary is warned that a sword will pierce her heart by Simeon. It is quite poignant. But we know that his death was not the end but the beginning.

3   I cannot tell how he will win the nations,

     how he will claim his earthly heritage,
     how satisfy the needs and aspirations
     of east and west, of sinner and of sage.
     But this I know, all flesh shall see his glory,
     and he shall reap the harvest he has sown,
     and some glad day his sun shall shine in splendour
     when he the Saviour, Saviour  of the world, is known.

Mission is a responsibility of all of us. It's something we take very seriously at S. Augustine’s, Rush Green.

 4   I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,

     when, at his bidding, every storm is stilled,
     or who can say how great the jubilation
     when every human heart with love is filled.
     But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture,
     and myriad, myriad human voices sing,
     and earth to heaven, and heaven to earth, will answer,
    at last the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is King!