Thoughts from our Chaplain: Mission Possible

This weekend we are celebrating two events. Firstly Palm Sunday, commemorating the Lord’s entry into Jerusalem and, secondly, the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The official title for these two celebrations is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. Personally I have always found it a great pity that in the liturgical reforms these two were lumped together. It has always given me the feeling that justice isn’t being done to either event and that the whole thing becomes rushed. I much preferred the way it was, i.e. Palm Sunday on the 2^nd Sunday before Easter and Passion Sunday the Sunday before Easter. Anyway we have to deal with what we have got. 

Magnificat has a special issue for Holy Week and in his reflection on Palm-Passion Sunday the Cistercian monk Fr Simeon writes, “….why exactly is it that suffering should bring about redemption”. He suggests to expand the meaning of suffering from simply “undergoing pain” to include “the willing activation of all the passions of the soul”, intended to put love in the place of the beloved’s refusal to love. Christ redeems us because he passionately embraces our rejection of him with a love unto death, and he will not let go of us”. 

Let our intention be not to let go of him who on Palm Sunday of the Passion fulfilled the will of his Father and thereby fulfilled his mission. With his grace our mission is possible too. Have a fruitful celebration of Holy Week.                                            

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm. 

Thoughts from our Chaplain: Smile and smile again!

Yesterday we were celebrating Laetare Sunday (4^th Sunday of Lent). It is so called because that is the first word of the Latin entrance antiphon and means “Rejoice”. It reads “Rejoice, Jerusalem, and all who love her. Be joyful, all were in mourning; exult and be satisfied at her consoling breasts.” Jerusalem, the place where God dwelled was seen as a mother. And the sentiments of joy are expressed in the readings: The youngest son, David, being anointed king; we becoming children of light (Eph.) and the blind man being cured. And joy will be a common theme is the subsequent daily readings. However, traditionally we rejoice on this Sunday, because the Easter celebrations are coming nearer.

It all reminded me of a poem, entitled Smiling that an elderly lady called Colette sent me from a nursing home. I would like to share it with you: 

Smiling is infectious

You catch it like the flu

When someone smiled at me today

I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner and

Someone saw me grin

When he smiled I realised

I’d passed it on to him.

I thought about the smile

Then I realised what its worth

A single smile just like mine

Could travel around the earth.

So if you feel a smile begin

Don’t leave it undetected

Let’s start an epidemic quick

And get  the world infected! 

A very good and uplifting exercise for Lent! Moreover, if you are prepared to share your chocolate bar, you most likely will make the other person smile too!                                        

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm. 

Beautiful spring day at the Shrine

We are enjoying a glorious spring day here at the Shrine. We pray it is the same on 31 May for our Summer Celebration.

A new baby in the wider Carmelite Family

From Carmelite News:

The British Province of Carmelites is delighted to give its warm congratulations to Matt Betts and his wife, Terri, on the birth and baptism of their first child, Joseph.

Matt is the Development Manager at the National Shrine of St. Jude, served by the Carmelite Friars in Faversham, Kent.

Matt's wife Terri (named after Carmelite nun St. Thérèse of Lisieux), a paediatric nurse, gave birth to baby Joseph on 18th February. He was baptised Joseph Henry Jack on 23rd March at the Betts' parish church, The Sacred Heart in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Matt leads the team of lay workers at the National Shrine of St. Jude, and has been touched by the good-will messages he has received from pilgrims and Shrine supporters.

The young family are all doing well, and we keep them in our prayers.

Thoughts from our Chaplain: Do ordinary things greatly!

I came across an interesting little piece by Blessed Titus Brandsma. He wrote in Dutch, so I hope I’m faithful to what he has to say. “We are not called to proclaim in public big, conspicuous and hotly disputed things. That would be against the simplicity we intent to practise. But it is our duty to do the ordinary things in a grand manner, i.e. with a pure heart and with the strength of our whole being. We don’t desire to stand at the front and be acclaimed on account of our achievements to which the people of the world look up. We just want to be noticed for our simplicity and sincerity.” I think we can all say “Amen” to that!

Titus was born in Bolsward (Holland) in 1881, joined the Carmelites and was ordained in 1905. He earned a doctorate in philosophy in Rome and then taught in various schools in Holland. After that he taught philosophy and mysticism in the Catholic University in Nijmegen, where he also served as Rector Magnificus. Under the Nazi occupation he spoke up for the freedom of the press and the Jews and against the Nazi ideology. He was arrested and eventually killed in the Dachau. John Paul II beatified him on 3 November 1985.

I’m very grateful to my colleagues at Aylesford Priory and their wider community for invoking the intercession of Titus for my wellbeing. At the moment I’m feeling fine, ready for my second chemo session on 28^th March. Once again my thanks for your prayers too.                                 

Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.   

Thoughts from our Chaplain: practical prayer!

I was rather pleased that one of the recent reflections in Magnificat (on 14^th March) was by the Metropolitan Anthony Bloom.

Anthony belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church and died in 2003. I met him in about 1977 when he was living in London, was known as Archbishop Anthony Bloom and came to Aylesford Priory to give our students and novices a coupe of talks. What remains with me especially, apart from his gentleness and humility, was his holiness. Sanctity seemed to be oozing out of him and it was an absolute privilege to be in his presence.

This reminds me of the colleagues of St Francis saying of him, “Seeing Francis is seeing oratio: prayer in action”. In one of the talks Anthony told us, “Make your prayer practical. I mean, if you are a rather hot tempered individual, don’t get up in the morning and tell God ‘Dear Lord, I will never be angry again’. No instead pray, ‘Dear Lord, I will try not be angry for the next half hour! Say that several times a day and be aware of the Lord’s presence. You will soon notice the enormous difference it makes in your life”.

So here is a great Lenten exercise for you: Attack your predominant fault! What is it: Pride?, Arrogance?, Intolerance?, or one of the key idols: Sex, Power and Wealth? Such an exercise sounds to me much better than giving up a bar of chocolate! Of course doing both is better still!  Have a fruitful Lent.

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.  

Brother Paul, vocations and how you can help

Yesterday, Paul Jenkins was ordained to the diaconate, and it was a really joyful occasion. Paul was ordained by Archbishop Peter Smith, and he spoke movingly about the importance of vocations to the church. The whole celebration was one of hope and thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to celebrate it on the Feast of St Joseph. I pray that Joseph will give courage and help to Paul in his ministry to the church.

As I said in the recent Carmelite News: “The Harvest is great, but the labourers are few. There is wonderful work to be done in spreading the Gospel and all of us are called to be heralds of good news. The Carmelites are called in a special way to be a school of prayer, helping people to relate in an intimate way with God. St Teresa spoke of prayer as having a conversation with God. Besides being praying communities, Carmelites are called to be prophetic;  proclaiming God’s message in and out of season. As Pope Francis has said, we speak to the people on the margins from the margins ourselves. We are called to be in solidarity with those who could be voiceless.”

“I am conscious that my time working for the Lord is limited, and I would like you to join my prayer to ask the Lord to call folk to continue God’s calling  to Carmel. No calling is easy, but we do not answer the call relying on our own resources but open to God’s grace, this is his gift of helping us risk doing something that’s new. I was moved to become a Carmelite because I saw great humanity in those who were living the Carmelite way. The more human we become, the more we are like Jesus Christ who has shown us what it is to be fully human, fully alive.”

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul’s special day possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or make a donation. THANK YOU.

Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm