Follow me

There was a lot on the religous agenda today, as it is Holocaust Memorial Day, Homelessness Sunday. Indeed last Friday was the end of the week of prayer for Christian unity - a movement which Father Mark reminded us started 100 years ago. It was on this theme that he chose his sermon with the challenge to each of us. 'What did you do last week for Christian unity ?'

Musically we tackled songs both old and new, in English and Latin and even had a Peruvian Gloria accompanied by a djembi drum. Our entrance hymn in fact originates from Hawaii. Diversity reigns in Newquay.

Entry We come to share our story

Gloria Peruvian Gloria

Alleluia Plymouth Alleluia


Offertory Lord accept the gifts we offer

Holy Holy Newquay mass (ii)

Mem Accl Lord by Your cross and resurrection

Amen Amen, we lift our hearts

Lamb of God Newquay mass (ii)

Communion Sweet sacrament divine

Tantum ergo

Recessional Follow me, follow me

Ding ding round 2 !

Regular readers of this blog may well remember round 1 of the contest that evolved before mass this weekend. The setting, not quite Maddison Square Garden but pew 3 behind Choirboy's normal seat. In the red corner, our very own Ginja Ninja (choirboy minimus) and in the blue corner the Penbrea Pugulist (choirboy minor). With no Mrs Choirboy to intercede in the normal fraternal Sunday tensions the pugnacious pair let loose a number of body shots that Ricky 'the hitman' Hatton would have been proud of. Not withstanding Choirboy's tension over the music (see blogs passim), blood pressure was in danger of a new record high as it proved difficult to referee this particular contest. With the numbers of punches rising and the beginning of mass approaching, various attempts were made by well meaning onlookers to intercede. However, the terrible twosome were not to be denied their opportunity to heap embarassment onto Choirboy and it was only after he had thrown in his own towel and declared the match a draw that hostilities were halted. With the brooding pair sitting at either end of the pew, it was a brave soul who would have attempted to sit between them.


Meanwhile (#1) - in a far flung corner of the universe (OK - Torquay), Mrs Chorboy was strutting her catechecetical stuff and presenting a major new resource for catechecists - funnily enough to other catechists. This booklet provides resourcses for those catechists and teacher involved in the preparation for First Holy Communion. Choirboy is certain that it requires some wider publicity, so here it is. He does, however, request something of the organisers for next year's conference - please make it on a day other than a Sunday !

Meanwhile (#2) - Deacon Brian taught us the meaning of the phrase 'Ordinary time' and how it was not at all ordinary (and the fact that Choirboy can remember even this small snippet is an achievement for you Brian).

Meanwhile (#3) - Music. With Jimmy out of action (flu and injured shoulder) and Maz supposedly away (but strangely at the back of Church), the surrealness of Choirboy's Sunday was almost complete. We enjoyed a joyous musical celebration of our liturgy ! Phew.....


Entry All people that on earth do dwell

Gloria Gloria !

Alleluia Plymouth Alleluia

Offertory Gifts of bread and wine

Holy Holy Newquay mass (ii)

Mem Accl Lord by Your cross and resurrection

Amen Amen, we lift our hearts

Lamb of God Newquay mass (ii)

Communion Song of a young prophet

Recessional Here I am Lord

Baptism and Limbo - what's the connection ?

Well, on the this Sunday when we remember the Baptism of Our Lord, Father Mark asked us to consider where we had got to with regard to a number of misconceptions surrounding our Catholic faith. OK - time for a little theology: -

Limbo was concocted in the 13th century as a solution to the theological conundrum of what happened to babies who died before they were christened. According to doctrine, they could not go to heaven because their original sin had not been expunged by baptism. Yet they had not harmed anyone, so they scarcely deserved purgatory, let alone hell.
Limbo also proved a useful solution to other problems, such as where to put holy people who lived before Christ and who had no chance of baptism.
Pope John Paul II was deeply troubled by limbo and had it dropped from the church's 1992 catechism. He asked the International Theological Commission, which advises the Vatican, to take up the issue.
When he was still a cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI said he was in favour of dropping the concept and on April 22 2007, the advisory body known as the Commission released a document entitled "The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die without Being Baptized."
The document stated its conclusion as follows:
'Our conclusion is that the many factors that we have considered above give serious theological and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will be saved and enjoy the beatific vision. We emphasize that these are reasons for prayerful hope, rather than grounds for sure knowledge. There is much that simply has not been revealed to us. We live by faith and hope in the God of mercy and love who has been revealed to us in Christ, and the Spirit moves us to pray in constant thankfulness and joy.
What has been revealed to us is that the ordinary way of salvation is by the sacrament of baptism. None of the above considerations should be taken as qualifying the necessity of baptism or justifying delay in administering the sacrament. Rather, as we want to reaffirm in conclusion, they provide strong grounds for hope that God will save infants when we have not been able to do for them what we would have wished to do, namely, to baptize them into the faith and life of the Church. '

Still with me ?

Well that was what Father Mark basically said.....

Musically, we were one organ and one guitar. Where are you guys ? However, we enjoyed a very joyous liturgy culminating in a rousing rendition of 'Give me joy'

Entry: - Meekness and majesty

Gloria: - Gloria !

Alleluia: - Plymouth Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia
Open your ears, open your eyes, open your hearts, to hear God’s word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Offertory: - Blessed be God

Holy Holy: - Newquay mass (ii)

Mem Accl: - Lord by Your cross and resurrection

Amen: - Amen, we lift our hearts

Lamb of God: - Newquay mass (ii)

Communion: - Be still for the presence/Father we adore You

Recessional: - Give me joy in my heart