Marylebone Ordinariate Group: Interactive Exchange

Thursday 6 October 2011

Interactive Exchange

Never let it be said that this blog doesn't interact with its readers. Yesterday's blogpost Processions and Banners seemed to hit the right note with many of you, who must have forwarded the link on to friends, for which many thanks. That blogpost has raced up the popularity charts and is already the third most read blogpost on our blog. Given that some posts have been up for almost a month and this one has been up for 24 hours as of now, that is quite impressive.

Please continue in your sterling work of publicising the existence of this blog, and do remind your friends that they can be alerted to new blogposts through our Facebook group.

To expand on the point about Anglican Patrimony and banners, here is a photo taken at St Mary's Bourne Street just under a year ago, when the new Vicar was installed by the Bishop of London. You will see that the banner cupboard has been well and truly emptied, and all banners have been brought into use. Four are being carried in procession, two more are hung on pillars around the church.

Once Ordinariate groups have been shopping for banners, perhaps this will be one way in which we can contribute some Anglican Patrimony.

Another example of interaction with our readers is that the blogpost on the Universal Church, which mentioned St Francis of Assisi and referred to the newly built replica of the Porziuncola that has been built in San Francisco has inspired a friend of the Marylebone Ordinariate Group, currently visiting San Francisco on business, to make a visit to the National Shrine of St Francis. He has sent us this photo, and comments that the National Shrine is definitely worth a visit, and houses a relic of St Anthony of Padua as well as the marvellous Porziuncola.

Another feature of this blog that we understand appeals to our readers is that many posts are accompanied by a link to some carefully selected music. Today, when we commemorate St Bruno of Cologne, the founder of the Carthusian order, the music is Os Justi Meditabitur Sapientiam by Anton Bruckner. The text is taken from the introit set for Mass today.

St Bruno, pray for us.

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Blessed John Henry Newman on the hope for Reunion

… I gather up and bear in memory those familiar affectionate companions and counsellors, who in Oxford were given to me, one after another, to be my daily solace and relief; and all those others, of great name and high example, who were my thorough friends, and showed me true attachment in times long past….

And I earnestly pray for this whole company, with a hope against hope, that all of us, who once were so united, and so happy in our union, may even now be brought at length, by the Power of the Divine Will, into One Fold and under One Shepherd.

Apologia pro Vita Sua

Blessed John Henry Newman's Prayer for Unity

O Lord Jesus Christ, who when Thou wast about to suffer didst pray for Thy disciples to the end of time that they might all be one, as Thou art in the Father and the Father in Thee, look down in pity on the manifold divisions among those who profess Thy faith and heal the many wounds which the pride of man and the craft of Satan have inflicted on Thy people.

Break down the walls of separation which divide one party and denomination of Christians from another. Look with compassion on the souls who have been born in one or other of these communions, which not Thou, but man, hath made.

Set free the prisoners from these unauthorised forms of worship, and bring them all to the one communion which Thou didst set up at the beginning – the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Teach all men that the See of Peter, the Holy Church of Rome, is the foundation, centre, and instrument of Unity. Open their hearts to the long forgotten truth that the Holy Father, the Pope, is Thy Vicar and representative; and that in obeying him in matters of religion they are obeying Thee, so that as there is but one company in heaven above, so likewise there may be one communion, confessing and glorifying Thy holy Name, here below. Amen

Fr Ignatius Harrison, the former Provost of the London Oratory, on Unity

Another of the Holy Father’s outstanding achievements is his inspiring work for Christian Unity in setting-up the Ordinariates for former Anglicans. What a brilliant way of cutting through the plethora of mealy-mouthed verbiage and foggy thinking that has characterized so much ecumenical activity in recent decades, verbiage and fogginess which may indeed have had the very best of intentions, but which nevertheless achieved so little in real terms.

Let us also pray with all our heart and mind and strength that our vitally important ecumenical journey with our Greek and Russian Orthodox brethren will continue apace, that our charitable and respectful dialogue with them will bear much fruit, so that the universal Church might once again breathe with two whole lungs, and so that soon there may be but one flock and one shepherd. Domine, ut sit!

Thursday 6 October 2011

Interactive Exchange

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