Advent to Easter

If you cannot go to Midnight Mass tonight listen on BBC Radio 4 at 11.30pm. The live broadcast is from St George’s Cathedral in Southwark, the Roman Catholic cathedral opposite the Imperial War Museum. The entire church was a glorious Pugin building until bombed during the Second World War. The celebrant and preacher is the […]

Yesterday we imagined Mary and Joseph setting out from Nazareth to reach Bethlehem. Today we think about Mary’s pregnancy due to an old custom of recalling the Annunciation on 18 December. This began with the Mozarabic Rite in Toledo and the tradition remains in Spain where they speak of Our Lady of the O as […]

Today is another Advent staging post. It’s just over a week to go before Christmas and if Mary and Joseph are to be in Bethlehem they will need to have started their 90 mile journey from Nazareth. By tradition they set out about now and are accompanied by the singing of the O Antiphons at […]

One reason for the BBC being accused of ignoring religion is that its often very good programmes are hidden. Britain’s Christmas Story is a good example. Part one was shown yesterday morning. Even the Sunday morning political shows have small audiences. When Robert Peston switched his Sunday morning show to the evening viewing figures shot […]

In Sweden this morning a young girl representing St Lucy wearing her crown of candles will make an early morning appearance in many homes and schools. There will also be Lucia processions in many darkened churches tonight. Lucy wore candles on her head to light the way and leave her hands free to assist persecuted […]

The Feast of Our Lady of Loreto 10 December now appears in the universal calendar. The announcement by Pope Francis was made last month with the view that it may help us during Advent to think about the Annunciation. The feast marks the day in 1294 that the Holy House from Nazareth arrived at Loreto […]

Is the feast of the Immaculate Conception on its usual date 8 December or Monday 9 December? It depends where you are. In England and Wales it is being observed just for this year on 9 December to allow us to keep the Second Sunday of Advent without distraction. But in Rome the Pope is […]

Haydn’s St Nicholas Mass will be the setting on Friday 6 December for the St Nicholas Day Solemn Mass at St Matthew’s Westminster.  The Mass, starting at 6.30pm, will be attended by members of the St Nicholas Society. Bishop Stephen Venner will preside and Tim Livesely of Embrace the Middle East charity, will speak. It is […]

Scotland is keeping its patronal festival this Saturday 30 November with much noise. But St Andrew is the also patron of Amalfi, Barbados, Greece, Russia, the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul and fishermen. Amalfi holds Andrew’s main relics whilst his head is in Patras where there is a long outdoor procession today. Look on Amalfi Cathedral […]

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