Footie Update !

The Godzdogz v Catholic Chaplaincy 'Oxford Derby' is being played tomorrow (Saturday 13th February) at 11:30 am at the Trinity College Sports Ground on Marston Road !

Bl. Reginald of Orleans

Today is the Feast of Bl. Reginald of Orleans, one of the early disciples of S. Dominic.

His particular claim to remembrance is that he joined the Order of Preachers after Our Lady not only appeared to him in a vision and told him to do so, but also showed him a black-and-white habit, and told him that this was what the members of the Order were to wear henceforward . . . as they have done ever since !

This statue of Bl. Reginald from Calaruega in Spain is splendidly photographed by fr Lawrence Lew OP, whose flickr pages are always well worth a visit.

Odds & Ends

A few little things in the middle of the day . . .

Fr John Boyle over at Caritas in Veritate has an interesting post about an Early Day Motion being proposed by MP Ann Winterton about the BBC's alleged pro-euthanasia bias.

Godzdogz has a charming article about fr Vincent Cook, OP, a great stalwart of the community at Blackfriars, Oxford - and over sixty years in Religion !

Finally, although the venue is yet to be confirmed, I am told that the Godzdogz football match on Saturday is at 11:30 am.

Not a jot or tittle . . .

OK : I know that we're actually not talking about text, so the title is slightly misleading; but I was involved in a conversation with a group of very devout people over the weekend, at which the question of Holy Communion was discussed - hand, or tongue ?

Well, Fr Allan Macdonald over at 'Southern Orders' has put up an excellent post on the topic, particularly with reference to the reverence due to the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, which I mightily recommend : and bear in mind that he is coming up to thirty years a priest, so has some knowledge of that of which he speaks !

Diary Date - This Saturday !

Although I don't yet know the time and place, this is just to let you know - in case you don't already - that the Dominican Students of Blackfriars, Oxford, are playing football against the Oxford University Catholic Society on Saturday.

I'll post more information as soon as I get it, but hope to see a good turnout supporting Godzdogz !

Snow on the Ground

Snow . . . love it or hate it, but you can't ignore it.

This splendid photo of the bicycle rack outside the Ashmolean was taken by fr Lawrence Lew OP during the recent heavy snow; and as you can see, it made Oxford look really quite delightful . . . for a while.

The problem with snow is that, whilst it covers things up and looks lovely to start with, it rapidly gets marked, and dirty, and horrible - doesn't it ? Of course, seen from a distance it looks wonderful for quite a while; but when you get close, you can see the dirt, and the grime - even, in some places, the dirt it has collected falling through the atmosphere !

Our souls are like that.

Seen from a distance, they don't look so bad. People we meet in public probably think we're quite decent, really. Our friends, of course, know us a bit better, and see some of the grubbiness . . . some of the footmarks; but it's still not too bad.

Our families, the people we live with, see us closest of all; and they see every footstep in the snow . . . even the birds' tiny delicate little footmarks . . . they see every little bit of grime and dirt.

But God : God sees through it all - He doesn't just see the grubby, messy, untidy snow on top - He sees the REAL world underneath the snow - the rubbish in the gutter, the dog mess on the pavements, the vomit from last night's drunk . . .

Lent is our chance to tidy up the city of our Soul; to give it all a 'spring clean' before Easter, so that, when the snow melts, what is exposed is that bright, shining, City of which S. John spoke in the Apocalypse.

As we get closer to Lent, let us start to prepare for it, to make it well, so that it may be for us an occasion of Grace, and a time for true conversion : a Blessing which I wish you all.

Ronneee . . !

I learn from Fr Mildew that a new Biography of Mgr Ronald Knox has just been published by Gracewing.

Titled 'Ronald Knox and English Catholicism', it is written by Fr Terry Tastard of the Archdiocese of Westminster, published by Gracewing, and priced at £12.99.

If you want a copy without broken bones, you would be wise not to get in front of me in the queue !

I admit to a great penchant for Knoxiana; and I am quite clear that he is one of the three people - the other two of whom remain alive - to whom, under God, I owe my conversion. Somewhat surprisngly, even the time it took me actually helped me, because it allowed me to recognize within myself some of the truths which he found and discussed in 'A Spritual Aeneid', but which don't come to everyone at the same stage of life . . . but once they do, they are (in my experience, at least) irresistible.

I make an annual Pilgrimage to Mells, to visit his grave, usually as close to his Anniversary as possible; and it is amazing what a wide variety of people I have, over the years, met there. The fascinating thing, though, is that although many of them have heard of him, few of them seem to know much about him beyond his having been a good and holy man and scholar . . . strange, but at the same time rather touching.

A former Parish Priest of mine was present at Ronnie's farewell 'performance' at Oxford : the Romanes Lecture, given in the Sheldonian, 'On English Translation'. He said that when Ronnie - who was already dying - read what he said was one of the greatest of all English translations - Cory's 'They told me, Heraclitus . . .' - there wasn't a dry eye in the Theatre.

I can well believe it : for fifty years, almost exactly, he had entertained, instructed, and above all entranced Oxford; and now he was going away, leaving it with nothing but memories : 'for Death he taketh all away; but them he cannot take.'

I doubt that he will ever have a Cause opened; but I am very far from certain that he does not deserve one. Requiescat in Pace.