Lent...fasting?? alms giving??

Dear Reader(s) (i thought i'd start this post differently, don't worry i'm not adopting a preachy style!)

Is saying 'happy lent' a sort of oxymoron? Should we as Christians see this as a joyful time? I think the answer is, Yes. What are we waiting for? Essentially we're waiting for the anniversary of our Salvation.

I think this is a beautiful thought. Advent - we are in waiting of the arrival of the Lord. Lent - we are in waiting for the anniversary of our Salvation, or atleast the moment Salvation was attainable.

I shall end that there before i get caught up in my own words and probably utter a heresy.

I have had a wonderful day, and mass was beautiful. The Church was full to capacity. It was a beautiful sight!

I promise i will update this blog more from now on. Actually one of my Lenten promises is to update the blog more.

Parents...

I always knew it was going to be hard for me with atheist/agnostic parents and siblings, but today was just plain ignorance on my parents part!

Mum: "I always thought he was a fascist. The sooner he goes the better!"
Me: "Who?"
Mum: "Benedict" *she then held up a copy of The Week in which was a picture of Bishop Williamson and said "readmitting an anti-Semite, who does he think he is?"

I was naturally quite dumb struck by this. First, that my mother, who, for as long as i can remember has been sceptical of the British press, believing something she reads, and secondly, accusing the Pope of doing this on purpose.

For some unknown reason her and my father believed Williamson and the others had been excommunicated in '88 because of their views on the holocaust. When i pointed out that it is only Williamson who has publicly stated such views, and they were excommunicated for a totally different reason. They both refused to listen. My father going into a long tirada of how "SSPX is a well known traditional [therefore far-right] group, and by readmitting them the Pope has affiliated himself with far-right ideologies". I really don't understand my parents logic. Even when i tried to say they hadn't been readmitted [yet] they only had the excommunications lifted they went on about how it's all the same with my "made up" religion.

Still she would have none of it, and i left the room after trying to argue my point, only to be jeered.

Please pray for my parents.

Gail Marie James - lapsed Catholic
Ian Malcolm James - lapsed Methodist

and also keep up those prayers for our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, he is surely in most need of them right now.

Atheist bus slogan...

As i'm sure many of you know, Atheists have has 'slogans' put on the side of Londons buses. Some internet wizkid designed this website ... so shamelessly copying my blogging-brethren, Paulinus, Fr Tim and Fr Ray, i decided to make my own...

What do we think? "there is a God: So bow down and worship Him. HEATHENS"