I apologise for a repeat picture of the Clergy House crib, there should have been pictures of the Epiphany Mass last Sunday, alas the liturgical photographer left the camera in church and it seems a casual visitor in search of spiritual solace has taken it, as they often take the rosaries we leave out at Our Lady's shrine. They feel, no doubt, that the generosity of God knows no bounds. Pictures will resume when the parish camera has the correct battery.

I have been about the daily round and common task, hospital visiting at the Royal London, assembly in school, giving direction with two people. I have reserved much of tomorrow for essential and over due Thesis work. Today the vive Jesu et Maria group meet for the first time this year. The December bank statements have come and the parish survived the year in the black having paid in full our share to the common fund and met all our bills. Thus we start the year in good heart, unless the church boiler fails!

The Epiphany Crib in the hall of the Clergy House: S. Peter's London Docks
Eve of the Epiphany 2010

The Solemnity of the Mother of God was spent, after Mass, in the making of Mass booklets for Sunday, the printing of sheets to enable people to mark their homes with Epiphany chalk and looking at the proclamation of Easter (will I dare to sing it?).

The faithful few were at Mass this morning for the memoria of Ss Basil and Gregory. I have occupied myself reading Judith Herrin's very accessible general account "Byzantium, The surprising life of a Medieval Empire", which came for Christmas. Thence to Church to turn on the heating, which has had a mystical life of its own since early Christmas Eve and may warm the Church for Mass tomorrow, or not. I have re-set the Cribs into their third and final forms, (Shepherds Crib, Holy Family Crib, Epiphany Crib) and covered the broken base of the standing Magi in church with festive evergreen, he must be repaired this year.

Although I returned to duty yesterday there is a strong emotion that everything starts once more with the Masses of the morrow. What an interesting decade awaits us, did the Archbishop mean us to understand the Millennium goals as his major concern in his New Year message, much as I am tempted to a conspiracy theory answer, I think not, he set them in a firm context of orthodox incarnational theology, which is, for Catholic Christians where they belong. Will the Anglican communion dissolve into national churches, will the battered C of E reject an essential of its ecology, will the Anglican Ordinariates happen (who will raise the funds) will I retire early to Hempton, will the new Dr. Who be any good, can anything survive the end of Gavin and Stacey, such puzzles!

The Epiphany Crib, S. Peter's London Docks:\
Eve of the Epiphany 2010

There are of course many good things, the GSS Epiphany festival at Holy Trinity Hoxton next Saturday (Mass at 12 noon), Tickets booked later in the month for 'Opera in a pub' La Boheme in the Cock Tavern Kilburn later in the month, my retreat booked for the first week in May, for all this, and more, please visit the blog when you are in the humour

Sorry about the old picture of a May Shrine at S. Peter's, as I come to the end of my post-Christmas break it is the best I have to offer for the Solemnity of the morrow. As I type in the kitchen, a DVD of Harry Potter and the Chaber of secrets on the TV, my Churchwarden, Miss Chilton is ringing the Angelus. I have only been up to Norfolk for a few hours, weather forecasts indicated a risk of more snow around Hempton and Walsingham and I, much though I love North Norfolk, had no desire to be snowed in just as I was due to come back on duty. Thus I drove up on Monday and made sure the heating was coming on in the early hours, to prevent frozen pipes and returned to London in the late afternoon. The remainder of my break has been spent in London. There has been the compensation of opera on my ipod (Netrebko in Traviata this morning) and the eating up of Christmas food.
I love the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, but Miss Chilton, see above, mourns the loss of the old feast of the circumcision, it was, she notes, the first shedding of our Saviour's blood in the narrative of redemption, blood shed for us, thus she contends an act of foolish vandelism to abolish it. She has a good point.
Normal blogging will now resume, a very Happy and Holy New Year to all Peterite Blog readers, may the reign of Christ as King be accomplished in our hearts and His world.

of Christmas Day

A moment from the Solemn Mass of Christmas day, Fr Martin SSF the celebrant. We had the best ever recorded numbers for our early evening Nativity/Christingle service, Midnight Mass was well up on last year. Both the result, we think, of the 800 ACS printed cards distributed around the parish, The Dawn Mass was sparse, but, in spite of the lack of sleep (bed at 2am after Midnight Mass and the alarm at 5.50am) I always enjoy offering Mass at Christmas Dawn.
We were lucky in our organist at midnight Mass, Cherry Pauls, who plays at Ealing Abbey played for us, a really lovely lady who plays like an Angel, and may even be one.
The usual suspects, Self, Father Martin,Colin,Matthew, Joe, Charlie and Sam. We had full serving teams, including torch boys at Midnight and 10am. I hear, via the telephonic device, good reports on numbers from the Fulham Jurisdiction parish of S. Luke's Shepherds Bush.
Today is, the main liturgy over, a quiet day, just Anny and I (she bought me DVD's of Boheme and Cosi, rich feasting). Tomorrow the family gathers, Fr Robin, Marina, Tim, Christine, Miss Hannah Jones and Fr John Caster (S. Mary's Eversholt St.) join us for a celebration of the festa of the patron of an Oxford Seminary.The Parish Priest of S. Peter's London Docks wishes you a Happy and Holy Christmas as he looks forward to feast with Bolly, Boef en Croute, Haut-Tayac and Anny's home made Christmas pudding.

The cast of the S. Peter's Sunday school Nativity play, which with a Christingle section was the early evening Christmas Eve service at 4pm. Loretta and Sarah had rehearsed the children well and there was, the end, a significant 'aaaaaaaaarh' factor, this was followed my the chewing of Haribo's fruit jellies from the Christingles.

We had a difficult day, with the boiler overheating, a gushing radiator and such, however the Christmas team turned up, the trees were decorated, the Crib set up, banners put out, frontals and Tabernacle veils changed and vestments laid up. Midnight Mass begins at 11.30pm

The 2009 crib awaits the Bambino at the end of Mass during the night.
Photographs of midnight Mass and Mass of the day will follow,

A very happy and Holy Christmas to all who follow the Peterite Blog.

of the Sacred made real

This is, I fear, a very London centered post and the recommendation I proffer will be difficult for readers in Doncaster, Dallas, or Devon, but make it I must.

This afternoon I went to the National Gallery (Sainsbury wing) to see the Sacred made real exhibition, I cannot commend it with sufficient praise. It is truly splendid. The works on show reflect the passionate Catholicism of Counter-Reformation Spain and demonstrate the glory of art at the service of faith. Above is a picture of S. Mary Magdalen meditating on the Crucifixion, Pedro de Mena 1664, a breathtaking and timeless representation of the converted faith of the penitent saint.

A few moments into the galleries I had a period of severe doubt, was I, I pondered seeing the faith reduced to artifact, was the experience like that of visiting the Pitt-Rivers in Oxford thirty five years ago, a view of lost custom and religion. That doubt was overcome by the impact of the works and destroyed by the amazing book and post card section at the end, on sale there were, without and post-modern irony were the living artifacts of Catholic faith, rosaries, books on Christian art, a book of prayers. The NG offering a sensitive proclamation of the exhibits as living tradition. Press reviews have noted a previously unknown phenomena, people kneeling in prayer before items in a gallery; and with good reason, this is art that drives you to your knees.

Thus, if you live in Doncaster or Devon, and perhaps even Dallas, this unique showing is worth the trip.

At about traditional tea-time last afternoon a brother priest came, through the bitter cold, to make his pre-Christmas confession. We went into Church to find the crossing full of small costumed children concentrating on the delivery of their lines. It says much for the spirit of S. Peter's today that the nativity play rehearsal for the performance on Christmas Eve at 4pm was going ahead calmly and efficiently without the Parish Priest needing to be involved, I had completely forgotten that it was happening!

I spoke to a few of the children and Loretta, our Sunday School leader and the said "I'm just going to hear Father's confession". The brother priest and I retired to the confessional, and that was that, no further attention from the nativity throng, no peering over, no whispers, just on with the task of rehearsal. The life of the Church in late December, the Nativity being re-represented, Father hearing a confession, just the normal and everyday and unexceptional.

Today, much of the preparation work complete, lunch out and then, I hope, a visit to the Sacred made real exhibition at the National Gallery.

of flowers and music

This is part of the frontage of Flowers @ 103, the flower shop in Wapping Lane. They are a splendid source of help to S. Peter's London Docks, constructing the back-ground to the altar of repose on Maundy Thursday, putting together the new crib base and providing and erecting Christmas trees at the last moment. As a Christmas purist I allow no trees in the church until the late morning of Christmas eve.

The artistic director and senior bottle-washer is Ali ( her husband Steve, at this time recovering from arterial surgery, can also put together a mean bunch of flowers). They have a daughter in the parish school, of which they strongly approve, and all will be in Church for the children's Nativity service and Chrstingle at 4pm on Christmas Eve.

We are lucky with flowers here in Wapping, Ali and Steve are friends to the Church, and have been known to provide all needed for a May Shrine at a few moments notice. Further our Churchwarden Michelle is by training and trade a florist. She has 'done' the flowers for many City, Livery, and Royal events. Thus her arrangements have a sumptuous presence. We do not have flowers all the time, our impecunious and credit squeeze status prevent this, but when we do have flowers, we have them, as we said in the 50s, de luxe.

We had a good turn out for our evening of Advent music and readings, the Schola Musica sang their pieces, two members of S. Peter's who are musicians by trade (Angela-violin, husband Paul-composer/piano) played and all then gathered in the Father Foizey room for mulled wine and mince pies. There were a number of people who are not regular ( or for that matter, even occasional) at S.Peter's. One of the latter, to my delight, commented on the 'rich austerity' of the advent music, which, they said, 'made the nearness of Christmas the more tantalising'. Job done! A very satisfactory collection was made for Help for Heroes, helping our wounded armed forces personnel.