OH HAPPY FLOWERS

O happy Flowers! O happy Flowers!

How quietly for hours and hours,

In dead of night in cheerful day,

Close to my own dear Lord you stay,

Until you gently fade away.

O happy Flowers! what would I give

In your sweet place all day to live,

And then to die, my service o'er,

Softly as you do, at His door.

O happy Lights! O happy Lights!

Watching my Jesus livelong nights,

How close you cluster round His throne,

Dying so meekly one by one,

As each its faithful watch has done.

Could I with you but take my turn,

And burn with love of Him, and burn

Till love had wasted me, like you,

Sweet Lights! what better could I do?

O happy Pyx, O happy Pyx!

Where Jesus doth his dwelling fix.

O little palace! dear and bright,

Where He, who is the world's true light,

Spends all the day, and stays all night!

Ah! if my heart could only be

A little home for Him like thee,

Such fires my happy sould would move,

I could not help but die of love!

O Pyx and Lights and Flowers! but I

Through envy of you will not die;

Nay, happy things! what will you do,

Since I am better off than you,

The whole day long, the whole night through?

For Jesus gives himself to me

So sweetly and so utterly,

By rights long since I should have died

For love of Jesus Crucified.

My happy Soul! My happy Soul!

How shall I then my love control?

O sweet Communion! Feast of bliss!

When the dear Host my tongue doth kiss,

What happiness is like to this?

Oh Heaven, I think must be alway

Quite like a First Communion Day,

With love so sweet and joy so strange, -

Only that Heaven will never change!



MANY THANKS

Many thanks to all the staff of our schools: St Joseph's, St Marie's and Bury Catholic Prep for all their hard work in preparing for our celebrations of Confirmation.  Without your help and unfailing support throughout the year these celebrations would not be possible.

My thanks also to the parents of the children who play their part in bringing their children to the faith.  They cannot do it on their own.  They need your help and support not just in bringing them to the Sacrament of Confirmation but as they grow into responsible adults in our world.

In the (nearly fourteen) years that I have been a priest this years celebrations of Confirmation have been the best that I have had the priviledge of presiding over.  God bless you all and keep you in His gentle care.

your devoted Parish Priest

COME HOLY GHOST

Recently we celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with our Year 3 children from both our primary schools. Do please keep the children in your prayers as they contine thir journey of faith.  They will make their First Holy Communion in a few weeks time. 

Here are a few pictures taken during our celebrations.

LONG HAVE I WAITED HERE

A final picture of the newly moved Tabernacle in preparaton for the placing the Blessed Sacrament in it tomorrow at Mass.

SANCTUARY LAMP 2

Once the correct height had been sorted out the scaffold could be dismantled and the lamp revealed in all its glory.

SANCTUARY LAMP

Once the scaffold had been erected the work of hanging the lamp could begin.  Firstly a length of steel chain was added to the original fixings in the beam. (The Sanctuary Lamp orginally hung from this beam before the 're-orderings of previous genrations).

Having got the steel chain in place the lamp could then be hung from it.  The balance weight incorporated into the lamp allows the lamp to be easily lowered and highered .

Once the lamp was hung we discovered a slight problem.  The length of the steel chain was too long and caused the lamp to hang too low odscuring the view of the altar. 

We then spent the next few hours or so making sure the chain was at the right length so that the lamp can be seen, but at the same time did not obscure the view of the altar and could be lowered to a convenient level for changing the candle.

WHERE THE WHITE LIGHT FLICKERS

The title of this post was inspired by a poem of the late Sir John Betjemen entitled 'A Lincolnshire Church'

And there on the South aisle altar

Is the tabernacle of God.

There where the white light flickers

By the white and silver veil,

A wafer dipped in a wine-drop

Is the Presence the angels hail,

Is God who created the Heavens

And the wide green marsh as well

Who sings in the sky with the skylark

Who calls in the evening bell.

Yesterday work began on hanging the Sanctuary Lamp to indicate and honour the 'Presence that the Angels hail'.  The first stage was to erect a scaffold.  I am indebited to the skill of Hayes and Finch for this and to the nerves of steel of the men who climbed the tower.