eChurch Blog

First Reading  Genesis 3:9-15,20

After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’
Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,
‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,
all wild beasts.
You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust
every day of your life.
I will make you enemies of each other:
you and the woman,
your offspring and her offspring.
It will crush your head
and you will strike its heel.’
The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.

Gospel Acclamation  Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia!
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
Blessed art thou among women.
Alleluia!

Gospel  Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

This is the headline of a piece featured in the Daily Mail today:

Church fury over opening of McDonald’s on Christmas Day as Muslim manager is drafted in

Wow, “Church fury”, they must be hopping mad with this.

Here’s how the article begins:

Church leaders have hit out at a branch of McDonald’s which is to open on Christmas Day.

A Muslim branch manager has been drafted in by the fast food outlet to cover for the usual boss who is taking the day off and staff have volunteered to work that day for seven hours.

Well, if “church leaders have hit out” over this move, it must be very serious indeed and the frequently mentioned fact that it is a Muslim being drafted in, must in some way have exacerbated this ‘fury’. Right.

This Daily Mail article is a classic piece of Churnalism.

The original article began life in: This is Derbyshire and opens with this headline:

Turkey or Big Mac? McDonald’s to open for Christmas dinner

Interestingly, the This is Derbyshire piece begins with citing The Dean of Derby, Dr John Davies:

The news has been given a mixed reaction by leaders in the Christian Church.

The Dean of Derby, Dr John Davies, said he had “no argument” with the move.

“Mary, Joseph and the babe were lucky to find an innkeeper who helped them find a place to stay. He provided hospitality for them,” he said.

“Families and friends should come together at Christmas, and if they want to do that in McDonald’s then who are the Church to object?”

Hmm, that’s odd; didn’t sound all that furious to me? No mention of Muslims either.

On the other hand, the Daily Mail kicks off with comments made by the Rvd Wayne Stillwell:

Parish Rvd Wayne Stillwell said the decision to open the branch showed ‘the continuing decline of Christendom in this country’ and his reaction was ‘one of great sadness’.

He added: ‘I’m sad that we’ve got to this point in our society where something that means as much as Christmas seems to mean so little.

‘It shows the continuing decline of Christendom in our country.’

Rev Stillwell, of St Mary’s Church, Chaddesden, said: ‘Some people, who provide essential services, have to work on Christmas Day – but I don’t feel that those employed by a fast-food restaurant should be in the same situation.’

Again, not much in the way of fury; more ‘sad’ than anything else and strangely again no mention of Muslims.

OK, where to start? The first thing to note is that there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of evidence for “Church fury” or “Church leaders hitting out” does there?

Secondly, it’s worth noting that Rev Stillwell, of St Mary’s Church, Chaddesden, appears to be based on the other side of Derby.

To summarise, firstly, there is no “Church fury”; there are no “Church leaders hitting out”. Secondly, the Daily Mail deliberately swapped the order of the original story to emphasise and corroborate their spurious headline. Thirdly, was it necessary for the Daily Mail to twice highlight the fact that the replacement stand-in manager is Muslim; once emblazoned in the headline and then repeated in the second paragraph?

Does this strike anybody else as the Daily Mail twisting this story so as to create the image of furious Christians hitting back at ‘Islamic creep’ underming our beloved Christmas festival.

As I always say: It’s all in the phraseology, we paint pictures and connections in folks minds…..

Or am I reading too much into this?

Oh and by the way, I’m not dreadfully impressed with McDonald’s being open on Christmas Day, but there you.

¹ Anyone who does not know God is simply foolish. Such people look at the good things around them and still fail to see the living God. They have studied the things he made, but they have not recognized the one who made them.² Instead, they suppose that the gods who rule the world are fire or wind or storm or the circling stars or rushing water or the heavenly bodies.³ People were so delighted with the beauty of these things that they thought they must be gods, but they should have realized that these things have a master and that he is much greater than all of them, for he is the creator of beauty, and he created them.⁴ Since people are amazed at the power of these things, and how they behave, they ought to learn from them that their maker is far more powerful.⁵When we realize how vast and beautiful the creation is, we are learning about the Creator at the same time.

⁶ But maybe we are too harsh with these people. After all, they may have really wanted to find God, but couldn’t.⁷ Surrounded by God’s works, they keep on looking at them, until they are finally convinced that because the things they see are so beautiful, they must be gods.⁸ But still, these people really have no excuse.⁹ If they had enough intelligence to speculate about the nature of the universe, why did they never find the Lord of all things?

Wisdom 13 – Good News Translation

Religiosity is set to decline further in Britain while liberal attitudes are expected to increase, the latest British Social Attitudes Report has predicted.

The report by the National Centre for Social Research paints a picture of weak affiliation to the church and Christianity in Britain.

Of the 3,000 Britons surveyed, 50% said they have no religion at all – up 19% from the first report in 1983.

The number of people identifying themselves as Christians has also dropped from 50% in 2008 to 42% today.

There is no change on the last survey in the numbers who affiliate themselves with the Church of England (20%).

Although the Church of England remains the largest grouping among those claiming a faith, it has also seen the most acute decline since 1983, down from 40%.

[.....]

The report predicts that the decline in religiosity in Britain will continue long into the future.

“Britain is becoming less religious, with the numbers who affiliate with a religion or attend religious services experiencing a long-term decline,” it said.

“And this trend seems set to continue; not only as older, more religious generations are replaced by younger, less religious ones, but also as the younger generations increasingly opt not to bring up their children in a religion – a factor shown to strongly link with religious affiliation and attendance later in life.”

It said that as religious affiliation decreases, Britain can expect to see a continued increase in liberal attitudes on social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage and euthanasia “as the influence of considerations grounded in religion declines”.

The report added that there may be an “increased reluctance … for matters of faith to enter the social and public spheres at all”.

It said: “The recently expressed sentiment of the current coalition government to ‘do’ and ‘get’ God therefore may not sit well with, and could alienate, certain sections of the population.”

Read All

ITN have just emailed me to let us know they have just finished running a ‘Nativity Factor’ competition. The aim was to retell the Nativity story in short film format, in the most creative manner possible, within three minutes.

I quite like the sound of this and they have received 70 entries comprising both adults and under 16′s.

The link to the videos is here and you also have the opportunity to vote for your favourite.

Due to my ongoing rubbish Internet connection problems, I’m unable to stream videos at this time of the day and so if you do have a look and find any you think are cool, then link to the YouTube video in the comments, for me to enjoy in the morning, during my very small window of decent Internet connection.

Today we celebrate St Ambrose Bishop and Doctor (Teacher) of the Church.

A letter from St Ambrose (339-347AD)

You win the people over with the grace of your words

The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church’s foundation is unshakeable and firm against the assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbour of salvation for all in distress. Although the Church is tossed about on the sea, it rides easily on rivers, especially those rivers that Scripture speaks of: The rivers have lifted up their voice. These are the rivers flowing from the heart of the man who is given drink by Christ and who receives from the Spirit of God. When these rivers overflow with the grace of the Spirit, they lift up their voice.You have entered upon the office of bishop. Sitting at the helm of the Church, you pilot the ship against the waves. Take firm hold of the rudder of faith so that the severe storms of this world cannot disturb you. The sea is mighty and vast, but do not be afraid, for as Scripture says: he has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.

There is also a stream which flows down on God’s saints like a torrent. There is also a rushing river giving joy to the heart that is at peace and makes for peace. Whoever has received from the fullness of this river, like John the Evangelist, like Peter and Paul, lifts up his voice. Just as the apostles lifted up their voices and preached the Gospel throughout the world, so those who drink these waters begin to preach the good news of the Lord Jesus.

Drink, then, from Christ, so that your voice may also be heard. Store up in your mind the water that is Christ, the water that praises the Lord. Store up water from many sources, the water that rains down from the clouds of prophecy.

Whoever gathers water from the mountains and leads it to himself or draws it from springs, is himself a source of dew like the clouds. Fill your soul, then, with this water, so that your land may not be dry, but watered by your own springs.

He who reads much and understands much, receives his fill. He who is full, refreshes others. So Scripture says: If the clouds are full, they will pour rain upon the earth.

Therefore, let your words be rivers, clean and limpid, so that in your exhortations you may charm the ears of your people. And by the grace of your words win them over to follow your leadership. Let your sermons be full of understanding. Solomon says: The weapons of the understanding are the lips of the wise; and in another place he says:Let your lips be bound with wisdom. That is, let the meaning of your words shine forth, let understanding blaze out. See that your addresses and expositions do not need to invoke the authority of others, but let your words be their own defence. Let no word escape your lips in vain or be uttered without depth of meaning.

Responsory

Proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it; refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience, but do all with the patience that the work of teaching requires.

Who else can boast such deeds as yours, who anointed kings for repentance? But do all with the patience that the work of teaching requires.

Let us pray

Lord God, you made Saint Ambrose a teacher of the Catholic faith and a pattern of apostolic fortitude.

Raise up in the church today men after your own heart to lead your people with wisdom and strength.

[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.

Amen+

Source: The Divine Office of Readings

First Reading Isaiah 40:25-31

‘To whom could you liken me
and who could be my equal?’ says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look.
Who made these stars
if not he who drills them like an army,
calling each one by name?
So mighty is his power, so great his strength,
that not one fails to answer.
How can you say, Jacob,
how can you insist, Israel,
‘My destiny is hidden from the Lord,
my rights are ignored by my God’?
Did you not know?
Had you not heard?
The Lord is an everlasting God,
he created the boundaries of the earth.
He does not grow tired or weary,
his understanding is beyond fathoming.
He gives strength to the wearied,
he strengthens the powerless.
Young men may grow tired and weary,
youths may stumble,
but those who hope in the Lord renew their strength,
they put out wings like eagles.
They run and do not grow weary,
walk and never tire.

Gospel Acclamation  

 Alleluia, alleluia!
Behold, our Lord will come with power
and will enlighten the eyes of his servants.
Alleluia!

Gospel  Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus exclaimed, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

As we continue to prepare here’s the link back to the Jesuit pointers for prayer reading.

First Reading Isaiah 40:1-11

Gospel Acclamation

Gospel Matthew 18:12-14

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Tell me. Suppose a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays; will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go in search of the stray? I tell you solemnly, if he finds it, it gives him more joy than do the ninety-nine that did not stray at all. Similarly, it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.’

A Prayer of Consolation

A few links I found interesting for one reason or another:

Thirsty Gargoyle: L’esprit de l’escalier: Third Thoughts on Redefining Marriage

Daydreamer: The truth about depression

Church Mag: The 5 best toys of all time

Countercultural Father: Mass on Saturday Evening or Sunday Morning?

The Atlantic: Is Iran already under attack?

BioLogos: The miracle of light

The Orthodox Church Blog: Will this be the first time the world sees the Ark of Covenant? Leaking roof in Ethiopian chapel ‘will lead to relic being revealed’

The Telegraph: David Icke – would you believe it?

As we head on into the week, and preparing to make straight our paths, take a few moments of quiet to help sanctify the day and ourselves with the Jesuit method of prayer reading of Scripture.

First Reading Isaiah 35:1-10

Gospel Acclamation Luke 3:4,6

Gospel Luke 5:17-28

Jesus was teaching one day, and among the audience there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the Power of the Lord was behind his works of healing. Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man talking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven you” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralysed man – ‘I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.’ And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.