Did Our Lord ever laugh?

Of course, He did. He was human as well as divine and laughter must have been commonplace at the carpenter's bench.

But we seldom see images of Christ laughing, or even smiling for that matter.

Would it be regarded as frivolous for the maker of the world, the Supreme Spirit, to be observed laughing?

Well, yes, in a sense, it would. God the Son offered up His life for us all and suffered both mentally and physically in a most horrendous fashion; that is not a matter for congeniality.

But, as a child, back in Nazareth, Our Blessed Lord must have laughed alongside his holy father at the workbench and, sitting round the table, surely He would have gently laughed with His Blessed Mother?

Well - He did, of course, and here is the image that proves the point:

This statue of Madonna and Child is copied from a statuette by the famous Florentine sculptor, Antonio Gamberelli Rossellino.

It is known as ‘The Virgin with Laughing Child’ and the original was made circa 1465.

This statue now rests in a side chapel at the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell in North Wales.

If you look closely you will see that the infant Christ is not merely smiling; He is laughing, as any child of six or eight months of age might do.

Sometimes we tend to forget the human element of Our Blessed Lord, the fact that He suffered the same problems that children do today. A scraped knee, a splinter in the hand (prophetic indeed) or a speck of dirt in His eye.

And who, with worldly cares, would not be ecstatic to be held in the arms of the Mother of us all?

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae:
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules, filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, Advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis, post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens: O pia: O dulcis
Virgo Maria.

Holywell - a step closer to heaven

    The Shrine of St Winefride - Virgin and Martyr

Last Sunday's pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Winefride in North Wales was, as well as being a spiritual journey in the manner of all good pilgrimages, a profound and uplifting experience.

Organised by the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales it attracted an estimated 400 people whom, as well as attending to their duties as pilgrims also wished to attend the Pontifical High Mass offered by 62 year old Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan, Apostolic Administrator of the Personal Apostolic Administration of St Jean Marie Vianney, from Campos, Brazil.                                                                                      
An interesting choice of celebrant as Bishop Rifan was, at one time, "separated" from Holy Mother Church and aligned with the SSPX. He and his Diocese returned to the fold (some might say that he had never left it) in or around the year 2004 and he was then subjected to cries of "traitor" from Bishop Fellay and others within the Society.
The Bishop remains a controversial figure as far as traditionalists are concerned but, after witnessing his devout manner and mellifluous voice and hearing his beautifully articulated sermon, there could be few who would doubt his loyalty to Rome and to tradition.

A great and holy man - Bishop Rifan

In a packed church and on a sanctuary jam packed with Canons, Monsignors, Priests and altar servers, the Mass began.
The Manchester Mozart Schola sang Wolfgang's Coronation Mass and it was rich and beautiful to the extreme; indeed, so much so that it actually became a distraction from the all important proceedings. But a magnificent distraction for all of that.

Mrs Linen and 3 of our group 

In his Sermon, the Bishop uttered the immortal words: "It is not our Mass it is the Lord's Mass" Another way of saying "Don't mess with this it is not within your remit". I am sure the LMS will be publishing the full text so I will not attempt to recall the full homily, suffice to say that it was brief and to the point; two essentials for a sermon that few observe.

The mini bus carrying the bulk (13 of us all told) of the Confraternity of the Holy Cross from Menevia Diocese made an arduous journey from the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan to the Shrine of St Winefride in Holywell. From the West of Wales to the North.

To those unfamiliar with the geography of Wales let me say that it is not a great distance; maybe 130 or possibly, 140 miles. But the route or routes are winding and up hill and down dale and it took us the best part of 6 hours including a break for a most unhealthy intake of junk food.

Destined for greater glory - 2 deacons and 1 seminarian. Ranaldo
from Brazil and Francisco and Gustavo from Mexico

Some five or six other members of the Confraternity travelled independently so our numbers rose to just about 5% of the assembly.

After Mass we processed from the church down the hill towards the medieval holy well and the actual shrine. As we went we recited the Rosary and crammed (those of us in the forefront) into the well house where the shrine is located.

The Rosary procession to the Shrine

There, beneath the shrine we were able to sing a  hymn to St Winefride (a somewhat modern one I believe but none the worse for that) and individually venerate the relic of the holy saint.

And what pilgrimage would be
complete without  white doves?

Then, as we filed past after the veneration we were able to kneel and kiss His Lordship's ring, an act designed to cause any modernist to have an attack of the vapours.

Bishop Rifan chatting to Joe Shaw of the LMS

Some observations on the day: it was well organised by the LMS and full credit to them. It would have been good if the Mass pamphlet that was issued had carried details of the schola and some attention to proof reading would have been worthwhile, especially as "God" was misspelt. But these are niggles viewed within the full framework of the day.

All in all there cannot have been many (or any) who wound their weary way home without feeling that they had taken part in one of the Church's great events and were one step closer to heaven as a result.

I remembered all of you collectively in my prayers and intentions and, as many as my shrinking brain would allow, I remembered by name.

And thank you to Brian of Umblepie blog for the words and music to a slightly more traditional version of a hymn to St Winefride; it would be good to restore it to the hymn sheets for future pilgrimages. When I learn how to save and copy it I will reproduce it.

Afterwards, pilgrims flocked to the healing waters
of the holy well

Sacred and ancient - the Lourdes of Wales

Yup, the Confraternity of the Holy Cross (some 10 or 12 of us)  is off, on Sunday, to Holywell to join the LMS annual Pilgrimage.

This holy place is also called the Lourdes of Wales and I hope to be able to dip my toe in the water (no time for a full Lourdes type plunge, I'm afraid - Deo gratias).

I shall pray for you all here, especially Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma members and Charlie J.

An English chapel and a bottle of water from Wales

Today, November 3rd is the feastday of St *Winifred of Wales, or, in the Welsh tongue, Gwenffrewi Sant.

A noblewoman of the 7th century she rebuffed the advances of a local by the name of Caradog as she wished to remain chaste and to dedicate her life to Almighty God as a nun.

According to the records, Caradog was enraged at being thwarted in love and he took his sword and decapitated the young woman on the spot.

Life in Wales was pretty bloody in those days and Winifred's brother, Owain, sought and actually killed Caradog in a violent act of revenge.

Now the tale becomes somewhat twisted as some accounts state that the young saint  was then restored fully and her head rejoined to her body by her uncle, Saint Beuno. Other accounts state that she made a pilgrimage to Rome and became Abbess at Gwytherin in North Wales.

She is the patron, obscurely of payroll clerks and, more obviously, of virgins.

"The Welsh Lourdes", Holywell

Where her head had fallen a well sprang up and was found to have a curative effect on the sick and diseased.
It became a place of pilgrimage and remains an important focal point for pilgrims today.

The Latin Mass Society organises a pilgrimage each year in July and the well has earned its reputation as the "Welsh Lourdes".

Now come with me to the English Midlands, some 150 miles or so from Holywell, shrine of St Winifred.

We are entering a small 15th century manor house called Baddesley Clinton, we proceed up the stairs and across the landing to enter a Chapel; one that  was once a Recusant Chapel where priests on the run covertly celebrated Mass for the family and friends. Possibly, even, linen was draped on the hedgerow to indicate a Mass that day.

The Chapel appears, more or less, as it was nearly 500 years ago but, on the window ledge stands a bottle half filled with water. Pick it up, shake it, it is clear as....well, it's gin clear. Not a sign of green algae, yet it has stood in full sunlight for some considerable time, months or even years.

Besides the bottle is a card that simply states: "Water from St Winifred's Well"

I asked several guides for information on the bottle but there was no enlightenment, doubtless, members of the family kept it there to bless themselves with...who knows?

But it was good to find such a poignant reminder of my adopted home in the heart of England.

Prayer to St. Winifred

O blessed Winifred, pure virgin and glorious martyr, so especially chosen, so divinely graced and so wonderfully restored from death to life!

Hope of all that fly unto thee with full confidence and humility!

We, though, unworthy, yet thy devoted pilgrims, make our petitions unto thee. Sanctuary of piety, look upon us with patient eyes; receive our prayers, accept our offerings, and present our supplications at the throne of mercy, that through thy powerful intercessions God may be pleased to bless us, and to grant our requests and desires; through Christ our Lord.

Amen

                            ST WINIFRED - ORA PRO NOBIS

* also Winifride or Winefride