In the News...

The Lay Dominicans of England, Scotland and Wales have launched their new website, which can be found here. It is full of news and information about this important part of the Dominican family in Britain.

Brs. Graham and Mark were involved in the recording of BBC Oxford's Sunday Devotional programme at Sacred Heart, Blackbird Leys. This is the first time the show has come from a Catholic Church. It is available on BBC iPlayer (skip to 35mins in for the segment) until the end of the week; and if you listen carefully you might hear Graham's warm baritone or Mark's double bass.

The Duke Humphrey Society's annual requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester was held at Blackfriars on Saturday 20th February. the NLM, Libera Me and Joseph Shaw have posted on the event.

Br. David Barrins will be offering Gospel reflections for Youth 2000 Ireland this Lent. The first one can be viewed here.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming book from Family Publications, A St. Joseph Prayer Book. It features many fine photographs taken by our very own Br. Lawrence.

This year our Brother, Aidan Nichols, took part in Faith Matters Lent 2010 Series: The Year of Priesthood, organised by the Diocese of Westminster's Agency for Evangelisation. He gave a lecture on The Priest: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow which can be viewed below.

Lent Retreat - Week 2, Friday

Readings: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28; Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46

Jealousy is a terrible thing and certainly one of the most destructive forces in human relationships. In today’s readings the story of Joseph, and his brothers’ plot to kill him, reminds us how easily the love that we are called to have for our brothers and sisters, both in our families and in the Church, can be corrupted by sin. Lent is a time dedicated to the purification of our sinful desires and as such helps us to be more mindful of the ways in which we are stingy with regard to others. How many times have we all felt resentment rather than joy for another when faced with the prospect of the success of a friend or the colleague who has a talent that attracts the praise of others? We should remember that we will be far greater people by the pursuit of gracious humility than we could ever be excelling in any number of worldly pursuits.

Our Lord reminds us in the gospel that in God’s eyes it is often those things we regard as our weaknesses that we will come to recognise as our strengths, and those things we think of as our strengths that in fact block the way to our progress in virtue. Charity is the greatest of the virtues and the key to the whole spiritual life, since, for those who love God, everything will work to the good.

Match Report: Newman House vs Blackfriars

Newman House and Blackfriars struggled through the mud at Regent's Park last Saturday in a keenly fought contest which saw the London Student Chaplaincy side come out victors by six goals to four.

The game began in a blaze of goals as the athletic Newman House forwards overran the Dominican defence. Despair was beginning to overwhelm the Godzdogz faithful when an observant spectator spotted that in fact the chaplaincy students had, accidently, been playing with one extra man. Sportingly, Newman House agreed to return the score to 0-0, and immediately set about terrorizing the Blackfriars defenders with renewed vigour, quickly finding themselves 2-0 up once again.

Even the early introduction of Jeffries, returning as a Dominican to his old stamping ground as a student, could not stem the tide and as half-time loomed Newman house were 4-0 up. Blackfriars' only consolation was a late goal from Bungum, Blackfriars' top scorer this season, who headed home Gay's penetrating cross from a set piece to leave the score 4-1 at the break.

At half time, following a meeting between the two captains, it was agreed that Geoffrey swap teams and join the Dominicans (at least for the duration of the game), one of the few occasions when a transfer between two clubs has taken place mid-match. Geoffrey gave Blackfriars a desperately needed attacking outlet and his introduction completely changed the nature of the game. Suddenly the Dominicans began to string passes together and soon had pulled two goals back leaving the score 4-3.

The pitch (described as 'chewy' by one Friar who inadvertently swallowed a mouthfull of turf whilst taking a tumble) had by this point begun to resemble the Somme, and both teams were obliged to make use of the long ball as the game became more of a physical battle. Newman House extended their lead to 5-3, but Blackfriars hit back almost immediately, Geoffrey completing his hat-trick, to leave the score 5-4 with full time approaching. In the end Newman House held on to their lead comfortably, even adding a sixth, as the Dominicans tired in the closing minutes.


After the game we headed back to Newman House for the now traditional post match beer and pizza. Thank you to our hosts for their generous hospitality and a good game!

Lent Retreat - Week 2, Thursday

Readings: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 16:19-31

Today’s Gospel reading from Luke provides us with a tale of stark contrasts. We see the lowly, broken Lazarus, a man of extreme poverty, and the rich man who has his fill of worldly pleasures. The rich man wants for nothing, he has fine clothes and dines ‘sumptuously each day’ whilst Lazarus receives his scraps, and the only attention paid him is by the dogs in the street. Here we have a familiar tale of injustice, of how wealth and privilege, whilst not being wrong per se, can lead us into the corruption of deadly sin if due moderation and charity are not exercised. First and foremost, then, we are called to be aware of living our lives in a manner that blinds us to the hardships and sufferings of our neighbours.

One striking element in this Gospel is the fact that it is the despised Lazarus that is known by name, yet the rich man is not. The dignity afforded to Lazarus is not immediately apparent but as we read on we see how those who patiently bear their sufferings in this life will be rewarded in the next. Likewise, those who have the power to help others and who are blinded by their own selfishness and greed will be judged according to their actions.

Lazarus has his reward in heaven but the rich man, still full of presumption, refuses to acknowledge his own guilt even after death. He asks Lazarus to be sent to him like a servant and finally implores Abraham for special favour that his own family may be saved. The final passage reminds us of the great sacrifice that has been made for us all by Christ on the cross, foretold by the prophets, and yet forgotten or ignored by so many: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31). It is a stark warning and one we should all take to heart in this penitential season.

Let us, then, not be blinded this Lent by the things of this world and neglect our duty to God and neighbour. Even our small gestures can make all the difference – a word of hope can change a life!

Lent Retreat - Week 2, Wednesday

Readings: Jeremiah 18:18-20, Matthew 20:17-28

In a recent interview the Chancellor of the Exchequer , Alistair Darling, claimed that the Prime Minister had, in 2008, ordered that "the forces of Hell" be unleashed upon him after he had forecast the worst recession for 60 years. Whilst Mr. Darling might have been slightly poetic about the No. 10 spin and smear machine, there is some truth to this statement. This type of governance, the rule of realpolitik and the strategy of command and conquer, is in opposition to the regime of Christ. The Kingdom of Christ turns these worldly values on their heads. Greatness in the Kingdom is not based on power, reputation and fear but on service. A place in the Kingdom is not found through wielding authority but by yielding to the only true authority: God.

This is not an easy thing to accept. The values of the Kingdom and the world will be, and always have been, at odds. The world can not accept nor understand the values of the Kingdom and in fear will try to extinguish them. The plots and conspiracies mentioned in today's readings are very apt in the current cultural climate. In Britain and throughout the west, Christianity and its values are under attack from numerous directions: from secularists to neo-liberals, gaiaists to eugenicists, and even from within the Church itself. This is not a new thing. The Church and our salvation are founded on the attempt to stamp out the Truth and quench the Light of the world on Golgotha. Over the centuries numerous attempts have been made to dowse the flames of the Kingdom but it is, to paraphrase The Smiths, "a Light that will never go out"!

Lent offers us an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the Kingdom. Like Jesus in the desert, we reject Satan's empty promises. We reject the ways of the world and choose to drink from the same cup as Christ. It is only through sharing in His suffering, mockery and death, that we will be able to share in His resurrection and Kingdom.

Lent Retreat - Week 2, Tuesday

Readings: Isaiah 1: 10. 16-20; Psalm 50; Matthew 23: 1-12

In today’s Mass readings, as indeed in Lent as a whole, we are reminded of how we stand in relation to God, and how, given that relationship, we should behave. It can be very easy for us, as for the scribes and the Pharisees, to think that our religious practice, or perhaps a knowledge of intricate theological questions, will win us favour with God. But, as we are reminded in the psalm, even if though God may find no fault with our sacrifice (i.e. religious practice), that is not enough. Our actions on their own cannot win us favour with God, or ‘tame’ him to get him to do what we want.

Rather, at the root of all our actions must be the realisation of our need for God, and that he alone is truly our Father and Teacher. In this state of humility, then, listening to God’s will for us rather than thinking we know best, we will be able to hear his call to ‘cease doing evil’ and ‘learn to do good’ (Isaiah 1: 16-17), and, grateful for his saving work and teaching, may be able to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving which is acceptable to him (cf. Ps 49 (50): 23).

And so, as during this Lent we remind ourselves through our penance of our dependence on God, let us ask him to deepen our awareness of that need and so come to appreciate more fully the saving events of his death and resurrection, in which we find God’s loving response to our need for him, and which we prepare to celebrate in this season.

Lent Retreat - Week 2, Monday

Readings: Daniel 9:4-10; Luke 6:36-38

'Be merciful, even as your father is merciful' (Luke 6:36).

Before a Dominican takes his vows, the Prior Provincial asks him: 'what do you seek?' The brother replies: 'God's mercy and yours.' As I prepared for my simple profession in September last year, I thought a lot about these words. Why at this moment, when we are only just becoming full members of the Order and of the Province, are we already asking for mercy?

Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche movement in which those with disabilities live with those that care for them, described his communities as being 'for those with special needs, and for those that think they don't have special needs'. His point is that each one of us has our weaknesses, each one of us bears the scars of both our own sin and the sin of others, each one of us has an inner darkness. Often however, we are not prepared to admit this. Instead we are tempted to divide the world in very black and white terms: good and bad, friends and enemies, clean and unclean. Yet these distinctions are unreal. They are not based on the truth and cannot set us free. Instead, by denying that we even have a problem, they stunt our development and limit our capacity to love.

When we are in a position to accept the truth that we too have sinned against our neighbour and sinned against God, then we are in a position to accept the truth that God has forgiven us, and so we can forgive ourselves. Once we can love ourselves as we really are, weak and sinful, we can love our neighbour as they really are. We become able to be merciful in the face of the weaknesses of those around us, and forgive those that trespass against us. This is the foundation of true Christian community, and indeed true Christian love.