TSR Catholic Society

Thanks for your lovely account of a very special occasion for all participants, including yourself! I'm so pleased for you that it went so well, and that you want to repeat again next year.

Members of the male gender are generally far more sensitive than the female gender, and prone to greater nervousness on public occasions. If there's anyone in a group who is going to be overcome with nerves so much that they 'chunder' it is bound to be a male. Bless them...society expects them to be so strong in all areas that when they do not live up to those expectations they feel they have failed. We need to give them our fulsome support.

I tend to read the Readings for the Mass an hour before. I do this so that when the Priest is talking I can just focus on his Homily.
Sometimes if I find myself looking around I would close my eyes but try not fall asleep! lol
And I make sure I don't fidget with anything.
Sometimes I stare at the candle at the altar or at the Tabernacle and focus my attention there. It greatly helps

Many congratulations my friend. It all happened then, despite the frustrations of delay caused by disorganisation. Wonder any of the college undergrads managed to graduate. You look very impressive in your graduation gown...and I'm so pleased that your PTSD didn't mar your day.

My brother was conferred with his PhD from Imperial College in the grandeur of the Royal Albert Hall a couple of weeks ago. He was also awarded with the prize for being the undergrad post grad with the most promising potential based on his Thesis. His girlfriend who is German was most impressed saying the whole thing was like a Harry Potter moment. In Germany, they don't have the same procedures for graduation that many other european countries do - just a departmental awarding of certificates. No dressing up in fancy gowns and hoods for them. As we walked back to the Reception for canapes and champagne I said hello to a passer-by who was taking great stock of my brother who looked resplendent by way of his height and his purple and white hooded gown . This gentlemen wished me a good afternoon and as he passed, another family member asked who he was. It was the Lord Professor Robert Winston who lectures in the medical sciences faculty So close to a celebrity that I was almost a celebrity for one, short moment myself.

Regarding the quality of homilies: Today, my nephew was Confirmed by the diocesan Archbishop. His homily was on Pentecost and the Ascension. The way he described how the apostles were guilt-ridden because of their denial of Christ was amazing - each and every one of us could identify with times in our own lives where we had let our friends down after promising to stand by them because of the fear of disadvantageous repercussions. He really made the Gospel come alive by involving us in the psyche of Christ's followers and levelling the homily on a personal basis. He's really cool and I told him so afterwards!

Tbh I should have tried to speak more and get involved in the organising. Never had such responsibility before in a religious sense, so I found the whole thing quite daunting and kept in the shadows Like there was this one time that one of the other catechists was telling the kids that she didn't believe the Blessed Mother was a virgin and that she must have had sex to conceive Jesus and I was like but said nothing

The bishop that is confirming our kids always asks them their confirmation name and a few questions about their saint. So we've thoroughly prepared them for that. Some of the kids picked saints I'd never heard of and did a lot of research but others (the boys in particular) were a bit clueless. We soon whipped them into shape though

I must confess, I don't know the names of ALL the kids (there are 29 of them this year) so am worried about handing certificates to the wrong people I feel more for the first communion catechists in that church though: 60 children taking their first communion this May in that parish

June 14th will be ten years since my confirmation. My brother made his FHC on the 16th. I remember it because my grandma nearly corrected our bishop when he called my confirmation name during the actual rite - she said 'It's not it's Matthew' but quickly realised her mistake

How's everyone this week? Finish uni this week. Two exams to go.

Also had prep meeting for Lourdes yesterday, I'm off there in less than six weeks.

Still so jealous that you're going to Lourdes. I need to find a way to get back there I really felt like I belonged there

I'm good thanks. Just come back from the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden

Praying for your exams, and for anyone else here who is doing exams :jebus:

60 and 29 is amazing

It never actually occured to me help with confirmations and I probably wouldn't have said anything either, but how on earth does she explain Jesus being divine?

I don't want to sound judgemental but I don't like dissent (it's sad), the way I'm looking at it if a certain official teaching isn't right then that must mean God isn't guiding the Church so I might as well just go and join (*picks denomination off Wikipedia*) The Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas (no offence). We need to be unified anyway, being Catholic at the moment comprises the far left (use contraception, pro-choice, same sex marriage etc.) and the far-right (Vatican II is hilarious, there hasn't been a real pope since 1850, mass should always be in Latin)

i wanted to go to the studio tour but it sounded expensive and i forgot...

thankyou i have two exams left

How did the walk (for charity) go?

It went very well thanks. Got about £70ish for St Luke's. Thanks so much for the donation

Job interview next week now.

Tbh I would never ever usually consider being a catechist (since I feel too liberal Catholic to pass on the teachings properly) but I was assured this was an informal three months and really wanted to give something back to my confessor and his parish. He's so lovely to me and spends so much time on/with me, when I'm not even from his church! He's a lovely man

Well I'd rather be the far-left than the far-right tbh. I have huge respect for Blessed JP II I don't necessarily think that the Church is completely right with absolutely everything but when I'm being a catechist, I always am sure to teach what the Church says, rather than my own liberal interpretation of what it says. I take the role of catechist very seriously. So I really was very shocked when my fellow catechist started saying that she didn't think the Blessed Mother was a virgin. You can think it, sure, but you probably shouldn't say it and you DEFINITELY should not teach it

It was £28 which for me was rather expensive (not least of all coz I paid for my sister too!) but it was actually more than worth the money for me. I had SUCH a good time. I hadn't realised how much I love those books

Shall still be praying then How's it all going?

aww that's sweet of him I seem to remember that at my confirmation classes there was always a priest there; but they never really said anything

I think there are a few things the Church could be a bit clearer about.

glad you had a great time, good 'Happy Graduation!' treat I still haven't watched the last film on DVD and I got it at Christmas

Thankyou v much, one exam to go now

Once your exam is over, you must watch it

do you mean don't get really drunk?
I won't be, lol

Happy Pentecost Sunday everyone! May your lives and hearts be filled with the joy, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

Oh I meant the Harry Potter film. Alcohol in moderation is fine Really drunk can get a bit icky though, if you start throwing up and stuff

Happy Pentecost Sunday everyone! May your lives and hearts be filled with the joy, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen

To you too!

I've realised this may be the first year ever when I don't hear or sing veni sancte spiritus
May have to try singing it later by myself, but it just won't work properly because there won't be the congregation or music group singing underneath.

To you too!

I've realised this may be the first year ever when I don't hear or sing veni sancte spiritus
May have to try singing it later by myself, but it just won't work properly because there won't be the congregation or music group singing underneath.

What did the Archbishop say when when you told him how cool he was?

Oooh, I forgot to mention earlier: my London borough is FINALLY getting its own Catholic school! This is well overdue. Please pray that there are no further impediments (e.g. appeals against the decision, etc)

Is that Richmond? As you say, it's about time. The Canonical Code requires local bishops to ensure there are enough Catholic schools for children whose Catholic parents request it.

You can bet your life there's going to be appeals against it from the secular sectors. They have already being condemning any decision before it's been made, but I'm thinking that their grounds for appeal will not be upheld, because, apart from anything else, they're based on bigotry and would seek to deny the right of parents to determine the education they seek for their children - a right that is upheld everywhere else in secular society.

It is Richmond, yes. Tbh I'm quite surprised that they agreed that a Catholic school should be built/provided, given the opposition there was. I'm so glad the authorities saw sense though. I was very pleasantly surprised. My mum wrote a long message to our MP about it, so she's thrilled too

Oooh, I forgot to mention earlier: my London borough is FINALLY getting its own Catholic school! This is well overdue. Please pray that there are no further impediments (e.g. appeals against the decision, etc) :jebus:

Lol...I can quite understand how you could read it like that. However, since only priests and deacons can give sermons, that excludes the newly confirmed regardless of their grace-given sanctity of the moment.



His response was non-verbal; but body language said it all - a shrug of the shoulders intimating agreement with my assessment!