Holy days and holidays

During the week both Bernie and Charlie had their music exams, which all seemed to go ok, but not spectacularly well, so I suspect we're on course for a couple of Merits there.

Now it's the holidays: so this week will be holy, and next week profane (apart from anything else, Anna and I will be back on the booze...)

Hope to get some decent walks in during the holidays - walking is always a good way to re-connect with each other, and there's a lot to talk about, not least Bernie's possible university choices....

And then of course there's the triduum to look forward to and prepare for: confession the first and perhaps most important step.

Palm Sunday -and together again

Wonderful chant at Mass today: Hosanna Filio David, Pueri Hebraeorum, Gloria Laus et Honor, before Mass for the blessing of palms and procession, and then the Vexilla Regis at the end - as well as the usual Proper and Ordinary (Orbis Factor today).

And it was the first time we've all been at Mass together for a while: Ant is back from University.

Expenses - a great new party game

A great new party game. All present are divided into two groups, players and punters, with many more punters than players. All punters are required to put up a substantial stake.

The punters can then vote which of the players are in and which are out (though this makes little practical difference).

The players convene a secret meeting to agree the rules.

The game is then played. The players appropriate large sums of the punters’ stakes to themselves and if challenged can demonstrate they they have not broken the rules (which they themselves agreed, of course).

NB this is normally more fun for the players than the punters, but that’s life...

Hypocrisy

...or rather the fear of the accusation of it, sometimes stops us from saying things we should.

Is it hypocritical to say I believe lying is wrong, even though I am myself mendacious? If I said lying is wrong and also said or implied that of course I never lie - that’s hypocrisy.

The alternative is to say that moral behaviour is defined as the way I behave - and believe me, that would be a poor morality indeed!

Life with grandma

It’s not always easy living with Anna’s mum. The other evening, Bernie had boiled some custard over in the microwave and forgotten to clear it up. Grandma arrived in her dressing gown, wanting to make her evening Horlicks and found the thing a mess. Instead of either calling for Bernie, or or Anna or me, or simply getting on with it, she got herself in a real stew. She did clear it up, with bad grace, but then stormed into the drawing room in a state to ask (or demand) that Anna put the glass dish back in the machine as she ‘couldn’t possibly reach. And it was a bit much expecting her to clear up all that mess...’ As we hadn’t known about the mess, that felt a little OTT, and then when Bernie appeared and tried to apologise she wouldn’t listen. She said goodnight to us and slammed the door - leaving me wondering who is the child in all this... and also whether I should address her bad behaviour, which had escalated a minor misdemeanour that had upset her into a situation when Bernie, Anna, and I - as well as she - felt thoroughly disgruntled.

What we're up to...

Things have moved on since I last posted about the kids.

Ant is now at University and managing both to enjoy herself more than I did and to get good grades (which I never did). Seems to have made a good bunch of friends, too.

Bernie is in the 6th form: everything she likes about school (subjects she enjoys, friends etc) without the bits she disliked (uniforms, dud teachers, subjects she disliked etc). and currently working for grade 7 (piano) and 8 (flute).

Charlie is just choosing his GCSE options and has just taken a second prize in the local music festival on the piano.

Dominique has learned that she has a place at the (good) school the others all went to - and also took second prize on the piano (in a different class) in the music festival with the exact same mark as Charlie.

Why they hate us...

Watching the unedifying press attacks on the Pope and the Church in general, I was struck by a thought. What they hate about us is not the failings (priests who abuse their position and others etc) it's the witness to truth. Particularly the moral teachings of the Church and the fact that the vast majority of priests and religious can and do live fulfilled celibate lives; that Catholic couples who follow the Church's teaching do stick together and achieve long and ultimately happy marriages (whatever travails there may be along the way).

I guess that troubles the consciences of many....