williamonthehill

A Bundle of Cells

The 'Pro-choice' lobby like to pretend that a baby is not a baby in the womb, merely a "bundle of cells".

Here is a photo of a 'bundle of cells' aged 12 weeks after conception. In this country it is wholly legal to abort such a bundle of cells up to the 24th week (e.g. twice as big again). It is absolutely not "a baby", much less "a child". Cute isn't she/he?

The Right to Choice

It causes me a certain amount of irritation when persons in my parish come up to me and say how wonderful it is that Barak Obama won the Presidential campaign. Why? Do they neither know nor care about this man's record on abortion. That Obama is not just "pro-choice" but is actually extreme in that support?

He has let it be known that the first piece of legislation that his government has already lined up ready to go, is an act called "The Freedom of Choice" Act. Among other things this piece of legislation removes any and all "obstacles" to procuring and obtaining an abortion. That is to say that a woman may procure an abortion at any time during gestation, right up until the moment of birth in fact.

It is also insanely misnamed. Why? Because this so called "Freedom of Choice" Act removes the conscientious clause from the medical profession. This act makes it a Federal Offence for any doctor or nurse to refuse to carry out, or even participate in a medical abortion.

This is absolutely awful.

It is, apparently a "good thing" that Obama became President, the first black person, etc, etc. Here is a grim fact for black people to contemplate; In the US white women procure abortions at the rate of 7 per thousand live births; in the black community on the other hand, the rate is 17 per thousand. Abortion impacts more on the bl;ack community than on the white. This fulfills Margaret Sanger's belief that the black and other 'inferior' races needed to be controlled. This is known as Eugenics. But more correctly should be called by what it is; genocide.

Margaret Sanger founded an organisation called Planned Parenthood. The strategy of PP is to site abortion factories in 'deprived neighbourhoods'. This inevitably means poor black and Hispanic neighbourhoods Genocide it most certainly is. Some 5,000 American troops have been killed in Iraq since the invasion of 2003. 16,000 babies are murdered every day in the United States in the abortion factories.

Lest we Forget. Have mercy on their souls, O Lord, have mercy.

St, Therese - Saint and Astronaut

The following news item is, as my 15 year old son would say, "well cool":

"I have the vocation of an apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your name and to plant your glorious cross on infidel soil. But oh, my beloved, one mission would not be enough for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages." (St. Therese of Lisieux -"the little flower")

Thanks to the Carmelite community at New Caney, Texas this aspiration of St. Therese has now been fulfilled.

The sisters are frequently visited by Colonel Ron Garan, commander of the Space Shuttle mission of May 31st - June 14th. Shortly before that mission blasted off the Colonel visited the Carmel to ask the sisters for their prayers. As a thank you he told the sisters that he could take one small item with him into space. So the sisters gave him a small relic of the Saint.

So the Saint, Patron of the Missions has now travelled 5, 735, 643 miles around the earth for 14 daays, at an average speed of 17,000 miles an hour. While the beloved saint was on her travels the community prayed for the world.

Zenit News Agency - H/T The Curt Jester

 

 

Democracy and the World

Whatever one thinks of the final outcome of the United States election one factor stands out very clearly. It was a tremendous lesson in how to do Democracy (with a capital 'D'). Democracy and democratic ideals are at the very heart of what makes America. It is the other part of that great American dream which others find so attractive about the country. The idea that, no matter who you are or where you come from, only work hard and you too can make it and become "someone". If this was not always most obvious in the past; and yes, there are some apalling examples of democracy denied in the United States especially in some of the Southern States and especially victimising the black Americans, it is obvious today.

Barack Obama's historic victory on Tuesday's election was a tremendous victory for that democratic ideal. Perhaps all those Guardanista opinion makers, those members of the  "chattering classes" and the arty literary liberal set who have over the past years pontificated on the theme of "how dare those pernicious americans presume to teach the Iraqis/Afghans/Pakistanis/ (fill in the missing countries) about democracy and the rule of law" would like to apologise? Yes, the United States can proudly continue to teach the rest of us about democracy. They have a thoroughly good example of it right here last Tuesday.

US Election 2008 - a Win for Obama?

Here is my prediction. Obama will win the Presidential Election tonight. Thereafter, and pretty quickly the American people will see right through him and realise that the man has no policies and no integrity. They will quickly discover that President Obama cannot deliver on his promise of hope. He will find that he has won a poisoned chalice. That a man with his idealogy nontheless is still in thrall to the economic ("It's the economy, stupid) situation as it is. He will find himself presiding over an economy in recession where it isn't in meltdown. Try as he might he will not be able to prevent the factories and Business's of America from closing down.

He will quickly discover that it will not be as easy or as credible for him to pull out of two wars simultaneously as he has said it will be. American boys and girls will continue to come home in coffins and Obama will merely be able to wring his hands.

President Obama will not be given a second chance. After all his sentiments of hope and change, if he cannot give people hope in what his government does, and if he cannot change American society and government as he claims he can, well, electorates the world over are fairly unforgiving.

If Obama's presidency proves to be one of unfulfilled promise then I think it will be very likely that the Republicans will reap the benefits and I could envisage a situation whereby they gain the next two, maybe even three elections just as New Labour under Blair were able to exploit the weakness and disappointment that was the Major governemnt and gain three terms.

The Republicans have three years to find a truly credible candidate. I don't think that candidate will be Sarah Palin although I do think that she will spend the next few years becoming a truly serious candidate, ready for the election of '16. I am sure that their will be people within the Republican party who will see to it that she sits on the right committees in Congress and that she visits the right countries to meet the right global politicians so that she gains that all important gravitas that comes from experience.

Shopping in Rome

Tonight I attended the Vigil Mass. Because of the atrocious weather and it still being half-term, the attendance was noticably down tonight. Father's homily was quiet good; all about the saints and so forth. He talked about the Saints waiting in heaven and ready to conduct us to the Liturgy of Heaven. I am afraid that at this point my mind went off on a tangent. I found myself wondering if, in Heaven they use the Roman Missal of 1962! And if not, has Holy Father sent a very stiff prayer up to St. Peter asking him to get the House in order!

Father was in Rome last week. He has been shopping. A few clerical shirts, so on and so forth. O' and a beautiful new Ciborium. Gold. Heavy. Very fine work. I was able to see it close up since I was asked to serve tonight as our Sacristan is on his holidays. It is stunning (the Ciborium, not the Sacristan's holiday!).

In the Sacristy after Father said to me, as justification that, well, he had flown Economy "both ways"! In fact, the Ciborium is a gift from an (anonymous) parishioner. He or She has certainly had their money well spent by Father.

Now Father says that he wants a Chalice to go with the Ciborium; a matching set. I have promised him that if he can wait until Easter that I can probably save enough from the salaray of my new job to oblige him with another shopping trip. Last Easter I was able to oblige with a new stand for the Paschal candle. Easter is important to me since, being a convert it was during the Easter Vigil that I was brought into the Church. So, in thanksgiving...

St. Mary's, West Croydon

I left something out of the telling concerning the new job. I will be based in central Croydon, right opposite St. Mary's school, my old priests Alma Mater (and his dad was the head there for 20 something years!) and but a stone throw from St. Mary Church which, excitingly, has a regular 12.10 Mass during the week. I hope to be giving some of my lunch times to the Lord on a regular basis.

In fact, I attended the 12.10 Mass immediately following my interview for said job. As I was leaving the Church the Priest was stood at the door saying goodbyes and greeting parishioners. He immediately recognised me for a 'stranger' and he was generous in taking me aside to find out who I was ands what I was doing there. On telling the Priest that I had just been for an interview 'around the corner' he said that he would pray for my success.

Well Father, your intercessions were very powerful because I was informed that I had got the job before 2 O'clock!

A Lamp to my feet and a light to my Path

Over this weekend I am writing my presentation on Sacred Scripture for the parish RCIA class. I have before me the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Compendium of the CCC, the Bible, and a copy of the Vatican II document Dei Verbum (God's Word). I first encountered the latter on my Divinity course at Maryvale (alas, never finished). It is perhaps one of the best documents to come out of that Council of the Church; well written and a good guide to the study, interpretation and use of Holy Scripture in the Church.

It has always been a source of sadness to me that so many Catholics tell me that they "cannot", or "must not", or "are not allowed to" read Holy Scripture. Even sadder are those Catholics who cannot see the point of reading Scripture. It was Saint Jerome who said that "Ignorance of Scripture is Ignorance of Christ". This is so true.

I am, of course a convert to Catholicism and it is because I have a Protestant background that I have a good grounding in reading Scripture (although I also have some 'bad' (protestant) habits such as taking a verse of scripture out of context in order to prove a point!).

I am a Reader in my parish and so I have good reason and purpose in reading Scripture to myself regularly. It is important that the Reader is familiar with, and understands what they have to read. It helps to be able to understand the context, the historical era, the meaning and the accepted Church interpretation.

But above and beyond all the above reasons; I just love the Word of God. It fills me up to overflowing with Love and thankfulness that I can Listen to His Word and obey His Teachings. Amen.

The last day of a temping social worker

I have finished my last day as a temp. I got my time sheet signed off and delivered it to my agency by hand. It was a really liberating experience. I have been a temp now since May 2001 with an approximate two year break to nurse my dying father. It has been seven years too long. I have had some wonderful experiences and some really horrid experiences. I learnt to adapt quickly, to respond to what the client wanted, to hit the ground running (often). I have worked with some really wonderful colleagues and I have worked with some right stinkers. All of it has been a wholly valuable learning experience and it has gone into making me the social work practitioner that I am. Without those experiences I might not have been offered the post I am about to start.

I have worked all over London and beyond. From Camden to Southwark, Hammersmith to Redbridge, and even in Epsom! I confess, that is an aspect of temping which I shall not miss - the sometimes long commute morning and night.

I have my memories and I have my CV to prove my scars! I will not miss being a temp. Hello job security. Hello regular monthly salary. Give me the forms to join the pension scheme!

New Job

The reason for a slow down of new entries has been that over the past three weeks I have been busy finding a new job. And now I can report that my search has been successful! On Monday I commence a new, permanent job with the Westminster Drug Project as the Senior Practitioner (manager) of the Croydon Arrest Referral Scheme. I will have a team of six workers under my authority and will be working in partnership with the Police, Criminal Courts, Probation, NHS, Social Services and other voluntary agencies. I am looking forward to the challenges the new job will bring.

I have been working as a temporary (Locum) social worker since 2001 and while I have enjoyed the variety and the flexibility that such working brings I have not enjoyed the financial insecurity and the lack of security and of 'roots'. It seems peculiar to say this if one has never worked as a 'temp', but I will actually get a small buzz out of having 'my own' desk on which I can put my books and a photo or two of the family.

Monday will be a good day.