PANCAKES AND REPENTANCE - GROSMONT AND SHROVE TUESDAY-ARE YOU ABOUT TO BE SHRIVEN?

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Secondary School Childrens race.& nbsp;       This was a fine bunch of people, who raced from the Town Hall behind  down the road to the church. There was great fun and great enthusiasm, especially when the dog ate the pancakes that fell on the floor. The little boy cried but was given another pancake.

Women's Race

 Men;s Race-winning Contestant

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Junior race Winner and runner up.....I think he was quite disappointed!

It was a pleasure to see such kind and welcoming people and the children, without attitude and with plenty of fun taking part in a local festivity. They were polite and yet really enjoyed themselves, shrieking with laughter.

Male finalist

Finalists in the Childrens Race

The Road at dusk D

Today is Shrove Tuesday and up and down most of Christendom, is the final day to eat up all the rich foods before the Lenten fast and to go to Confession and be 'Shriven' of your sins before Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) The confession aspect of tthe day is not available to all, being confined to when the priest is available for most in the many penetential Rites available in all parishes. I have put a list of reconciliation times at the bottom of this blog. If you would like me to include your parish or any penetential service, or it there is any inaccuracy, please let me know.

 People used to have a half day off work in Britain . Usually the church bell rang at 11am. Pancake races are still run in many places.Indeed the popularity of the pancake races and making of pancakes in neighbourhoods, care homes and all over has not died out.

Clarkes, the Newport based food manufacturing plant have reported record sales for the Canadian Maple Spirit this week.They are said to be working round the clock to fill the orders for the four leading supermarket chains. Schools also take the lead in keeping the custom going!

 Abergavenny Tithe Barn have published a recipe for this years' pancakes and  there are more races at South Cerney, Gloucestershire from All Hallows Church at 3.30pm, and at St Margaret's Chapel (next to Our Lady of Glastonbury Catholic Church) at 3.30. I shall be travelling to Grosmont this afternoon to see the races there.

The tradition is said to have originated when a housewife from Olney in Buckinghamshire was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake. Pancake races in Olney can be dated back to 1445- in Catholic times.

The first pancake recipe was in a cookbook dating back to the 1439. Over the years this custom has been kept and modern runners now dress as traditional housewives with aprons ands bonnets whilst holding their frying pan. Pancake Day race rules state that they must at least toss the pancake at the start of the race and at the end of the pancake day races.

Shrove Tuesday is a term associated in English-speaking countries, Other Countries have, of course, Carnival and Mardi Gras.It is noted in Britain in histories going back to 1000AD, but may have been much earlier in the aural tradition.Making and eating the pancakes was considered the last feast which would be restricted during Lent.The date of Shrove Tuesday depends on the date of Easter and based on cycles of the moon.

There are Penetential Masses in all parishes this Lent, which will be published on the Churches Websites.Unfortunately some of these are not up to date, and cannot be accessed.

CWMBRAN NP44 3LTOur Lady of the Angels confessions (reconciliation)  Sats at 12noon -12.30
NP7 5UD Our Lady and St Michaels   Abergavenny, not sure
NP20 ITP St Mary's Stow Hill Sats 10.05-11.45
NP10 9DW St Basil and St Gwladys, Tregwylym Rogerstone Tuesday 6.30-6.50

NP20 3AQ  St David's Park Crescent Monday 6.30-6.50
NP20 7DX  St David Lewis, Bettws Newport  6.30-6.50
NP4 6HL  St Alban's Pontypool       5.30-5.40
NP4 9RA St Felix, Saturday after morning Mass
NP20 2BZ St Michaels Newport. Wed 6.30-6.50.
NP25 3BD   Saturday  St Mary's Monmouth 11-11.30  and on Request

And finally....a recipe!

• 110g plain  flour
• 2 eggs
• 200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
• 50g butter
• pinch of salt

Gently melt the butter (30 secs in microwave) or in a pan. Sift together the flour and salt. Crack the two eggs into a dish and mix thoroughly and then pour into a well in the middle of the flour (make this with a spoon)Whisk in the eggs gently so that there is a creamy runny mixture.Put 2 tablespoons full of butter into the pan and then keep the rest of the melted butter for the frying pan.Get the pan really HOT and then TURN DOWN THE HEAT . Put two tablespoonfuls of the mixture into the pan, after the butter has completely lubricated it and move the pan around to make sure the whole of the base of the pan is covered.With a palate knife , gently keep the pancake moving until it is firm enough to flip over or toss over (if you are brave!) Serve with anything you like!

St Patrick of Ireland, run up to Holy Week

I recently came across this 'Confession' of St Patrick, which was written by the Irish Bishop in Latin and is very moving.

I Patrick, a Sinner, the most unsophisticated of men, the least among all Christians, and to many, the most contemptible of men. I am the son of the Deacon Calpornius, and he was the son of the Priest Potit, who belonged to the village on Babbavenn Taburniae (in the Ancient Kingdom of Gwent boundaries)Indeed, near it he had a small estate, from where, at sixteen years of age I was captured. I was ignorant of the true God then,along with thousands upon thousands of others ,I was taken as a captive to Ireland. We deserved it, or we had turned our backs on God , and did not keep his commandments, and we did not listen to our priests, who kept on warning us regarding our Salvation. And so the Lord God poured down on us the heat of his anger and dispersed among us many peoplesright 'out to the very ends o the earth'where now my smallness is seen among the men of a foreign land.

And there the Lord God opened his understanding to my unbelief, so that, however late, I would become conscious of my failings. Then, remembering my need,I could turn my heart ot gOD. For it was He who looked on my lowliness and had mercy on the blindness of my young years, who looked after me before I knew him, or before I gained wisdom of could distinguish between good and evil:indeed as a father consoles his son, so he protected me.

So it would be neither right nor proper for me to do anything but to tell you all of the many blessings and great grace which the Lord saw fit to give me in the Land of my Captivity. Itell you these things because that is hwo we give thanks to God, that after having been corrected and come to an awareness of God, that we glorify and bear witness to his wonderful works in the presence of every nation under heaven.


Truly lovely Confessions-more tomorrow.

Today is another trip to London. It feels cold outside because of windchill, but we escaped the hurricand and the golden daffodils are stilling breathing out their scent. Yesterday I caught a really stong smell of them after the rain and it was so wonderful-I nearly stopped breathing! How wonderful. Makes you stop and think how such a scent is a completely free gift, like Faith-a supernatural gift rom God-and what a privilege to be chosen to have faith.It means we have the grace of God to move us and help us, we have the Holy Spirit to help us in our actions and conscience 'which moves the heart and turns it to God-and away from harness of heart,and the Spirit also makes it easy to discern the true and brave and right way to go, when we are swayed in spiritual combat.In the boxing match that goes on every day in your soul=right actions against wrong ones of course we all fail from time to time, but suddenly as in that sudden scent of daffodils and narcissi, that ecstatic moment of beauty we are retrieved by Him who made us and by Him who loves us, and has known us from our conception and knew us in our mother's womb. Some heady security that! Driving into Monmouthshire along the M4, daffodils are everywhere, the pride of Wales, the brightness of Christ, thousands of little lights and suns to remind us of heaven.

Prayer for a Journey-Old CAtholic Prayerfrom Ireland in Patrick's times

The Path I walk, Christ walks it. Let the Land in which I am be without sorrow.

May the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost protect me wherever I stay, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Bright Angels-Walk with me-dear presence-in every dealing.

In every dealing I pray them that no man's poison may reach me.

The ninefold people of Heaven of holy cloud, the tenth force of the stout earth.

Favourable company, they come with me, so that the Lord may not be angry with me.

May I arrive safe at every place, may I return homem May the way in which I deal be a way without loss.

May every path before me be smooth, man woman and child welcome me.

A truly good journey! Well does the fair Lord show me a course, a path',

In the Name of the Holy Three

Amen.

(From Celtic Christianity (Classics of Western Spirituality. Oliver Davies published by Paulist Press. Available from Amazon.

Haut de la Garenne Latest: police have broken through to the second room and found more evidence of evil. Words fil me today.Important to distribute and pray the prayer of st Michael to war off depression over such evil and protect little ones. Today there was a report on TV about young teenage girls forcible married to men in foreign lands. How can parents do this, any more than leaving a young girl to take drugs and be alone to be a victim of a terrible attack and murder? Cruelty has many forms, all of it aligned to hard hearts.In the case of the Jersey Children's Home, the Chief police officer has complained about corrupt ex officers who turned away children trying to complain. Disgusting.Poor poor babies!

Madeleine McCann-more weird press stories to chill the soul. I wish they would end this now and simply present her back. People just don't believe it any more and just want her returned to her family.