On Christmas Eve

On December 19th stormy winds set in and dominated Orkney 

making it impossible to cross from Stronsay to Papa Stronsay.

Things looked bleak for Christmas.

Having our outdoor crib looked impossible;

 the wind was too strong.

But....

On the morning of Christmas Eve we awoke to find that 

the tempest had stilled 

("flat calm")

giving a fresh aspect to the Christmas Carol

"all is calm, all is bright!"

The opportunity is seized to erect the Christmas crib.

In last year's storm, the entire roof, although secured by ropes, 

was blown off the crib and over the nearby shed.

We can't have a repeat of last year!
Br Magdala Maria is assessing the shed roof

and calculating how many screws would be needed 

to keep their roof beams from being blown over it ?

A quick bite during work.
Baked Beans from the tin, fried eggs, toast....and salt

fed their bodies,

while the spirit of Christmas Eve 

(...finishing the crib and chapel, revising chant and rubrics) 

fed their souls. 

And so it was.

For the Glory of God the crib was erected.

Blessed little island of Stronsay lost in the North Sea!

You have an outside crib celebrating the Saviour's birth

with shepherds and sheep,

three kings and three camels!

And Christmas comes once more!

The day is done..... or just begun.

At 11.00 p.m. we began the popular vigil devotions

as we awaited the midnight dawning 

of the Daystar from on High.

Veni veni, Emmanuel!
Veni et illumina sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.

The Holy Father's Christmas Blessing

Completion of the Way of Bethlehem

Christmas Eve

IV Sunday of Advent

Ember Saturday, III Week of Advent

The Holy Infant of Great Sorrow

Friday, III Week of Advent

Some Winter Heat?

We may live in Orkney and it may be winter, 

but Papa Stronsay is feeling the heat at present.

Our Br Jean Marie, F.SS.R.

has been trying chilli's and peppers in the greenhouse this year

and the December harvest has just come in.

One may almost imagine one was in the fair climes of 

the great Indian sub-continent!

And what a joy that would be for all of us

 as we recall the privilege some of us enjoyed 

of visiting some years ago

the tomb of the Holy Apostle St Thomas,

whose feast it is today,

situated much like that of the confession of St Peter

below the magnificent Cathedral of Chennai-Madras.

 We wish all our Indian readers a happy and holy Feastday today.

Thursday, III Week of Advent

Holy Infant of the Four-Winds

Wednesday, III Week of Advent

The Infant Nazarene of Petition of Guatemala

Rose of Stronsay in the Garden of the Church

Today in 2002, ten years ago

on the Feast of the 
Expectation of Our Blessed Lady,

work commenced on the transforming of
 an old building on the Stronsay Pier Head

into 

Our Lady's Chapel

for Christmas of that year

when the 

first Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

would be celebrated within its walls.

2002

and 2012.

Exterior in 2002

the same in 2012.

18 December, 2002, Sr M. Onufria, OSBM, 

giving the chapel a much needed whitewash.

Professions on 2 February, 2003.

The first altar and sanctuary platform has been built

 and the walls whitewashed.

The hidden friend of Our Lady

Mr John Friel, friend, parishoner, expert joiner

and Stronsay Scouser

who has quietly worked on 

the chapel for many years.

Passiontide, 2009.

The walls have been plaster-boarded, 

the new marble altar installed,

 the first altar rails built,

and new pews in place.

August, 2009, new altar rails with gates ready to be installed.

Christmas, 2009.

April, 2011. The roof is decorated with celestial blue and golden stars.

Mr Paul Williams, master plasterer, 

with Brs Xavier Maria, F.SS.R. and Br Magdala Maria, F.SS.R.

 give the chapel its four bells in September, 2011.

 In November, 2011, the large Stations of the Cross are hung.

Thanks be to God and Our Lady

 for ten years of daily Mass

in Our Lady's Chapel

for the Holy Sacraments of 

Confession, Baptism and Confirmation received there,

for the religious professions made there.

Thanks be to God for its Union with

the Holy See of St Peter

that grace which makes our little chapel

the 

Chapel of Our Lady

in honour of the Perpetual Virginity of

Most Holy Mary

and of her title of "Mother of God"

defined by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, AD 431.

which blossoms forth like

a Rose of Stronsay

in the Garden of the Church.

Surpassing Expectations

The Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer

remember in their prayers today

and wish a very happy feastday to all

the many 

Mothers, Expectant Mothers and Hopeful Mothers-to-Be

who have requested relics of St Gerard and prayers 

during this last year. 

(Relics may be obtained here.)

If you are that soul who 

like Holy Anna, Sarah, Rebecca and Elizabeth

longs to bear yourself 

that long desired little infant,

take heart on this

beautiful feast of the Church 

when we remember that on the eighth day from hence

Most Holy Mary Immaculate

will bring forth into the world a Saviour, 

"now" still hidden in her spotless womb.

Ask of her that long sought for blessing.

She will surely

surpass all your expectations!

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,

 that never was it known that anyone

 who fled to thy protection,

 implored thy help, or sought thine intercession

 was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence,

I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother;

 to thee do I come, before thee I stand,

 sinful and sorrowful.

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,

 despise not my petitions,

 but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Tuesday, III Week of Advent

Monday, III Week of Advent

III Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday

He turned the Storm into a Breeze

"And He turned the storm into a breeze: 

and its waves were still."

wrote the Holy Psalmist King David.

Today we had a spot of bother with the tide.

 Last night there was a storm to the east of Papa Stronsay

 which meant that this morning

as our Heavenly King

"turned the storm into a breeze"

 the great rollers of the North Sea

 still came crashing into the east of the island.

(If you click the above photograph to enlarge it

 you will see how tall the waves are in comparison

 to the little ruined house on the horizon.)

This, coupled with extremely high tides

 produces some interesting results!

The force of the sea between

 the pier and the monastery gatehouse

 drives big rocks up into the roadway.

The last remaining herring shed is engulf buy the sea

 as it come spewing inland through St Brigid's Bay.

The rough weather prevented our morning Rorate Mass,

 however by evening the sea was calmed

 but for a strong swell and an awful lot

 of seaweed and sand churned up in it.

 A large bull seal played near the boat as we crossed over,

 eager to find some delicious morsel thrown up by the storm.

 

Our 4pm Rorate Mass in the northern darkness (by 3.30pm).

Once again the words of the Holy Psalmist set the scene for us.

"Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight..."

  "...the lifting up of my hands..."

 "...as Evening Sacrifice."

Saturday, II Week of Advent

Credo

Every morning as we begin the Office of Matins all pray privately the Apostles' Creed. 

Similarly every Rosary begins with the same Creed or Symbol of Faith.

The Nicene and Apostles Creeds are both well-known formulas

which we recite often but few of us pause to reflect upon their tremendous value.

In this Year of Faith, Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, 

in his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, has ordered that:

“Religious communities as well as parish communities, and all ecclesial bodies old and new, are to find a way, during this Year, to make a public profession of the Credo [...] Not without reason, Christians in the early centuries were required to learn the creed from memory. It served them as a daily prayer not to forget the commitment they had undertaken in baptism.”

“With words rich in meaning, St Augustine speaks of this in a homily on the redditio symboli, the handing over of the Creed: ‘the Symbol of the holy mystery that you have all received together and that today you have recited one by one, are the words on which the faith of Mother Church is firmly built above the stable foundation that is Christ the Lord. You have received it and recited it, but in your minds and hearts you must keep it ever present, you must repeat it in your beds, recall it in the public squares and not forget it during meals: even when your body is asleep, you must watch over it with your hearts.’”

Today, 14 December, we celebrate the feast of 

Saint Spiridion the Wonderworker,

 Bishop of Tremithus in Cyprus, who died in 344.

 Of his many wondrous deeds

 the one that concerns us is that which took place at the

 Holy Ecumenical Council convened in Nicaea in AD 325 -

 the Council which would form the magnificent Creed chanted at Mass.

The image below shows the first part of the Creed in Greek

 held in the hands of the Holy Fathers of the Council.

"A total of 318 Holy Fathers arrived there from the remotest parts of the Christian world. All these venerable men had survived the prisons and the torments of their persecutors. The Arian heresy had also gathered together its own followers. Arius had called to Nicaea a whole crowd of sophists, even pagan ones, to defend his cause. Philosophers quickly came forward for the pleasure of debating against these old men whom they thought unacquainted with the art of logic and metaphysical speculation.

"One of these philosophers boasted before all the Fathers that he would be able to refute and silence anyone who wanted to defend the divinity of Christ in front of him. It was St Spiridion who took up the challenge. The Fathers momentarily took fright because the old man, whose knowledge of the Greek language was poor, had never studied dialectical argumentation.

"Spiridion, with the inspired tone of a prophet told the philosopher that Christ and the apostles did not teach dialectics, but the truth, which is fostered by faith and good works. He then made a simple profession of  faith - the Apostles Creed. He told the philosopher that that was all that he needed to believe and rebuked him for seeking vain explanations. 

"Spiridion then asked whether he believed in what he had just said. The philosopher who was all set to reply to arguments of reason with his own subtle arguments was struck dumb by the simplicity of the prelate’s words and recognised in them the Word of God. He confessed that he indeed believed and urged the other philosophers to believe in Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to follow the holy old man. St Spiridion shortly afterwards baptised him. The Roman Martyrology mentions this remarkable conversion."

St Spiridion's Profession

I believe, O Lord. Help Thou my unbelief!

Friday, II Week of Advent

A Few Calendars Left

Thank you to the many readers who have purchased a calendar this year.

 We still have a few left in stock but will soon run out.

 If you would like a calendar

 please use the link below to order one.

 Thank you.