It is a Redemptorist tradition to commemorate the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the 25th of every month. This tradition is known as the Little Christmas . The image of our infant Saviour is venerated at the foot of the altar on which He is daily sacrificed for our sins.

Not every diocese can claim its own Marian feast, but we are lucky enough to live in one that can.  Today, 9th July, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Aberdeen. The statue, which is now in Belgium, is known in that country as Our Lady of Good Succour. The miraculous statue of Our Lady of Aberdeen. The Holy Mass of Our Lady of Good Succour, celebrated before the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.   - John 6:54 For if the blood of goats and of oxen, and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled, sanctify such as are defiled, to the cleansing of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted unto God, cleanse our conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?  - Hebrews 9:13-14

This year our greenhouse has been a huge success, especially in the fruit department.  Our cherries have grown fantastically; so big that we thought we should see what the record for cherry size is. One of three cherry trees in our greenhouse. Picked from the tree in the morning, and on the table at lunch...could they come much fresher?  These cherries have very small stones.  Almost the whole thing is flesh.  Guinness  World Records  give the heaviest cherry in the world as 21.69 g (0.76 oz).  The record was set in 2003 in Italy. Look at that!  Without even trying we have a cherry weighing in at 19 g (0.67 oz), just 2.69 g off the world record!  Could these be the heaviest cherries in Scotland? The average weight for this years cherries has been 16g (0.56 oz). Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father fee...

Today, 4th July, our American confreres celebrate their independence from the United Kingdom.  Although we would not naturally be inclined to mark the day, they made sure it was well remembered! Br. Seelos baked a cake. On this foggy day, our three Americans try to find the closest place to home...  ...under the flag! God bless America.