Quote of the week

"Meet the new boss - Same as the old boss," - The Who.

This line from the Who's song Won't Get Fooled Again sums up the danger of violently overthrowing the current order. In the end, similar, if not the same, people end up back at the top.

The problem with revolutions is that, as the name suggests, once the process has been completed you are invariably back exactly where you started.

This was ably demonstrated by George Orwell in Animal Farm, his modern fable satirising Soviet Communism. The leaders of the revolution inevitably become like those they displaced, as power corrupts them. The principles of the original revolutionaries are betrayed and they find themselves oppressed once more.

History teaches us that any power founded on violence and through violence is doomed to be perpetually plagued with violence - look at modern Israel or even at the USA itself. It could be argued that the success of post-colonial India in the last 60 years is, at least in part, due to the adherence to non-violence by the main independence movement. India could have freed itself from the colonial yoke through force of arms, that might have been the easier, quicker way, but instead India chose the harder path, the longer path; as Frost would have it "the one less traveled by" and as he says, it HAS made all the difference!

Welsh Martyrs Catholic Church, Penparcau

Just went to Mass at Penparcau, sadly we are having to temporarily move down to St. Winefride's next week, due to the state of the roof. Hopefully we can get it patched up soon. As this photo shows it is in a pretty parlous state, which is a pity, since it is a nice Church to worship in.

There is no further news on the vexed question of a new Church. I gather that someone has now sent a letter to the Western Mail, the same non-parishioner who wrote to the Cambrian news.

It's all very well this person writing to the papers and complaining, but he doesn't even live in the Diocese and he isn't going to have to pay for anything that's done, the parishioners are.

The bottom line is this: what can the parish afford to do, that will give us a Church that will last us into the next century?

People need to remember that the Church is the community of believers, not any particular building. I like Welsh Martyrs, but I accept that it will eventually have to go, whatever is decided.

The important thing is to give the Catholic community of Aberystwyth a place where they can worship in reverence and safety for the next 100 years. Though the way the current government is going Christianity may well have been outlawed by then.

Annoyances

I've had quite a stressful week at work, mainly due to various little niggles, caused by other people. So many people seem to have no empathy towards others. It seems to be a national disease.

I often lack patience with others and sometimes am guilty of thoughtlessness myself. Of course that doesn't help me to cope with other people annoying me.

My main problem is letting go of the irritation, I'm often like a child picking at a scab, and doing that it'll never heal.

How good it would be to learn the art of throwing away what's in the past!

Big Brother wants to watch you even more closely

Anyone who thinks our freedoms are safe in the hands of the government should take a look at this article on the BBC News website.

Yo, Brown, if you're reading this, just GO NOW!

Quote of the week

"Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to the dark side" - Yoda.

Why do we fear others, those who are different from us? Is it simply the fear of the unknown, or is it our own insecurity? Whatever the reason, as long as we separate ourselves from others, cut ourselves off from experiencing them, their lives, their thoughts and beliefs, we cannot understand them and this lack of understanding will leave us uncertain of others.

If we engage with others, those who are different, and get to know them as individual human beings then it is much easier to understand them and much harder to fear them and thus hate them. It is much easier to hate an amorphous group of people than someone you actually say hello to every day.

If I don't know any Muslims, if I've never met a Muslim, then how can I really understand them? It is very easy to fear this faceless group of people. But how can I hate the young Muslim woman who smiled at me this afternoon as we passed in the street. Such a simple act, but so important, fear is dispelled by a the smallest kindness.

If we can learn to look through another's eyes, to 'walk a mile in someone's shoes', to make that all-important empathic link to another, then fear and anger and hate and darkness can be banished from our lives.

Wisely, speaks small green alien.

One of my heroes

I recently read "John Gerard: The Autobiography of an Elizabethan". This is an amazing book detailing the life & work of a Jesuit Priest during the post-reformation persecution of Catholics in Britain. It is a an account of immense courage in the face of ever-present danger, of faithfulness among the Catholic community despite intense pressure to conform.

Gerard, who came from the village I grew up in, spent many years spreading the faith and ministering to the Catholic community in England. Such was his success that he became one of the most wanted men in Britain. He was betrayed and captured by the authorities. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London and endured torture, before escaping.

Despite the claims of the English state, Gerard always maintained that he had no political agenda and remained loyal to the Crown. In the aftermath of the Gunpowder Plot, Gerard was finally forced to leave the country, though he had no knowledge of the plot and had told people not to get involved in such activities.

Contrary to their reputation in this country, the Jesuits were not into plots and were never involved with the inquisition (apart from their founder St. Ignatius Loyola, who was actually hauled in front of them at one point). In fact the Jesuits were more interested in debating with those that disagreed with them and used persuasion and argument to convert people.

John Gerard has always been one of my heroes, ever since I first read about him, when I was a child. This was a truly inspiring book and a very readable translation of Gerard's Latin original. It is well worth a read.

Welsh Martyrs, Penparcau

It was announced this morning that 9am Mass is going to be moving down to St. Winefride's from 27th June. It is a shame that we are going to have to move from Welsh Martyrs as it is such a nice Church. Unfortunately the roof is in such poor repair now and added to this Paul and Phillip are to take on full time responsibility for Lampeter and Aberaeron.

We now only have three priests for the whole of Ceredigion. Sooner or later someone is going to have to take a good look at whole question of who can become a priest, how long it should take to train them, what they should be doing and what they should be leaving to the laity. Unfortunately I can't see this issue being addressed during the current Pontificate; at the moment the prevailing attitude among the hierarchy appears to be one of burying their heads in the sand and blaming the laity for not all rushing to enter the religious life.