Letters - May/June 2002
Dear Goodnews
On glancing through Joanna Bogle's article "Easter
Customs" in the March/April issue of Goodnews, I notice that she
perpetuates the mistaken notion that there is a Church law that we must
go to Confession and receive Holy Communion at least once a year, at
Easter or thereabouts. It has never been true that we are all obliged
to do both. The notion that we are was due to the mixing up of two distinct
commandments of the Church. Trent intended that the law concerning Confession
to apply only to those who had committed mortal sin; and this clearly
makes sense, since we are not obliged to confess any sins except mortal.
See paras 1456 and 1457 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Yours sincerely,
Rev F Austin, Holy Cross parish, Manchester.
PS Also although one is encouraged to abstain from something
on Good Friday, it doesn't have to be meat!
Dear Goodnews
I would be grateful if I could use your letters page
to help with research I am conducting. As a minister in the Church of
England I am running a nationwide survey to assess the change in people's
moral and religious attitudes in the light of the events of 11 September.
I invite readers to send me information on any of the
following: How have events of the 11th changed your outlook on life?
Are you now more or less materialistic? More or less family oriented?
Are you thinking more about spiritual matters? Are you more or less
confident about the future? Did you have any premonition about it? What
was your reaction to the interpretation of some of the prophecies that
circulated at the time?
Please write to September Survey, The Church of England
Vicarage, Clayhill Road, Leigh, Surrey RH2 8PD.
Yours sincerely Rev J Willams.
Dear Goodnews
Although often prayer groups have "greeters"
to initially welcome newcomers. Could they not also nominate a discreet
"career" for new members of a group to pay particular attention
to them until they have properly settled in. One of the reasons why
people do not return, I'm sure, is that they do not feel sufficiently
"gathered in".
Sheila
Dear Goodnews
The praise rosary
I find myself driving usually 5 hours a day on weekdays,
carrying and fetching my children to and from school. Perhaps not so
unusual in the USA. I had been praying for Our Lord to introduce me
to His mother better and slowly I became re-acquainted with the Rosary.
I find now that there is something new every day with Our Lady in the
Rosary and when people say that she walks hand in hand with the Holy
Spirit there is no doubt that this is true, because one learns so much
from her prayer.
However I have always had problems with concentration,
the beads will slip,sor I forget which finger I am on, or sometimes
I just say the words… I asked Our Lady to help me concentrate and
today it was given me that I should praise in between each prayer. This
morning I tried it after each theme of the decade and each Our Father,
each Hail Mary and each Glory Be. I just said a word or a line of praise
such as "Praise the Lord", "Glory, Hallelujah, Glory"
or "Holy, Holy is the name of Jesus".
As a result I was able to concentrate so much better
on the mysteries. I got a better feeling for the order of things, in
particular the important of the Hail Mary in relation to the Our Father,
something which had confused me and which I had intellectualised. I
felt closer to Our Lady and I felt as though I understood her attitude
to life better.
My tiredness, lifted completely and by the Glorious mysteries
I felt elated - bursting with joy in fact - so much so that I went to
Mass afterwards and thought I would look far too happy to the other
participants.
I wonder if anyone else has been given this method of
prayer? I would love to hear from others who might want to try it. Incidently
I found that it did not take me any longer to say the Rosary this, than
without the praise interjections! Hallelujah to our King!
God bless you all
Evelyne (USA)
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