Smile please .............

Humbly dedicated
to the Pro Papa League

A little light relief for the indefatigable sailors of the Pro Papa League, with thanks to, and courtesy of Paul Nichols of 'catholiccartoonblog.blogspot'.

I guarantee that Paul Nichol's site will bring a smile to the face of all those who 'have an eye to see', even perhaps ,dare I say it, certain members of the Hierarchy!

On a rather worldly note and rather guiltily, I feel obliged to admit that whilst I was thinking about this post, that wonderful, light operetta 'HMS Pinafore' by WS Gilbert and Sir A Sullivan, came to mind. I think it may be an association of ideas, with in one corner, the 'Pro Papa League', with a picture in my mind of the papal Armada, sailing or even steaming, resolutely across turbulent seas in support of our Holy Father; and in the other corner, a memory of Sir Joseph Porter KCB, declaring boldly to all and sundry, in 'The First Lord's Song', his great merit as the First Lord of the Admiralty, although he does admit to certain failings!

I hasten to add that this association of ideas in no way diminishes the respective value of either, in fact in a strange way they could be described as complementary, for both reflect the views and attitudes of the society of the day, and both have a singular purpose of spreading the truth to an unbelieving and ignorant world.

Of course one is a spiritual journey, and the other a worldly one, but there is the nub, for we know that this life is inexorably linked to the next, as man is to God. They cannot be separated.

So there it is, my excuse for this part of my blog. PS I do recommend the works of G & S, especially HMS Pinafore - one of my favourites!

Tomorrow, 30th September, is the feast day of St Michael the Archangel, the guardian angel of the Hebrew nation(Dan 10:13,21), and also the protector of the Catholic Church on earth, the Church militant.

The Book of Revelation states (12:7-9) 'Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels waged war upon the dragon......so the great dragon was thrown down, that serpent of old..' St Michael vanquishing the devil, is the image of the Christian conflict of good versus evil, Christ versus the Anti-Christ. In religious art St Michael is depicted wearing a coat of mail, armed with a shield, and sword or spear, and like most angels he has wings (which distinguishes him from St George, the other slayer of dragons). St Michael is also represented weighing the souls of the dead to measure their 'just deserts', with Christian art commonly portraying St Michael holding a balance, with a human soul- a diminutive naked human figure- in each pan.

St Alphonsus says this about St Michael:- "In the Mass for the dead, the Church prays, 'May the standard-bearer, St Michael, bring them into the holy light'. The learned explain this prayer by saying that St Michael has the honourable office of presenting to Jesus Christ, the judge, all the souls that depart this life in the grace of God."(29th September)

Finally a concluding extract from 'Thoughts from St Alphonsus' by Rev C McNeiry C.SS.R -

"But tell me, my sweet Infant, why dost thou turn thine eyes on every side? What art thou looking for? Yes, replies Jesus, I turn my eyes around, for I am seeking some soul that desires me." (April 25th)

Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us, and protect and guide our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVIth.