Balmoral Castle - 5

Her Majesty will be staying at Balmoral Castle throughout August and September this year. That is why she will be granting Pope Benedict XVI an audience in Scotland (rather than England) during his forthcoming State Visit to Great Britain. This audience is to be held at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.



Naturally, not all the staff who come up from London with Her Majesty for the two month summer vacation are able to stay in the Castle itself. Many are put up in the Garden Cottage - which is shown in the photo above. Those who come for the first time are probably in for a shock, because the accommodation is quite spartan. Still, the grounds are truly magnificent.

Teach me, my God and King,
in all things thee to see,
and what I do in anything
to do it as for thee.

A man that looks on glass,
on it may stay his eye;
or if he pleaseth, through it pass,
and then the heaven espy.

All may of thee partake;
nothing can be so mean,
which with this tincture, "for thy sake,"
will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause
makes drudgery divine:
who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
that turneth all to gold;
for that which God doth touch and own
cannot for less be told.

George Herbert, 1633

Sts Peter and Paul

Apologies to St Paul for giving St Peter all the glory - but I am just a little biased!



Forsaken once, and thrice denied,
The risen Lord gave pardon free,
Stood once again at Peter’s side,
And asked him, “Lov’st thou Me?”

How many times with faithless word
Have we denied His holy Name,
How oft forsaken our dear Lord,
And shrunk when trial came?

Saint Peter, when the cock crew clear,
Went out, and wept his broken faith;
Strong as a rock through strife and fear,
He served his Lord till death.

How oft his cowardice of heart
We have without his love sincere,
The sin without the sorrow’s smart,
The shame without the tear!

O oft forsaken, oft denied,
Forgive our shame, wash out our sin;
Look on us from Thy Father’s side
And let that sweet look win.

Hear when we call Thee from the deep,
Still walk beside us on the shore,
Give hands to work, and eyes to weep,
And hearts to love Thee more.

Mrs Cecil Alexander - 1875

Happy Feast!

Balmoral Castle - 4

Here we see The Queen's sitting room (on the ground floor) and her bedroom immediately above it. This affords Her Majesty plenty of privacy and a splendid view of the surrounding countryside.



Sadly, I have never been invited inside the sitting room, but the following video gives us a sneaky look inside!



I would say it is more homely than palatial.

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time

In todays Gospel we hear of Jesus resolutely taking the road to Jerusalem - to suffer, die, and rise again for us. Unlike this fox, Jesus is on a journey and has no regular place to lay his head and rest.



Thou didst leave thy throne and thy kingly crown,
When thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem's home was there found no room
For thy holy nativity.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.

Heaven's arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming thy royal degree;
But in lowly birth didst thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.

The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the cedar tree;
But thy couch was the sod, O thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.

Thou camest, O Lord, with the living word
That should set thy children free;
But with mocking scorn, and with crown of thorn,
They bore thee to Calvary.
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.

When heaven's arches shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
At thy coming to victory,
Let thy voice call me home, saying "Yet there is room,
There is room at my side for thee."
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for thee.

Emily Elizabeth Steele Elliott, 1864

Happy Sunday!

1st Holy Communion - 2

Another lovely photo of the eight children, together with Sister Barbara - who prepared them so well for their First Holy Communion.



The celebration cake was great, but I particularly enjoyed the dumpling - a traditional Highland treat. I enthused so much about it that I was given the remnants to bring home - enough to feed 5,000!

Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us,

You are one with us, Mary’s Son.

Cleansing our souls from all their sin,

Pouring your love and goodness in;

Jesus, our love for you we sing, living Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, now and every day

Teach us how to pray, Son of God.

You have commanded us to do

This, in remembrance, Lord, of you;

Into our lives your power breaks through, living Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us,

Born as one of us, Mary’s son.

Led out to die on Calvary,
 Risen from death to set us free;

Living Lord Jesus, help us see you are Lord.

Lord Jesus Christ, I would come to you,

Live my life for you, Son of God;

All your commands I know are true;

Your many gifts will make me new;

Into my life your power breaks through, living Lord.

Patrick Appleford (1961)

1st Holy Communion - 1

What a lovely photo - and not a bad one of the children either!



Last Sunday (20 June) eight children (four boys and four girls) received their First Holy Communion at St Columba's, Culloden. Here they are pictured with the Parish Priest (Fr James Bell) and His Eminence. They looked resplendent in their white dresses and Highland Dress - though I sympathise with the boy who said, 'I'm not dressing up like that!'

Jesus, gentlest Saviour,
God of might and power,
thou thyself art dwelling
in us at this hour.

Nature cannot hold thee,
heaven is all too strait
for thine endless glory
and thy royal state.

Out beyond the shining
of the furthest star
thou art ever stretching
infinitely far.

Yet the hearts of children
hold what worlds cannot,
and the God of wonders
loves the lowly spot.

Jesus, gentlest Saviour,
dwelling in us now,
fill us full of goodness
till our hearts o'erflow.

Multiply our graces,
chiefly love and fear,
and, dear Lord, the chiefest,
grace to persevere.

Frederick William Faber, 1854

Birth of John the Baptist

Today we celebrate the Birthday of John the Baptist.



Hail, harbinger of morn:
thou that art this day born,
and heraldest the Word with clarion voice!
Ye faithful ones, in him
behold the dawning dim
of the bright day, and let your hearts rejoice.

John--by that chosen name
to call him, Gabriel came
by God's appointment from his home on high:
what deeds that babe should do
to manhood when he grew,
God sent his Angel forth to testify.

There is none greater, none,
than Zechariah's son;
than this no mightier prophet hath been born:
of prophets he may claim
more than a prophet's fame;
sublimer deeds than theirs his brow adorn.

"Lo, to prepare thy way,"
did God the Father say,
"Before thy face my messenger I send,
thy coming to forerun;
as on the orient sun
doth the bright daystar morn by morn attend."

Praise therefore God most high;
praise him who came to die
for us, his Son that liveth evermore;
and to the Spirit raise,
the Comforter, like praise,
while time endureth, and when time is o'er.

Words: The Venerable Bede (673-735);
trans. C.S. Calverley, 1906

Happy Feast - Happy Midsummer's Day!