The Beauty of God's Handiwork

Sunrise at Lanherne this week.

Dear Friends and Family,

When I walked into the sacristy in Plymouth this morning my Brazilian MC said, "Father, we're experiencing the miracle of the sun in Plymouth." There was some truth in what he said... He didn't mean that the sun was dancing as it did in Fatima, nor that some extraordinary miracle was taking place. But it is extremely rare to have bright, sunny, and (by British standards) warm days in February. But that's precisely what God gave us a few days this week!

The above photo shows you a sunrise in what turned out to be a beautiful, clear, sunny day. Some of the nights were also quite clear, such that the stars were especially beautiful. In a region where clouds and rain are the norm for most of the winter (well, actually for much of the year), it was a beautiful gift to have these sunny days. And because of all the rain God sends us, everything is always green and lush. So when the sun does come out, Cornwall is beautiful to behold.

Such beautiful sights are particularly helpful in these difficult times in the Church when so much that is ugly is coming to light. Thanks be to God that it is coming to light. That's a necessary step in any purification and conversion. But it is rather awful to see. Much has been written about the current crisis. I was particularly struck by an article that appeared about 3 days ago, by Gabriel Kuby, a German laywoman and sociologist. If you have a few minutes to read her 30-page article, it gives a penetrating analysis and summary of some of the root issues/corruption in the Church. I don't usually like to repost articles or links in this space, but this one seems to me well worth passing on to you: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/sociologist-praised-by-pope-benedict-blaming-abuse-crisis-on-clericalism.

It is now 10 PM. I should now pray compline and then turn in for the night. May Jesus and Mary watch over each of you, protect you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Driving in England

A painting of Our Lady done by someone locally (image is copyrighted), but who very kindly gifted me with a copy.

Dear Friends and Family,

This Wednesday morning I was quite nervous. After 20 hours of driving lessons (see partial list on the photo below), additional hours of studying necessary written questions, after having passed the theory test, the moment had now come... to take my British drivers' license test!

List of most of the driving lessons I had over the past few months.

For those Americans reading this, the test is much more difficult than the U.S. one. In addition, I had not driven a stick shift from when I was a teenager, and now I had to learn to do so left-handed. During each lesson the instructor drilled me, step by step, on the precise way you needed to be able to maintain your position on steep hills with only the clutch while preparing to enter a busy, narrow road at an intersection; how to navigate roundabouts of various shapes and sizes, emergency stops, the customs of giving way and maneuvering in narrow streets with oncoming traffic, various reversing and parking procedures, highway policies, etc. etc.

Many people fail the test on their first try, and some multiple times. Very much hoping to not have to spend any more time in driving lessons, nor to have to wait another six weeks to retake it, I was picked up at 9:30 AM to prepare for 11:30 AM test. We drove the streets of Bodmin for most of the next two hours, preparing for intricacies and traps to be found around the Bodmin test center. Then, as the clock struck 11:30 a man named Andy stepped into the test center waiting room and told me he would be administering the 40-minute test. After a few preliminaries we got in the car and, following his instructions, I drove off. While giving me instructions he would periodically ask me questions such as "Why did you become a priest?"--seemingly at moments where a lapse in concentration could lead to missing a key turn or required maneuver.

I was aware of a few mistakes and, when we pulled back into the test center, was unsure of the result. Thankfully, he turned and said, "First of all I can tell you that you passed..." and then proceeded to point out my mistakes. But he only marked me down for three minor faults out of a possible 15 before failure would have occurred. It was wonderful news! Now I can get back to driving normally, without some particulars that I think people only do for the test, and above all can devote my time to better pursuits than the finer points of driving!

In all of this, I couldn't help but think: do most couples take marriage preparation as seriously as the preparation for their drivers' license? Often marriage prep consists of a few meetings with the priest, or perhaps on a Friday evening to Sunday retreat. But in how many cases do couples' spend a solid 30 hours in class of some sort, or marriage preparation sessions? And is there any sort of test administered at the end? If there were, couples might work harder to retain much more of what the Church teaches about marriage, and marriages might be significantly better off.

Now, after a full day of ministry, finishing with a game of "Risk Europe" with some of the altar boys, and a nice meal with them, I need to finish some preparations for meetings tomorrow morning with the board overseeing renovations at Lanherne.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Carmel, Children, Angels and Demons

The church of the Carmel where I stay during courses in Toulouse.

A side altar.

Another view.

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your prayers for my studies last week. While exhausting, it was also very blessed. The course on angels and demons was excellent. For those of you in England, you will likely be hearing a series of sermons in February and March about the angels. Father Serge-Thomas Bonino, O.P. is the secretary general of the Vatican's International Theological Commission (and also celebrates the traditional Mass!), and an excellent teacher. His course focused on the sin of the angels: what choice did the good angels make to enter glory? What choice did the fallen ones make to turn away from God? But to get to that analysis much had to be looked at: what is an angel? How do they act, know, love? Can they form real bodies when acting in the world? etc. Fascinating topics.

The above photos give you a glimpse of the Carmel I stay at from Sunday night until the flight back to England Friday or Saturday. It's a very prayerful church. In the early morning hours, a few of us priests take turns celebrating the Holy Mass, after which the quiet chapel awaits us for time alone with the Lord (in such a big church it is easy to find a quiet corner!). This past week I was struck by the beautiful gift of being a child of God. How wonderful it is to be called to be like little children! In spite of how seriously we can take ourselves at times, God realizes how small and often mistaken and imperfect our actions, are but calls us to rejoice in Him at all times, to be like a little child who knows how wonderful his father is, how his father constantly wants to give him good things. Hard to put into words well, but it is truly wonderful to be a child of our Heavenly Father.

I am now safely back at Lanherne, but rather exhausted, so I will sign off and finish preparations for tomorrow morning.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

PS Here is a photo I took while sitting in the airport waiting for the flight to England. Surprisingly, sitting in a chair along the conveyer belt was one of the quietest and most peaceful places in the airport!

Snow on the Hedges

Snow falling thickly Thursday afternoon.

Friday Morning. Looking from my window.

Dear Friends and Family,

There is snow on the hedges! Such joyful words were whispered among the Catholics of the village and surrounding areas many centuries ago, when St. Cuthbert Mayne was in town. For in the late 1500's it was illegal to celebrate the Holy Mass--a crime punishable by death. So Fr. Cuthbert had to pretend to be the Arundell's steward, to make the rounds of their properties. When he was in town, the ladies would hang their washing out to dry on the hedges--so that all who saw it would know that the priest was in town and that an early morning candle-lit Mass, and the chance for Confession, would be available. "Snow on the hedges!" was the joyful cry.

Well, this Thursday afternoon, all of a sudden, several inches of snow fell from heaven to blanket the hedges and the rest of the monastery and village in white. It was a beautiful site to see. I had planned to write you more about the snow but my keyboard is freezing up and it is becoming increasingly difficult to type, so I had best sign off!

Tomorrow afternoon I will fly to France for another 5 days of studies--this time focussing on angels and demons. I will let you know next week how it was.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari