'Nichols rallies faithful to Lenten observance'
Ever wondered why it's common to have a fish and not a meat dish on Fridays? An article in the Tablet - An international Catholic Weekly - dated the 5th March 2011 explains.
His Grace, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster (the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales) called the faithful people during Lent this year to take up this 'ancient tradition' not just blindly, but with reason and prayerfulness.
Traditionally, Catholics practice 'prayer, self denial and almsgiving' during Lent, but on all Fridays we are to fast or at least 'abstain from meat, or another favourite part of our diet' as an act of our humility to God.
The Bishops Conference has urged Catholics to be proud (but not too proud as pride is a deadly sin) of their Catholic faith, and do what we can to share it with others by means of simple gestures such as fasting and making the sign of the Cross more often.
In modern times, fasting isn't practical. We got out to eat, some of us eat what is provided for us by others - it doesn't always work out. Abstaining from something, anything, for the day shows prayerful consideration.
But why Friday? Good Friday, of course, is the day Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice and humbled himself to death on a Cross. In memory of this, Catholics humble themselves in a small gesture.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Road melts
A wonderful article in the Bristol Evening Post - Wednesday May 25th involving a Councillor (the Deputy Lord Mayor) and a Bristol resident.
The resident claims, and I quote, that he was a 'victim of a melting road' - He claims his new carpets were ruined by the resurfacing of the road outside his house with tar and those weird annoying chippings things. The resident claims the Council should pay £1,300 for new carpets and also, just for the jokes, pay £544 for a new windscreen, as his car was damaged by the chippings. Well, the windscreen is plausible, I guess.
The Councillor is lending his support (most likely because according to this article they live on the same road, and it would have been a little Un-Ex-Lord Mayor like to ignore him). After complaints were made, both personal and on the behalf of his new friend, workmen swept the road to help the problem by removing the loose chippings. Twice.
The resident has been on the Council's case for a year now and has written 'nearly 40 letters of complaint,' and after his 'research' he has concluded that the problem is due to 'chippings not being washed' beforehand and therefore won't stick to the tar if they're dirty with dust (what the hell kind of home research is this?). Then the Council had a look, well 'inspection.' Conclusion? Nothing wrong (...)
Ah well, but at least 'a meeting with him to discuss the issue' has been called. There is some road/rogue justice (ahha).
The resident claims, and I quote, that he was a 'victim of a melting road' - He claims his new carpets were ruined by the resurfacing of the road outside his house with tar and those weird annoying chippings things. The resident claims the Council should pay £1,300 for new carpets and also, just for the jokes, pay £544 for a new windscreen, as his car was damaged by the chippings. Well, the windscreen is plausible, I guess.
The Councillor is lending his support (most likely because according to this article they live on the same road, and it would have been a little Un-Ex-Lord Mayor like to ignore him). After complaints were made, both personal and on the behalf of his new friend, workmen swept the road to help the problem by removing the loose chippings. Twice.
The resident has been on the Council's case for a year now and has written 'nearly 40 letters of complaint,' and after his 'research' he has concluded that the problem is due to 'chippings not being washed' beforehand and therefore won't stick to the tar if they're dirty with dust (what the hell kind of home research is this?). Then the Council had a look, well 'inspection.' Conclusion? Nothing wrong (...)
Ah well, but at least 'a meeting with him to discuss the issue' has been called. There is some road/rogue justice (ahha).
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