Dear Little hearts,

Another new week, a new dawn, a new moment and God is with us, good morning to you all. We begin this week with the first psalm from Morning Prayer of the Divine Office. Not everyone will awake today with joy and feeling the ‘joys of Spring’ as we say !! neither does the Psalmist, the week begins with a Lament and that is precisely where so many people actually are and feel now!!…. beginning their week with a Lament and the Lord is listening !!

Psalm 5(5)

To my words give ear, O Lord,
give heed to my groaning.
Attend to the sound of my cries,
my King and my God.

O, Lord I know you are listening I know that you HEAR my groaning ,my inner cries of the heart, I thank you that you accept me when I am ecstatic and when I am down on the ground, I thank you for your faithful love !!

It is you whom I invoke, O Lord.
In the morning you hear me;
in the morning I offer you my prayer,
watching and waiting.

I’m not talking to myself, Because I know you are the only one who can truly help me, I’m sending all my complaints and struggles up to you Lord, and I am watching out in my life for your response and your word, don’t let me miss your answer when it comes.

You are no God who loves evil;
no sinner is your guest.
The boastful shall not stand their ground
before your face.

How you love humility in the heart Lord, and truth to tell I’ve got nothing to boast about save your Cross and your great love, and that I will boast about for you are wonderful, you are amazing, and to think you love me so much as to die for me.

But I through the greatness of your love
have access to your house.
I bow down before your holy temple,
filled with awe.

I praise and bless you Lord for all my even Christians, for all those who have placed their faith and trust in you, how blessed we are to be members of your Church, the family of God.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice,
because of those who lie in wait;
make clear your way before me.
No truth can be found in their mouths,
their heart is all mischief,
their throat a wide-open grave,
all honey their speech.

Lord I thank you for the way your Holy Spirit speaks within my soul, I thank you for calling me to vigilance, for allowing me that awareness when I find myself amidst those to do not wish me well, among those who even hate me, Lord please give me the grace never to ignore that inner voice for it is YOU protecting me from evil !!

All those you protect shall be glad
and ring out their joy.
You shelter them; in you they rejoice,
those who love your name.

Yes Lord under the shadow of your wings, your arms, I shout for joy ! Yes Lord, I love you, I love you, I love you, and praise and bless your Holy Name !

Jesus in the morning, Jesus at the Noontide, Jesus when the sun goes down, I give you my heart, Lord give me yours.

It is you who bless the just man
you surround him with favour as with a shield.

Jesus, you are my Shield and defender, you are my great reward, you protect me in all my ways and all I have to do is listen!!

Sung Versions of Psalm 5

Pope to bless painting of Our Lady of Walsingham ahead of rededication of England in March.

Feb 8th, 2020

On Wednesday 12 February 2020, during his weekly audience, Pope Francis, at the request of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, will bless a painting of Our Lady of Walsingham, a shrine dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, in Norfolk. The painting, by Amanda de Pulford, will return to Walsingham for the rededication of England as Mary’s Dowry on 29 March 2020. After the rededication the Dowry Painting will begin a journey to every Catholic parish in England.

Walsingham Shrine, founded almost 1000 years ago, is one of the oldest shrines dedicated to Mary. In pre-Reformation times, it ranked with Jerusalem, Rome and Compostela as the most visited sites in Christendom, until it was destroyed in the 16th century. Medieval pilgrim routes to Walsingham exist from Ely, Norwich and Kings Lynn, where pilgrims from Europe would disembark before travelling the 30 miles to Walsingham on foot. With the resurgence of pilgrimage in Britain, it is expected that many people will want to walk to Walsingham this year.

The first documented dedication of England to Our Lady was made by King Richard II in Westminster Abbey in 1381 as he sought her protection in the face of great political turmoil. It was the first formal occasion when England was known as ‘Mary’s Dowry’, although the title is believed to have an earlier origin. ‘Mary’s Dowry’ means that England was ‘set aside’ as a gift for Mary. This event is commemorated in the Wilton Diptych which is displayed in the National Gallery.

On Sunday 29 March 2020, a rededication will take place throughout the country, in cathedrals, churches, and other venues. This rededication is both a personal promise of the people of the country, and a renewal of the entrustment vows made by King Richard II in 1381. A map of places which have offered to host the rededication on 29 March can be found in the website: http://www.behold2020.com/

The Rector of The Catholic National Shrine in Walsingham, Mgr John Armitage said: “It will be a great joy to be with Pope Francis and Cardinal Nichols in Rome for the blessing of the new Dowry Painting. The painting will then be commissioned in Walsingham on the day of the rededication by Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald on the site of the ancient Holy House. It will then leave to start a visit to every Parish in the country as a permanent reminder of the devotion of the people of England to Our Blessed Lady expressed so beautifully in the Dowry tradition that we will celebrate on the 29th March 2020. On this day we shall surely take Our Lady’s message to heart to ‘Share my Joy in the Annunciation’.”

For more information see: www.behold2020.com/

community@marianhouseoftheholyspiritpcc.org