Weekly Record 34 - Exam results (21 August 2010)
20 Aug, 2010
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 'A' LEVEL STUDENTS
By now those young people who took their ‘A’ Level examinations this year will have their results and either be elated or rather disappointed at the outcome. I have a nephew who will be part of the anxious throng waiting with trepidation on Thursday - at the stage of writing this I have not heard how he has fared. I’m sure many of you had a member of your family in the same situation. Normally at the time of the exam results there is a predictable litany of experts and politicians bemoaning the fact that the exams are less difficult and marking more lenient than in the past (which is code for when they sat exams). It always strikes me as sour grapes to take the shine off the young people's achievements. Forty years ago there were no computers or a great deal of the technology we have to day, we were only allowed slide rules into exams so how can we compare one to the other. All credit to those who have done well in their exams – I, for one, wouldn’t fancy having to sit exams again, from what I have seen of recent exam papers, I wouldn’t be very confident of getting a pass grade. It’s a bit like comparing the church of the past with that of the present !
This week we are blessed with the presence of a number of visiting choirs – leading up to the Beatles Festival in the city next weekend. This Sunday we welcome the choir from St Augustine’s, Barkingside, who will be singing at the Solemn Mass at 11am. There is also a visiting choir, Bexley Phoenix Choir, who will give an informal concert at 12noon in the Cathedral on Tuesday. Finally next Saturday evening the Ascension Singers will sing at the 6.30pm evening Mass in the Crypt.
It is only a few weeks before the visit of Pope Benedict to England and Scotland and the Beatification of John Henry Newman. The Archbishop has encouraged us to pray the ‘Anima Christi’ at this time’. My hope is that there will be less negative press regarding the church and that the Holy Father's visit will be seen in a positive light for all our citizens.
The Archbishop writes:-
‘This prayer is Cardinal Newman's translation of the same Latin prayer, Anima Christi, that is the origin of the hymn 'Soul of my Saviour'. Pray it now in your heart for yourself, for each other, for our Holy Father:’
Petitions to our Holy Redeemer.
|
Soul of Christ, be my sanctification;
Body of Christ, be my salvation;
Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;
Water of Christ's side, wash out my stains;
Passion of Christ, my comfort be;
O good Jesus, listen to me;
in thy wounds I fain would hide;
|
ne'er to be parted from thy side;
guard me, should the foe assail me;
call me when my life shall fail me;
bid me come to thee above,
with thy saints to sing thy love,
world without end.
Amen. |
Canon Anthony O’Brien Dean