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  Auntie Madge (Margaret Collins) Taken by a street photographer, probably  Arthur Fields , on O'Connell Bridge, Dublin, late 1940s. (Please excuse the format of the photo!)   Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town Written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie Arranged by Jim Clements Sung by Voces8 My Auntie Madge (Margaret Collins) would have been ten or eleven when this song first appeared in 1934 and no doubt heard  Santa Claus is Coming to Town  many times. But she never heard the marvellous arrangement by Voces8, the British choral ensemble that I often use in  Sunday Reflections , here singing a different kind of music from their largely religious repertoire. Auntie Madge was the youngest of my mother's six sisters Jennie, Nan, Neita, Bridie, Eileen and Madge. I'm not sure where Bridie, who died in infancy, came in the sequence but I often heard my mother, Mary, talking about her. Three boys, Mick, Paddy and Jack, completed the family of my maternal grandparen...

St John the Baptist in Prison Juan Fernández de Navarrete [ Web Gallery of Art ] Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”' (Matthew 11:2-3; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India)   Readings  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 11:2-11   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples   and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”   And Jesus answered them,  “Go and tell John what you hear and see:   the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and ...

Old Woman Dozing Nicolaes Maes [ Web Gallery of Art ] Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming  (Matthew 24:42; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: (England & Wales, Scotland, India) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 24: 37-44   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: ‘For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, fo...

The Coronation of the Virgin Blessed Fra Angelico,  Musée du Louvre, Paris  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Compline, the official Night Prayer of the Church ends with an anthem  of antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In monasteries this is sung. In the traditional liturgical calendar there are four of these, all in Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater  is sung from Saturday before the 1st Sunday of Advent through February 1. The anthem from 2 February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, through Wednesday of Holy Week is  Ave, Regina caelorum . Regina caeli  is the Easter anthem, sung from Easter Sunday through Friday within the Octave of Pentecost. The best known anthem, sung on many occasions apart from Compline, is  Salve, Regina . It is the anthem for Compline from Saturday after the Octave of Pentecost through Friday before the 1st Sunday of Advent. Regina Caeli Sung by Schola Gregoriana Medioalanensis, under Giovanni Vianini Continue at Bangor to Bobbio...

The Coronation of the Virgin Blessed Fra Angelico [ Web Gallery of Art ] Compline, the official Night Prayer of the Church ends with an anthem  of antiphon to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In monasteries this is sung. In the traditional liturgical calendar there are four of these, all in Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater  is sung from Saturday before the 1st Sunday of Advent through February 1. The anthem from 2 February, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, through Wednesday of Holy Week is  Ave, Regina caelorum . Regina coeli  is the Easter anthem, sung from Easter Sunday through Friday within the Octave of Pentecost. The best known and most widely sung anthem, sung on many occasions apart from Compline, is  Salve, Regina . It is the anthem for Compline from Saturday after the Octave of Pentecost through Friday before the 1st Sunday of Advent. Sung by the Choir of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), Chevilly, France, conducted by Fr Lucien Deiss CSSp.   Ave,...

Apostle Peter in Prison Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me  (Matthew 16:24; Gospel). Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 16:21-27  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.   And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”   But he turned and said to Peter,  “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples,  “If a...

  The Incredulity of St Thomas Caravaggio [ Web Gallery of Art ] Second Sunday of Easter, Year A Divine Mercy Sunday Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel :   John 20:19-31   (English Standard Version, Anglicised) On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,  “Peace be with you.”   When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.   Jesus said to them again,  “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”   And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,  “Receive the Holy Spirit.   If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven th...

  The Sermon on the Mount Carl Heinrich Bloch [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Matthew 5:17-37  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.   For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.   Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.   For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, y...

  Sophie Scholl in 1942  (9 May 1921 - 22 February 1943)  [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (I Cor 2:2; Second Reading). Reading   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 5:13-16  ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)     Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and...