The Portal November 2018 | Page 6
THE
P RTAL
November 2018
Page 6
Remember, Remember
Julia Beacroft remembers November
Remember, remember the fifth of November,
Gunpowder treason and plot.
We see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
(Alan Moore)
remembering our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our
sins, was resurrected and gave himself wholly and
completely out of love for each and every one of us.
And there is more.
During the Catholic Mass, Jesus is made present
over and over again at the table of the Eucharist – in
ovember is now upon us, a month which fact every time that the celebration and the sacrifice of
many of us find somewhat dreary, cold and a the Holy Mass takes place.
reminder that winter is only just around the corner.
The name November actually comes from the Roman
And so we count ourselves lucky that not only can
word ‘novem’ meaning nine, because November was we remember Jesus in our thoughts and prayers as
the ninth month in the Roman calendar. The Anglo- we go about our daily lives, but we are enabled by the
Saxons, in their turn, called November ‘Wind monath’ power of the Holy Spirit to encounter Him each time
because it was the time when the cold winds began to we go to Mass.
blow and Sir Walter Scott wrote of the month:
And so during this month of November – a
‘November’s sky is chill and drear
traditional
time for remembering – we give grateful
November’s leaf is red and sear (withered)’.
thanks as we remember our Lord, because there is no
So all in all, not always a month to which we look reason why He should ever be forgotten.
forward! Yet the first week of November has always
© 2018 Julia Beacroft - all rights reserved
been a time of festivals and celebrations, marking the
end of harvest and the beginning of winter. Bonfire
Julia Beacroft is an author, editor, workshop leader and presenter
Night, of course, is one of these.
in Catholic faith formation. Her book ‘Sanctifying the Spirit’
is available to buy from AMAZON, www.waterstones.com
Relentlessly
or Book Depository. Please visit www.sanciobooks.com
for more information. Follow Julia on Facebook and Twitter
Even now, I can vividly recall an incident some
years ago when my elder daughter was attending
nursery. As usual, I had collected her at the end of the
Geofrey Kirk is on holiday this month
session and was waiting to hear all about her morning
and Arnold Heron is poorly
there. But apparently this was not to be! The children
had been learning about Guy Fawkes and Bonfire
Night which was fast approaching and had been
Ecumenical Marian Pilgrimage Trust
taught the rhyme ‘Remember, Remember’ (above).
Registered Charity no. 1108173
Unfortunately however, she had only remembered
Ecumenical Pilgrimage at Walsingham
half of the first line:
Tuesday 19th - Friday 22nd March 2019
‘Remember, remember the fifth of November’, which
CATHOLIC, ANGLICAN, ORTHODOX AND FREE CHURCH
she then proceeded to sing relentlessly over and over
LITURGIES, TALKS AND DEVOTIONS
again all the way home. And we were not in the car –
we were walking!
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Orthodox)
N
Made Present
The great festivals of the Church at Easter and
Christmas are traditionally the times when we
particularly reflect upon our faith, and of course by
November, Christmas is already starting to permeate
our thoughts. But it seems to me that the words
‘Remember, remember’ are particularly apt for all
Christians. Our faith journeys always involve our
HE Archbishop Edwin Adams (Papal Nuncio tbc)
Bishop Jonathan Goodall of Ebbsfleet (Anglican)
Prof Frances Young (Methodist) Preb Norman Wallwork (Methodist)
Eleanor Jackson (Society of Friends) Fr Peter Farrington (Coptic Orthodox)
Rev Dr Gareth Powell (Methodist) Fr Philip Corbett (Anglican)
Fr Kevin Alban O.Carm (Catholic) Michael Russell (Catholic)
Further details and booking form:
[email protected]
or online at: www.EcumenicalMarianPilgrimage.org.uk