Page 7 - tmp

Faith
www.ilkestonlife.com ILKESTON LIFE December 2021 7

Calder`s Corner.... sours the celebrations; immediate- Here was a young girl, barely out Paws for
ly following the festivities Royal of childhood, thrown into a terri- thought
Mail delivers that dreaded, monthly
fying cauldron of world-shaking
FESTIVE bank statement, detailing all those events that would have both thrill-
seasonal excesses. It is then that
ing and chilling consequences.
with
FATIGUE `the chickens come home to roost` Yes, the angelic announcement that Pippin
and `our goose is cooked` - in more
the Virgin Mary had been chosen
ways than one!
for Jesus’ miraculous entrance into
Of course, older readers will by God as the reproductive channel
remember `cheap and cheerful` our world was, indeed, a wonderful (another Vicarage cat)
ello! Let me `kick off` this Christmases when celebrations privilege. But the repercussions
HChristmas article by asking were a very simple affair. For were weighty and the negatives that Dear All,
a question. Are you a member instance, when I was a child, at this engulfed Mary were staggering.
of the “I’ll be glad when it’s all time of year, the paste pot would The culture of the day expected a Well, since the sad death
over brigade”? suddenly appear on the kitchen girl to be betrothed and marked for of Florence, back in June,
If so, I can sympathise with you, table, and the painstaking ritual of marriage as soon as she reached while my guardians are
largely because, every year, the sticking together homemade paper puberty. Mary was already bound sleeping the night away,
commercial Christmas is rolled out chains began. Many families hung to Joseph in an ongoing marriage I’ve been learning how to
far too early. The retail pressure DIY decorations from their ceilings contract, so serious consequences work this lap top thingy (or
starts to build almost four months because shop-bought tinsel was a threatened her if she conceived a ‘cat-top’ as Florence called
before the actual event, when luxury. child outside of wedlock. it).
festive products appear in the shops I recall, also, that my Christmas And, if Mary was not denounced It’s not been easy, not just because Advent often starts earlier, like this
and on the supermarket shelves. stocking typically held a thin, col- and vilified by her intended hus- of his loud snoring, it is as if there year, Advent Sunday is Sunday
Experiencing the blatant exploita- ouring book, a pencil and an apple band, she might expect, for the rest was a train in the hall, and she says 28th November? That’s 3 days of
tion of what is basically a sacred or orange. But, by the time I was of her life, to be shunned by society her snoring is like a ‘gentle kitten treats we are all missing.
season can certainly jangle the in my teens the stocking had been in general. Mary could be treated in purring’ – well she’s wrong about Back to inside the church, first
nerves and stretch the domestic discarded for a pillow case in order the same way as the woman-at-the- that, more like a dog growling. there is just the greenery on the
budget until, sadly, disillusionment to hold the ever increasing num- well, even though the circumstanc- But my main problem is actually window ledgers, then the fol-
sets in, and by early December ber of gifts! However, the festive es were entirely different. how my paws keep hitting several lowing week some shiny baubles
more and more weary shoppers are expectations have ballooned even The Samaritan woman had worked of these little key things at once. appear in the displays and finally
repeating that well-worn phrase, more in these modern days, with her way through five `husbands and However, I will persevere, (or a day or so before Christmas Eve,
“I’ll be glad when it’s all over!” youngsters often clamouring for had moved on to her sixth partner! should that be ‘pur-severe’!), yes the Flower Team are in church
But, whatever the festive shortcom- the latest gadgets that carry a hefty In today’s world, due to her life- of course I miss Florence, I know finishing lots of festive floral dis-
ings I implore you today, “Don`t price tag. style, she might attain `Hollywood life goes on, although it is never plays. The church looks so pretty,
throw out the Christmas baby with It would seem we have come a status`, but in those days she was the same without her. When they they do a wonderful job. Then of
the commercial bath-water!” long way, some would say lost our ostracized, `cold shouldered` and have the special ‘Tree of Lights’ course we have extra services, I
Forgive me for taking the `moral way, from that moment when the `shut out` of society. service in the church, it used to be love it when the children come in
high ground` here, but primarily angel appeared to rustic shepherds I’ll be glad when it’s all over!” Of packed, all of us missing someone from the local school, they get so
Christmas was not really meant to heralding the advent of Jesus into course Christmas can never truly special, as it says in the Bible ‘love excited when they see me strolling
be a time when we hoist the `No our world. That word `advent` is be said to be `over` because, like it never ends’. This Christmas will past, sometimes they try to grab
Inhibitions` sign and indulge in interesting – it is rooted in the word or not, the ramifications of Christ’s be different, perhaps the tree might my tail, but I’ve learnt to jump
`stomach stuffing`, `booze guz- adventure! The birth of Christ was birth will continue to reverberate not get pulled down every day as quickly out of the way.
zling` and `purse emptying`. heaven’s greatest adventure, so im- all year round. Yes, the commer- Florence insisted on doing, the few I know the real message of
Yes, I understand that, after a par- portant that someone rightly said, cial razzmatazz quickly fades and baubles that Florence didn’t man- Christmas, isn’t about presents or
ticularly harrowing year, Christmas “The hinge of history is on the door dies, but when Jesus is the `reason age to break might reappear, and decorations, its about how God
is one of the few occasions when of the stable.” for the season` Christmas lives on, of course without Florence causing came to Earth as the tiny, vulner-
we can `let down our hair`, `drown However, considering the events and a spirit-of-hope endlessly per- chaos by eating it, we might even able baby Jesus. On that point,
our sorrows` and, for a short time, of that very first Christmas, Mary vades the calendar of our lives. have a bit of tinsel on the tree. I must just state how a few years
blot out work stress, family differ- herself, the expectant mother of Je- Ken Calder. I do love December and I get so ago I was wrongly accused (by
ences or romantic disappointments. sus, might also have harboured the excited about going to church, that Rev’d Kate Botterley from the
But alas, one big problem always thought, “I wish it was all over.” as I scamper down the church TV and radio) that I pushed Baby
drive, the ground is so cold on my Jesus out of the manger, and her
Introduction to Catholic Christianity We will be exploring all aspects of faith such as: paws, then in contrast, inside the twitter post went viral, being seen

Interested in the Catholic Church? - Our Lady and Is there a God? Who is Jesus? What do Catholics church the red carpet feels deep by millions of people around the
world, and I’m still in the Top 10
and warm. It is in this time of
St Thomas Catholic Church, Ilkeston is running an believe and why? What is the Church? How do we Advent when the festive decora- of ‘Naughty Cats at Christmas’
introduction to Catholic Christianity for adults. pray? How do we know what is right and wrong? tions appear start to appear. Do so I really would like to put the
The sessions are appropriate for those who wish to and there will be plenty of time for questions. you have an Advent calendar? She record straight, I was only keeping
enter the Church (RCIA) and those who are explor- We meet every first Saturday of the month in the gets special ones for us cats, Missy Baby Jesus’ straw warm while
ing faith. Whether you are baptised, non-baptised, church hall (just behind the church, off Regent and Nipper enjoy scoffing the he rested between the children’s
a member of another Christian or faith community, Street) at 4:30 pm. Our address is Our Lady and treats, but don’t really care about nativity services, I really didn’t
or a Catholic who has just been away for a while St Thomas of Hereford RC Church, Regent Street, Christmas, but have you notice evict him!
and just wants a refresher you would be warmly DE7 5RF, Ilkeston. how our Advent calendars start Merry Christmas everyone!
welcomed. Fr. Andrew from 1st December, yet actually From Pips the tabby cat.

Ballerina
Puppet
(Absolute
Freedom)

God gives us
freedom to
choose what
to do,
but we don’t
get to choose
the outcome.
From
I hear he used to
be an Olympic Jonathan Lam
athlete...