How will we be ambassadors of Christ?

Bishop John Arnold posed some challenging questions to students in the Veritas group at St Dominic’s Sixth Form College, in Harrow, on Wednesday 18 April.

The Veritas group meet regularly to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. Bishop John was invited to speak to the group of young people studying for their As Levels on the subject of ‘Faith, the Gospel and Action’.

The talk began with Bishop John sharing some of his experiences of working with CAFOD. He touched on positive initiatives set up in East Timor and Sri Lanka that have improved the lives of thousands of people, but he also spoke of the terrible atrocities being committed in some African states and the need for healing and renewal.

Why is CAFOD there, Bishop John asked? The Catholic development charity have a budget of £55 million this year, the majority of which has been donated by people and parishes. Why are people so generous?

Another example of vital charitable work being carried out from within our diocese is that of the Cardinal Hume Centre, Bishop John highlighted. The homelessness charity has been helping to rehabilitate young people who have fallen on hard times for over 25 years. What is there motivation?

The answer to all of these questions lies in the Gospels, Bishop John said. People who believe in God and in the lessons taught by Jesus feel an innate call to express God’s love for us by helping others. We are all given skills and talents and we should utilise them to help make the world a better place.

Using examples from St Paul’s letters to the Philippians, Bishop John reminded those present that sticking to the rules is often not enough to truly make a difference. Social justice, acting on the teachings of the Gospels, takes courage and commitment in order to be proactive Christians.

A vocation that benefits others is crucial for living happy and meaningful lives. Pursuing a self-interested career is likely to leave us isolated and regretful of decisions made by misguided motivations of money or fame. A vocation that affects others in a positive way, however, is more likely to give us a lasting sense of achievement and value.

And, for us, it all starts now – whether it be providing research for CAFOD policy makers, coordinating the efforts of Catholic charities, supporting MPs in their fundraising and engagements, promoting the work of the diocese’s schools and parishes, or...whatever it is that Matthew does.

Discerning our purpose is key to realising our potential. But are we listening to God’s plan for us, asked Bishop John? Are we open to letting Him lead us in the direction He knows we should be going? How will we be ambassadors for Christ?

BBC London 94.9

Newman House was eerily silent yesterday morning at 6am when my alarm went off, and I staggered to the shower bleary eyed and craving caffeine. Coffee consumed, I set off for Portland Place – fortunately a short walk from Gower Street – and arrived looking fresh faced and enthusiastic having psyched myself up on route for a morning at BBC London 94.9.

I was greeted by Phil, an assistant producer, who showed me up to the studio where I was introduced to Becky, the producer, and Paul, a pastor at a non-conformist church who does a morning news round up every Sunday for the Inspirit programme.

The Inspirit programme deals with ethical issue from the week and so yesterday conversations focussed on the continued viability of horse-racing, the European scientists developing a human brain in a lab and the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Becky talked me through the different software programmes they use, how she plans the running order and decides on which callers to put on air, as well as the editing process for when the programme is uploaded to BBC iplayer.

After the programme finished, Becky and I went for breakfast in the BBC canteen. Half way through my Special K as Becky went through the differences between doing the Inspirit programme and Vanessa Feltz’s programme that she works on during the week, legendary DJ Tony Blackburn sat down on the table next to us and tucked into a fry up.

Becky is a one woman show, a whirlwind of energy and ideas. Her first experience of working in radio was at university in Bradford and she continued to be involved in arthouse radio when she moved back to London, never considering it as a real career before being told about a BBC internship.

Returning from breakfast, the offices were suddenly much busier, with lots of people buzzing about and what seemed like hundreds of TVs all switched to various BBC channels. Becky and a couple of colleagues flicked through the Sunday papers and identified a few good stories to pursue for the next day’s programme.

By 11.30, most of the guests for Monday morning had been tracked down and booked in and Becky was satisfied with the cues she’d written for them. I emerged into the bright sunlight feeling content having done nearly a full days work, just as tourists and Londoners where starting to emerge, sitting in cafes nibbling croissants and flicking through the papers, still waking up slowly. 

Food for thought

‘Food Security’ – what does it mean and how will the concept come into play over the next 40 years? These questions were at the heart of the Earth Debates talk held in the Natural History Museum’s David Attenborough Studio last night.

Apart from being something the interns have not experienced much of this year, Food Security relates to our ability (or inability) to produce and acquire food. We all know that we produce enough to feed everyone on the planet adequately, so something is going seriously wrong when 2 billion people are still starving.

Not only is food distributed extremely unevenly, problems of wastage, health, climate change and development all play their part in creating the complex problem of achieving Food Security for all.

The panel discussing the ways in which we may be able to feed the world’s rapidly increasing population was made up of leading experts and chaired by BBC environment journalist, Richard Black. Sue Dibb, executive director of the Food Ethics Council, Barry Gardner MP, John Ingram, Food Security Leader, Natural Environment Research Council and Camilla Toulmin, Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development made up the panel, all of whom took questions from the audience as well as answering tweets from across the globe.

Apart from all the financing initiatives and potential government policies that were raised, the main consensus centred on changing our expectations. ‘Green diets’ need to be just that, more green - with less red meat and more vegetables and pulses. We need to erode the sense of entitlement people in the West feel they have to eating exactly what they want when they want. If we go to the shops late at night we shouldn’t expect to have the full range of food to choose from, most of which will have to be chucked due to sell-by dates etc.

In another 50 years time will we see steak eaters banished outside restaurant along with smokers  - who also once believed they had the ‘right’ to say exactly what passed their lips?

Thoughtful contributions from the floor and lively discussions over wine and canapés (the irony was not lost) after the debate, in one of London’s most impressive buildings, contributed to an extremely interesting evening.

You can watch the debate online here: 

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/biodiversity/earth-debates/food-security/index.html

Benediction and Dinner with Mgr Armitage

On Tuesday evening, we were hosted by Rt Rev Mgr John Armitage, Vicar General of Brentwood. As Vicar-General, he exercises episcopal jurisdiction on behalf of the Bishop, and is the second-highest ranking cleric in the diocese after Bishop Thomas McMahon. We had previously met Mgr Armitage at a Catholic Voices event, and he is also well known for his work with London Citizens, a community organising alliance supported by figures such as Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor and London Mayor Boris Johnson, and knew him to be a man of incredible insight and passion.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was a beautiful way to begin the evening, and a few of us even found ourselves assisting- a first for me, I will admit, having never been inside a cassock before..

Afterwards, we joined Mgr Armitage in the presbytery, and over dinner (which was delicious- it’s all about the pastry) we discussed all manner of issues in the church, and in the community. His parishes in east London is touched by many social and economic problems, and he is a vocal advocate for communities working together to make politicians aware of the problems they face, and the solutions they need. London Voices has campaigned for a ‘London living wage’, has pressed for the employment opportunities of the London Olympics to benefit local people first, and has called on the Government to regularise failed asylum seekers and visa over-stayers proficient in English who are already established and hard-working members of their communities.

London Voices also offer internships and a Summer Academy, as well as being linked with Queen Mary’s Master’s Degree in Community Organising, the first in the world, recognising as the Bishops have done with our own scheme the value of preparing young people with a thorough and practically based awareness of the important issues facing our communities and our world today.

Great conversation, delicious food and good company- Fr John, you’re a gentleman.

Bonnie Greer - Discontent with her identity?

 Earlier this week the interns attended a lecture organised by the 3 Faiths Forum and hosted by Amnesty International.

The lecture, entitled ‘Identity and its discontents’, was given by Bonnie Greer – and boy has she had some identity crises in her time.

Bonnie Greer

In her lecture, Bonnie took the audience through the various stages of her life; from being a working class, black, child to a student activist to a feminist and even gaining British citizenship. 

None of the interns present were quite able to empathise with Bonnie’s identity dilemma. The talk ended up posing more questions than it answered but at least showed how people who had no idea who they are can become pretty successful.

Compared to the political, religious and economical lectures we have attended over the past few months, this talk was by far more abstract.

Bonnie spoke of labels that we give ourselves and how these can sometimes be at odds with the way we are perceived, or labelled, by society. In the past few years we have been schoolchildren, sixth-formers, university students, graduates and now interns. What will be the next label we apply to ourselves? And will it suit us? Watch this space for updates...

As we have all survived the mid-term reviews we are now turning our attention ever more to life after the internship will involve. This requires thinking about who we are now and who we want to become. How we see ourselves at present and we want to be seen by others, say, this time next year. Everyone except Matthew continues to contemplate potential unemployment – a label Bonnie, amongst all her anguish, has apparently never had to deal with.

On a brighter note we have a dinner with Mgr Armitage to look forward to next week and meeting with the applicants for next year’s internship at their interview days later this month. If only they knew what they are letting themselves in for...! 

Congratulations are also in order for Daniel's family and especially his mum as she was baptised last month.

                                      

Unexpected Interview...

After the Christmas break, Bishop John Sherrington invited me along to a talk he was to give at the Carmelite Monastery in Ware, Hertfordshire. ‘Great,’ I thought, ‘A nice train journey out into the depths of the diocese, record a talk, take a few photos, job done.’

On arrival I was not, therefore, prepared for the Mother Superior to tell me she would send down the sisters she thought would be good to interview after the Bishop had given his talk – which I was not allowed to attend. Cue major panic over lack total ignorance about the Carmelite order and the fact that I would be returning to the office empty handed – as far the speech was concerned.

Not for the first time, a couple of the other interns came to my rescue with insightful questions and information about the enclosed order. I needn’t have worried though as Sisters Zoe and Mary who came in to be interviewed were absolutely lovely – young, funny, image conscious and with inspiring stories of how they came to be a part of the Carmel community.

Solitude

One of the ‘settings for learning of hope’ talked of by the Bishop was prayer, something the Carmel sisters are extremely practiced in. As an enclosed and contemplative order, an ‘outsider’ could be excused for thinking the Carmel way of life as lonely; Sister Mary was quick to dispel this image she said that she rarely got time to be completely alone.

Choice

Both Sister Mary and Zoe acknowledged that there is a general perception about nuns in enclosed orders having shunned the ‘real world’ and chosen to deliberately live in ignorance of many of life’s great complexities, and opportunities. This is a view the sisters reject however, as they believe that they need the peace and quiet of the monastery to be able to fully focus on reflecting on God’s will and to be able to pray effectively. “Some people don’t need this environment to be able to live extraordinarily prayerful lives,” say Srs. Zoe and Mary, “...but we feel we need to be here to be able to concentrate and focus on our vocation.”

Prayer

One of the ‘settings for learning of hope’ talked of by the Bishop was prayer, something the Carmel sisters are extremely practiced in. Speaking with two sisters after Bishop John’s talk, they said that it is not always easy to give your time so fully to God. During busy periods, they said, it can be easy to become resentful of having to take time to pray but ultimately they believe in the value of their continuous reflection on God’s will and praying for its fruition, for the Church and the world.

Community

The Carmel’s live ‘in solitude in community’, meaning that they do not often leave the grounds of the monastery and must learn to get along with the other 14 women with whom they spend practically all their time.  Sister Mary admits, “This can be a challenge,” but the wide variety of ages, ranging from 36 to 85, and backgrounds of the sisters contributes to a rich and welcoming community. All the sisters take turns at doing the necessary household jobs, and are reluctant to say which they enjoy the most as they recognise the value of each job in helping the community as a whole.

Vocation

Sisters Zoe and Mary confirm that often people do not choose their vocation – rather it chooses them. When asked ‘Why choose Carmel’, both sisters say that providence played a key part in their discernment to join this particular order. Every time they tried to hide from it or find another explanation, they were drawn back to this order and knew it had to be more than sheer coincidence. For this reason, they would not be inclined to give general advice to young women considering the religious life as it is such a profoundly personal journey.

Their traditional habits and enclosed lifestyle belie the reality of techno-savvy, independent, women who show a level of commitment to their chosen lifestyle that few people will ever experience.

Great Expectations (or Hard Times)?

As the winter’s biting chill braces the Big Smoke, the Catholic Parliamentary and Public Policy interns continue on their merry journeys towards fulfilment (which we are told will occur on 31^st July 2012).

The applications having been flooding in from aspiring students hopeful to visit 39 Eccleston Square on the 28^th  or 29^th March, with the opportunity to join an elite club, a people set apart, a coterie of excellence.

What next year’s applicants will not be doing is applying for an internship in the European Parliament, as this has unfortunately been omitted from the programme. However this has led to an exciting development; 5 interns will be placed in the Houses of Parliament, 2 with CAFOD/Caritas and another one that I can’t quite remember, something to do with press I think? Nevertheless, good luck to those applying and remember ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’ (oh and ‘image is everything’)!

After a somewhat baron few weeks in terms of post-work events, the social calendar is hotting up for the current crop. After a delightful meal out for Daniel’s birthday, Stephen’s quarter century is almost upon us I’m sure the celebrations will match the unrelenting enthusiasm that Stephen has for all things Labour.

In an academic sense interesting debates held by Catholic Voices, as well as the Margaret Beaufort lecture series, and Catholic Social Teaching Seminars promise to make the next few weeks both informative and engaging.

On a lighter note, CAFOD began their 50^th anniversary celebrations on Saturday with a hugely well attended Mass in Westminster Cathedral. Marie and Dominic were up until the early hours celebrating their employers’ anniversary with a bottle of bucks fizz and a game of Jenga.

It is approaching the time when interns start looking towards next year and what jobs they could/should be applying for. It gives me great satisfaction to offer wholehearted congratulations to Matthew Carson who has secured a job with a Management Consultancy firm, starting at the end of the internship – it should be noted that Alpen and fruit smoothies do not constitute as celebrating this achievement (see above for an alternative). To everyone else there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel - as the old Chinese proverb goes, “if Matthew can get a job………!”

And so to conclude these ramblings, let us take inspiration from our supreme leader Kim Il-Davies; “VERY GOOD, VERY GOOD.”