The organist librarian

Very lucky. I put my Bethlehem cross on the strings for the Maltese cross. The Maltese one fell off and when we got to the Kerala restaurant I found the Bethlehem one was gone as well. Luckily the waitress spotted it on the floor. Have now done triple knots! I have worn it for at least 10 years. The annual trip to Vienna to watch the New Year's concert in company with the wonderful Petroc Trelawny. One day we will get tickets for this. Radio Times thinks Ricardo Muti was going to conduct but it is Christian Thieleman at the helm. We had a lovely day in Vienna on our honeymoon 44 years ago. Interesting to note that the music online stream before the Sydney fireworks was some old Ozzie rocker nearly as bad as the music churned out before the London fireworks. Bring back the Royal Fireworks music please! And the presenters were naff! QI for Christmas was good but Graham Norton got switched off for crudity. The new calendars are up - we have 9! Crossword from Christmas Tablet printed

The Cross and Holy Week Lent is ending, Holy Week is approaching. As we turn our minds and hearts to the Passion, I want to offer this meditation on the Cross I got from Beliefnet, it is very profound. Two thousand years ago, outside the city-gates of Jerusalem, Jesus of Nazareth was crucified as a common criminal by means of crucifixion. This is the historical fact. Now, the truth of faith: He died for me, and for you. He died for all people. God became a man and lived a relatively short life. That life was ended by means of a cruel arrest and a horrible sentence of torture and death. Our hearts sink heavy with the realization that he died because of our sinfulness. We could not save ourselves. We needed a Savior-a Divine, sinless Savior. Look with the eyes of faith, and behold this gentle and willing Lamb stretched out in agony on the wood of the cross. Here is a mystery played out so pitifully and yet so beautifully. The mystery of love is emblazoned on the suffering Christ as he h

On Thursday evening I travelled up to Kentish Town. There was just time to hear Fr Tim's excellent homily at the 5.30 p.m. Mass on St. Peter's comment "You are the Christ". The training session for small group leaders was held in the hall of Our Lady help of Christians which looks like a fine church from the outside in the dark! Everyone was very friendly and Mark from the Westminster agency for evangelisation gave an excellent powerpoint presentation and plenty of time for us to discuss ideas. I got Thameslink as was (now some such name as Centrerail) back to Tulse Hill and the bus home which took about 70 minutes so plenty of time to read "The Tablet"! I produced a poster for the Lent groups featuring the cover of the booklet and a lovely free prayer card we were given, This shows the Metropoiltan cross which is actually very heavy to carry! My group will be on Wednesdays in the Hinsley room from 4 to 5 p.m. Rather an odd time - I am usually listening to c