*Headdesk*

Gah! I have been horribly remiss about this blog. After all my AugBlogWriMo-ing, September comes and the Blog falls to the wayside.

*sigh*

Such is life, I suppose.

The last two weeks have been exciting and jam-packed with things to do. School takes up most of my time, as does teaching, so I have little time for anything extracurricular.

Time management has become a very important factor in my life. This is especially true since I have four instruments to practice everyday, and I'm supposed to practice each for a minimum of twenty minutes. I'm not sure where I'm going to find said 80 minutes everyday... thus far, I've only managed to practice each instrument about 3 times a week, but I suppose that's better than not at all, right?

I suppose about now is when I should be thanking the Lord for making me a quick study...

*moment of prayer*

Speaking of prayer and faith and such, I've been following the Papal Visit to Scotland with much interest, due in part to conversation with Father Braveheart, my close friendship with Scot (who is, indeed, a Scotsman), and because I follow Seraphic's Blog on a daily basis. There's been much protesting done, rather ironically, but fitting I suppose, by the Protestants and various groups who have an axe to grind with the Holy Father and the Catholic Church in general.

While my steadfastly Catholic heart trembles in indignation at some of the things that have been said against the Pope, I can't help but to stop and think. Perhaps it's not so bad that all this nonsense is going on... I mean, certainly, they shouldn't be so darned demeaning and just... childish... but I guess we know who our friends are? Better to have the Protestants protesting, than to have them pretending to be nice-nice only to try and water us down later on.

I can't help but to laugh as I wonder where their sense of ecumenism is?

But to get back to my point...

All of the clap-trap is only bringing more attention to the Holy Father and his visit to the UK. More will be listening in when he speaks, and (God willing) that means that more hearts will be open to Christ, either now, or eventually. Yes, the rabble-raisers will probably be pretty closed off to what Benedict has to say, but you have to admit that they always draw a crowd of curious on-lookers, some of whom may be fertile ground for the seed of the Faith.

That is my hope, and prayer, on the eve of the Holy Father's arrival in Scotland. Sometimes, there really is no such thing as "bad publicity"

All of this reminds me of St. Paul writing to Timothy, "And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12- indeed the whole 3rd chapter is a fitting reading, in light of these recent events).

Even Our Lord said, "If the world hate you, know ye, that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember my word that I said to you: The servants if not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:18-20)

And finally, a voice of reason, amidst the clamour of dissent: BRILLIANT article from 'The Telegraph'