SUNDAY – First Sunday of Advent

“…on earth, nations in agony, bewildered by the clamour of the nations and its women.” (Luke 21:25)

And still men live in fear.

MONDAY – Saint Andrew

The chapel of St Andrew in Westminster Cathedral is particularly fine, mosaics of Constantinople opposite that of the burgh of St Andrews in Scotland, fine woodwork, and here I sit at the 10:30 Latin Mass. A beautiful experience.

“The Lord saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew, and he said to them: come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:18-19)

TUESDAY

Our debate on bombing Syria is to be tomorrow and I make a stab at a free vote in the Leader of the House Questions. No answer, of course.

Collect: “Look with favour Lord on our petitions.”

Our reading from Isaiah is familiar. I read it out at the Midnight Mass in Westminster Cathedral on Christmas Eve last year.

“A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse… on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight.”

WEDNESDAY

Our debate on Syria – nine hours long. I speak, only five minutes but long enough. I am full of doubts and say we should only act in self-defence. A minute before he sits down the Foreign Secretary replies directly to me.

Then we are at Mass – Father Pat asks for two minutes’ silence for those about to vote. A child cries at the back of the crypt chapel and overhead the sound of helicopter rotor blades.

THURSDAY – St Frances Xavier

An eight-hour meeting in the City on top of eight hours in the chamber yesterday. A change of gear and in the evening I read a lesson at St Mary’s Cadogan Street in the carol service for Aid to the Church in Need.

FRIDAY

After so many hours on Wednesday I don’t feel up to any kind of speech on private members bills so just make a couple of interventions.

“The deaf that day will hear the words of a book and after shadow and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” (Isaiah 29)

Appropriate as today we debate the Pavement Parking Bill, blocked by the Government to allow blind people to walk on pavements without bumping into things.

SATURDAY

A busy morning getting Theo up racing in the Serpentine and the wonderful sung Latin Mass of Saturday morning in the Cathedral. Then off to see ninety-year-old Auntie Betty.

“On every lofty mountain, on every high hill, there will be streams of water courses.”