Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A crowded hall...
...of parents of First Communion children, on a rain-splashed night in Banstead, Surrey. I had travelled from London, and how wonderful it was to arrive and discover St Anne's church glowing with light, a most glorious crib scene in the sanctuary, the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance on the altar, and people praying. Outside the wind howled as we knelt there, and the church felt a real place of refuge. We said the Divine Praises. Then after Benediction, into the hall where there was a bustle of people coming and tea and coffee being poured, and then I was introduced and giving a talk to this large and lively group, parents of some 40 First Communicants. It was all very friendly and alive and enjoyable, and the joy stayed with me through the journey home on the bus with the rain still lashing down...and into the warm house with mugs of tea and Jamie there with the latest DVD from the Daily Mail with an instalment of the excellent BBC Brideshead.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Another perfect day Joanna! You do have them! Mind you getting a few of my own lately! lol
Yes Jackie;
kind of made me think of something:
Joanna - how about instead of a cookery with extras programme for EWTN - why not propose a programme where rather than your arcadian bliss of bramble scones and mulled wine with the archdeacon of chorlton-by-the-indifferent ; you actually threw yourself into a dose of secular kitchen-sink 'reality' - I know of very few who have the apposite descriptive skills you possess [look at some of your previous postings with the little asides on the yobs while [what my kids call] bike-a-ling - you have a deep insight and poignancy]
How about a day in a women's prison ? or a day in a factory ?
day shelf-stacking in Tescos ? or a day in a call-centre ? day fishing in the north sea ? What kind of spirituality exists for people who have this monotony and ostensibly fruitless horrendously paid occupations. You already sympathise with people like this - but they have very little voice...one you could give them ?
Post a Comment