...is a patron saint we all badly need in England today. But, oh, dear, it isn't possible to make St George's Day into anything real by giving people plastic hats and having commercially-sponsored posters and strings of flags in pubs. It all had a sad, flat feeling.
Pleasantly, however, I had been invited to give a talk on "Celebrating traditional feasts and seasons" to a coffee-morning gathering at the Catholic church in Chelsea - organisers had planned it without initially noting the significance of the date - and it was a very enjoyable (and well-attended) gathering with a friendly spirit and lots of lively talk and questions. Want to know more about how to celebrate various feasts? Try my book ....
Busy week. Last night a wonderful talk from Dom Aidan Bellenger of Downside Abbey at the Catholic Writers' Guild...he spoke of how the Benedictine Rule and the Benedictine idea had created and fostered the Christian civilisation, celebrating ideas of prayer, common life, stability...our Guild evenings start with Mass and then dinner, and in his talk he mentioned a topic we had begun at table, which was the whole significance of eating together, a shared meal - something which of course is not part of life's experience for many people in Britain today, where foods is consumed as a series of snacks, or while watching TV, and often alone even in a house full of people...
2 comments:
We were priveleged to have you speak on the same subject at our community 'family day' in Chertsey at the beginning of Avent last year. You may remember!
We've used your book alot for some inspiring ideas...it's quite a unique compendium!
I even used the Christmas quiz at a party we had during at New Year. It went down a treat - although as the quiz master, I had to read the answers upside down in a mirror! After a couple of glasses of champagne at 1.00am, it was quite challenge, i can assure you! WHo'd idea was it to put the answers not only back-to-front, but upside down as well!?
James
www.dailybrouhaha.blogspot.com (please blogroll me!)
My own view is that we should have free beer on St George's day. It's our national day, after all.
Obviously you need a serious side to any feast, in church, as well as a lighthearted side with flags and plastic hats. We seem to have forgotten that.
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