Tradition, tradition, tradition...

...Christmas is full of it. We gathered at a local residential home for the elderly. We sang carols. It was all delightful - and the singing was good as some of the group were members of the choir at St Elphege's in Wallington (the parish in which I grew up, and where I was married...). The residents and the staff and all of us, singing together with the Christmas tree glittering, and little golden lights around the Crib...and then a tray with Baileys and mince pies, before our little group set off to go from house to house along the road...

Wrapping up parcels here at home. Organising various family gatherings.

Off to Westminster Cathedral this afternoon to go to confession...amazingly, no queue...usually in Advent there is a long line of people waiting. Later, I went to evening Mass - this was in the Hall as the Cathedral was getting ready for a big carol service later. The Hall is a fine Edwardian building, and they erected an altar and did everything properly. The only odd thing was kneeling on the floor instead of having kneelers...numbers for Mass were good, despite people having to fight torrential rain as they scurried down Ambrosden Avenue...

Tomorrow I will be going to the funeral of Fr John Edwards SJ, a fine priest whose talks and conferences over the years helped so many of us...

Interesting news feature from Rome...Archbishop Muller says wise and good things ...