Thursday, June 23, 2016

Kent...and a thunderstorm...

...of immense proportions. London sticky in pre-storm warmth.  Train from Waterloo East as I was due to speak at St Anselm's, a Kent  parish in Ordinariate care, as part of a series of lectures for this Year of Mercy.    Fr Ed  Tomlinson met me at High Brooms station and we had a quick spaghetti supper at the presbytery in Pembury as I wrestled with trying to get on to Skype for an interview with EWTN's newsroom about Brexit.  Fr Ed is a former Anglican, married to Hayley: they have a bunch of delightful children who came home all damp and cheery from a spell in the local swimming pool. Hayley and I worked hard on the Skype link, but couldn't get the video bit to work (camera on my laptop disabled?) so I did the interview as sound-only...meanwhile Fr E. went off to celebrate Mass and organise things for my talk.

In the warm, sticky evening  I hurried down the lanes to the church,and got warmer and warmer...and rather confused....it was a relief to meet a search party out from the church to rescue me. The meeting went well - a large audience, and the talk was one of a series exploring the Beatitudes. I focused on "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" , and looked at the lives of modern saints, noting in particular St John Paul the Great, and M. Teresa of Calcutta...

As things finished, we repaired to the village pub. Much lively conversation...the Church...current events...Brexit...

As we left, the  rain began. And as we made our way back to the presbytery it was clattering down  in torrents. The evening sky had had a curious glow - now the storm broke over us, and thunder rolled and crackled over Kent.

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