Gearing up for Holy Week

I drove Clare to a school meeting early, and said goodbye for the weekend. She's off to Kenilworth to look after Rhiannon, then going on the Selly Oak to see Rachels' Sicilian godmother Angela, and rejoice with her over the election of Pope Francis I. I wonder if she still prays for our conversion, wanting only the best for us?

I went into College for a while, to check if there were any further repercussions for yesterday's session with students, which there were. More choppy water to navigate, but the full time staff are experienced and capable, dealing sensitively with every issue affecting students. It's a privilege to be part of this on a temporary basis, but I don't have the stamina for such intense activity in the long term. Three hours sleep deficit on the trot are as much as I can handle. I have to accept that ageing weakens one's emotional resilience every bit as much as it makes the muscles weaken. The only way to keep functioning well is plenty of activity punctuated by rest. The price paid for skimping on either as you get older is higher.

Once I was fully updated on what was going on, I drive to Radyr to meet with Jenny Wigley to fill in the details of next week's Holy Week services, at which I will be preaching, along with one of my tutees, 'Becca, who'll be preaching a couple of times and officiating at Evensong. It'll be great to work with a former colleague again, especially one who is as full of energy, deep insight as she is down to earth and wickedly humorous. Great also to be kept on our toes by someone who is doing a full Holy Week liturgy programme as a contributor for the first time.

I returned to College for lunch, then went into the CBS office for a few hours, returning for conversation with a couple of students before cooking an evening meal and catching up with myself in the quietness of being home alone.