On my way back from the Cathedral last night, I caught sight of the Passover moon just as it rose above the city's roofscape across Llandaff Fields. I dashed the last stretch home and took my Sony HX300 to the attic, and got a fairly good picture of it as it emerged above the houses beyond. Not quite my best and sharpest moon pic, as holding the camera on the edge of an open Velux window was all I could manage - no time set up a tripod to capture such a huge low lying night time image with pale orangey brown hue.
Due to the routine disruption of the bank holiday weekend, I mis-calculated what medical supplies would be needed to see us through, and was obliged shamefacedly to call the out of hours nursing service and ask for a home delivery. This happened at tea time, with a cheerful nurse, at the end of what she described as the day's 'insulin run' - treating, I imagine, diabetic patients who cannot inject themselves. There so much with home nursing services that goes on quietly 24/7 which one never hears about normally.
After a quiet restful Holy Saturday, I returned to the Cathedral as the sun was setting for the Paschal Vigil, which had the virtue of being at eight, just at sunset instead of eight thirty. I was last there for the Vigil four years ago, Archbishop Barry's penultimate. Again, it was lovely to be on the receiving end, even if Bishop June's sermon around the harrowing of hell seemed a bit off the point after the proclamation of the Gospel of the empty tomb. It was good just to pray, enjoy the music and sing a few favourite Easter hymns loudly with gusto. There were about a hundred present, half of them congregation, half choir and servers. I can't think of a better place to come and renew my baptismal vows, if I'm not on duty officiating somewhere.
After a quiet restful Holy Saturday, I returned to the Cathedral as the sun was setting for the Paschal Vigil, which had the virtue of being at eight, just at sunset instead of eight thirty. I was last there for the Vigil four years ago, Archbishop Barry's penultimate. Again, it was lovely to be on the receiving end, even if Bishop June's sermon around the harrowing of hell seemed a bit off the point after the proclamation of the Gospel of the empty tomb. It was good just to pray, enjoy the music and sing a few favourite Easter hymns loudly with gusto. There were about a hundred present, half of them congregation, half choir and servers. I can't think of a better place to come and renew my baptismal vows, if I'm not on duty officiating somewhere.
I value this occasion more than I do the Maundy Thursday Chrism Mass, with renewal of ordination vows introduced only in the 1970s by Pope Paul VI. Anglicans for the most part followed suit with this innovation. To my mind it's unnecessary, as baptism is the one thing that unites all Christians. Ordination sets people apart to serve others, but is it really so helpful to emphasise the distinction and status it confers, for bettor and for worse? It's something about which I always had misgivings.
I got back just after ten, and having missed the first of this week's double episode of 'Follow the Money', decided not to bother the catching up, but to saviour without diversion the joy and peace of a calm warm Paschal night-time "... when heaven is wedded to earth". He is risen indeed!
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