It couldn't have been a better Sunday morning, warm and sunny, to re-start public worship in the Parish at St Catherine's and St Luke's. For the moment there's still an on-line Eucharist in addition offered by Mother Frances from the Rectory, at an earlier time as well. Three dozen adults and a few children gathered with Emma our Team Vicar at St Catherine's.
For her this was an occasion of particular joy, after a ten month lay-off, her maternity leave was drawing to a close when covid-19 struck. She looked radiantly happy as she led our celebration. A simple said Eucharist with homily, no music, not even from a recording. A good place to start, especially at ten thirty in the morning. Our usual Sunday said services are at eight o'clock. Are we really as awake as we should be at such an hour? It's never an exuberant celebration shall we say.
I was half expecting this occasion to be an intense emotional experience, but it wasn't. It was calm, peaceful and uplifting, just being together again in God's house, despite the external changes. Individual and family group social distancing was observed and every other pew was kept empty, allowing Emma move around the nave and bring us Communion in our seats. It worked well. A sidesman was at the door compiling a track and trace register as we arrived.
What struck me was the crisp unison of voices responding throughout the liturgy. Everyone was focused, intent on savouring the moment un-distracted I think. Liturgical responses can often be ragged, as if some find it difficult to give it their full attention. Four months absence, but no rehearsal was needed. In a low key way, this was most powerful. Emma afterwards said that a colleague of hers over the border in the CofE had been taken aback at their first Parish service by the same experience. The long absence resulted in people being more present. Can we keep it up?
After lunch and a siesta, a walk up to Llandaff Cathedral. I met Mother Frances walking her dogs on the way there and we chatted for a while. The Cathedral was open for private prayer. The seating there was arranged in the same way with a space for clergy to bring Communion to worshippers in their places. The Cathedral website states that Eucharists at nine and eleven will resume without singing. There's an on-line offering too. The nine o'clock Family Eucharist has long been well attended with a full nave. The capacity for worshippers is reduced to twenty percent of the usual but it's unlikely people will turn out in large numbers initially. Worshippers are asked to download and print the order of service, or bring their tablet with them. Fine, as long as all notification sounds are muted, as with mobile phones in church!
BBC Radio Four's Sunday Worship programme this morning was from Leeds, and conducted by two Roman Catholic priests, one in mid career, the other recently ordained and then offering Mass for the first time under the restricted conditions attached to worship with few close family and friends in attendance instead of the usual big community celebration to launch a new ministry. He spoke of the three months without the Eucharist and Communion in a way that resonated with me. The Mass is both a table of the Word and a table of the Word made flesh in the Holy Sacrament. This period of time has been one extended period at the table of the Word, in which Christ has still taught and fed us. We may feel we have missed out, but not really. It will have taught us to treasure more fully the gifts we have received from God.
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