Celebrations of youth and age

Clare came with me to St German's for Mass this morning, as we were invited to join the parish lunch in the hall afterwards. A special occasion to celebrate organist Brian Williams' forty years of musical ministry at the church. The festive lunch was due to happen this time last year, when he turned eighty but lockdown prevented it. It's second parish lunch this autumn, satisfying the desire for fellowship and feasting so sadly missed in the previous eighteen months. There were over forty of us, even more than those in church, such is the popularity of these get togethers, people bringing their friends and relatives. Just as it should be.

We had the baptism during the service of Prince-Farai Andreas the five year old boy I met a few weeks back. He was dressed all in white - suit, shirt and tie, with a tiny gold cross. Last week he impulsively reached out for Communion when he came up for a blessing, but his mum restrained him. I had a chat with him before the service, once we'd practiced clambering up on to a stool on the font platform, I asked him if he still wanted to receive Communion, and he said yes. I told him that as a newly baptized person he could do so, just like everyone else. Then I took him back to his mum and explained to her what I proposed and he confirmed for himself that he wanted to take Communion, and she was happy with this. 

At the font, he participated in the vows and profession of faith, nodding where he was unsure of saying the exact words. He'd asked his mum about being Christened, and wanted this for himself, not just to please his parents. She'd shown him videos of the story of Jesus and he'd talked with her about it, and then asked about baptism, which he said he'd heard about in school. It's rare maybe, for a child of that age to be so aware and focused within the confines of a child's understanding, but within the experience of the church universal down the ages that young children can be more spiritually awake than adults imagine. I felt confident that we did him justice, even though the road ahead is long and challenging for him, as it is for all of us.

When I gave the boy Communion, he took the host and bit it in half, almost inquisitively, taking his time  to consume, hurried on a little by his mum, anxious about the queue of communicants behind her - 'O taste and see how gracious the Lord is.' were the words that came to mind. Children and the kingdom of heaven! A memory I will treasure as long as I live.

I was reminded, on seeing him nodding his head in response to the vows, of the man in his seventies I baptized in my Halesowen days thirty years ago. A youthful boxing brain injury left him mute, but he communicated to family that he wanted to be baptized before his died. When I administered the vows at the font, he nodded vigorously smiled and gave a double thumbs up to each question. One of those most moving moments, like today, which I'll never forget.

After lunch we returned home, and I walked in the park until sunset turned white clouds pink in a blue sky. We watched ITV's delightful programme 'An audience with Adele' - no wonder she's a global star, so natural, so down to earth, that gorgeous much loved girl-next-door who brings a light to people's eyes. And then, episode four of 'Show Trial', full of surprises which continue to hold attention.