Church confronts government

Another bright sunny day, a perfect Easter Sunday morning. I listened to the Easter Eucharist broadcast from Canterbury Cathedral, with Archbishop Justin preaching a powerful resurrection sermon which was strongly critical of government plans to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda on a one way ticket. There has been widespread moral outcry at this policy, especially as government officials have advised there is no financial justification for doing this. It was good to hear a prophetic voice proclaiming the resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ, in such a relevant way. To hear, later in the day, Jacob Rees Mogg assert that the Archbishop hadn't understood the intention of government policy was insulting to Justin's intelligence, if not to the competence of his advisory team. 

Clare's back pain has subsided very little, so she didn't feel able to sit through a service at St Catherine's. I decided to go to St German's instead. Last night when I went over there for the Easter Vigil, I forgot to take with me the crucifix I borrowed for the Good Friday service at St John's, so this was a good enough reason to go there again, and enjoy sitting in the congregation. When I arrived, a small group was rehearsing Mozart's 'Ave Verum Corpus', which I knew well enough, so I joined them and sat in choir robed for the Mass, as I did on Maundy Thursday. 

At the exchange of the Peace, Fr Stewart asked if I'd lead the singing of the 'Regina Coeli' at the end of the service, something I'm familiar with, but he's not yet experienced in this context. I was indeed happy to do this. When I first helped out at St German's Fr Harold Clarke the much loved retired Vicar of St Martin's Roath would sit in choir at the Sunday Mass, and lead the Angelus at the end. As he was no longer steady on his feet, he wouldn't take an active roel in the Liturgy, except for this. I'm fitter that he was at much the same age, but standing there remembering him gave me a strange sensation of being an ancient cleric. Not exactly how I tend to see myself. 

Having prepared lunch before leaving for church, it was ready to eat when I returned from church just after one. Afterwards, a walk in the park, listening to Choral Evensong from Canterbury Cathedral on my Blackberry. When I got back, I sat down, switched on the telly to check whar's worth watching tonight and while Freeview was booting, I fell soundly asleep for an hour and a half with the remote control still in my hand. When I woke up the telly wasn't on, which puzzled me. Clare had come in and switched off without trying to remove the remote control in case she disturbed me. Strange - as I didn't feel at all tired. 

I watched the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta 'The Gondoliers' on BBC Four after supper - a new production with some of the comic dialogue rewritten for our times. It was colourful and spectacular with superbly choreographed dance routines. I don't think I've ever seen it before, though some of the songs from it are familiar performance pieces heard in light music concerts. The plot is pretty daft, and I started losing interest in the second act. I could have done with something more inspirational for Easter Day.