Ordination weekend

After a nice leisurely breakfast outside, I completed my Sunday sermon. I had a text message from Phil to say that his priesting ordination was proceeding as planned - a great relief to me as his former tutor. I am sad that I couldn't be there to share in the laying on of hands. It was something I had to sacrifice in order to make the necessary time to be in ministry here, and I know he'd understand this. His passion for missionary prirethood is one I fully understand, even though his view of ministry is as consistently conservative as mine is radical. Both of us are fed by the orthodox sacramentalism of the Catholic church, and I'm convinced that the dialogue between tradition and innovation is essential to future health and vitality.

Jobs done, I headed off to town for a lunchtime wedding blessing at San Salvador Church. There was a congregation of about seventy, and among the junior bridesmaids were the couple's three daughters. Two were old enough to sit either side of their parents on their ceremonial 'thrones', and they behaved perfectly. The youngest was in the arms of a senior bridesmaid. Three musical interventions were made by a professional wedding singer, Amanda Rose, who also provided low key ambient music at other points in the service.

Two friends gave readings. One a poem, the other from Colossians. Both readers were given a round of applause. Not the first time it's happened this tour of duty. I couldn't help myself commenting, hopefully without sounding sarcastic, how nice that St Paul's gracious words on loving behaviour were appreciated, as he didn't always get such a good reception. It's become commonplace for applause, if not a cheer to be raised when a couple are pronounced husband and wife, and this occasion was no exception. It a way, it has a different kind of significance from the case where bride and groom are young, just leaving home. 

Here's a couple, well settled, with a young family, their life together may have started in a provisional sort of way, but experience has led them to a place where life long commitment under vows before God has come to make sense. They're at a stage in life where they can afford to splash out on a big stylish celebration, and they are re-telling the story about themselves in a way that will influence their children in the long run.

After the final blessing, parents, bridesmaids and groomsmen posed for photos with them before they led everyone out. It was their choice to do this, encouraged perhaps by the wedding organisers. There was nothing to do except wait until I was free to re-arrange the furniture and lock the sacristy as requested. As a guest officiant, I have to put up with things like this, which to my mind undermine the dignity of the conclusion. But at least people behaved in an orderly manner and weren't rowdy. As ever, the Plaza outside was full of interested on-lookers, many of whom applauded the bride as she arrived. What happened when they left however, I didn't see, as all were occupied with taking photos out on the Balcon, as ever.

I got back to Church house a little later than expected, having stopped on my way at a greengrocers to buy a pot of basil and some patatillos neuvos. Clare had cooked luch, having spent an age finding out where everything was kept in a kitchen she'd not organised, poor soul. I know that feeling too, from occupying different houses on locum duties.

After a siesta, we walked back into town, so Clare could buy a replacement chain for a pendant, and the go for another swim at Playa Calahonda, at the end of a fiercely hot afternoon. It was gone eight by the time we got back and nine when we sat down to supper. Thankfully, by this time it was starting to cool down. No need for fans or air conditioning yet!

Before the wedding, Judith faithfully turned up to give me support. She told me that Archdeacon Geoff, former Chaplain here, was in Madrid for the day to take part in three ordinations to the Diaconate. From San Salvador's church noticeboard, we learned that Don Miguel was also being priested this same morning in Malaga Cathedral to serve as Nerja's third parish priest. He's the one I met last Sunday, as we overlapped at the end of the service, while he was waiting to conduct a baptism. I'd thought he was a locum, as I'd not seen him before, but it turns out that he was then a Deacon, already placed in the parish and on duty. He's a mature odinand. I'll be interested to learn more about him. His first Mass in San Miguel is next Sunday.

  

    

Ordination at St Woolos

For the third day in a row, I drove East down the M4 towards Newport, the previous two times to go to our radio supplier in Chepstow, and this morning to Newport, for the ordination service at Saint Woolos Cathedral. Among those presented were four students  from St Mikes - 'Becca and Phil to be made Deacon, Rufus and Will to be ordained priest. The first three were all in my tutor group. 

Rufus asked if I would be among those to approach close enough to lay hands on him with the Bishop with direct contact. There are always dozens of priests who want to share this moment and only a few are able to get close enough, so the candidate is surrounded by a forest of waving extended arms, when the Bishops says "Send the Holy Spirit upon this your servant ..." I felt greatly honoured to be asked, and when the time came I was moved to recall my own unrepeatable moment of intimate attention at the heart of what Bishop Richard referred to as "a holy scrum".

When Archbishop Glyn Simon laid hands on me to ordain me as a priest forty four years ago, his hands had the slight tremble of a man starting to be vulnerable with the beginnings of Parkinson's disease. But his were not the only hands on my head or shoulders or back. This experience of the Spirit at this moment is one of great solidarity. Whether you're a candidate or one of the participants, there's a sense of sharing in this few seconds which is unlike any other moment when, as a minister, you're called to lay hands on someone.

It was  lovely sitting in the brightly sunlit chancel after receiving Communion. There were over five hundred people present, and the distribution inevitably took some time, but the choir sang, and the time of waiting and giving thanks was most pleasurable. Then, after greeting the newly ordained in the churchyard outside afterwards, I returned to Cardiff, did some weekend shopping and went home to relax and savour the experience over again.