Going red

I slept a good nine hours again but felt sleepy most of the morning, as if I hadn't slept. I don't know why this happens. I vacuumed the carpets, then rang the surgery, and was told there was nothing of concern in the report on my blood test of last week. What I hoped for.

I walked into town before lunch to buy a new strap for my ancient Casio watch at the 'Just in Time' stall in the central market. On a whim, I decided to get a red strap instead of the black standard one which I must have replaced half a dozen times in nearly forty years of ownership. It'll take me a while to get used to it, but I think I'm old enough to be excused for being eccentric now.

I walked around to the Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral on the far side of the shopping centre, and was pleased to find that it was open prior to the midday celebration of Mass. Scaffolding has been erected in the choir and sanctuary area and the nave altar moved forward. It's not clear what work is being done on the building, perhaps it's just redecoration. That's the first time I've visited there since before the pandemic and it was good to see the place alive with worshippers, and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the careful resumption of common life again.

I got back late for lunch, then prepared Thursday's Morning Prayer, wrote a reflection, and recorded it all before driving over to St German's to celebrate the Eucharist with  five others in honour of St Tydful, the Martyr who gave her name to the town at the top of the Taff Vale. After supper I edited all the sound files together. recorded earlier.  It all came together quickly, in time for me to watch this week's new NCIS episode. Then, to my surprise, Rachel called to chat with me while she was driving from Tempe to Los Angeles for a recording session. She had to ring off when her oil warning light went on. I hope this won't stop her from getting there and completing her project.

Holocaust Sunday

It was good to be driving up the A470 again with the rising sun behind me to celebrate the Eucharist at Abercanaid first thing this morning. In Radio Four's Sunday worship slot, Morning Prayer was being broadcasted from Cardiff. Immediately I recognised the voice of Canon Peter Collins the Administrator of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, and later Archbishop George Stack whom I heard preaching at Llandaff Cathedral Evensong last Sunday. I was especially grateful because I'd got up too late to say Matins before I left. 

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, and this was the theme appropriately running through the service. Beautiful use was made of 'the Met' choir, singing Psalms and Canticles with Anglican as well as Gregorian content. The Archbishop spoke with simplicity and clarity, quoting Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the late Dean of Westminster Abbey Michael Mayne and Dietrich Boenhoffer in a brief address. Christian testimony these days is both ecumenical and interfaith in its scope, no matter what denomination the preacher is.

Abercanaid was snow free when I got there and the congregation pleased to be back to normal, out and about again. The sun shone as I drove home. I picked up Clare from St Catherine's after the Eucharist there and we went to Riverside Market, where a chilly wind blew uncomfortably, so we didn't hang around for long. After lunch we takled with Claudine in Burma, Rachel in Arizona, Amanda in Bristol. Yesterday we heard from a delighted Kath that she'd got the funding to take on tour performances from the parent and children dance project she's been working on for the past six months.

Owain came around for tea. He told us how his techno tracks are gradually being taken up for internet broadcast and gaining appreciation. He's put spare time to good use this past year, and it compensates somewhat for being stuck in a dead end job unable to make it back into his career employment option. After dark, thunder and hail in copious quantities surprised us. Owain sensibly took a taxi home, leaving us to get ready for the week ahead.

 

Encouraging city centre news

I've been to the CBS office today, and been into College twice. I meant to do some work this morning, but ended up chatting with a couple of students who were revising two thousand years worth of church history for an up-coming exam, and then joining in the revision Q&A. It was great fun. Once could make a nice College parlour game out of it. Ecclesiastical Trivial Pursuits?

In discussing yesterday's Cathedral visit and sermon by Archbishop George Stack with Peter the Principal, I learned something historical that cast yesterday's event into an altogether different light. It seems that the last Bishop of Llandaff before the Reformation break with Rome was the Confessor and Spiritual Director of Queen Catherine of Aragon, whose divorce from Henry VIII was the issue around which the King nationalised the British church. To know this is to understand that Archbishop George preaching in this particular Cathedral pulpit is a pilgrim for reconciliation, not just a high officer of the church engaging in ecumenical diplomacy.

I also learned today that the Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral has actually purchased Ebeneser Congregational church opposite in Charles Street, as part of its long term development plans. I'd heard gossip about this before last summer but assumed it was speculation. Apparently the initiative was encouraged by Archbishop George, as is use of the old church Sunday School building by Council and Local Health Board for an emergency medical triage centre to deal with casualties of night economy over indulgence on weekends. 

The church undercroft hall and kitchens are to be used by the street care teams for a feeding station, again with the active support of the new Archbishop. This is amazing good news for city centre voluntary workers, and very much to the credit of the local Catholic community - not to mention an answer to the prayers of many over several years past.