Today a healthy number gathered in Saint Barnabas’ church to celebrate the glorious Feast of Christ the Universal King. Apologies for a forgotten camera- this archive shot of our servers awaiting the Angelus will have to do! The hymns today were wonderful (if predictable) ‘All hail the power of Jesus’ name’, ‘Christ triumphant’, ‘Crown him with many crowns’ and finally ‘Laud O sion’ which accompanied our Benediction precession before we ended proceedings with ‘All for Jesus!’ Wonderful stuff to mark the end of another liturgical year and it was especially pleasing to note two new choristers in readiness for the next…if the choir keeps expanding at this rate we will soon have more in the stalls than pews!
After Mass conversation inevitably centred around events in the Anglican communion. Amongst the conversations I had there was an over-riding sense of both sadness and determination. Sadness that the Church of England seems unable or is else unwilling to provide the necessary provision for us to remain truly Catholic in doctrine as well as practice. And determination that we should keep our heads when all around are losing theirs. Everyone is determined to stay loyal and loving, mindful of those with difference of opinion. And everyone, bar none, seems insistent that there should be no change to our worship or teaching. We are, and always have been, unashamedly Catholic and our long term future can only lie within a body able to endorse, maintain and further this glorious tradition. In so many ways our procession at the end of Mass, which led us on bended knee before Jesus in the blessed sacrament, was silent but powerful testament to this fact. Not due to the smoke or umbrellina – however wonderful they may be, but because we believe so passionately in the ‘real presence’ and in the truth of the Catholic faith. May Christ the King watch over us in the coming weeks and months.
