Sermons And Gubbins

 'Triduum' is Latin for 'three days'. Ecclesiastically, it refers to the three days of Jesus' arrest and death running up to Easter Sunday, covering the events of the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, and the liminal time of Holy Saturday when Jesus is dead. 'Haec Dies' means 'This is the day', and it is often used to refer to Easter Sunday itself ('This is the day that the Lord has made', from Psalm 118, which is often recited on Easter Sunday). Triduum Feria Quinta  Ante diem festum Paschae, sciens Jesus quia venit hora ejus ut transeat ex hoc mundo ad Patrem. I ran this morning.  Lord, have mercy — Along the path and round the field  that overlooks faraway green hills Then back up towards the church and down, and down, and through the daffodils Sliding on mud — my attempt to avoid  crushing purple hyacinths I traced the grass and my circling path around the garden labyrinth Christ have mercy — The mud s...

This sermon was given at our All Souls service on the evening of Sunday 30th October. I hope you enjoy reading it. I’d like to start this evening by reiterating the welcome Huw extended to you at the start of our service this evening. Whilst you may not wish to be here today – because the very fact that you are here tonight means that you are mourning somebody you have loved who is no longer with us on earth, you are welcome here. You are welcome to worship, or to mourn, or to do both, or do neither. You are welcome to join in, and you are welcome simply to sit, and to just be . This year as a nation, we have all taken part in a prescribed period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, and although that period was directed by such public institutions as the Royal Family, the government and the BBC, when it comes to personal mourning, there is no right way to grieve; there is only your way, unique to you.  That may feel an isolating experience sometimes. Grief is often lonely. But to...