Odds and ends

I'm sorry for my absence from the blogosphere lately. I haven't forgotten you, my friends. I've been a bit all over the place lately and not been sure exactly how coherent I could be while putting my own thoughts and experiences into words.

My fellow catechumen has been poorly these past few weeks gone. Please remember him in prayer. His elderly mother is also quite ill and he has been very busy lately with other issues, which have been resolved in his favour, but which must have been exhausting nonetheless.

The result is that I have been sitting outside during the Liturgy very much on my own these past couple of fortnights. I almost burst into strains of All by myself today. However, I was very touched when another one of our very musical people approached me afterwards and said, 'You need to get baptised soon - the music really suffers when you leave', which I thought was a really nice thing to say, and which I needed to hear.

Father Paul says that he thinks that Pascha would be a good time to have us both received. Originally, he had said between Theophany and Pascha, so I'm glad for a little more precision and also the knoweldge that I shan't be expected to be submerged in the Irish Sea in the dead of winter.

Also, the Kursk Root Icon is coming to Great Britain during January. I'm not sure yet what its itinerary is, but I would love to be able to venerate it.

There's also talk of a visit to our parish by our bishop at some point during the course of the year. That should be all good fun. The significance of this may not be realised by those whose bishops live in the same country as them, but Archbishop Mark lives in Munich, and has never visited our parish before, so it will be rather a significant event.

I think that's about it for now. I'll try to be around more often. :-)

M x