[Magdalen] Christmas Day

[Marion Thompson]

A quiet day for me.  Lovely.  Thoughtful gifts to enjoy, including an 
Orthodox-looking vigil light for my prayer corner, a cross and votive 
candle from St Peter's Cathedral, Salzburg, and, totally unexpected, a 
pair of shiny red gloves (that match my red shoes and boots) from one of 
our marginalized parishioners.   She's always knitting and I thought 
it'll be a washcloth or something.  Oh tears!

Last night's service went as well as we could make it, but, geez, our 
P-i-C has the liturgical sense of a turnip and will not be moved.  Who 
else would refuse to wear a cope on these occasions? So when we 
accompany him around the altar when he censes it at the start, there is 
no reason for us to traipse around with him, although we do, fufilling 
the now-nominal roles of deacon and sub-deacon.  When will he dispense 
with our services altogether, I wonder?  Who else refuses to stand 
behind the altar  when he should be there?  Or is rooted there when he 
should be elsewhere?  He wouldn't let me bring the book in procession to 
the creche for him to read from.  It's all too 'fancy' for him, he said, 
happy to do it from his bulletin.  But what about us??????? We are an 
Anglo-Catholic parish, much as he would deny it.   His homily was 
blessedly short and as dull as ever.   It would be a blessing to him and 
to us if he could allow the mystery to enfold him and feed his senses 
and fire his imagination.  Aaaargh!

My son and his partner are coming tomorrow for a couple of days, so I've 
got stuff to do around here to ready the spare room.  Nice. And I've got 
this Sunday off.  Yippee!

Marion, a pilgrim