14th January was the Feast of St Felix of Nola. He gave an old bishop a piggy back to escape some Roman soldiers and hid in a derelict house when the soldiers came a spider miraculously wove a web over the door and the soldiers screamed and ran away. Today is the Feast of Paul the Hermit. When he was 113 years old Antony of Egypt, 90, claimed he had been in the desert longer. A she-wolf led him to Paul and a raven brought them some bread for lunch, but each deferred to the other and in the end the bread had to divide itself. Paul then died so Antony buried him with the help of two lions and took his garment of palm leaves home to wear on special days. A special BOGOF two weird Saints for the price of one in the January Ecclesiastic Sales
And so to this week’s news:
Belated thanks to all the Clergy and the whole of the Music Department for a magnificent festive season, which reached a wonderful conclusion with the Epiphany Carol service on Sunday afternoon. How many of you heard the Cathedral bells PLAYING TUNES (gasps in horror) after the service? Yes folks, I’m guessing that the man who taught me to ring is revolving in his tomb at the very thought of our wonderful ring being used “like some ponderous great carillon” to quote Dr C Wilcox, but actually; leaving the service to walk out into the first snow of the year as the bells played Darke’s “In the Bleak” was really rather glorious….If I have to criticise , and I feel I must, it was the poor turn out for the Epiphany Carol service. Everyone involved from the probs concentrating on their procession, to Dean Pete’s thoughtful reflections, had worked so hard to put together a very special service, and the turnout was not much higher than an normal Sunday Evensong. So put the word out good people, put it in this years Christmas brochure, advertise it on local media…but lets get the bums on the seats for next year. Rant (first of the year) over.
Chemin-Neuf is meeting tonight, Tuesday 14th January at 7:30 in the Concert room I think.
Book Club has it’s first meeting of the year tonight at 7pm, back in the staff room, after our brief return to the Dean’s Office for a very enjoyable Christmas Party. This month’s book is “Letters to Malcolm” by CS Lewis, but do please come along even if you haven’t read it yet.
School of Theology and Alpha also start new terms tomorrow 15th January, Alpha at 7pm in the Concert Room, and SOT “The Holy Spirit and the Church”7:30 in the RLC see the website for details www.liverpoolcathedral.org.uk
Breakfast With The Bible/Supper With The Scriptures made a very welcome return on Sunday/Monday with Dean Pete getting very excited with St Luke, and why not? There is no BWB?SWS this week ( 2oth/21st January), but we will be looking at The Psalms on 27th/28th January Please bring a Bible if you can.
Reminder to think about our Food Bank initiative, which we are working towards starting in partnership with the Toxteth and City Centre Churches and faith groups. As I said last week, we will need volunteers to help with all aspects of this work, and we will also need food collections. Might I ask you all to give some thought to how you might support this sadly, very important and much needed project? Maybe your New Year’s resolution has already gone the way of all flesh, or you’re wondering what to give up for Lent (Ash Wednesday is less than a month away folks!)? Well why not give up some time to help with the Food Bank? If you would like more information, or to volunteer please contact Canon Cynthia or myself ASAP.
FINAL IMPORTANT NOTICE This is a repeat of last week’s in case you didn’t read it, and is really only for member of Liverpool Cathedral Company i.e. congregations, staff and volunteers: Tickets for Bishop Justin’s Confirmation and Enthronement services.
There are places available for anyone from the Cathedral or Diocese who wishes to attend the Confirmation of Election service at St Paul’s Cathedral on 4th February at 12 noon. At this service +Justin will legally become ++Justin Cantuar. This service is not ticketed. So just turn up! This invitation from +Justin has come because he’d like us to be there, and because Canterbury being on a smaller scale than the pink Palace of varieties, there are very few tickets available for the enthronement service. There are however a small number of tickets available to the Cathedral for this service, which is on 21st March at 3pm (commemoration day of Thomas Cranmer strangely enough!). If you would like to be considered for a ticket, please consider your ability to get there, and if and only if you feel certain that you can get there, please contact Clare Kerrigan to add your name to the list. Being on the list DOES NOT GUARANTEE A TICKET, so please don’t book trains/accommodation until your ticket has been confirmed. If numbers exceed allocation there will be a ballot. Clare must have your name by 21st January. clare.kerrigan@liverpoolcathedral.org.uk or 0151 702 7220
Dr Catherine Wilcox has now blogged Chapter two of her latest novel ACTS AND OMISSIONS which you can find here: http://catherine-fox-novel.blogspot.co.uk Things are certainly hotting up In Lindchester, where young Freddie has not, in the manner of Nigel Pargetter, met a sticky end on New Year’s Eve.
In our prayers at this time: All those known to us who are in need of our prayer and support; thinking especially at this time:
- Those seeking meaning through Christ as they start the Alpha Course.
- Those seeking a better understanding of their faith through SOT/BWB/SWS
- The Archdiocese of Liverpool it’s clergy and people as they look towards the arrival of a new Archbishop, that he may follow in the faithful footsteps of Archbishop Derek Warlock and Archbishop Patrick Kelly. Also praying that Archbishop Patrick as he return to Liverpool today, may continue his recovery from his stroke
- Those witnessing to Christ in war zones and other areas of conflict; thinking especially at this time of Revd Deserrié, his family and all those he ministers to in Goma, with reports yesterday of a massive increase in the conflict there. Revd Canon Andrew White and his beleaguered congregation and staff at St George’s Baghdad.
- Justin, Caroline and family as they prepare to sat goodbye to their new friends in Durham, and for Justin’s new role as leader of the 77 million people within the Anglican Communion
- For the new Food Bank and One Stop project, for all those involved in getting it started, and all those in need of it’s work.
- All Asylum seekers and those who work with them
- The homeless and vulnerable, especially those in fuel poverty as the winter weather starts to bite.
- Those who are yet to encounter God’s love, that they might find a welcome in our midst, and be encouraged to discover the joy of God’s gift to us all through the love of His son Jesus Christ
- All those within the criminal justice system, both those who work with offenders, and the offenders themselves.
- The faithful departed and those they have left behind.
- The families of servicemen and women currently serving overseas.
- Struggling with life’s vicissitudes; loss of employment, liberty, shelter, freedom
- Those searching for God, that they might know His presence in their lives,
- Coping with illness or the illness of a loved one
- For whom freedom of faith is denied
Do please email me should you have anything you wish to be included in next week’s notes; or of course if you have an inevitable errata /addenda to this week’s
Nädine
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