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Diocese of Canterbury |
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Saint Martin of Tours – Guston Parish Church
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News from Guston |
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News from
Guston. In the Catholic wing of the Church of England,
and in the Roman Church, May is traditionally the month for particular
emphasis on devotion to Mary which have grown up and been practiced during the month of
May. They have two aspects: first of
all, they are grounded upon belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a
legitimate and an important focus of the devotion of Christians; the natural
bonds of familial affection are experienced as renewed in the context of the
saving community But also, it’s no
surprise that the principal means and manifestation of the devotion to Mary
that marks this season of late spring, the month of May, is flowers.
Nature literally blossoms in May: the
blossom is brought to the one who is the signifier and precursor of the human
blossoming that is Christ, namely the Virgin who accepted the Word, and
brought him into the world. The use
of flowers is a powerful and simple pointer to the redeeming work of God in
Christ. In those churches which are
more restrained in their expressions of devotion there can still be a focus
of prayerful devotion on Mary during this month of May; one can still be affected by the flowering
and blossoming of nature that can move afresh the spirit towards the reality
given us in the Church and her sacraments, the life of the Holy Spirit, the
Vision of God. Certainly it was not
hard to feel something of this during our PCC quiet day, which we held this
month. The setting was in Greyfriars
in Canterbury. This was the first
home of the Franciscans in England when they arrived here in 1224, and which
has survived Reformation, bombing and urban redevelopment to provide an oasis
of quiet and floral beauty at the very heart of Canterbury. With a happy coincidence, the reading for
the Morning Office with which we started our day was the very passage that
inspired St Francis and his followers on their life of poverty and service –
to go forth and preach the Gospel, taking nothing with them for the journey. We held our working
sessions and our Eucharist in the chapel on the first floor of the medieval
building, with delicate pink blossom in the trees visible through the
windows. We considered current
patterns of local training, the role of the priest, and our expectations of
him. Our thanks go to Stewart for
leading our day, keeping our discussions focused, and our thoughts
progressing from the practicalities of training on to the work of the priest
in a parish and how the priestly order is seen in the Church of England and
the wider Church. It was good of
him to give us his time and experience, and good too, that David, escaping
from what was I am sure a much less inspirational Diocesan Synod, was able to
join with us all for a very late, and extended, Italian meal at the end of
the day. Our day was given
poignancy though, as a few days earlier the Manchester Report had been
published giving the options open to the Church of England when it brings in
the innovation of women bishops. It
is clear that whichever option General Synod accepts when it meets in July,
unity will be impaired. The Church
Times reports that some
500 women priests have written to the House of Bishops insisting that no
special structure be legislated for, and only a code of practice be put in
place to protect those who cannot accept women as bishops, This is despite
the fact that the Manchester Report makes it clear that that option would
cause many of contrary view to leave the C of E. There is a clear wish expressed by Christ in the Gospels that
we should be one as He and the Father are one; perhaps that unity in the C of
E is to be achieved at the price of excluding the minority? And in this week’s Tablet, Cardinal
Kasper is quoted as saying in Oxford that the Anglican Communion really has
to decide if it is still the unitary body that has been the basis of its
ecumenical discussions hitherto with Rome.
The Cardinal, who is responsible for ecumenical relations for the
Catholic Church, will be attending the July Lambeth Conference and will
observe the proceedings attentively.
I am reminded again of Yates’s phrase: “Things fall apart, the centre
cannot hold”. Fortunately Guston
continues for the time being unchanged, however, and looking forward now to
June, we will be holding our Parish Breakfast after the 8 o’clock Holy
Communion on the third Sunday – 15th June – and the following
month, our BBQ at the Chance Inn at 7.30 pm on Friday evening, 18th
July. Please contact Phil if you
might be able to attend so we know numbers for catering; we look forward to seeing you! |
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