What is in Kelvin's Head?

We’ve a feast on our hands

30/05/2013

We’ve a feast on our hands today at St Mary’s. Today is a day set apart in the calendar of our church on which Christians may give especial thanks for the institution of Holy Communion. It is the very last of the festivals whose date changes according to Easter. Because Easter was early this year, so today, Corpus Christi is earlier than it often is too.

Corpus Christi is related to Holy Week in another way too. The day on which Communion was instituted in the church is Maundy Thursday. That’s when we remember the Last Supper in the Upper Room. The Last Supper is perhaps confusingly the First Communion. (Or at least it is if you discount the other eucharistic meals in the gospels where Jesus breaks bread and shares it, such as the feeding of the five thousand). Maundy Thursday though is a day when we’ve got so much to think about and so much going on that we tend not to think about the supper itself. We get so quickly caught up in the story of Jesus’s arrest in the garden, trial and crucifixion the next day that we don’t have much time to ponder, or indeed, celebrate, the meal itself.

Hence, Corpus Christi. We get the chance today to rejoice in the meal.

I used to go across to celebrate Corpus Christi in Edinburgh with Fr Kevin Pearson. Sometimes we would make it a trip for servers and other hangers on. Indeed, on one ocassion, Fr Kevin invited me to preach. When Fr Kevin became Bishop Kevin a couple of years ago, I decided to have a go a reviving the feast in the west and started to celebrate it in Glasgow. And today, I’ve asked Bishop Kevin to come and preach at it.

It is a fairly complicated, wizz-bang kind of liturgy with much to think about. However, the essential ideas are easy to grasp. Firstly that God is really present when the Eucharist is celebrated. Secondly that God comes amongst God’s people and walks with them. Thirdly that it is OK to be joyful and happy. Indeed, joy is at the core of what we do.

So, Corpus Christi. A sermon from Bishop Kevin. Flower scattered (no, strewn!) before the Lord of Heaven and Earth. The glorious Vierne Messe Solonnelle from the choir. And joy for everyone.

Kick off 7.30 pm. All welcome.

[There’s a facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/467625339986048/ if you want to invite facebook friends)

Bishop of Argyll and The Isles, Corpus Christi, Kevin Pearson

8 responses to “Mitre over the parapet moments”

Kimberly

11/04/2008

Thanks for linking +David’s post. I’d read it, and the first few comments, but missed that later discussion. It represents a new level of blog dialogue in the SEC, I think.

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Rev Ruth

12/04/2008

Who’ll be next, do you think?

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Anonymous

12/04/2008

Thanks for the episcopal summary – I take back my previous criticisms about the bishops. They are being rather splendidly thoughtful at the moment. As was Archbish Sentamu on Radio 4’s question time 🙂

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bishop david

12/04/2008

Kelvin – thanks for your linking and attention-drawing activities. It’s hard not to be aware that there is a common thread linking all of those ‘over the parapet’ contributions – which is that the tone of recent contributions from our Catholic colleagues has been unfortunate. But now that we seem to have some momentum, I hope we can move on to be a bit more successful at shaping an agenda rather than simply responding to others.

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Duncan

14/04/2008

What’s the clergy equivalent of a mitre over the parapet?

A biretta over the altar?

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Stewart

14/04/2008

…only when it is snowing!!

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kelvin

15/04/2008

I can see snow on Cruachan. Birettas may be worn.

(See number 79 of my 100 things if you’ve no idea what Stewart is alluding to).

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Phil

21/04/2008

I am afraid the discussion with +David on his blog came to a sad end….have another look!

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