View from the pew ...

This uplifting Mass was very well attended. It was my first time at this Mass and it greatly impressed me. The music, led by the Lewisham Deanery Choir, was resonant, combining old and new and praised God with a gusto that filled His Cathedral (‘Christ be our Light’, ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty’, ‘Sweet Sacrament Divine’, ‘All are welcome.’) The hymn by Herbert O’Driscoll and Gerard Johnson was a compelling but sensitive call to ‘come and journey with our Saviour’. Sitting in the front pews, there was an almost physical surge of worship as everyone was joining in the superb music with so much brio. The combination of electric organ, classical organ and piano was a revelation and totally fitted the Cathedral’s acoustic capacity. The artwork by Rebekah O’Keeffe, so lovingly prepared, was a poignant and inclusive reminder of the role of the Church in the world today. It pictured some of the many ways that the Church is growing in faith and spreading into our daily lives.

The Liturgy was, as always, an expression of the sacramental life of the Church as we heard the word of God. It called us to spread the Good news far and wide in our daily lives. Archbishop Kevin’s moving sermon called us to support each other. He stressed that this is the lifelong and beautiful task of loving Our Lord ever more closely and in supporting each other in each day’s hopes and struggles. He essentially explained how the whole Catholic community should encourage and uphold those recently baptised and received into full communion with the Church. Conversion, he reminded us, is not just a single intervention of the Holy Spirit. It is a continual call to holiness and action. He did not want us to be dismayed if we ever fell short of our calling. He exhorted us to feel continually called to receive God’s merciful forgiveness especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which is forever there for our moments of trial and weakness. Our Archbishop encouraged us to rejoice in and praise God for the constantly strong numbers of New Catholics. He told the story of the Parish Priest who had to enlarge his Church due to the increase in numbers attending Mass. Archbishop Kevin appealed to us to make the liturgy, the sacraments and service to each other the hallmarks of our faith in practice. He was so grateful to all who made the effort to be with him on this stirring and spiritually nourishing day.

Frank Keen
18th May 2009