Rachel, Norris and I set out at about 1920, arriving a bit early. Tamsin and Martyn unfortunately couldn't make it - Martyn's on some medication for a persistent headache and Tamsin didn't want to leave him, so we can pray for them. It's a bit odd when you do something official in church, like be received. It meant that everyone I knew was scattered round a bit except for the people who were being received with me at the front right. Rachel was meant to sit behind me with the sponsors, Karen Silcox and her husband Colin set up about halfway back, and Norris ended up on the front left. He seemed okay about it, and was getting on okay with Mike's wife, whose name I, embarassingly, could not remember.
Bit of a procession to the back of church to light a stonking great paschal candle. I'm not quite sure why, but when lit it made a fairly hefty whumph, if you see what I mean, which was pretty dramatic. I am given to understand it's meant to represent, in addition to apparent things, the pillar of fire which God provided for the Israelites coming out of Egypt. In any case, we all got our own candles lit off it. I didn't mention that the lights were off did I? Well they were - the idea was to symbolise the darkness of the Old Testament before the final revelation of Jesus.
129 Christians therefore read the Old Testament in the light of Christ crucified and risen. Such typological reading discloses the inexhaustible content of the Old Testament; but it must not make us forget that the Old Testament retains its own intrinsic value as Revelation reaffirmed by our Lord himself. Besides, the New Testament has to be read in the light of the Old. Early Christian catechesis made constant use of the Old Testament. As an old saying put it, the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is unveiled in the New. - CCC
Man alive there were a lot of readings! It was good. The lights remained off until the New Testament readings. I wasn't so sure about some of the solo-singing on the responsorial Psalms, but the choir did an excellent job - holy, beautiful and intelligible - what more could you ask for in a Psalm?
The lights came on in a very theatrical way (they must have done this before) and after that it was Mass like most weeks apart from bits for us guys (and we were all guys, which Fr. Harry seemed pleased about). A restatement of baptismal vows (always a good idea - reminded Norris of The Godfather Part One) a, I must say, bodged profession that "I [,that is, we] believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.", an anointing with oil and that was us in full communion with the Church and permitted to receive. And we did. And about that, perhaps I'd better say very little except that I'm glad. Thank you for everyone who's supported me, especially those who did so, and do so, with little understanding of why I would do such a thing, only seeing that I meant it.
Well, after Mass there was no official thing to do, except that some people wanted pictures of the newly-received, so I just talked to various people I knew, generally wandering round like I don't know what I'm doing, which is usually the case. Norris said that he'd "never been to anything like that before." I'd never been to anything exactly like that before. It's a nice service, in itself.
Mike gave the three of us a life back to the Esso, and we wandered over to the chaplaincy for some Maltese Easter treats, which were good, myself bearing a can of Stella for the sake of a rather childish in-joke. 'Hem.
And then to bed.
