Do not be afraid

Saturday 17th April, 2021

Again it has been a blistering spring day. The sun was up when I awoke and has remained all day with just an hour of clouds floating across her off and on. I walked to 10am Mass and was disappointed to hear that there will be no Saturday morning Masses in my church from next week. The service is moved to the evening. It has to do with some regulation and pressure on the priests. As there were only five of us I cannot really complain but I will miss the opportunity and the quiet stillness of it as well as it being a marvellous beginning of the week end.

I moved on to buy the Daily Telegraph which was dominated mainly by the Duke of Edinburgh's life, the funeral and so on and so forth. I walked back in the sunshine and decided to get an early walk in so as to be able to watch the funeral on the BBC. I was told it would begin at about 14.30. So I took the longer route over the hills behind the village. Few people were about and not even much litter. It was lovely and the view over the Firth of Tay to the East and St Andrews and the North Sea and then across Fife countryside to the Perthshire hills in the west. Truly glorious.

A few emails to reply to and send, two letters to finish and then off I went.

I was back by 14.00 and settled to the funeral. I did so remembering six friends who have died this last twelve months and whose funerals I have been unable to attend. And another is coming Friday which I will have to miss. I was sorry that the Covid regulations did not allow the full choir and congregation at St George's Chapel as I always instinctively feel people need to send off their friends and the dead need a celebration. It was a dignified service and of the Duke's own design. The read of Ecclesiastus was perfect and of St. John and Jesus's encounter with Martha over her brother's death. I sat and listened and pondered and prayed. We all die, we all will face God and we all need prayers as well as faith and trust and hope.

After the service I went and sat outdoors in the sun, listened to the birds and the Tay flowing by and then read and thought. Finally I got up and weeded the patio and felt exhausted. Now I write this and will move on to a hot bath to loosen my aching muscles. I will not be afraid, I will welcome death when she comes and welcome her openly now by trying to live a good life. Please God we will all understand on that great day of the Apocalypse and Judgement. Do not be afraid....Amen.