Useless Information Corner CULINARY CORNER...THE UGLY TRUTH 3 VICAR’S LETTER Dear friends, E...

16

Useless Information Corner

We are all familiar with the parakeets seen flying round Chislehurst. There are various theories about where they originated. The two most popular are that they escaped from Ealing Studios during

the filming of The African Queen or that two birds, named Adam and Eve, were released in Carnaby Street by Jimi Hendrix in 1968. Neither is correct, as they are now known to have been in England since 1855. It is assumed that they were cage birds that escaped and thrived in the wild. They are not of course native to Britain, but are rose-ringed or ring-necked parakeets, native to Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

WEB SITE

Do have a look at our

website which is :

www.annunciationchislehurst.org

The Parish is also on Facebook

which is a valuable way keeping in

touch .

This Magazine is produced free each

month, and is normally available on the last

Sunday of the preceding month. At the

moment most people receive this electronically.

Contributions are invited, although the Editor

reserves the right to decline or amend !

Copy date for the September edition will be

Sunday, 23rd August.

Please note that items should be sent by midday

on the copy date.

CULINARY CORNER

Cheesy Chicken

4 skinned chicken breasts cut into large

chunks

500g washed small new potatoes

120g crumbled Blue Stilton cheese

3 crushed garlic cloves

100ml Crème fraîche

115g butter

100ml white wine

100ml vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a frying pan and toss

the chicken pieces until golden on all

sides. Reserve on kitchen roll. Toss the

potatoes in the heated pan juices until

they start to colour. Remove chicken and

potatoes to warmed casserole. Stir the

crushed garlic into the pan juices then

add the wine and vegetable stock while

stirring. Pour the contents of the pan

over the chicken and potatoes, cover and

oven bake at 180oC for approximately 30

minutes. Remove from oven, stir in the

crumbled cheese and cream fraîche and

return the uncovered casserole to bake for

a further 10 minutes, checking the cheese

has become a creamy sauce. Season to

taste with black pepper and salt. Serve

with seasonal vegetables or crisp salad. If

preferred an alternative blue cheese can

be used. Serves four

DID YOU KNOW ?

A cockroach will live nine days without

its head before it starves to death.

The flea can jump 350 times its body

length. It's like a human jumping the

length of a football field.

Elephants are the only animals that can-

not jump.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

1

CALENDAR FOR AUGUST

1 - S St Alphonsus di Liguouri, Bishop & Doctor of the Church

Readings Jeremiah 26:11-16 Matthew 14:1-12

Intention Spiritual directors

2 * S FOURTEENTH ORDINARY SUNDAY (Trinity 8 : proper 13)

Readings Isaiah 55:1-5 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:13-21

Intention Our Parish & People

3 - M Feria Intention Those away on holiday


4 - Tu St John Vianney (Curé d’Ars), Priest Intention All priests

Readings Jeremiah 30:1-2,12-15 Matthew 15:1-2,10-14

5 - W Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major Intention Marian Shrines


6 - Th THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD Intention Our Parish & People

Readings Daniel 7:9-10 2 Peter 1:16-19 Matthew 17:1-9

7 - F St Cajetan, Priest Intention The Confraternity of The Blessed Sacrament

Readings Nahum 2:1,3:4:1-3,6-7 Matthew 16:24-28

8 - S St Dominic, Priest Intention The Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

Readings Habbakuk 1:12-2:4 Matthew 17:14-20

9 * S NINETEENTH ORDINARY SUNDAY (Trinity 9 : proper 14)

Readings 1 Kings 19:9-18 Romans 10:5-15 Matthew 14:22-33


10 - M ST LAWRENCE, Deacon & Martyr Intention Recently Ordained Deacons

Readings 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 John 12:24-26

11 - Tu St Clare, Virgin Intention Poor Clares & Franciscan Nuns

Readings Ezekiel 2:8-3:4 Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14

12 - W St Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious Intention The Sick

Readings Ezekiel 9:1-7,10-18 Matthew 18:15-20

13 - Th SS Pontian, Pope & Hippolytus, Priest Intention Pope Francis

Readings Ezekiel 12:1-12 Matthew 18:21-19:1

14 - F St Maximilian Koble, Priest & Martyr Intention The Polish Church

Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63 Matthew 19:3-12

15 - S Feria Intention Our Church Officers

Ezekiel 18:1-10 Matthew 19:13-15

2

16 * S THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY (Transferred from 15th)

Readings Revelation 11:19-12:5 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 1:46-55


17 - M Feria (week 20) Intention For an increase in religious vocations

Readings Ezekiel 24:15-23 Matthew 19:16-22

18 - Tu Feria Intention For an increase in vocations to the priesthood


19 - W St John Eudes, Priest Intention The sick


20 - Th St Bernard, Abbot & Doctor of the Church Intention Benedictines


21 - F St Pius X, Pope Intention Those seeking work


22 - S Our Lady, Queen Intention The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham


23 * S TWENTY-FIRST ORDINARY SUNDAY (Trinity 11 : proper 16)

Readings Isaiah 51:1-6 Romans 12:33-36 Matthew 16:13-20


24 - M ST BARTHOLOMEW, Apostle Intention Forward in Faith

Readings Revelations 21:9-14 John 1:45-51

25 - Tu St Louis Intention The Church in France

Readings 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 Matthew 23:23-26

26 - W Feria Intention The departed (Requiem for August)

Readings 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18 Matthew 23:26-32

27 - Th St Monica Intention Mothers, step-mothers & foster mothers

Readings 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Matthew 24:42-51

28 - F St Augustine, Bishop & Doctor of the Church Intention Theologians

Readings 1 Corinthians 1:17-25 Matthew 25:1-13

29 - S The Martyrdom of St John Baptist Intention St John’s, Sevenoaks

Readings 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Mark 6:17-29

30 * S TWENTY-SECOND ORDINARY SUNDAY Intention Our Parish & People (Trinity 12 : proper 17)

Readings Jeremiah 15:15-21 Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28

31 - M St Aidan, Bishop &The Lindisfarne Saints Intention Missionaries

Readings 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Luke 4:16-30

15

NOTES & NEWS

TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD Thursday, 6th August

12.00 noon Concelebrated Mass

Preacher : Fr Bernard Fray

(formerly of York Diocese, he now lives in

retirement in Bromley College)

We are invited to share in the celebration

at St George’s Bickley

We can meet for refreshments in the church grounds

after Mass. We are asked to bring our own picnic,

but soft drinks will be provided.

THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY

Sunday, 16th August

(transferred from 15th)

8.00 am Low Mass (traditional order)

10.00 am Solemn Mass

CHURCH CLEANING

It is possible

p e o p l e w i l l

realise that it is

not only our

homes that need

cleaning so does

the church ! The

usual cleaning

session is the first

Saturday of each

month after the 9.00 am mass. With

the restrictions of the current situation

these sessions have been suspended,

but the situation changes in all sorts of

ways and often at short notice, and so

please keep an eye on the bulletins etc.

for we hope to reinstate the regular

cleaning sessions. It is not all hard

work for there is also a bit of social

plus coffee and doughnuts !

14

T he Annunciation is fortunate in having reasonable but not excessive financial

reserves. The hard fact is that we know these funds will be depleted significantly

by works to the structure of the Church. 150 years of existence is starting to

show ! It is all too easy to think such as “we’ve got plenty of money”, but the ugly truth

is that if expenses exceed income you are soon on the slippery slope to extinction.

We are also fortunate enough to have some very generous people within The

Annunciation community but just as with

so many organisations, charities,

businesses etc. our income over the last

four months has taken a hard knock.

Planned events that should have brought in

money, e.g. the Fair(s), Gift Day etc. have

not, or will not take place. There is no

doubt that we need to maximise our

income and one way of doing this is to

make sure that if you are lucky enough to

have an income so that you pay income

tax, you gift aid the donations you make to

The Annunciation. Doing this means that

for every £1.00 you donate the

Annunciation receives £1.20 !

Making donations by means of a monthly standing order is a good idea as it means less

administration for our volunteers and once it is set up easier for you too !

There are other ways of contributing than just handing over money ; for as you will read

elsewhere there is plenty of “house keeping” to do be it within the building or within the

grounds. There are some jobs where we have to use professionals, but there are many

tasks that require no specialist knowledge or skill. An added benefit of making a

practical contribution is the satisfaction of seeing what has been achieved.

Remember the saying “The more you put in, the more you get out” ? It is true ! If in

some way everyone increases their input to The Annunciation by say 10-15% it will

make a significant difference to ensuring the future of our beautiful church.

John Symes

THE UGLY TRUTH

3

VICAR’S LETTER

Dear friends,

E lsewhere in this issue of the magazine I

have written a short introduction to the

book of the prophet Ezekiel, from whom

we find ourselves reading for two months at the

daily Mass. Central to Ezekiel is the idea of the

glory of God, a theme also reflected in the two

major holy days that fall during August, the

Transfiguration of the Lord and the Assumption

of our Lady, both revelations of God's glory in

their own distinctive ways.

Of course, Ezekiel also lamented the departure of

the Lord's glory, something we may identify with

after three months of exile from our church

building, and the constraints we still face in the

conduct of worship, and will likely continue to

face for some time to come. That being said, the

important thing is that we are able to worship

again, and that so many of you have been able to

join us - even though some of you will feel safer waiting before venturing out again.

In practice, some of the constraints I anticipated in my article for last month’s magazine

have been less onerous. By carefully rotating the venues for the daily Mass we have

been able to minimize the need for deep cleaning between each service; and we have

adapted the ceremonial at the Parish Mass in a way that allows us to celebrate with

dignity, and even some music, even if singing is off the menu for the time being. My

biggest regrets are that we cannot resume our children's program, and that much of the

day-to-day work of a parish priest (going into schools, taking the sacraments to the sick

and housebound, visiting people in hospital, etc.) remains off limits.

On a related note, I am aware how much you have appreciated the recorded Masses

during the lock-down period, and that some of you have asked whether they might

continue in some form for the benefit of those still self-isolating. Recording with a

congregation present poses some challenges that do not arise in an empty chapel, but I

hope it will soon be possible to offer something. I will also be starting a new occasional

email bulletin for those who choose to opt in to receive it, as many of you have already

done.

4

Eventually we will need to come to terms with the financial consequences of three

months' closure, but it will take a while for the full effects of that to become apparent.

Some of you, I know, have been faithful in keeping up your regular offering, or have

caught up since the church has been re-opened, but we cannot minimize the effect this

will have had on our already tight finances. The fact is we have been drawing on

reserves to pay our way for the past few years, and that is not something that can go on

indefinitely. That being said, at least we have reserves - many parishes will have come

out of the last few months in a far more perilous situation than we have.

But God's glory is always there to be perceived, even if at times our vision of that glory

is clouded. Pray that as our parish life slowly returns to normal, we may always have the

vision of that glory before our eyes.

Your priest and friend,

Father Paul

HAVE YOU NOTICED ?

M indful that there is a significant footfall of local residents through the churchyard

as they travel to and from the High Street to the Belmont Parade area we have

provided an additional notice board at the east entrance. Hopefully this will help us pub-

licise our events and make people more aware of The Annunciation. It sounds stupid

but I am sure not all that pass through are aware of what their surroundings are ! It is

surprising how many of the people who drop into the church make remarks such as,

“What a lovely church. I have lived in Chislehurst over 30 years and never been here

before”!

You will yet to have noticed that the opportunity has been taken to re-paint the Capella,

something that has been “on the list” for some time! Grateful thanks to the anonymous

donor who made this possible.

With the restrictions causing us to pause our efforts to improve the presentation of the

Church grounds. We have managed to keep the grass cut to the north and east of the

church and now making progress with the High Street frontage most of which now looks

pretty reasonable. This didn’t happen by magic but by the efforts of a couple of folk

over a morning. There is a huge amount of gardening detritus to remove from the

grounds, which in itself will improve things. Can you contribute a couple of hours or so

to help? To volunteer just drop a note to either [email protected] or

[email protected].

13

HUNT THE COMPOSER

You are invited to identify the name of the composer from the visual clues

on the facing page/

There are no prizes, but feel proud if you can identify them all !

1. 13.

2. 14.

3. 15.

4. 16.

5. 17.

6. 18.

7. 19.

8. 20.

9. 21.

10. 22.

11. 23.

12. 24.

SOLUTION TO JULY CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Isaiah 4 Barnabas 10 Reredos 11 Bunk bed

12 Ethan 13 Linus 15 Leu 16 Omar

18 ****** 21 Archetype 23 Nain 25 Ria

17 Saved 29 Bohea 30 Natural 32 Rarebit

33 European 34 Ladder

DOWN

1.Israel 2 Abraham 3 Aidan 5 Alban 6 Nun

7 Babylon 8 Sadduccee 9 Psaltery 14 Satan

17 Reeds 19 Theodore 20 Laurence 22 Chapter

24 Ichabod 25 Easter 28 Villa 29 Burka 31 RIP

Apologies for the clue to 18 across. It has one more

space than needed for the intended answer of

Entrance. The compiler had a mad moment.

ANNIVERSARY MUGS

The elegant mugs

commemorating

150 years of The

Annunciation are

still available at a

very competitive

price of £7.50

each.

They can usually be purchased after

Sunday Mass, or you can contact

Carole Poll to order your mugs.

[email protected]

12

5

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH

A s Christians we believe that the Word of God is not essentially something

written down or spoken, but is actually the Second Person of the Holy

Trinity, the Son of God who took human flesh and was manifested among us.

The Word is then literally a Person, whom we can know, love and

understand.

In this we definitely differ from the Islamic faith, where it

is the written word that is all important, even to the extent

that it has to be in the original Arabic to be truly authentic,

and where every letter, every stroke is considered as

divinely given.

The written record of the Jewish faith (which we call the

Old Testament), which has been added to by the New

Testament which was given canonical approval by the

Church, is certainly divinely inspired, but is not considered at divinely given by

Christians except by some fundamentalists.

The books of the Bible, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have been written by human hands

and therefore reflect some limitations imposed by this aspect. To give a simple example,

scholars would regard the Greek of St Mark’s Gospel as rather less polished than that of

St Matthew. To give another feature to be considered, we wouldn’t expect the social

conditions and pre-suppositions of the 1st century to be missing from the letters of St

Paul. Whilst his principles may be universal, the application may be more limited in

time and culture.

Having said that, it is still important for us to consider that the Holy Scriptures are the

living embodiment of the Word of God, and as the great Biblical scholar St Jerome

wrote : “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”.

Thus we are being encouraged this year to consider the Word of God, and to enter more

deeply into understanding what the Scriptures have to teach us. It has in a way been

fortuitous that this aspect of our faith was commended to us, just when for some months

access to the normal means of grace, the Sacraments has been denied to us by the

measures against coronavirus. Our spiritual communions could be supplemented by a

closer study and love of the Word of Life.

In this context we have had articles in this Magazine about the Bible, and most recently

about the Sermon on the Mount from St Matthew’s Gospel, the nature of Isaiah as a

prophetic writing, and this month an exploration of the prophet Ezekiel. These three

have been chosen because they related to the daily Mass readings have used these over

recent months.

6

There have been reports that some people have used their time of “lock down” as an

opportunity to read “War and Peace” by Tolstoy or “The Decline and Fall of the Roman

Empire” by Gibbon. Both of these volumes require dedicated attention, but they are still

probably an easier task than ploughing your way from Genesis to Revelation in reading

the Bible.

The Bible is undoubtedly better tackled on a more limited scale, and in any case as a

collection of books from different periods the published order is not necessarily the order

in which they were written. Bible study needs a more focused approach, and the daily

Mass readings printed in this Magazine are as good a way as any of doing this. There is

the added advantage that it links us with fellow Christians using the same lectionary.

However, we decide to proceed it is vital that we give Holy Scripture the study and

respect that it deserves. It it thus that our faith is strengthened, our spiritual life renewed

and the whole body of Christ is built up.

DASH

LIMERICKS

There was a limerick in a recent edition of the magazine; the definition of a limerick is a

nonsensical verse of five lines, with a rhyming scheme of a, a, b, b, a. It usually contain

puns or wordplay, for example:

There was a young lady called Hyde

Who ate cider apples and died.

The apples fermented

Inside the lamented

To cider, inside her inside.

Edward Lear (1812-1888), an English artist, is generally regarded as the originator of

the Limerick, and although a fine painter, is now mainly remembered for his humorous

verse. Much of his output is tame, not to say feeble, by modern standards. One writer

explained: 'The limerick-style today doesn't exist much because we have other forms of

entertainment …. There seems to be a lack of simple, plain silliness mocking life in

today's world as the foundation for humour and entertainment. Limericks, particularly

Irish ones, can also be a bit bawdy.' They certainly can. Many of the best ones are

downright obscene and therefore unlikely to be found in these pages.

The limerick packs laughs anatomical

Into space that is quite economical,

But the good ones I've seen

So seldom are clean

And the clean ones so seldom are comical. MJW

11

“We drank from a tap or fountain when we were thirsty, instead of

using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we needed a drink. We

refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and the

men replaced a razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the

whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the

”green thing” back then. But then people took the bus and kids rode

bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-

hour taxi service in the family’s expensive car or van, which cost what a whole house

did before the “green thing” ...

“Oh, and we had one electric outlet in a room : not an entire bank of sockets to power a

dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed

from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest leisure park.

“But it is so sad this current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were because

we didn’t have the “green thing” back then. I think you should forward this on to

another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from some smart young

thing !

We don’t like being old in the first place, and so it doesn’t take very much to set us off

like this - especially from a tattooed, multiple-pierced smarty pants who can’t work out

the change without the cash register telling them how much !

Anon.

ALTERNATIVE COMMANDMENTS

For the more mature

1 Talk to yourself. There are times you need expert advice

2 "In Style" are the clothes that still fit.

3 You don't need anger management. You need people to stop irritating you.

4 Your people skills are just fine. It's your tolerance for idiots that needs

work.

5 The biggest lie you tell yourself is, "I don't need to write that down. I'll

remember it."

6 "On time" is when you get there.

7 Even duct tape can't fix stupid - but it sure does muffle the sound.

8 It would be wonderful if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes,

then come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller!

9 Lately, You've noticed people your age are so much older than you.

10 Growing old should have taken longer.

11 Aging has slowed you down, but it hasn't shut you up.

12 You still haven't learned to act your age and hope you never will.

10

THE GREEN THING

A conversation overheard in the supermarket. A young

cashier suggested to a rather older lady that she

should bring her own bags next time because plastic

bags are not good for the environment. The older lady

apologised and then sighed “We didn’t have this ‘green thing’

in my young days”.

The cashier responded, “That’s our problem today. You folk didn’t do enough to save

our environment for future generations.” The older lady said, “Ah, yes, you’re right.

Our generation didn’t have the “green thing” in its day”. She sighed and then

continued : “Back then, we returned milk bottles, lemonade bottles and beer bottles to

the shops. The shops then sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized and

refilled, so those same bottles we used over and over. Thus really they were re-cycled.

But we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

“Grocery stores put our groceries into brown paper that we reused for numerous things.

Most memorable was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books.

This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use in school) were

not defaced by our scribbling. Then we were able to personalise our books on their

brown paper-bag covers. But, too bad we didn’t do the “green thing” back then.

“I remember how we walked up stairs because we didn’t have an escalator or lift in

every store or office building, walked to the grocery stores and didn’t climb into a 300

horsepower machine every time we have to go 200 yards. But you’re right : we didn’t

have the “green thing” in our day.

“Back then we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind,

we dried our clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts,

Wind and solar power really did dry out clothes back in our days : kids got hand-me-

down clothes from their brothers or sisters : not always new clothing. We hadn’t heard

of designer labels - but you’re right : we didn't have the “green thing” back in our day.

“Back then we had one radio in the house : not a TV in every room. And if anyone did

have a TV it had a small screen, the size of a large handkerchief, not the size of a small

football pitch. When cooking we blended and stirred by hand, because we didn't have

electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item for the post,

we used layers of old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a

push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working out and so we didn’t

need to go to a gym to run on treadmills that operate on electricity .. But you’re right :

we didn't have the “green thing” back then.

7

NAME THAT HOLY OBJECT A little test of our knowledge of things that are used in worship

In case you have time on your hands !

1 2 3

4

5 6

9 8 7

10

1 ............................... .... 2 ..............................................

3 ................................... 4 ..............................................

5 ................................... 6 ............................................

7 ................................... 8 .............................................

9 ................................... 10 ..........................................

TIFF

8

READING EZEKIEL

Ezekiel saw the wheel way up in the middle of the air.

O f all four of the books of the major prophets - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel -

Ezekiel has a strong claim to be the strangest. Unlike the Books of Isaiah, which

clearly includes material from several sources, and Daniel, best thought of as a

work of historical fiction, but like the book bearing the name of his older contemporary

Jeremiah, Ezekiel has a strong claim to record the life and ministry of a single individual

at a particular moment in the history of God's people, namely the period between the

first deportation of the people of Israel to Babylon in 597BC and the final destruction of

Jerusalem at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar ten years later.

Unlike Jeremiah, however, who remained in Jerusalem to the bitter end, Ezekiel wrote

from exile in Babylon; and the book begins with his famous vision of the glory of God

on the banks of the river Chebar (or Kebar) in modern day Iraq, which gave rise to the

spiritual quoted above.

Writing in exile, Ezekiel's primary task is to

interpret to his fellow deportees what has

happened to them. This he does through a

series of striking visions, and what might be

described as 'acted parables' or street theatre,

reproaching God's people and their leaders for

their infidelity and warning them of worse yet to

come if they do not mend their ways. On one

occasion he is told to dress as a refugee and go

out through a hole in the city wall at night to

symbolise the exile of God's people; on another

to lie on his side for a year and eat food cooked

over dung to symbolise the ruin of Jerusalem.

Central to his message is the idea that the glory

of God has departed from the temple because of

the abominations that the people of Israel have

practised there, as well as a call to accept their

own responsibility for their situation and not to

blame God for their downfall. Needless to say,

they do not listen, something God himself warns

Ezekiel will be the case.

Prophet Ezekiel

9

But Ezekiel's message is not without hope. Among the best known passages of the book

are those which promise restoration to God's people, that God will cleanse them from

their sins, put a new heart within them, and once again settle them in their own land. He

is also the inspiration for that other well known spiritual, Dem bones, dem bones, dem

dry bones, hear the word of the Lord, based on Ezekiel's vision of the fallen of Israel

rising again in chapter 37 of the book. And the final chapters of the book predict the

restoration of the temple and the return of the Lord's glory to its rightful dwelling place

in Jerusalem, an image we hear echoed in the very last book of the bible, the Revelation

to John.

The daily Mass lectionary presents us with a representative selection of passages from

Ezekiel during the second and third weeks of August this year, giving us a flavour of the

book as a whole while leaving out some of the stranger passages, and concluding an

extended series of readings from the prophetic books. Beginning with the vision on the

river Kebar, we hear God's reproaches, first to his people, then to the nations around

them, and his call to personal responsibility, before ending with a vision of hope, and of

God dwelling once again with his people.

As we read and listen, we are reminded of our own call to personal responsibility for our

actions, of the times when we have not been faithful to God's call to holiness or have felt

ourselves in spiritual exile, and we rejoice in God's promise to dwell with his people,

which is fulfilled in Christ.

PAF

LIFE GOES ON

I t is interesting how many people have adapted to the current restrictions. Some

have seen opportunities and are exploiting them - some legitimate, some less so.

Many people have re-evaluated what is important in life and this will have an effect

on others. Not having been able to get a manicure every two weeks as has been routine

means some will be asking “do I really need that ?”. The answer is probably not, but

then the number of customers at the nail bar drops. Restaurants and bars running at

perhaps two-thirds capacity are not viable. Can cinemas and theatres survive ? The

list just goes on and on. Whatever the future hold it will be different, in some cases

better, in some cases worse but definitely different ! It really is quite strange as exampled by my travelling to Sussex by train. For the entire

journey I was the only occupant in the carriage and at all stations passed through,

whereas normally car parks are crammed to capacity each had only a handful of vehicles

in them. Driving is equally different : for with the lower traffic density journey times

are slashed by 20% and that is without breaking speed limits !

John Symes

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