The organist librarian

Thinking about A hidden life and St Agnes martyred at 12. How far would one be prepared to go for the Faith? What about family and home? Thomas Becket as so many others faced this dilemma. We are now in a world of right wing leaders enforcing their will. Be ready to suffer for the Faith. Henry came and was good as gold. Liz came back from Newcastle. St Paul's sang evensong at the cathedral. 22 boys! Howells in B minor and Rhapsody no. 3. MacMillan Christus vincit. St Mark's Coptic Church for Kensington unity service Good turnout. Archbishop Angelaos very welcoming and the deacons sang well. Good sermon by Revd Emma Dinwiddy Smith vicar of St Mary Abbots. Gave out all my leaflets about the exhibition. Wed Swim, Mass at Addiscombe and good chat to Fr Keith about Catenians, coffee and rock cakes . Won an icon. Long chat to Agnes. To Mount Street for Henry Wansborough on New Jerusalem Bible and Nicholas King was there. Met some nice people who liked the art. Took leaflets to Conn...

Buses and tubes to get to Heythrop for first day of the marvellous Let him Easter in us conference. A cornucopia of riches. Michael Kirwan amusing, Philip Endean on Ignatius, Dominic Robinson on Benedict's "Deus caritas est" agape and eros and the Lutheran perspective from Barth and Balthasar. Edward Howells on Bernard. Dominic McLoughlin's poetry. Ahamad Achtar on Adam and Eve in the Qu'ran. Terrance Walsh on Hegel. Had to leave Nicholas King on Luke to get to St Thomas the Apostle Nunhead for the Aspirations evening. As always the students were impressive although I told one to stop making excuses and look me in the eye. Some who want to be in the arts, architect, football, engineering and construction, banking. Nice eats and Brendan Fitzgerald gave me a lift home. Liz at funeral. Great to see Sylvia, Patricia Morris, Ann Blackett, Philip Wood, Anna, Simon Gillespie, Jill today!

Saturday and Liz was at retreat at Nazareth House in Hammersmith - she ended up doing cross-stitch! I went to St Mary Moorfields for the monthly Carmelite session. I was early so went into Cardinal Hume garden next to the church. Also put out posters for the Cardinal Tauran event. Mass at 11.30 for St Justin the martyr. Isobel  had a couple of disasters on the organ - she says I make her nervous which I said is not good as playing with lots of organists present can make me anxious! Martin sang and Fr Nicholas King celebrated. he has a most engaging way of reading and preaching the Gospel. He is lecturer in New Testament studies at Oxford and grew up in Natal and Pretoria! He spotted my faint accent. He gave us an overview of Catholic Biblical activity up to Dei Verbum and then a marvellous liturgical explanation of the Emmaus story. After a break we did l ectio divina on the story. I'm not sure that they went so well as Nicholas had unpacked a lot of it already and the prayers at...