Palm Sunday. The beginning of Holy Week and the journey to the cross. It is a busy week in churches but one of the best! I love the build up to Easter Day with all the drama.
There are many home communions to be done and services each evening ... but the joy of resurrection is something else!
Today our family had a big Sunday dinner at my sister's. Everyone was there and the craic was great. For those who haven't met the mad bunch we have, from left to right in the back row in pale blue it is myself ... then Wee Sister Mary, her daughter Julie and Ellen, the middle sister. My great nieces are the pretty little girls in the front. They're looking forward to the Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday next.
Gathering bunches of flowers from the garden is fun and they enjoyed themselves making up attractive bouquets.
It has been a beautiful day with warm sunshine. Indeed, it was warm enough to sit out well into the afternoon.
The little girls belong to my nephew and his wife ... it was fun trying to get a decent shot of this pair! Maybe that's why I came home with almost two hundred pictures! On Easter Day he's going to be our chef for the Ulster Fry at church. So, if you're in the area, why not come along to what we're calling a "Dawn" Service at 8.30 am which will be followed by breakfast. Then, if you can stay, we'll have Holy Communion at 10.30 am.
So that's Palm Sunday ... yesterday I was in the west with a Mothers' Union group from Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Diocese. Beautiful day and some lovely scenery.
The big views and the up close violets .... everything was beautiful.
We were in a gorgeous little church - I love the four gospel east window.
It was a very special Quiet Day when women from all over that Diocese gathered to listen to God. What a great privilege it was to be part of it.
The graveyard of the church falls away steeply and I enjoyed spending a little while exploring. The grassy mound is a family vault with a turfed roof! Looks really good. A churchyard is such a restful place.
Almighty and everlasting God,
who, in your tender love towards the human race,
sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
Grant that we may follow the example
of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
Collect of Palm Sunday.
2 comments:
Those are, I think, the noblest modern depictions in stained glass of the Gospel writers that I have seen!
Yes, I was quite taken with them. Very clever and clear design.
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