Contrasts . . .

I'm really pleased that I managed to get to Rosary and Benediction this afternoon. It was a lovely prayerful time in a solemn looking church as all the statues and the large crucifix are now veiled in purple cloth. I'm so glad we still practice this in our parish. It makes Passiontide so much more 'real' somehow.

What a contrast to yesterday. There was a wedding in the parish and the church was overflowing with beautiful flowers; in the sanctuary, at the foot of every statue and on the pew ends. Quite right too, of course. The florists did an amazing job having just a small 'window' in which to transform our Lenten church into a splendidly joyful one and back again in just a few hours. It did make the contrast all the more obvious.

I must say I was a little bit anxious at Mass this morning when one of our young altar servers placed his candle a little too near one of the veiled statues for my liking. I'm sure it was perfectly safe but I could just imagine Our Lady suddenly being veiled with a fire blanket rather than the purple cloth!