A poor start to Lent

Ash Wednesday 5th March 2014

On the way home from a meeting of Area Deans

Today I woke up to find that I had completely lost my voice and couldn't say Morning Prayer in church with the others.  Nor could I visit the wife of the person whose funeral is tomorrow or telephone the daughter of the person whose funeral is on Saturday.  There were many complicated phone calls during the day which had to be answered by my (hard-of-hearing) husband.  I conveyed my messages to him (for forward transmission) by a mixture of writing and acting.

     Meanwhile, I went to post an important document which had been entrusted to me by a parishioner's family.  Just before I dropped it through the pillar-box slit, I suspected that it was inadequately stamped.  So I tied the dog round the corner of the Post Office and went in, only to realise that I hadn't brought any money.  The person serving me kindly lent me 30 pence from her own purse and I set off home.  Halfway home now empty handed, I wondered if I had left something behind.   Oh dear: I had forgotten the dog.

     I retrieved him just in time to arrive at the Rectory before the Churchwardens who had come for my signature on an application form for a Faculty to give permission for certain work at the ancient church.  We then worked out how they could lead certain parts of this evening's Parish Communion, leaving me to whisper the absolution, the Eucharistic Prayer and the blessing  --  all of which must be done by a priest.

     As it turned out, I was able to find a retired priest who lives nearby (fourteen miles away) to come and stand in for me at very short notice.

     Let's hope Lent becomes more orderly before the week is out.