Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and perhaps some of the strongest memories of my youthful Church come back to me at Easter. The most important day in the Church Year because my life as a child revolved around the Church Year (and the School Year) but the Church Year was more important to me. It defined who I was. Because I grew up in a family where I principally worshiped at the Anglican Church but also when I was at my maternal grandmother's home (and my uncle and aunt) we went to a United Church on Sunday. It was a little confusing for me as a child I can remember because I felt connected to the Anglican Church perhaps because it was called the Church of England by my paternal grandfather and I did talk a lot to him as a young child. He was my supporter I guess would be the right term. When I needed help he was always there; sitting beside me on a chair whilst I washed the dishes kneeling on a chair reaching down into the sink. It was one of those big sinks - square and white ceramic that was in houses built in the war years. Metal was precious; we needed that to build tanks and make guns. I understood that from a young age but maybe that was common. I wasn't in that many houses that weren't "family" houses. They all had ceramic sinks I think. But I digress, my grandfather and generally my father called our Church the Church of England. I knew what England was - that was where all of my ancestors came from especially three of my grandparents and my father. But the United Church was a mystery in some ways; my mother had gone to the United Church when she was a child but then it was the Methodist Church and after 1925 the United Church. I did know the history of all of that. But it was a very different Church to me as a child. The linking part was definitely the music and I do love music.
Today the Lenten Reading was about the Babylonian Captivity - the forced detention of Jews in Babylonia which followed the Babylonian Conquest of the Kingdom of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem. The only people left behind to try and scratch a living from the scorched earth that was left were those not expected to live (but they did some of them). This was 598 BCE (Before the Common Era) and it would be 538 BCE before the Persian Conquest of Babylonia took place and the Jews were permitted to return to their homeland. For fourty eight years they were held as slaves in Babylon. They came back and rebuilt their lives once again. Our brothers in the faith are strong. Our God looks down fondly on all of his peoples - Jews, Muslims, Christians and other religions. Easter is the greatest of the Seasons of the Christian Year and it is uniting that in this time Lent and Ramadan are during the same period of time. I can remember the times past when it was Lent/Easter and Passover that came together but this year Passover begins on the 22nd of April. Prayers that by Passover all of the hostages will have been returned to Israel. Of all of the crimes that Hamas has committed from October 7 last on, the continued retention of the hostages is perhaps the greatest with their responsibility for the death of all the Palestinians particularly the children being also a great sin on the part of Hamas. None of this had to happen; they did it because they fear their own uselessness if Israel becomes accepted in the Middle East. That is perhaps the most disgusting part of it all. Hatred is a sin and Hamas has turned it into a way of life. Hamas is evil and those who control Iran now are even more evil as they fund Hamas, Hezbollah and the Youthis (and others maybe unknown to me). Strange how history goes really. Amazing the human race (Homo Sapiens) has survived this long.
Church on You-Tube today in England and I wonder where it will be. Next week the Palm Sunday Service will be online at the Cathedral.
Not any work done on the books themselves yesterday; it was a busy day though as I sorted thoughts in my mind. I do try to take Sunday as a day of rest and contemplation.
Teatime and Latin. The Latin is starting to take on a real life in my day as I am speaking Latin occasionally to my daughter when we chat. The intent was to read the old documents but it is fun learning a language and I look forward to my lessons in French in the Fall to renew again my spoken French language and then the next Fall I will do the same with German although in the case of German it was primarily Scientific German that I learned. It does keep the mind active for sure. Alexa does speak French and German but not Latin. When I start into French I can set Alexa to French to give me some practice.
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