Friday 9 April 2004

There was rather a lot on on Good Friday, and I involved myself with a good portion of it. I've said morning prayer (ooh, I think that's an absolute link as opposed to a relative one - that's a step in the right direction) on my own before, and most frequently during last summer, but noticed that it was on this morning, so I went. Fr. Paul said he thought it made more sense as a communal activity, and I would tend to agree, but it's not always so easy to manage when you're not a monk. We had enough time to say a Rosary after that, so we did.

I then hastened to Southernhay United Reformed Church for an ecumenical service which was going down. Not sure what to say about it really. Readings, hymns, the poem I posted above, a sermon in which The Passion was mentioned three times.

A Good Friday procession followed, led by a dirty big cross (six people to carry) then the Salvation Army. It was good. Delian, who's a deacon at Sacred Heart said it was usually a bit chaotic, but this year it was good. We were, on the whole, quiet, letting the procession speak for itself. Maybe it's because central Exeter is pedestrianised, but we didn't get catcalls like James did; not that I could hear anyway. We stopped at various places in the city centre, for a reading, a hymn and a prayer. I'm not sure how many people joined us, except for one Big Issue seller wearing a "McShit" t-shirt who stayed right to the end, the end being the cathedral green, where we erected our cross next to two others.

After little while at home, it was time to go back to Sacred Heart for the Stations of the Cross. It's a very simple service and a very good idea, to my mind.