Advent 2020

The  closure of churches for weeks during the  Covid-19 pandemic has created many difficulties particularly for those who find  communion and prayer in community particularly reassuring, in times of stress and crisis.

Thankfully in England at least, churches this week reopened and people were able to attend, albeit masked and socially distanced. 

Wednesday  was announced as the  day upon which churches and shops could reopen. Almost amusingly, when attending at the Sacred Heart Church Wimbledon on Wednesday at about 9:55 am for the ten o'clock mass, there was a small  number of people waiting outside the firmly closed doors of the Church. Upon knocking at the presbytery door however, the PP  signified that he had believed that churches in Southwark Archdiocese would reopen on Thursday but that he would be glad to celebrate Mass with us now  in any event, which he and we did.

Shops, cafes and hairdressers etc., seemed to be aware that reopening was permitted on Wednesday. The local streets are bustling once more especially in Wimbledon Village which is positive, as were the words of a Waterstones assistant to whom I chatted whilst purchasing a Robert Harris novel from their shop in Wimbledon Broadway. She told me that being back at work was great after her shop had had to close.

But in all the sadness and commotion  arising from the lock down arrangements, coupled with the recent improvement, Advent seems to be passing us by. The lit candle in the church's advent wreath reminded me that we are now in Advent with Christmas only  some three weeks away. Life has become very commercial in recent years with Christmas appearing to be part of that rather than the religious festival it is. 

A member of the Sacred Heart Church choir emailed me recently to express his sadness at the absence of choir practices and singing more generally at mass. A Low Mass without singing, usually tends to be my preference but I sympathised with him. Furthermore carols before, at and after Christmas day, until the twelfth night  are very much part of the season so will be missed by many, yours included.

Maytrees ma's youngest child, our three year old  grandson, was a shepherd in his school's Christmas play which was beautifully broadcast yesterday on Youtube. He behaved well though looked in a little difficulty at some of the singing. 

Perhaps  his singing and that of the other dozen children in his nursery class, will be the limit of what live singing I will hear over Christmas.