Fr Brendan writes
Dear friends,
The following was written by our friend and my colleague Noel Hector for his people in the benefice of East Clevedon. It expresses all I would want to say to you.
'We Elizabethans have had the privilege to witness the finest reign in the history of our nation. Her late Majesty has been the living symbol of the best of us, a sign of unity which has provided dignity and stability in turbulent times of profound change. Today, as we begin to mourn the loss of our beloved Queen, the sadness we feel will reflect the love and thanks we owe to her.
As a church, and as a parish, we offer our heartfelt thanks and our prayers for her and her family. Her sincere Christian faith was her constant support, and it is to this loving and redeeming God that we commend her.
Her faith was an inclusive one. She described the Church of England as an umbrella under which all other faiths could find shelter and flourish. That seems to me to be a good description. A church and a faith that is marked by a confidence that can accept difference and find a unity without compromising or disregarding the comfort and unique truths found in Christ. A gentle embracing church, committed to service and the common good.
And here we come to the late Queens profound gift to us. She has modelled a form of royal leadership, a reign, based not on power but on service. Her extraordinary humility in this most difficult of roles has been extraordinary. Right to the last, even to her final day, she was engaged in her constitutional duty. In 70 years, she had to restrain her own personal wishes and thoughts and bend them to the national good, accepting advice from those in positions of power, being present and being seen, meeting, encouraging and affirming thousands upon thousands of people across the nation, commonwealth and world.
As we mourn her loss, we also recall that the best way to honour someone we love and respect is to try ourselves to live up to those qualities we so admire. So to us falls the challenge of embodying reconciliation, service, humility and faith.
And in our prayers we hold our new King. Change can make us feel vulnerable or unsettled which is natural, normal and to be expected. But I am sure that the King will ensure that the vital continuity which we need is maintained and that we, the church and nation, will thrive under his considered and experienced reign. Our duty is to pray for him and for the Queen Consort, as for other members of the Royal family, as they become that symbol of unity and service which we so desire.
The Christian faith is one of hope. Sadness comes to us all but we live in the light of Christ's resurrection and the renewal of all things - the King of Kings and the humble servant of all who washed the disciple's feet and died for us that we might live.
God bless her late Majesty and God save the King.'
Rest eternal grant unto her O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her.
Mass on Sunday will use some of the texts provided for us at a time of national mourning.
Fr Brendan
