ragon
THE
P RTAL
June 2012
Page 8
Pudsey Rules: Ok! LOL
I am
delighted to know that Britain has got talent (BGT for short). A performing dog
has wooed the country into lining Simon Cowell’s pockets with even more dosh. Good for
him - the dog, I mean. Pudsey (plus owner/mentor) is now a half a million pounds better off
and has earned a place at the Royal Variety Performance (RVP for short) performed in the
presence of her Majesty the Queen (QEII for short)
To Her Majesty we offer
congratulations on sixty years as
Queen of all she pervades and our
prayers for continued health and
happiness. Some achievement! Am
I the only one to have noticed that
(in fact) she wasn’t
crowned as Queen
in
Westminster
Abbey until 1953? So
although there will be
much historic footage
screened of the event
– this June marks the
59 th anniversary of
that iconic historic
occasion. (But who’s
counting?) The death
of King George VI in
1952 marked the start
of her reign.
Long may she
reign over us!
The Old Testament had prepared the way (Isaiah
11:1-2) by setting out the blessings bestowed from the
Spirit: “The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the
spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge
and the fear of the Lord”. And the very weekend of the
Diamond Jubilee anniversary, the Church celebrates
the equally dynamic
harmony and unity of
the Most Holy Trinity.
Thus it has not
escaped my notice that
these very virtues are
the ones we celebrate
in our long-lived
monarch. The words
“duty”,
“dedication”
and “faithfulness” have
been the silver thread
running throughout
her reign, from the
first moment she spoke
to the nation after the
death of her father.
An
odd
thing
hereditary monarchy – that you only take up the reins
through the death of your predecessor (or abdication
in the case of the Queen’s father). Prince Charles can
only wait in the wings, read weather reports (about it
raining over Scotland – no pun intended) and polish
the top step while wishing his mother well. They
are
not
fashionable character traits in our day and age, but
she epitomises them all: gifts she sees as God-given.
A life dedicated to that to which she was called. She
has faithfully fulfilled her duty through thick and thin,
joys and sorrows. For this we admire her: for this we
thank her.
She’s obviously going for the world record now….
seeking to outlive even Queen Victoria for longevity
on the throne of Great Britain. Her Majesty certainly
looks in finer fettle than Victoria did after sixty years
in the same job. Long may she reign over us, to quote
a well-known ditty. First Anniversary
As the nation prepares to celebrate this momentous
occasion, the Church concludes Eastertide with the
dynamic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, with the Feast
of Pentecost: known by its manifold fruits of love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.
This crowning glory of Eastertide also marks the
first anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood in
the Catholic Church for a number of us. We too offer
thanks for the manifold gifts of the Spirit and also pray
for those of our companions who will be ordained this
year.
LOL
(which stands for Lots of Love in the tweeting
world – in case Mr Cameron reads this and
misunderstands its meaning!)