Friday was Waitangi Day, our national holiday, the day on which we celebrate the birth of our nation that took place when the Queen’s representative signed the Treaty with the chiefs of the various Maori tribes. That there is such a Treaty as a declaration of intention for national life is a blessing for us all as we try to make our country a good place for all who live here. We shall mark this in an appropriate way at the Sunday Masses.
For the last week and for at least another two weeks to come, we are having to work around the alterations to the sanctuary area of S. Michael’s Church. Thank you for being so patient about that. There is clearly a lovely spaciousness about the new arrangement, and this will remain when the work is complete.
In our gathering for the liturgy, we shall learn to make the best use of the space, not by filling it with furniture, but by moving in it in ways that are prayerful and expressive of the Gospel. It can be liberating for us to see the building in all its spaciousness. It is only then that we perhaps realise just how much space we have at our disposal, in which to move about, to tell our faith story, and to bring to life the mystery of faith, Christ in us.
Richard Giles, the Dean of Philadelphia Cathedral, writes that “The creation of space is of great significance and value. The horizontal emphasis of any sizeable floor area, uninterrupted by furniture, has a restful effect, which recalls us to tranquillity of spirit in a frantic world. It is an antidote to busy-ness, and at a time when every square metre of floor area has to justify its existence, the sheer extravagance of space can remind us of the extravagant love of God.” I hope that the new spaciousness will be an enrichment of our already stunningly beautiful and prayer-filled building.
As we return to our work and home and school routines this year, I leave you with some words of Archbishop Rowan Williams after he had delivered a series of talks on the Desert Saints at a conference in Australia in 2001. Someone asked him, “What would the desert fathers and mothers say to young people today?” He replied, “They might say ‘What’s the hurry?’ They would be amazed to see the way our culture prizes speed. They might say that the hurried urgency to possess is an index of falsehood and a misunderstanding of the kind of being you are. It’s all right to take time. Only in taking time can you realise how much more you are than an individual. By taking time, you are built by the character of the whole world you are in and the people around you.”
Take time, enjoy the space, and may God bless you richly.
Peter Williams
