Gospel Luke 2: 22-40 The Feast of The Presentation of Christ in the temple, or Candlemass can be kept on this Sunday, or on Tuesday, 2nd Febuary This Feast marks the end of Christmas / Epiphanytide. It has been described (in our service booklet) thus: Candlemas is not some optional extra, but the natural climax, after forty days, of the Christmas/Epiphany season. Although they allow an approach that ends the annual celebration of the Incarnation after twelve days, they encou

Gospel John 2: 1-11. The Wedding at Cana. The picture below is by Veronese, painted in 1563. It depicts the scene as if it were in Venice. The picture hangs in the Paris Louvre. Veronese's interpretation of the Biblical story caused a huge scandal among Venetian society. His emphasis on the hedonistic aspects of a marriage banquet, at the expense of the pious aspects of the occasion, ran counter to the religious sensibilities of the 16th century Republic of Venice. The conten

Old Testament lesson Samuel 3: 1–20. Gospel John 1: 43-end. It is interesting isn’t it, what we ask people when we meet them for the first time. Think about it – what do you ask? In my experience most often we ask them what they do, or where they come from. Even the Queen’s famous opening line is “Have you come far?” Once we have asked that, the process follows a pretty set path, our mind races down a particular route. Other things quickly come into play – our accent, the clo

Dear brothers and sisters, Many of you may have seen that in the light of the very steep rise in infections across Lancashire, all three directors of public health for Lancashire, supported by their respective councils have issued a plea for all public worship to cease for the time being. The cathedral and Lancaster Priory amongst others have already announced closure for public worship. I have sought and obtained confirmation that although lower at the present time than many

It is strange isn't it, that despite the massive build up to Christmas the festival itself is so very quickly forgotten. For weeks, indeed months, preparations are frantically underway for the festivities. The television advertisers, the store managers, the window dressers, all those with a commercial interest in Christmas, are doing their best to promote what is for them the year's biggest spending spree. And then, when the shops close on Christmas Eve, all is forgotten.