While the Rector Major was at Chertsey, he was at the Salesian school, Guildford site on Thursday, in the afternoon. He was asked to bless the renovated school hall. All the staff was assembled in the hall, but just a couple of students were in. The school had wound up earlier.
There was a short prayer and when called upon to bless, the Rector Major spoke a few words but concluded saying, "I will bless first, you, the people, then the walls!" Not only me, but some others too found that very meaningful. Blessing people, rather than structures.
Even at Battersea, during the concluding Mass of his visit to England, several small children who had come for the Mass along with their parents were asked to come forward with the offertory procession. So after the bread and wine, there was a small motley 'crowd' of 7-9 year olds walking up to the altar and getting behind the altar. And before blessing the bread and wine, the Rector Major very kindly and taking his own time, blessed those children. For the children themselves, it must have not meant much. But for their parents, it was huge! I think it is such small but very very homely and touching gestures that makes the Battersea parish a very vibrant and active one. For a child to be specially blessed, by a special visitor, that too during Mass at the altar, means much for a family. Not sure how the English families felt about it, but the look on the faces of the Asian, African and Latin American families said how blessed they truly felt!
There was a short prayer and when called upon to bless, the Rector Major spoke a few words but concluded saying, "I will bless first, you, the people, then the walls!" Not only me, but some others too found that very meaningful. Blessing people, rather than structures.
Even at Battersea, during the concluding Mass of his visit to England, several small children who had come for the Mass along with their parents were asked to come forward with the offertory procession. So after the bread and wine, there was a small motley 'crowd' of 7-9 year olds walking up to the altar and getting behind the altar. And before blessing the bread and wine, the Rector Major very kindly and taking his own time, blessed those children. For the children themselves, it must have not meant much. But for their parents, it was huge! I think it is such small but very very homely and touching gestures that makes the Battersea parish a very vibrant and active one. For a child to be specially blessed, by a special visitor, that too during Mass at the altar, means much for a family. Not sure how the English families felt about it, but the look on the faces of the Asian, African and Latin American families said how blessed they truly felt!
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