The first time as a newly ordained priest that I concelebrated Mass was on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, at St James, Darlington. The principal celebrant was the Vicar, Fr Dennis Smith. The preacher was the Bishop of Jarrow, Michael Ball CGA, later Bishop of Truro.
Bishop Michael preached with his characteristic good humour and spiritual depth. I can still remember the key themes – the sacred hearbeat of God sustaining and creating the Cosmos, and the heart as the symbol of love and affection, and so the Sacred Heart as a symbol of the tender love and divine affection God has for us.
I was convinced then, and I still am, that Sacred Heart is a feast the Church of England should have in its calendar. Each year I try to celebrate a Mass of the Sacred Heart. This year at St Chrysostom’s we were a small gathering for a gentle and peaceful Mass. In the stillness and calm of our Blessed Sacrament Chapel it was easy to sense and imagine the heartbeat of God.
Fr Ian
