The sermon today was taken from the gospel reading, with the final 2 verses,

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Father Stephen posed the question " How joyful are these words when there is so much gloom in the world"? He related to his recent holiday in Vienna, which happened to coincide with so many bad news stories in the press.  Joy is a gift from heaven.  When looking to beatification, there is a search for joy in the life of the person under consideration. It is also necessary to have a sense of humour to become a priest. We were told that Martin Luther could be a "bit of a tease" over mealtimes with his family.

Father Stephen mentioned that the Viennese were a "joyful lot".  Vienna is a land of music, both instrumental and opera. There is constant loud birdsong in the city which may be a cause of the musicality. Whilst on holiday, the feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated. In church, everyone joined in the service with joy and young hussars drew their sabres in salute which glinted in the light.

They also had a trip on the famous Ferris wheel, used in "The Third Man" reminding us of the Second World War and the oppressive occupation by the Russians.

When attending services abroad, particularly when in a different language, you can pick out bits of the gospel as the same readings are generally used at the same time of the year. This gives us a sense of unity throughout the world. Language and cultural barriers can become wafer thin in Christ.


The church fete is getting ever closer and there are still calls for assistance. Have a look in the magazine for the contact details of various stall holders.  Don't forget your entries for the Mini Show.