In our own words

A few reflections
By Caitlin St. John

The Celtic Catholic Church, in its small size and the intense faith and love of its people, embodies the promise of Jesus Christ of "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there." Meeting at St. Colman and St. Bride's as we do, in a living room with only a handful of people, the level of love is palpable, the love of Christ and the love between the participants, both the laity and the priest.

Sunday morning Mass has become the high point of my week, the spiritual meal with friends that I don't want to miss. Getting there means rushing from the other side of town, begging rides or enduring a painfully slow and circuitous bus trip and walking the final few blocks, with ever-mounting joy and anticipation.

During the Mass, the passage of time becomes irrelevant, as we focus on the words of the liturgy and repeat the lovely ancient ritual. Our worship is timeless and also unlimited in the three-dimensional world. We could be praying together and celebrating the Mass on a small rocky island in the Irish Sea. We could be gathered in a primitive church in the remote pre-Anglo-Saxon countryside. We could be suffering blessed persecution for our faith from invading Romans. We are joyfully connected with the earliest Christians in the British Isles, with the small band led there by Joseph of Arimathea, after the Crucifixion. Gracefully shifting back to the stresses of the present, we pray for one another, the people we love, and the state of the world.