Weekly Record
29 November 2009
 No sooner had Advent and Winter appeared than we
woke up to find that a couple of Penguins had migrated on to our
Cathedral Piazza huddling close together to keep warm. It will probably
take us a while to adjust to them – I think that they could come into
their own if we have a decent snowfall. The designs on both have been
created by children from St Sebastians Primary School and Alder Hey.
The one decorated by the school children has a whole list of the
important things in their lives – it was very reassuring to read what
were their priorities in life.
Earlier this week I received a letter from one of
the three priests, Fr Eugene, who sang in the Cathedral a few weeks ago
for their concert recording. ‘For our part I write to thank you and
your staff for your warm welcome to the Cathedral and its Presbytery
and for the help in making the recording such a memorable event for us
and all those who worked behind the scenes. I do hope the Cathedral and
its staff were not inconvenienced too much in the days before the
recording and that everything returned to normal within hours of our
departure. We really enjoyed our short visit to Liverpool and were
truly overwhelmed by the reception of those many people who turned out
on the night in such poor weather conditions. Our deep appreciation and
kind thanks goes to them too. With every best wish for the season of
advent which now approaches.’ Not only could the three priests sing but
they were also genuinely nice men!
We enter into the Season of Advent this weekend
and embark on a journey with St Luke as our companion throughout this
year (cycle C) for our Sunday Gospel readings. The Good News is
stressed as an invitation for all peoples and the coming of the Kingdom
proclaimed by Jesus will embrace the poor, the lame and the
downtrodden. As Advent progresses it is the humble servants of God’s
word who are the key figures at the birth of Jesus. May our reflections
on Luke’s Gospel throughout this year deepen our appreciation of the
Good News that Christ brings.
This Sunday evening at 5pm there is the Advent
Sequence. The service of readings and music will involve our
choir, readers and contemporary mimes by pupils of St Edward’s.
College. On Friday our primary school children will
have Mass in the Crypt Chapel at 10am to celebrate the Feast of St
Nicholas, whose actual Feast falls, this year on Sunday. As a special
patron of the Cathedral as well as our school it is an important feast
for us all. May we learn from the care, kindness and compassion that he
showed in his life as a bishop and servant of the Lord.
Just over a year ago the news was full of
headlines re the new ‘Hadron Collider’ which was to open in Switzerland
which would be able to collide particles and simulate conditions that
led to the beginnings of the universe. This was being termed the God
Machine. I didn’t realise that it broke down after three days and that
they have only just managed to get it started again last week. It was
noticeable that the announcement of the re-start was much more low key.
I hope it now achieves its potential but I wonder if anyone commented
that any machine claiming to be God-like would have to run forever!
Canon Anthony O’Brien
Dean of the Cathedral
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