Lenten Pilgrimage - 8

Today we are in Caithness - but why the festive gold heading to the blog? Yes, it's my birthday! One more year to go before I get my free bus pass - and Alex Salmond had better not get rid of them if he wants my vote!



Caithness County is a county in the north east of Scotland, bounded on the north by the Pentland Firth; on the east and south east by North Sea; and on the west and south west by the county of Sutherland ... [It] is about 43 miles in length, and thirty miles in breadth; comprising an area of 618 square miles ... On account of its remote situation, Caithness had little intercourse with the principle parts of the country, and consequently is connected with few historical events of importance, except occasional hostilities with the Danes and Norwegians.
From "A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland", 1951

Today of course calls for a great hymn of praise! We shall sing the hymn that I chose for a special Mass celebrated by (now Bishop) Michael Marshall at All Saints' Margaret Street on Saturday 2 March 1974 - my 21st birthday. I invited 20 friends to join me for a slap up meal afterwards in the church bar (I remember we roasted a large turkey), and the bill (excluding drinks - which everyone paid for themselves) came to £20 for 21 of us. How times have changed!

Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mother's arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever-joyful hearts
and blessèd peace to cheer us;
and keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and Holy Ghost,
supreme in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.



Happy Birthday to me! - just in case I get no cards.