33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Today is of course Remembrance Sunday, and so we have another view of the magnificent War Memorial in Inverness. War is a dreadful thing, but we should not be surprised when it happens. In the gospel today we hear Jesus reminds us 'Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.' As we pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died in conflict, we must also pray for the gift of peace.



O valiant hearts who to your glory came
Through dust of conflict and through battle flame;
Tranquil you lie, your knightly virtue proved,
Your memory hallowed in the land you loved.

Proudly you gathered, rank on rank, to war
As who had heard God’s message from afar;
All you had hoped for, all you had, you gave,
To save mankind—yourselves you scorned to save.

Splendid you passed, the great surrender made;
Into the light that nevermore shall fade;
Deep your contentment in that blest abode,
Who wait the last clear trumpet call of God.

Long years ago, as earth lay dark and still,
Rose a loud cry upon a lonely hill,
While in the frailty of our human clay,
Christ, our Redeemer, passed the self same way.

Still stands His Cross from that dread hour to this,
Like some bright star above the dark abyss;
Still, through the veil, the Victor’s pitying eyes
Look down to bless our lesser Calvaries.

These were His servants, in His steps they trod,
Following through death the martyred Son of God:
Victor, He rose; victorious too shall rise
They who have drunk His cup of sacrifice.

O risen Lord, O Shepherd of our dead,
Whose cross has bought them and Whose staff has led,
In glorious hope their proud and sorrowing land
Commits her children to Thy gracious hand.

John Stanhope Arkwright (1872–1954)



Happy Sunday!

Orkney Islands - 9

Here is a lovely tapestry depicting the martyrdom of St Magnus.



The Cathedral was founded by Earl Rognvald in the memory of his relative St Magnus, who had been murdered by his cousin Hakon, co-ruler of the Orkneys. Hakon is depicted in a stained glass window in the north transept which dates from the 19th century. In 1980, local children contributed a whole series of paintings to show the events in his life and the brutal murder.

The following hymn is usually sung to the Tune 'St Magnus' by Jeremiah Clark (1670-1707).

The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty victor’s brow.

The highest place that Heav’n affords
Belongs to Him by right;
The King of kings and Lord of lords,
And Heaven’s eternal Light.

The joy of all who dwell above,
The joy of all below,
To whom He manifests His love,
And grants His Name to know.

To them the cross with all its shame,
With all its grace, is given;
Their name an everlasting name,
Their joy the joy of Heaven.

They suffer with their Lord below;
They reign with Him above;
Their profit and their joy to know
The mystery of His love.

The cross He bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to Him,
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth,
Their everlasting theme.

T Kelly (1769-1854)

Orkney Islands - 8

Here we see the statue of St Olaf inside the Cathedral. Martyr and King of Norway (1015-30), b. 995; d. 29 July, 1030.



He was a son of King Harald Grenske of Norway. According to Snorre, he was baptized in 998 in Norway, but more probably about 1010 in Rouen, France, by Archbishop Robert. In his early youth he went as a viking to England, where he partook in many battles and became earnestly interested in Christianity. After many difficulties he was elected King of Norway, and made it his object to extirpate heathenism and make the Christian religion the basis of his kingdom.

He is the great Norwegian legislator for the Church, and made frequent severe attacks on the old faith and customs, demolishing the temples and building Christian churches in their place. He brought many bishops and priests from England, as King Saint Cnut later did to Denmark. He seems on the whole to have taken the Anglo-Saxon conditions as a model for the ecclesiastical organization of his kingdom.

But at last the exasperation against him got so strong that the mighty clans rose in rebellion against him and applied to King Cnut of Denmark and England for help. This was willingly given, whereupon Olaf was expelled and Cnut elected King of Norway. He is thus regarded by the Norwegians of our days as the great champion of national independence, and Catholic and Protestant alike may find in Saint Olaf their great idea.

Armistice Day

Here we see the magnificent War Memorial in Inverness. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year let us all keep silence for 2 minutes to remember the dead of Two World Wars and all other conflicts.



They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.



Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord; and let light perpetual shine upon them.

May they rest in peace; and rise in glory. Amen.

STOP PRESS: I am greatly honoured to have been invited to be one of the two members of clergy leading the worship during the Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial this coming Sunday at 3.00 pm.

Orkney Islands - 7

Here we see an example of modern stained glass in the Cathedral. This was largely financed by The Society of the Friends of St Magnus Cathedral.



In 1972 when the west end of the Cathedral was in danger of collapse, the Society launched a successful ‘Save St Magnus’ Appeal under the patronage of HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Appeal raised some £300,000 enabling steel support girders to be installed above the nave at the west end.

Since then the Society has been closely involved in a whole range of projects, large and small. These include:
The stabilisation of the west gable.
The renewal of the spire
Installation and renewal of the sound system
Sponsoring a video of ‘the Saga of St Magnus’
The reconstruction of the Rose window in the south transept.
The publication of the Cathedral guide book now in its 4th edition.
The installation of the west window to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the Cathedral
The maintenance of the stained glass windows
Sponsoring the ‘Friends Room’ in the St Magnus Centre
Major refurbishment and ongoing repairs to the Willis organ
Construction of a new toilet block
Replacement of the Cathedral chairs.

Orkney Islands - 6

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.

Here we see the pulpit and the nave Communion Table inside St Magnus Cathedral.



Holy Communion is celebrated on the significant dates in the Christian Year, namely Science Festival Sunday [1st in September] All Saints Sunday [1st in November, Christmas Day [jointly with Kirkwall East Church, Candlemas [1st in February] Easter Day, around Pentecost/Trinity [1st in June]. There is also a Communion service held on the first Sunday in August.

The Cathedral has an open Table at Communion services which means that any baptised member of Christ’s Church is welcome to share in the Sacrament. This includes children.

By contrast, Mass is celebrated several times each day in the Lateran Basilica, but there is not an 'open table'.

I look forward to the day when the Transalpine Redemptorists from Papa Stronsay (Orkney) will be able to celebrate the Old Rite Mass in this beautiful and historic setting.

Happy Feast!

Orkney Islands - 5

Here is the impressive interior of St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall.



The first design of St Magnus Cathedral was influenced by Durham Cathedral and Dunfermline Abbey. This original design was of a cruciform church with apsed chapels at the eastern ends of the choir and both transepts.

The original design called for vaulted aisles in the choir and nave, and a tower over the crossing. The arcading of the aisles would consist of circular piers and arches that would support a triforium level, and above that a clerestory level.

By the 1150s the choir was completed, the transepts had been constructed to triforium level, and the crossing and nave were less than half complete. After the deaths of Earl Rognvald and Bishop William, work stopped until the late twelfth century.

When Bjarni Kolbeinsson became bishop in 1188 he introduced design changes. The choir would be doubled in size, the crossing rebuilt and a massive tower and steeple constructed. New square chaples would be built in the transepts and the nave would be extended and furnished.

When Bjarni died in 1223 the transepts, chapels, and crossing arches were complete. The nave was complete to triforium level up to the sixth bay and there was a gap to the three completed

By the episcopate of Bishop Henry the Cathedral was fully completed up to the sixth bay of the nave. The west end of the nave and the west façade were not completed until the fifteenth or later sixteenth century.