Day 0 Holy Saturday Canterbury

The image is of a modern bronze sculpture over the altar in the cathedral which marks the spot where St Thomas was murdered.

Day 0 sounds right and ‘Holy Saturday’ sounds right. It is a very quiet day liturgically except usually for practice and preparation and church c!eaning. And choir practice. I came from Winchester to London by train. A dreadfully noisy carriage with 8 or 10 exceptionally high spirited men – not youngsters – drinking cider. And shouting raucously. The train from London to Canterbury was fine. The city of Canterbury was so full at 1pm it was hard to move in the streets. I suppose that’s what you get on a holiday weekend. The small hotel is physically attached to the gate of the Cathedral. A little bit surprising then that the people at thetourist office could not tell me how to find it. They couldn’t supply me with a map of tomorrow’s walk to Dover either, which surprised me slightly. 

There was a lengthy queue to enter the Cathedral, achieved by paying £12.50. Happily when I identified myself as a pilgrim and as someone who wanted to pray (though not as a priest) I was warmly invited in with no charge. I was very underwhelmed by the cathedral, I’m sorry to say. Loads of noisy people taking selfies, draped over an altar rail on one occasion. The crypt was a little quieter but not much. I like cathedrals, but something rather disappointing here. I  went to Evensong which was well done and prayerful.

There is a beautiful passage in the Office of Readings for today, ‘from an ancient homily’:

Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. 

I didn’t really experience it. Most of the day was like being at a football match.

I went to the Easter Vigil in the Catholic parish just a few yards from the cathedral. It was well done with nice music. It finished at 11:30pm. Time for bed and finally I will start walking in the morning.