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The ice and snow have lingered here, outstayed their welcome one might say. Global warming has a lot to answer for. Sorry - climate change.
After a narrow escape yesterday while driving the Jeep, this evening while walking across the icy road outside church here on the way to a carol service in one of my other parishes, I slipped and fell. Three hours later and a spell in A & E (the E.R. for American readers) I found myself diagnosed with a fractured left elbow and a very large and cumbersome plaster cast.
Somehow I sang the Midnight Mass: as I told the congregation, at least the sling is in the correct liturgical colour.
But where are the liturgy manuals when one needs them? An entry on “How to say mass with a broken arm” would have been very useful indeed along with "What to do and what not to do at the altar in the event of becoming temporarily one-handed." Suggestions anyone?
At least mass was celebrated ad orientem, which spared everyone the sight of some rather strange lopsided manual actions. Needs must and all that.
Of necessity a quiet Christmas day for me, I think, but not for Fr Mark. I feel very stupid and very guilty. Now I remember why I never go skiing.
Merry Christmas anyway!
God bless you, Father Gollop, and send you speedy healing. That was a wonderful post you had just written.
ReplyDeleteThe devil had obviously put you in the league of his greatest enemies last night, together with Pope Benedict, trying by stumbles to prevent each of you from celebrating Mass.
And even so you still respond with wise words and good humour.
There is that joke about a person who had an accident at a well-known beauty spot called Sliptan Fell. I almost had a fall myself whilst "trying out" the church drive. Since then I have been walking like Douglas Bader, trying to avoid slipping.
ReplyDeleteI can't help you with the liturgical advice for broken arms, but I suspect others before you have had to cope. I have a photograph of St. Damien with his arm in a sling. I suspect he had to use one arm towards the end. You are in good company.
Get well soon.
Jude 24. Prayers for a speedy recovery
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