The Henson Journals

[206]

Palm Sunday, March 24th, 1918.

1329th day

The alteration to summer time took effect this morning and made one a little reluctant to get up: but when once the effort had been made, virtue was well–rewarded. I went to the cathedral, & received the Holy Communion at 8 a.m. At 11 a.m. for the first time I preached in the Cathedral. My sermon was one which I wrote for Palm Sunday, and preached in Westminster Abbey before I was a canon, 19 or 20 years ago, from the text S. Mark X.37, 38. I added a few sentences about the fearful conflict now proceeding in France, and read two prayers from the pulpit. There was a large congregation, of which a considerable proportion appeared to be munition girls. They were attentive, & I think they could all hear, though the acoustics of the cathedral are none too good, but I suspect that the sermon was of a type to which they were unaccustomed. We lunched with Archdeacon & Mrs Lilley, with whom was Mrs Cuthbert. Conversation turned inevitably on the war, and the ladies expressed such Hunnish sentiments that I was led to express myself with more decision than is perhaps prudent.

[207] [symbol]

There was a very large congregation at Evensong, when I preached again. The sermon had been originally written for use in S. Margaret's on Palm Sunday, 1911, and I inserted some references to the soldiers.

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