The Henson Journals

[165]

11th Sunday after Trinity, August 31st, 1924.

O God, who declarest thy almighty power most chiefly in shewing mercy and pity: Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel at 8 a.m. At 9.30 Ernest and I motored to Monkheselden, where I attended Divine Service (Morning Prayer & Ante–Communion) and preached. The little Church was about 3/4 filled, a large proportion of the congregation being men. I was certainly pleased with the service. Mr Prest, the Churchwarden, who has just retired from the management of the Collieries in the parish, had speech with me. He spoke of the Vicar in the highest terms. We returned to the Castle for lunch.

In the afternoon Ernest and I walked round the Park with the dogs. I read through Froude's charming sketch of S. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 'A Bishop of the Twelfth Century'. It brought back to me the delight with which I read the "Magna Vita" of Abbot Adam, nearly 40 years ago in Oxford. S. Hugh, if he saw a priest who was to celebrate the mass exhausted for want of food, would order him to eat as point of duty, and lecture him for want of faith if he affected to be horrified. What would our "Anglo–Catholicks" have said?

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