Dear friends,
In the Zoom chats that we are doing several of you have asked about the chalice we are using in the Eucharists live-streamed from our dining room. It is strikingly different from the ones we use in church. This chalice and paten belong to Joe. They were an ordination gift to him from his grandmother and aunt. He used them for his first Eucharist and throughout his ordained ministry. He let me use them the first time I celebrated the Eucharist, and we have used them on special occasions since then — our wedding, Joseph Henry’s baptism, my installation as rector of St. Dunstan’s. It is a joy to use them every week now.
They were made by a silversmith in Italy. The chalice is surrounded by Jesus and the apostles. You can see Jesus with the largest halo, holding one hand up in blessing, and holding a chalice in the other. Exactly opposite Jesus is Judas, with no halo and holding a money bag. Here’s a little test — if you were the priest how would you position the cup? On video you probably can’t tell, but it is always positioned with Jesus facing the people, and Judas facing the priest. Or at least that’s how we do it.
See you at 8 this evening.
