God Save the Queen

This past weekend was a special time to be in Britain, as the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.  In fact, the celebrations weren’t confined to the four-day weekend; there are signs festively announcing Jubilee week concerts, Jubilee summer events, and simply glorifying the Jubilee year!  After Mass on Sunday, we said a special prayer for the Queen, as requested by the Catholic bishops of England and Wales:

Almighty God, we pray,
that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen,
who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm,
may continue to grow in every virtue,
that, imbued with your heavenly grace,
she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil
and, being blessed with your favour
may, with her consort and the royal family,
come at last into your presence,
through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life
and who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

With the drizzling rain, Sunday afternoon was a perfect time to visit Blackwells, the famous bookstore in Oxford.  It was incredible!  The store front is small and innocent looking enough, but once you step inside you’re greeted by multiple little nooks extending into the back of the shop.  As the shop expanded, they excavated underneath Trinity College to make additional accommodation.  Going down into the basement, the Norrington Reading Room an expanse of books stretches along the walls – three miles of shelving, to be exact!  After standing for a moment soaking up the vastness of the display, we scurried off to investigate our particular sections of interest.  A couple pleasant hours flew by with our noses buried in literary gems.

On Monday, Stefany, a PC alumna, generously invited us to have lunch at her hall, St. Cross College.  Over a very English meal of bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes – there’s probably a reason why you don’t often hear of British cuisine) at the long wooden tables of their dining room, Stefany shared her advice for places see and things to do around Oxford.  She is studying Old English here, and it was fascinating to learn about how the English education system works; it is so different from what we are used to in the US.  Afterwards, she showed me the courtyard of her college, which even if it is one of the newer ones at Oxford, is still quite charming with its stone arches and climbing roses. 

After Mass and Vespers, Beatriz and I went to the Aquinas Reading Group.  It was started this past year as an opportunity for community members and students to join together to read and discuss Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, under the guidance of Fr. Peter and Br. Nick.  Fr. Peter had made a delicious soup, and we got to meet many wonderful students studying at various colleges in Oxford.  After dessert, gathering around in a circle, we read and discussed a few of the questions from the Summa; this week they were covering the articles on the Old and the New Law.  The evening concluded with Compline (or night prayers), and a visit to the Lamb and Flag (across the street from the Eagle and Child; the Inklings frequented it as well).  Although Catholics are a minority in England, the community at Oxford is quite vibrant and tight-knit, and it is exciting to be able to participate in it!

On Tuesday, Beatriz and I enjoyed an English breakfast at a café on the way to Blackfriars – it was quite hearty!  A perfect way to celebrate being in Oxford for two weeks (already!) and to begin another cozy day in the library while the rain drizzled outside.

Wednesday morning I had my second tutorial, this one on Kant’s ethics.  It was particularly instructive because Fr. John has a more sympathetic view towards Kant, and drew some connection between him and Aristotle that I wouldn’t have seen before.  After I finished, Beatriz and I went to the open market in the square at Gloucester Green to do our vegetable shopping for the week.  To the tune of the overlapping, sing-song cries of “Strawberries! Raspberries! Two for two!” (done, of course, with a British accent), we picked up fresh produce, toasty bread, and “very-mature” cheddar cheese.

In the afternoon we visited the Botanic Gardens with Genevieve (a lovely graduate student at Blackfriars, who has given us a very warm welcome here) and Sr. Thomas Moore (a Nashville Dominican – do I need to say that Beatriz has been in contact with her?).  We meandered around the trim beds of bright poppies, delicate columbines, and cascading roses, with the towers of Magdalen College in the background against regal, but rather threatening-looking, clouds.  We finished our chat just in time, before the rain began to fall again.

After all, what would our stay be like if we didn’t get to use our rain-jackets for a day or two … or three, or four?