Thought for the Week

Revd Canon Alec Boyd, Assistant Canon at The Cathedral of The Isles.

The Episcopal Church along with many denominations throughout the world remembers every 2nd February the very special event when the child Jesus was taken to be presented in the Temple in Jerusalem in accordance with the Jewish Law. In amongst the busy and noisy crowds in Jerusalem, here in the quiet of The Temple his parents met two old people who were visionaries and who foresaw in their child that portentous things were going to happen. In earlier times at our celebration all the candles to be used in church during the year were blessed which is why this celebration is sometimes called “Candlemass”. The service takes the form of lighting candles in the darkness and retelling the story from Scripture in which the ‘Song of Simeon’ is found. This beautiful ‘Song of Simeon’ is so deeply rooted within our spirituality that it is used in the services of Evening Prayer and Compline which take place daily in The Cathedral of The Isles.

The Cathedral is always open to welcome visitors so that they can come in and enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty of this sacred space and its grounds. People come from all over the world to visit and many people come on holiday, join a retreat or a music or art workshop run by The College. During the summer every Sunday afternoon provides a concert called “Music for a Summer Afternoon” where internationally famous musicians come to play for us. Again we are blessed by people travelling from all over Scotland and beyond to be with us for these concerts. The Friends of The Cathedral of the Isles is a charitable group set up to support the work of The Cathedral and College and it too has a widespread membership.

So what is so special about The Cathedral?

Just like the Temple in Jerusalem to which the child Jesus was taken, many people make their way to our Cathedral at important times in their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They come for christenings, weddings and funerals as well as coming week by week for worship. In this house of prayer they experience a deep sense of tranquillity and spirituality that we all recognise but sometimes find difficult to describe. You are always welcome should you wish to take a moment and step inside The Cathedral too.