Sunday 21 November 2010

St Just in Roseland

I live about five minutes away from St Just. It's the church I am at most frequently and this morning in the pale winter sunshine with the tide up and filling the creek I felt the luckiest woman in the world at eight o'clock. It's the church we discovered when my children were small. It's a Holy place much loved by everyone and if anyone had told me as a young mum that I would end up as a priest in that place I would simply never have believed it.
It has a beautiful garden tumbling down to the sea with small streams a





nd ponds filled with wild life. The trees are full of colour right now but also there are fats buds on the camelias and they are often out around Christmas.
There is a legend that Joseph of Arimathea who was thought to be a trader brought the boy Jesus here. This is of course entirely unprovable but still thought to be the reason for its tangible holiness, its peace and tranquility which seeps into the hearts of all its visitors.
I love it, indeed I was married here but also I have the grave of my daughter , sitting right on the edge of the water..and if I disappear at any time the congregation know that I've gone for a little chat with her as she rests in the most beautiful place on earth.
The Celtic custom of honouring those men in their little coracles from either Brittany or Ireland who set up their small cells in order to worship, works well here and is a blessing for everyone who visits. Thank you God.

Location:Truro,United Kingdom

4 comments:

Unknown said...

What a beautiful place, and a beautiful post too.

Thank you for sharing.

Jon said...

It does look beautiful.

Are you a priest at other churches too?

Jon

Ray Barnes said...

Lovely place and a very poignant post. Thanks for this.

Anonymous said...

What the others said. Best regards.