Qui diligit Deum

My article for The Quad for this Lent Term will be a little different. It will focus on two prayers and what they show us about the significance of the Chapel for our life as a Christian community.

The first is the prayer that will be used at the service to celebrate the dedication of the new porch and completion of the Chapel – in which we also welcome Fr Justin White as our new Senior Provost – right at the beginning of next term. This prayer has significance in so many ways, but most of all the way we see the Chapel as a place where people are welcomed and drawn into a life in relationship with God – a life of beauty, learning, prayer and especially trust. It is significant after all that a door can be closed, yes – but what really matters is that it can be opened: otherwise, we would just build a wall. The Chapel is completed with this porch to lead us to these doors.

Here is the prayer:

‘O God, make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship, and a heavenly Father’s care; and narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and hate. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children, nor to straying feet, but rugged enough to turn back the tempter’s power: make it a gateway to thine eternal kingdom.’

This prayer over the door has significance for those who were confirmed at the beginning of the Lent Term. The following pupils, originally prepared to be confirmed in May 2020, entered the door opened to them on 9 January 2022 by the power of the Holy Spirit called upon them by Bishop Will Hazlewood: Elodie Banham; Kate, George and Harry Bradshaw; Benjamin Chaloner; Isobel Cleeve; Archie Cosgrove; Joe Fry; Edmund Harry; Islay Leeming; Jake Plasto; Kitty and Will Pope; and Pippa Shaw.

The second prayer is related to the first. The door is to welcome people into a relationship with God and this relationship is shown most clearly in how we treat others. We are called to respect, love, forgive and care for our neighbours. It is of course the meaning of the Woodard motto ‘qui diligit deum diligat et fratrem suum’ (he who loves God loves his brother) which I use as the title for this article every term. As I write these words this is shown in our urgent prayer for peace in Ukraine and so that will be our second prayer. But this love is shown in many other ways too, for example in the way our community came together in grief to support one another at the death of Oisin Reid, who left our community only in the summer of last year and who has many friends here still. We gathered at a special Eucharist to pray for him and to proclaim our belief that ‘all the ties of friendship and affection which knit us throughout our lives do not unravel with death.’ We asked God to remember the good in Oisin’s life, for forgiveness for all our sins and to gather Oisin to Himself.

Here is the prayer we use in Chapel for peace in Ukraine:

‘Holy and Gracious God, we pray for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia; for their countries and their leaders. We pray for all those who are afraid; that your everlasting arms hold them in this time of great fear. We pray for all those who have the power over life and death; that they will choose for all people life, and life in all its fullness. We pray for those who choose war; that they will remember that you direct your people to turn our swords into ploughshares and seek for peace. We pray for leaders on the world stage; that they are inspired by the wisdom and courage of Christ. Above all, Lord, today we pray for peace for Ukraine.’

It is right that this article should always end with my gratitude to all who contribute to the worship and life of prayer and welcome that we offer in Chapel: those who keep the Chapel open, clean and in good order (Mr Wynn-Mackenzie and Sue James), those who guide our Liturgy (the Sacristans lead by Miles McNamara and Shirin Mirzayasheva) and those who sing to the glory of God (the Choir under the guidance of Mr Mason).

FR RICHARD HARRISON Chaplain