Bells
26/November/2007 Filed in:
JottingsReading today's chapter of the Rule, I was reminded how important bells are in Christian culture. We have a small brass ship's bell here in the monastery, which we ring to announce the times of Office and meals. Over the way, St Mary's has a little tenor bell that is sometimes rung for the Angelus, while at St Augustine's they have a proper peal (note the Green Monster appearing in the prose) which is allegedly one of the heaviest in the country to ring (my information on this point comes from an avid bell-ringer who visits us occasionally.) All the old bells hanging in belfy and tower were once anointed with chrism, the most special of all the oils used by the Church, to set them apart for their work of service. A bell is more than just a lump of metal: it is an invitation, a summons, a sacramental.