Would you eat a spider for Christ?

That may count as an attention grabbing headline but it does refer to today's feast, that of St Richard of Chichester and my patron saint, of course, not that I stand a chance of anything in the way of a celeb. as it all goes in the direction of 'Mother' today! And quite right too.



Not many Bishops could swallow a spider!

 St Richard, according to legend, was celebrating Holy Mass when, at the point of him consuming the chalice containing the Precious Blood, a large and somewhat hirsute spider fell from the ceiling into the chalice. Now this is the dilemma that those in favour of communion under both kinds may have to face. What to do in the event of a spillage or, in this instance, a spider falling into the chalice. There is no way that you may remove the Sacred Species from carpet fibres and certainly no way that you could extract a spider without profaning the same Species.
St Richard, of course, being a man of decisive and correct action, did not hesitate for one split second; he proceeded to consume the Blood of Our Lord, spider and all! What a man!
Now I have eaten ants, bees, grasshoppers and scorpions (anyone travelling to China will have done the same) but I am very grateful that a spider en croute was never dished up before me, I would have had to demur.

Prayer of St Richard.....

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day.
Amen.