One year ago this evening we learned of the death of Fr. Graeme Blackburn. Today Graeme’s family, friends and parishioners of the diocese gathered to pray and to offer Mass for him at his parish church of Our Lady of Victories in Christchurch.
In December I posted a psalm sung by school children of the diocese. Today at Mass we sang the hymn as Communion Thanksgiving.
Following the Mass we gathered at the cemetery for the blessing of Graeme’s tombstone and that of his father who is interred in the same grave.
Here is the text of Psalm 139 and click on the image below to hear this sung by school children of the Christchurch diocese in November 2018.
Eternal rest grant to them O Lord
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
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O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down, you are before me,
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down, you are before me,
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.
You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
and with love everlasting you besiege me:
In ev’ry moment of life or death, you are.
Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
you have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future too.
Although your Spirit is upon me,
still I search for shelter from your light.
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.
For you created me and shaped me,
gave me life within my mother’s womb.
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.
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