Prelate pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth on diamond jubilee
June 06, 2012
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in a homily preached on the occasion of her diamond jubilee.
“She has retained an inner quality, yet one that is clearly visible, throughout all these vicissitudes: a quality of stillness, of calm, of serenity,” he said. “This has brought to us great reassurance and, increasingly, a sense of much treasured continuity. In times of great change, to which the Monarchy too has responded and adapted, her presence has been one of enduring stability.”
“She understands, too, that the fulfillment of all our hopes comes not in this world but in the next, in the glorious fulfillment that has been put before us in the first reading from the Book of the Apocalypse,” Archbishop Nicholas continued. “There the light of both day and night is the radiant glory of God; there the water of life flows in abundance, rising from the throne of God; there the tree of life is our greatest family tree which offers us healing from our broken human efforts. There we will see the Majesty of God, face to face, and every Jubilee will be fulfilled beyond measure.”
“Much has been said, and quite rightly so, about our Queen’s remarkable record of service to our nation, to the Commonwealth and to the entire community of nations,” he added. “I am sure that it is her Christian faith that lies at the heart of this commitment to service. Service demands a greater good which lifts those who serve beyond self-interest. A life of total service requires a greater good which goes beyond all that this world can offer. Faith in God as a loving Father is what lies at the heart of life-long service. In this we are indeed blest in our Queen.”
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Further information:
- Archbishop Celebrates Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (Catholic Church in England and Wales)
- Full text of homily (Catholic Church in England and Wales)
- Queen Elizabeth II: diamond jubilee (Vatican Radio)
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