For Christians the Resurrection of Jesus is the source of our joy.

Abbot Paul Stonham • April 21, 2019

Abbot Paul reflects on our experience of Easter: “Dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus” – The Lord of life is dead yet lives and reigns”

“When the women returned from the tomb, they told all this to the Eleven and to the others, but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe.” “Pure nonsense” is what we’re celebrating tonight. The apostles and the other disciples found the news of the empty tomb and the message of the angels to the women, that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, simply impossible to believe, in fact, “pure nonsense”. No doubt, we would have reacted in the same way. So it shouldn’t surprise us today when we read and hear all sorts of wild interpretations about Jesus, the Resurrection, the Gospel, the Christian faith and the Church. It was the same at the beginning, starting with the scribes and Pharisees. As for the disciples, it wasn’t the news they were expecting or hoping for and they couldn’t understand what was happening. They were being asked to believe the impossible.

We learn by making mistakes and reflecting on personal experience. The same happened with the apostles. What the angels had told the women slowly began to sink in. “Why look among the dead for one who is alive? He is not here: he is risen. Remember what he told you; that the Son of Man had to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.” Pure nonsense or not, they had better go and see for themselves what on earth was going on. Think of the reaction of Thomas, when the others told him something similar to what the women are saying tonight, “Unless I see the holes in his hands and can put my fingers into the holes and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.”

So, early in the morning on the first day of the week, something finally twigged in Peter’s mind. Hadn’t he heard Jesus talk about this very moment many times? He went running to the tomb and, finding it empty, came back, amazed at what he had seen. His doubts began to evaporate in the first light of dawn. He was beginning to believe: he was beginning to see the light. Only gradually, as Jesus appeared first to one, then to another, then finally to all of them, did the disciples come to believe that he had truly risen from the dead. Even so, remember what Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe.”

We give thanks to God for the gift of faith. It might still be “pure nonsense” for many, but for us Christians the Resurrection of Jesus is the source of our joy. It is the key that opens the door to understanding life and death and, ultimately, God’s plan for his creation. In the Resurrection we see the light of truth.

St Paul, writing to the Romans, gives us this interpretation of the Paschal mystery, “When we were baptised, we went into the tomb with Christ Jesus, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life. When he died, he died to sin once for all, so his life in now life with God. So you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive for God in Christ Jesus.”

“Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead.”

At the house of Cornelius, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed those gathered there. They were about to experience a new Pentecost. He spoke to them of Jesus. Most people presumed he was dead and buried, but Peter was saying something that took their breath away: Jesus had been crucified, but three days’ later he had been raised to life by God. Not only that, he was even suggesting that Jesus was God, for “all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.” The Pharisees had been right, only God can forgive sin, yet Jesus often told those he healed, “your sins are forgiven”. Peter was claiming that, if people believed in his resurrection, Jesus would forgive their sins. “God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good.”

But Peter had more to say: “Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead.” Who was he talking about? The Apostles, Our Lady, Mary Magdalene and the other women: those closest to Jesus. Then there were friends such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus and those he had healed or simply met on the road like Bartimaeus, lepers and paralytics, the woman with the haemorrhage, the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, the widow of Nain and so on. What about the small boy who had provided the loaves and fishes to feed the five thousand? Then there were those who had been with him at the end: Veronica and Simon of Cyrene, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea.

To all these you can add St Paul. Not only does he give us the earliest account of the Last Supper, he was able to write what we heard this morning. “Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed; let us celebrate the feast, by casting away the old yeast of evil and wickedness, having only the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” In fact, all those, who throughout history have believed in Jesus, those who have done in his memory what he commanded us to do and, “have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead”.

We are celebrate our Easter Mass in memory of his death and resurrection and, in the power of the Holy Spirit we make those saving events a present reality in the life of the Church. That, after all, is the meaning of the Real Presence. At this Paschal Banquet, we are present with Jesus in the Upper Room, we are with him on Calvary and in the Easter Garden. Like Mary Magdalene we see the stone rolled away. Like Peter and the Beloved Disciple we look inside the empty tomb; we see and we believe. Like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus our hearts burn within us as Jesus walks with us and explains the scriptures to us and we recognise him in the breaking of bread. Like the disciples at Pentecost we too have received the gift of the Spirit, the fullness of grace, and now we too bear witness to Jesus. We proclaim him to be Lord and Saviour and that in him alone do we find salvation. “Now we are those witnesses – we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead.”

In the Victimae Paschali we sing the words, “Dux vitae mortuus regnat vivus” – The Lord of life is dead yet lives and reigns.” Where there is death, there is life, where there is sorrow, joy, where there is darkness, light, where there is hatred, love, and where there is doubt, there is also faith. He is dead, yet he lives.

By Abbot Brendan Thomas June 22, 2025
The Murmuration of the Spirit
By Abbot Brendan Thomas June 19, 2025
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
June 19, 2025
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
By Abbot Brendan Thomas June 19, 2025
The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency Report, published in June 2025
By Abbot Brendan Thomas June 8, 2025
The Murmuration of the Spirit
June 7, 2025
Archbishop Mark O'Toole, of Cardiff-Menevia presided at the Requiem Mass for Bishop Mark, while Abbot Brendan conducted his burial. Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached a homily full of warmth and affection for Bishop Mark which is reproduced below.
June 7, 2025
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 30, 2025
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 29, 2025
A Festival of the Future of the World: Abbot Brendan's Homily
By Abbot Brendan Thomas May 25, 2025
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
More Posts