In the Upper Room: How do I pray?

Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 23, 2023

From a homily preached by Fr Brendan on the 7th Sunday of Easter, 2023


Chapter 17 of St John's Gospel is not an easy read. It is St John at his most dense and theological, in fact it has been called profound theological chapter of the Bible. At first it can be a bit overwhelming, with rich and dense ideas almost crashing together. Unlike us when we write, St John did not have bold, italic or underlining to emphasise what he wants to say, so what he does is have Jesus repeat things again and again and again in a sort of circular meditation our Lord’s most profound themes: glory, unity, truth and love. These are words from Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel are our Lord’s final words at the last supper. And it is a prayer.


I think it is why we always read a section of this chapter on the Sunday between Ascension and Pentecost. It is a window into the prayer life of Jesus. And in our first reading we have that beautiful picture of the Church gathered together with Mary the Mother of Jesus in continuous prayer.


How do you pray? How do we pray? If I am honest, I think most people here would say their prayer is very poor and inadequate. So I thought I would give a few simple pointers for prayer from the Scriptures and the liturgy that have helped me. First, three great Scriptural texts.


The first is Romans 8. St Paul says “The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself express our plea in a way that could never be put into words.” That for me is a great liberating text, because it recognizes that most of us feel that we cannot pray properly. But that doesn’t matter. All we have to do is to tune in to the Spirit is within us. Say “Come Holy Spirit pray in me.”


The Lord said to Julian of Norwich in her Revelations: “Pray entirely inwardly, though you think it savours you not. For it is profitable, though you feel not, though you see nought, yea though you think you might not, for in dryness and in barrenness, in sickness and in feebleness, then is your prayer well pleasing to me, though you think it savour you not but little.” Our poor prayer is pleasing to God. Let the Holy Spirit do the work. Just be like the disciples in the Upper Room waiting for the Spirit to come and do his work.


The second help in the Scriptures is the Book of Psalms. These are inspired prayers. The Psalter is the great prayerbook of the Church. How does it help me? They are real cries of real people. “The Psalms are the guts of those who know how to pray” says Origen, the great Church Father. They know the worst of grief and abandonment: “Out of the depths I cry unto you, O Lord.” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.” They know the heights of joy: “Let everything that lives and breathes, praise the Lord. Alleluia.” They have been there, wherever ‘there is’ they have known the best of times, the worst of times. And they help pray us through. “You have turned my mourning into dancing.” They put into words our feelings. They express our desires and hungers: “O God, you are my God, for you I long, that a dried wearied land without water.” “It makes one conscious that these are real prayers and aspirations uttered by real people” said C.S. Lewis. Just take a line from the psalms that helps you. Learn it and repeat it. What line strikes you in todays Psalm? When we are anxious: “The Lord is my light and my help, whom shall I fear.” Or a prayer of quiet longing: “Of you my heart has spoken: ‘Seek his face’.” Repeat a phrase like a mantra

 

The third help for me from the Scriptures would be St John's Gospel as a whole. We get a sense that the whole of the life of Jesus is a DIALOGUE between the Father and the Son. And the dialogue can be reduced to two simple words: Jesus says FATHER... and the Father says: BELOVED. And we can understand all prayer as entering into that Dialogue of love between the Father and the Son.


St John knew the other Gospels, and John 17 is seen as a profound meditation on the Our Father, and as such a window that allows us to gaze on the prayer life of Jesus. It allows us to listen in on his dialogue with the Father.


I wonder to whom do you normally pray? You might answer – “Well to God, of course!” But generally, we pray to God the Father, or to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit? Perhaps it varies. But the liturgy is the model for all prayer. We learn to pray at Mass, from the prayers we hear and say, again and again. Have you noticed that the great prayers of Mass – the collect or opening prayer, the offertory and communion prayers – are normally addressed to God the Father. There are occasional exceptions, and prayers like that before Holy Communion: “Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles.” Or “Come Holy Spirit.”


And the great prayer of the Mass – the Eucharistic prayer is addressed to God the Father. But through him, with him, in him, that is through Christ as our mediator, with Christ as our brother, in Christ as part of his body all is lifted up to the Father. In the unity of the Holy Spirit, in whom we gather. That is the basic structure of all Christian prayer. We pray in the Holy Spirit, through Jesus our intercessor and priest, to the Father the source of all blessings.


At this Mass, we gather in the Holy Spirit, and the worshipping community, Christ-in us, cries out FATHER in the Eucharistic prayer. And the Father whispers back ‘Beloved’ by making his beloved son present in our midst. And Jesus shares his life with us, we all share his glory.


When Jesus prays to the Father in John 17 what does he pray? He prays for us, because we belong to him. He wants the glory that the Father has given him to flow out to us. He wants the radiance of God’s presence to be alive in us. In simple terms, we matter to God. This is important to say because sometimes people think that they are unworthy; that they are just not good enough; not holy enough. The truth is that most of us aren’t. But the other truth is that it does not matter because – to quote St John – “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” – or to quote St Paul - “Jesus loved me and gave his life for me.” “O Lord I am not worthy” we say before Communion. But only say the word. Well, the Father uttered the Word, and the Word became flesh, and dwelt amongst us and we beheld his glory. Beholding his glory we are made worthy, we are made glorious. Jesus does not merely want to dwell in or live in the believer, but to be glorified in them. Just enter into that dialogue of love between the Father and the Son.


Prayer is not easy. But all we do is put ourselves in the presence of God. It is not we who have to roll up our sleeves because it is the Holy Spirit who prays in us when we do not know how to pray. It is Jesus, our Saviour, or Intercessor, our High Priest who lifts us up to the Father. And the Father answers back. He sends out his glory, sends out his grace, sends out his Holy Spirit. All we need to do is be open to receive.


Like Mary at the Annunciation when the Holy Spirit came upon her. But now like Mary and the Apostles in the Upper Room, let us open our hearts in continuous prayer.


A recording of the homily is here at 26 minutes.

 

Pentecost

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • June 8, 2025
The Murmuration of the Spirit

Ecumenical Celebration at Hereford Cathedral

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • June 7, 2025
God from God, Light from Light: A Service to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed. Thursday 12th June at 5.30pm at Hereford Cathedral.

Cardinal Vincent's Homily

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.

Fr Alex's Biography of Bishop Mark

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.

Fond recollections of Pope Leo in Peru

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 30, 2025
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.

Ascension Thursday

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 29, 2025
A Festival of the Future of the World: Abbot Brendan's Homily

A Pope with a Peruvian Heart!

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 25, 2025
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.

Obituary of Bishop Mark RIP

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 17, 2025
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully on 9th May. Requiem Mass & Burial Thursday 5th June, 12 noon, Belmont Abbey John Peter Jabale was born on 16th October 1933 in Alexandria, Egypt of mainly European heritage. His father was Lebanese/French, and his mother British/Greek/French. He attended the Lycée Français in Alexandria until 1948, when he was sent to England, having expressed a desire to join the Navy. He enrolled at Belmont Abbey School and, upon leaving school, joined the Abbey, taking the religious name Mark. He was ordained to the priesthood on 13 July 1958. He was then sent to the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he obtained a Licentiate in French Literature, writing his thesis on Joseph de Maistre, the French counter-revolutionary. He later completed a Diploma in Education at St Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, where he also played rugby for the University. From 1964, he taught sport and served as a housemaster at the school. In 1969, he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School in Derbyshire, though he held that post for only half a term before being recalled to Belmont to serve as Headmaster there, a role he held—apart from a sabbatical—until 1983. From 1964 he was teaching sport and then was a housemaster in the School. In 1969 he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School, Derbyshire, but filled that post for only half a term. He was called back to Belmont to be Headmaster where he served, apart from a sabbatical, until 1983. Fr Mark was a rowing coach of considerable repute. During his sabbatical in 1979, he assisted Dan Topolski in coaching the Oxford crew for the Boat Race. His greatest coaching triumph came when he led a lightweight coxless four to a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia — the only gold medal won by Great Britain that year. The following year, he was invited to coach for the Olympics, but he declined in order to remain committed to Belmont. He was a steward of Henley Royal Regatta and was responsible for setting up and programming its first computerised systems. He was ahead of may in seeing the potential of new technology. In 1983, he was sent to Peru to purchase land and build a new monastery, which included raising funds in the UK. The new monastery was blessed, and the first Mass was celebrated there by the Archbishop of Piura, Oscar Cantuarias Pastor, in June 1986 together with Abbot Jerome, Fr Paul, Fr Luke, Fr David as well as Fr Mark. Dom Mark returned to Belmont as Prior and was elected the 10th Abbot of Belmont in 1993. He later wrote: “My first and most painful task proved to be the overseeing of the closure of the school.” Together with the bursar, John Hubert, he negotiated with the local NHS for the 4 houses to be leased to them. In 2000, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Menevia by Pope John Paul II and was ordained bishop in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea, on 7 December 2000. He succeeded Bishop Daniel Mullins as the 10th Bishop of Menevia on 12 June 2001. During his episcopate, he held several important offices: Chairman of the Department for Christian Life and Worship, Trustee and Visitator of the three foreign seminaries — the Venerable English College (Rome), the Beda College (Rome), and the Royal English College (Valladolid). He was also Bishop-in-Charge of on-going formation for diocesan priests. Upon reaching the age of 75, Bishop Jabale submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on 16 October 2008 and was succeeded by Bishop Tom Burns. He then moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and was inducted as Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in March 2009, a post he held until 2014. At the age of 81, he retired to Hendon in London, where he celebrated daily Mass at a local convent, assisted in various parishes, and continued to help with confirmations in the diocese. In October 2019, he moved to Archbishop’s House, Westminster, for nine months. Finally, he returned to Belmont in 2020 as a much-cherished member of the community. He described himself as “very happy.” He remained there until his death in Hereford County Hospital on 9 May 2025, aged 91. He had been a monk of Belmont for 73 years, a priest for 67 years and a bishop for 24 years. Condolences came from Pope Leo XIV:

May Procession: Beautiful on the Mountains

By Abbot Brendan Thomas • May 15, 2025
Abbot Brendan's Homily on the Gospel of the Visitation

Special Events Coming Up

May 7, 2025
More Posts