Message of Abbot Paul - Easter Tuesday - 2nd April 2024
Abbot Paul • April 1, 2024
​Now that I’m beginning to recover my energies from the multiple celebrations of the Holy Week and Easter Liturgies, I must say how spiritually uplifting the celebration of Holy Week and Easter Day has been this year and how much I have enjoyed, if that’s the right word, our parish liturgies at Bromyard and Leominster. They were peaceful and prayerful, a truly contemplative experience. I particularly wish to thank our parishioners and volunteers who made this possible; may God reward you.
Wasn’t the weather unexpectedly beautiful on Sunday, a real experience of the Resurrection after so many days of heavy rain and flooded roads? It’s a good exercise to number the many experiences of resurrection we enjoy in our daily lives, like waking up to a new day or meeting up with an old friend. God’s loving mercy is always at work in our lives and we have so much to be grateful for.
​The Gospel passage for today, Easter Tuesday, is the continuation of Sunday’s Gospel and comes from. John, (Jn 20: 11-18), the encounter of Mary Magdalene with the risen Christ. “Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’” It’s the third day since Jesus was crucified and buried in the tomb and Mary is outside weeping. She is still weeping when she stoops to look inside, where two angels, rather than one, ask her why is she weeping. She replies using the exact words she had spoken to Peter and the beloved disciple earlier that morning. She is convinced that Jesus, whom she calls “my Lord” has been taken away. Before waiting for an answer, she turns round and sees Jesus standing there. He speaks to her, using the same words as the angels, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” The only other person in John’s Gospel whom Jesus refers to as “woman” is Mary, his mother, addressing her at the wedding feast of Cana and again when hanging on the cross. But Mary Magdalene does not recognise him. How do you not recognise a person you love? Was it her tears or perhaps he looked different? Then again, she just didn’t expect him to be alive.
​“Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master.” John’s ironic way of recounting this event cannot escape us: Mary thinks she is speaking with the gardener and even accuses him of having removed the body of Jesus from the tomb. It’s only when he speaks her name that she recognises him, calling him Rabbuni. So important is this moment that John gives the actual Hebrew word she used before giving us the Greek translation. This moment cannot last; she must not cling to him but think ahead. He says to her, “Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Jesus is risen from the dead but still has to ascend to the Father, so Mary is given the message she must take to the community, his disciples, that there is no time to lose. Thus, Mary of Magdala becomes the Apostle to the Apostles, the first to see Jesus risen from the dead, the first to speak with him and hear his voice, the first to be given a mission. “So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.”
​Lord, we thank you today for Mary Magdalene, your Apostle, faithful to the end, so that she might be the first to witness a new beginning. Help us to emulate her friendship and loving devotion and so be rewarded with the gift of eternal life. Like her, may we share our faith with others and so be filled with the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.
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.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
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.
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.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
