Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 21st October 2022

A number of readers have written in to ask why I make no reference to the political and economic turmoil the United Kingdom is going through at the moment. I am certainly well aware of what’s going on and am following every twist and turn of the tragicomedy the government has landed us in. We could see this coming even before Covid took over our lives almost three years’ ago, although the situation has been seriously aggravated by Putin’s grotesque war against Ukraine. Russia, after all, was one of the signatories and guarantors of Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity. What could I add to the present debate that would lend light to the discussions? I prefer to pray constantly for all those concerned, especially those who are suffering on account of inflation and the enormous price hikes, and are worried about the coming winter and their ability to keep warm and feed their families. If the situation is bad in these isles, then it is much worse in poorer countries. There is so much to pray for.

 By the way, I was at Abergavenny yesterday for the Thanksgiving Mass for the presence and work of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, who have now left. At one time they had 14 convents in Wales and their work in education was especially valued by both Catholics and Protestants, long before Ecumenism existed. They were at Abergavenny from 1906 to 2021. My photograph shows Fr Matthew and Sr Anne, Provincial, cutting the cake at the reception afterwards.

 Our Gospel passage today continues our reading of Luke, (Lk 12: 54-59), which sees Jesus addressing the crowds rather than his disciples. He talks to them about interpreting the signs of the times. “When you see a cloud looming up in the west you say at once that rain is coming, and so it does. And when the wind is from the south you say it will be hot, and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the face of the earth and the sky. How is it you do not know how to interpret these times?” People have a pretty shrewd idea of what the weather’s going to be like by simply looking at the sky. How come they cannot see what’s happening around them, both in the country and in the wider world. What do we make of the present moment? How do we read and understand the times in which we live? He goes on to ask an important question: why can we often not judge for ourselves what is right? In every situation, Jesus asks us to make the right decision for ourselves, based on our conscience that has been informed by the Scriptures, the word of God and his own teaching, which for us includes the teaching of the Church. Jesus has given us the wisdom to do what is right. May we always ask him to guide us as we journey through life.