Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 26th May 2023

Between Wednesday and Thursday, I spent six hours doing an advanced safeguarding course by zoom organised by the RLSS (Religious Life Safeguarding Service). It was an excellently organised course with only nine participants, eight nuns and myself. As always happens, I learnt a great deal and much was clarified. I came away not only with a certificate, but also enthused and empowered to put into practise both in the community and in the parishes we care for, what was suggested and encouraged, to improve our understanding and practise of safeguarding young people and adults at risk. These courses might be tiring, but they are also rewarding in so many ways.

 

​Today the Church keeps the feast of Sr Philip Neri, priest of Rome and founder of the Oratorians, (1515-1595), known as the Second Apostle of Rome, after St Peter. A pastor with a father’s heart and love for the poor, he worked assiduously with a joyful heart to rekindle the Christian faith among those who had lapsed or had no opportunity to learn about the faith into which they had been baptised.

 

​Our Gospel passage for today comes from the last chapter of John, (Jn 21: 15-19), the conversation Jesus had with Peter after his appearance to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee, where they were fishing again just as they had been at the beginning. Jesus asks Peter three times, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?” to which each time he replies, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus commands him, “Feed my sheep.” The third time Peter appears to get angry and upset, for he replies, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” We might ask why Jesus asked him three times. Was it to put right the three times Peter denied him on the night of his arrest? Jesus goes on to warn Peter that he too will suffer and die in the same way.

​​“When you were young

you put on your own belt

and walked where you liked;

but when you grow old

you will stretch out your hands,

and somebody else will put a belt round you

and take you where you would rather not go.”

In these words, he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, “Follow me.”

Like Jesus, Peter will give glory to God by his own passion and death. It’s interesting to see how the Gospel ends as it began, with the invitation to Peter and the disciples to, “Follow me.” At the very beginning, they could not understand the meaning of those words. After all they have been through with Jesus, now they can.