Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 29th April
Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 28th April 2022
I was so pleased I was able to keep yesterday free, at least between 10am and 5pm, so that I could visit my mother, spend some time with her and have lunch together, and what a beautiful day it turned out to be. It was warm and the sun shone all day. The sea looked glorious. My mother was in good spirits and we had an enjoyable and productive time together. She was keen for me to send off her postal vote for the forthcoming local elections and to fill in and sign the necessary documents for surgery that is due to take place privately on 16th June. The only disappointment was the absence of Toby, as the journey there and back without a visit to the beach would be unthinkable, but I had to get back in time for Vespers, as there are so few of us in the monastery at present. Toby is extremely handsome at the moment, as on Tuesday he spent the afternoon with his new groomer, who lives on top of the hill behind Kilpeck, from where you can see the whole of the county and much beyond, an authentic acropolis.
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Could I ask a special prayer for Bishop Mark O’Toole of Plymouth, who has been appointed Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia in succession to Archbishop George Stack. May he be like Jesus among his disciples.
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Our Gospel reading from John, (Jn 3: 31-36), records the words of John the Baptist to his disciples concerning Jesus. As we know, some of John’s disciples became disciples of Jesus, for it was John who declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the one who was to come. These are John’s words today:
“He who comes from above is above all others;
he who is born of the earth is earthly himself
and speaks in an earthly way.
He who comes from heaven
bears witness to the things he has seen and heard,
even if his testimony is not accepted;
though all who do accept his testimony
are attesting the truthfulness of God,
since he whom God has sent
speaks God’s own words:
God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
The Father loves the Son
and has entrusted everything to him.
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life:
the anger of God stays on him.”
This declaration of John could easily have been made when he baptised Jesus in the Jordan, saw the Holy Spirit descend on him in the form of a dove and heard the Father’s voice declare that this was indeed his Son. He bears witness that Jesus “comes from above and is above all others,” and that “he comes from heaven.” He goes on to say that, “he whom God has sent speaks God’s own word,” and this because, “God gives him the Spirit beyond reserve.” The words that follow remind us of those spoken by Jesus himself to Nicodemus, that we heard yesterday, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” Jesus will tell his disciples that eternal life is to know God and to believe in the One he sent, that is, in Jesus himself as Son of the Father. Eternal life does not begin when we die, but rather when we are baptised and come to faith. If we can say, I know Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Saviour, to be the Son of God made flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary and to have died on the cross for my salvation, then I am already enjoying eternal life, which will develop, grow and mature after passing though the gateway of death. We have something to look forward to!
