Message of Abbot Paul - Monday - 15th January 2024
Abbot Paul • January 14, 2024
​In the Benedictine tradition, 15th January is associated with Saints Maurus and Placid, young disciples of Saint Benedict. As is clear from the Rule of Saint Benedict, it was already the custom for monasteries to receive the sons of rich and poor alike and educate them in the hope that they would become monks. A famous example is Saint Bede the Venerable, who entered the monastery at Jarrow when he was just 7 years’ old and received his entire education in the monastic community. We cannot underestimate the learning and culture of monks and nuns and the place of monasteries in the cultural and scientific history of the world. Maurus was the elder of the two. The story of Placid being saved from drowning is found in the Dialogues of Saint Gregory the Great. Placid goes to fetch water in the lake, but falls into the water. Saint Benedict, aware of the situation by God’s grace, sends Maurus to rescue the child Placid. Maurus, having received his abbot’s blessing, runs over the surface of the water, grabs Placid by the hair, pulls him out, and then runs back over the water to dry land, carrying the boy in his arms. Saint Benedict attributes the miracle to Maurus’ obedience whilst Maurus attributes it to the abbot’s holiness. It is Placid who settles the debate: “When you pulled me out of the water, he says, I saw over my head Father Abbot’s hood, and I saw that it was he who pulled me from the water.” It’s an episode in the Dialogues that illustrates the value of obedience.
​Our Gospel passage comes from Mark, (Mk 2: 18-22), and deals with the behaviour of Jesus’ disciples compared with those of John the Baptist and the Pharisees. It focusses on fasting, but Jesus takes the opportunity to explain an important truth about himself. “One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’” The answer that Jesus gives is not what they’re expecting. Jesus is always full of surprises. If his disciples are not fasting, then it’s because Jesus himself isn’t fasting, but that’s another story. However, Jesus replies, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast.” Jesus uses metaphors as well as parables. He refers to himself as the bridegroom, so his presence with his disciples must be like a wedding feast for them, a cause of great rejoicing. The real fast was the absence of Jesus before his coming among them. They will fast again when he is taken from them, but with the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the fast will end definitively. The kingdom of heaven is a banquet, not a fast!
​Jesus continues, “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!” Jesus uses another two metaphors, patches on cloaks and wineskins. He doesn’t want his disciples to follow the religious observances of the Pharisees. The freedom of a grace-filled life cannot fit into the legalistic straightjacket the Pharisees impose on their disciples. The words of Jesus invite his hearers to new life in him as Messiah and Saviour. We must read what Jesus says in the context of the unity of the Church in Christ. We remember his words, “I am the Vine, you are the branches.” (Jn 15: 5) We are the living stones that together with Christ our head make up his Mystical Body. “Apart from me,” he says, “you can do nothing.” (Jn 15: 5) In that case, with him we can do all things, for “nothing is impossible to God.” (Lk 1: 37) Lord, help us to put our trust in you and to desire nothing but to live united in you. 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.
