Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 19th July

Message from Fr Paul for Monday, 19th July 2021

           Jesus remains an enigma to this day, perhaps even more so today than at any other time since he walked the face of the earth. What do people make of him? Who do they reckon he is? People are attracted to St Francis of Assisi. They know something of his love for animals, that he invented the crib and that he tried to emulate the simple itinerant lifestyle of Jesus. They would be surprised to learn of his passionate love of theology and his ardent desire to teach the central tenets of the Christian faith, above all the Incarnation, to uncatechised Italian peasants. Again, people are attracted to Mother Teresa of Calcutta. They speak highly of her care for the poor, but do they stop to consider the depths of her Catholic faith? We are selective in what we want to know and believe about others, even about the saints, above all, perhaps, about Jesus. How many Christians understand and believe what we proclaim in the Creed every Sunday? Well, the scribes and Pharisees didn’t quite know what to make of Jesus. Was it because they were curious and couldn’t make him out that they appear to be so much against him? In today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 12: 38-42), they ask him for a sign to help them understand. It’s interesting that they call him Master or Rabbi, so that much they acknowledge. “Master, we should like to see a sign from you.”

           Jesus begins by saying that, “It is an evil and unfaithful generation that asks for a sign!” These are powerful words indeed, that amount to calling them evil and unfaithful. Well, Jesus is willing to offer two signs, both from the Scriptures, that of Jonah and that of Solomon. “For as Jonah was in the belly of the sea-monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached, they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.” Jonah prefigures the death and resurrection of Jesus, but whereas Jesus finds it hard to convince his detractors, Jonah ultimately found acceptance, for the people and even the animals of Nineveh repented of their sins. For these reasons he tells them that in himself there is something, someone far greater than Jonah. He then turns to the Queen of Sheba. “On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.” It was the wisdom of Solomon she came to hear and witness. She travelled thousands of miles to see for herself and was not disappointed. Jesus tells them openly that in his person there is something, someone far greater than Solomon.

           Lord Jesus, help us not to fight shy of knowing who you truly are, that our search for God will bring us to see in you our heavenly Father’s only begotten Son, the first born from the dead, Christ our true God. Amen.