Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 27th February 2023

On Wednesday, I will be travelling down to Peru to visit the brothers in the monastery there and I’m really looking forward to my trip. It’s six months since I was last there and, on that occasion, it was for the canonical visitation of the monastery, long overdue because of Covid. This visit is the follow up to the visitation, to check that the advice given then has been put into practice. The socio-political situation in Peru has got seriously worse in the past six months, with the president ousted from power after just a year in office and accused of attempting to stage a coup. There is rioting on the streets of Lima and in many provincial capitals, including the usually peaceful north of the country where I lived for twenty years. Fr Alex, now fully recovered from surgery, is hoping to give a number of icon courses later this year in monasteries in the United States as well as at Belmont. He is a fine iconographer and an excellent teacher.

 

​Our Gospel passage today comes from Matthew, (Mt 25: 31-46), and is the well-known account of the last judgement. It begins like this: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.’” The final exam was probably quite unexpected to those who hadn’t heard it before and is still surprising today to those of us who have heard it many times. We will not be judged on our beliefs, on matters of doctrine, nor on the number and gravity of our sins, rather it will be a test of our charity, kindness and generosity to others. To those who have passed the examination, Jesus will say, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” When the virtuous ask him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” Those who fail the test have not been generous in their lives and have not considered the needs of others. Sadly, Jesus concludes. “And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.”

 

​This is salutary teaching and teaching that we should take to heart, especially as we are still at the beginning of Lent. May our lives be ones of kindness, consideration for others and selfless generosity. Then we will truly be walking in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour.