Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 9th October 2023

Yesterday was a very busy day, including the whole morning in a Greek Orthodox Church for the Liturgy and all that goes with it, added to which, the local elections and news from Palestine and Israel kept us glued to the television. War in the Holy Land fils us with horror and sorrow and impels us to pray for peace, a peace that can only be based on justice and respect for the integrity of the rights of all peoples who share that small area of land. In many ways the world seems to be spinning out of control. Also yesterday I was talking with a farmer friend in Peru, who was lamenting the effects of climate change on his land: his mango harvest is down this year by 90% and is worth only £45. There is so much to pray for, but prayer alone is not enough.

Today the Church remembers St John Henry Newman, the 19th century English theologian. We pray that he will soon be declared a Doctor of the Church.

Our Gospel comes from Matthew, (Mt 13: 47-52), the Parable of the Dragnet, in which Jesus compares fishermen sorting out their catch and throwing the useless fish back into the sea with the angels at the end of time separating the good from the evil, only that the fires of hell replace the comfort of the sea. Jesus ends by saying, “Every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both old and new.” We can apply this to St John Henry Newman. May he pray for us today.