Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 10th September
Abbot Paul • September 10, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 10th September 2022
An official Condolence Book has now been placed in the Abbey Church. You will find it at the Memorial Altar, where you can sign it and leave a message. As you know, the Abbey is open each day from 6am to 9.30pm, so you are welcome at any time. We continue to pray for Her Majesty, that she may rest in God’s peace together with Prince Philip, and for King Charles and Queen Camilla and all the Royal Family. As many have mentioned in their tributes, we think of Queen Elizabeth with deep affection for all that she did for this country, the Commonwealth and the world. Today I have received condolences from friends and from monks and nuns in many countries, so great is the affection and respect in which she is held by countless millions throughout the world.
Looking at today’s Gospel from Luke (Lk 6: 43-49), Jesus gives us two images that speak eloquently of Queen Elizabeth. “A good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart, for a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.”
Whenever Her Majesty spoke to us, in whatever circumstance, you knew that you could rely on her words and take them to heart, for they came from the store of goodness that filled her heart. Jesus also said, speaking with his disciples, “Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them, is like the man who, when he built his house, laid the foundations on rock.” It was clear to us all that here was a woman of faith, who listened to the teaching of Jesus, acted accordingly and became the rock on which each one of her subjects could build their lives. She showed us quietly but surely what it means to be a Christian with a living faith and trust in God. May she rest in peace and may our hearts overflow with gratitude for all she did throughout her life for each one of us.
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Good Shepherd, Good Priest “I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed; I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” Those words, spoken by the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel, describe the heart of God, the Good Shepherd — but they also describe the life and ministry of a good monk and priest. They could well be written of Fr Stephen’s years of service as a pastor in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford, and Weobley. In each of those places, he shared in the Shepherd’s work: seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, strengthening the weary, and leading God’s people with quiet faithfulness. And like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came close to his people, Fr Stephen did not serve from a distance. He knew his people; he was among them. He shared their sorrows and their joys, their hopes and their disappointments. He bore their burdens with prayer and patience he brought the joy of the Gospel and the grace of the Sacraments. His mission amongst us is complete. He has served God’s good purpose. So today we ask Christ the Good Shepherd to take Stephen on his sacred shoulders and carry him home to the house of the Father. Bind up his wounds, give him eternal rest and lead him at last to the green pastures and still waters of eternal life.