Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 11th March 2023
Abbot Paul • March 11, 2023
The internet appears not to be working at the moment. Not sure why, but it could be the rain that’s falling on Lima this evening. It began as we processed into Vespers. I can’t exaggerate how unusual this is, as they say that in Lima it never rains. Nevertheless, for the past four or five days there have been torrential rains in the north of the country, with many roads and bridges washed away, including some very important ones, so cities like Piura and Talara can no longer be reached. Smaller towns and villages are in dire straits as no one was prepared for the severe flooding caused by the Niño current. Please pray for the poor people, as it’s impossible to get help to many of them. The Peruvian people are long suffering and resilient. Please keep them in your prayers. If by any chance, I can’t get this to you for tomorrow, you’ll know why when you eventually read it.
Today’s Gospel is that of the Prodigal Son, that we find in Luke, (Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32), one of three parables used together by Jesus to explore and explain the accusation of the scribes and Pharisees that, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” I won’t repeat the parable, that we all know so well. The question is whether it answers the accusation. The important figure is the father rather than the younger son, who is obviously the most colourful of the three characters and the one most people focus on. He has become a proverbial figure, perhaps because most of us are or have been like him at sometime in our lives. Even Jesus becomes the prodigal son, when he takes our sins upon himself, and through his death and resurrection enables the Father to forgive them. Jesus becomes the friend of sinners in order to seek the Father’s forgiveness and reconciliation. The scribes and Pharisees are like the older son, the good and obedient one, yet the one who is unable to forgive and be reconciled with his repentant younger brother. Will he ever learn the art of forgiveness from his father? The parable teaches us that God is merciful and forgiving, wanting only the return of sinners to his loving arms. God is mercy, God is love, a lesson we all need to remember.
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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.
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