Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 13th August

Message from Fr Paul for Saturday, 13th August 2022

 I think my messages have been rather long of late, but then so have the Gospel readings and, quite frankly, the very hot weather slows my mind down and I stop thinking. Yesterday I was at Moccas church, checking on the organ and acoustic for a short recital of chant and medieval music a trio of monks will be offering in Monday evening. For Toby it’s far too hot to travel or venture outdoors for more than a minute or two during the heat of the day. He is no mad dog!

 Today we have one of the loveliest Gospel episodes as recounted by Matthew, (Mt 19: 13-15), Jesus and the little children. “People brought little children to Jesus, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.” This is something that must have happened in every village or hamlet he passed through. People would bring their children to him for a blessing and a prayer. We might ask why the disciples would send them away. Did they regard Jesus as too important, or feel that faith was an adult thing? There are people who think like that about faith today, but Jesus always remembered that he was once a child, who had been blessed by his parents and by the priests and rabbis, as we read in the Gospel. A good example is the Presentation in the Temple, when the infant Jesus was blessed by Simeon. Children are often mentioned in the Gospel, like the little boy who came forward with his five loaves of bread and two fish, with which Jesus fed the five thousand. Then there are several accounts of the healing of children. Jesus loved children and wanted what was best for them. In the Acts of the Apostles, we also read how children were baptised together with their parents and the whole family. A good example of this is Cornelius and his entire household, who were baptised by Peter. Today, when we baptise children, we continue to say with Jesus, “Suffer little children to come unto me.”