Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 21st October 2023

Yesterday morning at ten o’clock, Fr Andrew and I left Our Lady’s on the Belmont Road to travel together to Oulton Abbey near Stone, Staffordshire, to visit Fr Thomas. However, things began to get difficult even before we reached Ludlow as the A49 had patches of quite severe flooding. However, when we turned onto the A4117 and then the B4364, things got very much worse very quickly and there was no way through the village of Middleton. There was no choice but to turn back. However, we thought we could try another route, accessing the M5 at Worcester by taking the A44 from Leominster. This was a great mistake as the flooding between Bromyard and Worcester was extensive and quite frightening in places, and once on the M5 slip road, it was clear that motorway traffic going north was at a standstill. It took us an hour to get from Worcester South to North, a distance of 3 miles. At Worcester North we came off the motorway and slowly made our way back to Hereford. Our mystery tour had lasted over four hours. And it was exhausting.

 

Today’s Gospel reading consists of three sayings of Jesus addressed to his disciples, as found in Luke, (Lk 12: 8-12). The first is about bearing witness to Christ, or standing up for him, not being afraid or ashamed of declaring openly, even in difficult circumstances, our allegiance to Jesus and the Gospel. “I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God’s angels.” The second saying is related to the first. “Everyone who says a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

What does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? Blasphemy against the Spirit, the unforgivable sin, is the ongoing hardening of our hearts against the Holy Spirit who is trying to lead us to repent of sin and believe in Christ. Furthermore, it is an issue of the heart that manifests itself in our words. This hardening of the heart, that results in denying that Jesus is the Son of God, will cause us to become unrepentant and unforgiving and to not seeking forgiveness for ourselves.

 

​The third saying is somewhat different and encourages us not to run away from persecution that might come our way on account of our faith. “When they take you before synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how to defend yourselves or what to say, because when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.” We are not to worry, because, whatever happens, when the time comes, the Holy Spirit will give us the words we need to speak up for our faith before whoever is persecuting us. When reflecting on the lives of the martyrs, these words always come to mind. Will we have the opportunity to bear witness of Christ? If not to the extent of shedding our blood, at least by the choices we make in life.