Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 23rd September 2023
Abbot Paul • September 22, 2023
Today the Church celebrates one of our greatest modern saints, St Pius of Pietrelcina, better known to us all as Padre Pio. Not only is he one of the greatest and best known, but also one of the most loved and sought after for his prayers. He was born of 25th May 1887 and died on 23rd September 1968. He was canonised by Pope St John Paul II, who had known him well as a young priest and bishop, on 16th June 2002. From the age of five, he had dedicated himself to a life of prayer and contemplation and to suffering for the love of Christ Crucified. All this he combined with an exquisite charity and spirit of self-sacrifice. At the age of fifteen, which was permitted then, he entered the Capuchin noviciate at San Giovanni Rotondo and was ordained when he was only twenty-three. For Padre Pio the celebration of Mass was a profound mystical experience and his Mass could take up to three hours to celebrate with long pauses of silent contemplation. Every day he would wake at 2.30am and rose to make preparation for Mass, after which he heard confessions practically all day. He ate the smallest amount of food and slept for just a few hours each night. On 20th September 1918, he received the gift of the stigmata, that would conform his life even more closely to that of Jesus, his Lord and Saviour, who also blessed him with many other spiritual gifts for the salvation of souls. He could read people’s hearts and convey to them the forgiveness and the love of God. He was God’s chosen instrument to bring many to reconciliation with the Church and with their loving Lord. May he pray for us today and for those most in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
Yesterday we read a short link passage, typical of Luke. We now find Jesus going through towns and villages, often unnamed, preaching and teaching. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke, (Lk 8: 4-15), we find the parable of the sower. Jesus tells this parable to a large crowd. No reason is given as to why he preached it there and then. It wasn’t the response to a question, nor was it aimed at the scribes and Pharisees. It can be read in any context, which is why it speaks to us so eloquently today. “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell on the edge of the path and was trampled on; and the birds of the air ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it came up it withered away, having no moisture. Some seed fell amongst thorns and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced its crop a hundredfold.’ Saying this he cried, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’” The disciples are mystified, so they ask him. He replies, “The mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to you; for the rest there are only parables, so that
they may see but not perceive,
listen but not understand.”
We might well ask, if the mysteries of the kingdom of God are revealed to the disciples, then why can’t they understand a parable preached to the crowd? What did the crowd make of it? There are many imponderables in the Gospels.
​Jesus, then gives a detailed explanation of the parable: “This, then, is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. Those on the edge of the path are people who have heard it, and then the devil comes and carries away the word from their hearts in case they should believe and be saved. Those on the rock are people who, when they first hear it, welcome the word with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of trial they give up. As for the part that fell into thorns, this is people who have heard, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life and do not reach maturity. As for the part in the rich soil, this is people with a noble and generous heart who have heard the word and take it to themselves and yield a harvest through their perseverance.” I can clearly see each one of those groups of people in me. At various times in the past and even now, to be honest, I can be like those on the edge of the path, those on rock, those among thorns and, occasionally, those in rich soil. Trusting in God, my prayer is always, “Lord, no matter where I am today, may your word penetrate my heart and mind, my whole being, and bear fruit to your honour and glory and for the good of those around me. Grant me the grace of perseverance. Amen.”
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
Archbishop Mark O'Toole, of Cardiff-Menevia presided at the Requiem Mass for Bishop Mark, while Abbot Brendan conducted his burial. Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached a homily full of warmth and affection for Bishop Mark which is reproduced below.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
