Message of Abbot Paul - Saturday 4th March 2023

Greetings from Peru and from our monastery of St Mary of the Most Holy Trinity in Lurin, on the Pacific coast south of Lima. Yesterday was a normal day after resting on Thursday. I was up well in time for Vigils at 4.30, followed by lectio, then Sung Lauds at 6.20 and Sung Mass at 7.00. Thanksgiving after Mass is made together in church, then breakfast is at 8.00. Once the washing up is done, Terce is sung at 8.45 and so the day’s work begins. For some time I’ve had hanging over my head the task of writing a chapter for a book, so I took advantage of a relatively free morning to get a good part of it done. I’ve left two paragraphs and a general revision for this morning. Let’s hope I can get it finished by lunchtime. As for the rest of the daily timetable, Sext is sung at 1.00pm and is followed by lunch. After the washing up, there’s a short break until None which is sung at 3.00. Work or classes follow until Vespers which is sung at 5.30, followed by mental prayer done in common in church, then supper at 7.00. Recreation follows on from washing up, which is always done together, and after recreation, the daily Chapter with a short conference and, to conclude, Compline around 8.15. It’s a full day, but a rewarding one. Yesterday and today we also have a Parish group of about 25 young people on retreat. The retreat house is very popular, as is the shop.

Our Gospel passage today sees us again with Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount, (Mt 5: 43-48). Here Jesus tells his disciples that they must love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Only this way will they be sons and daughters of their Heavenly Father. It is simply not good enough only to love those who love us. We must be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. Today we pray that this might become a reality in our lives. We can pray for the intercession of St Casimir, patron saint of Lithuania, whose feast day we keep today.