Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday - 17th March 2024
Abbot Paul • March 16, 2024
​The last two weeks of Lent are traditionally known as Passiontide, when the minds of Christians begin to focus on the final stages of our Lenten journey with Jesus, a journey that will take us through the events of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday to the glory, joy and hope of Easter Sunday. In the Liturgy and in our daily prayer and reading, we walk with Jesus as he walks with us, trusting in our heavenly Father and desirous to offer our lives with Jesus in sacrifice for the salvation of all people, especially those who are farthest from the faith. Now that phrase “offering our lives with Jesus in sacrifice” really means to love as Jesus loves with God the Father’s love in the power of the Holy Spirit who is love. Only our love will bring others to salvation and to new life in the Risen Christ. What a powerful and life-motivating thought that is. God wants us to be ablaze with his love and to share that love with others.
Today’s Gospel passage from John, (Jn 12: 20-33), presents us with Jesus speaking to his disciples about his imminent passion and death. They are in Jerusalem when he says to them,
​​“Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified.
I tell you, most solemnly,
unless a wheat grain falls on the ground and dies,
it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.”
One of the constant themes in John is that of the death of Jesus as glorification, the way in which he will give glory to God the Father, who in return will glorify his Son. Hence the wonderful symbolism of the grain of wheat, that falls to the ground and dies, so that it might burst into life and bear much fruit. Not only does Jesus see himself as a such a grain, but his disciples too and all those who give up their lives with him and for his sake. Hence what follows:
​​“Anyone who loves his life loses it;
anyone who hates his life in this world
will keep it for the eternal life.
If a man serves me, he must follow me,
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him.”
The words love and hate are powerful words and evoke strong images, especially the word hate. What does it mean for a Christian to hate his life in this world? It means not preferring this life to the next, not preferring earth to heaven, but to have faith in the life to come, in fact, to begin living the life to come in the here and now. It’s not an easy concept to grasp and yet life is so fragile, so precarious, that perhaps we should put more store by it than we do. What a privilege it is to follow Jesus and to know that we will be honoured by the Father, indeed that we are already honoured and loved eternally by him.
​Suddenly, unexpectedly, Jesus feels the anguish of the moment. Jesus shows us time and again that he can be perplexed or saddened and that he can share our human emotions, doubts and fears. He says;
​​“Now my soul is troubled.
What shall I say:
Father, save me from this hour?
But it was for this very reason that I have come to this hour.
Father, glorify your name!”
He will not ask to be saved from this moment, as he knows that this is his destiny, his purpose, his vocation: obedience and submission to the Father’s will, which is the ultimate good and perfect love. At that moment, just as at his Baptism and at the Transfiguration, the Father’s voice is heard. “A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ People standing by, who heard this, said it was a clap of thunder; others said, ‘It was an angel speaking to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not for my sake that this voice came, but for yours.’” The Father’s words are described by Jesus as a “sentence… passed on this world,” for “the prince of this world is to be overthrown.” In death he sees life, in defeat he sees victory. This is the very essence of Christian hope. Jesus ends the discourse with a promise that will give heart to his disciples and hope when all seems lost.
​​“And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I shall draw all men to myself.”
They realise now that, “By these words he indicated the kind of death he would die.”
​Lord, through your death and resurrection, you have set us free from sin and death. Grant us the grace to live by faith, walk in hope and serve with love. May we come to say with St Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Amen.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully on 9th May. Requiem Mass & Burial Thursday 5th June, 12 noon, Belmont Abbey John Peter Jabale was born on 16th October 1933 in Alexandria, Egypt of mainly European heritage. His father was Lebanese/French, and his mother British/Greek/French. He attended the Lycée Français in Alexandria until 1948, when he was sent to England, having expressed a desire to join the Navy. He enrolled at Belmont Abbey School and, upon leaving school, joined the Abbey, taking the religious name Mark. He was ordained to the priesthood on 13 July 1958. He was then sent to the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he obtained a Licentiate in French Literature, writing his thesis on Joseph de Maistre, the French counter-revolutionary. He later completed a Diploma in Education at St Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, where he also played rugby for the University. From 1964, he taught sport and served as a housemaster at the school. In 1969, he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School in Derbyshire, though he held that post for only half a term before being recalled to Belmont to serve as Headmaster there, a role he held—apart from a sabbatical—until 1983. From 1964 he was teaching sport and then was a housemaster in the School. In 1969 he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School, Derbyshire, but filled that post for only half a term. He was called back to Belmont to be Headmaster where he served, apart from a sabbatical, until 1983. Fr Mark was a rowing coach of considerable repute. During his sabbatical in 1979, he assisted Dan Topolski in coaching the Oxford crew for the Boat Race. His greatest coaching triumph came when he led a lightweight coxless four to a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia — the only gold medal won by Great Britain that year. The following year, he was invited to coach for the Olympics, but he declined in order to remain committed to Belmont. He was a steward of Henley Royal Regatta and was responsible for setting up and programming its first computerised systems. He was ahead of may in seeing the potential of new technology. In 1983, he was sent to Peru to purchase land and build a new monastery, which included raising funds in the UK. The new monastery was blessed, and the first Mass was celebrated there by the Archbishop of Piura, Oscar Cantuarias Pastor, in June 1986 together with Abbot Jerome, Fr Paul, Fr Luke, Fr David as well as Fr Mark. Dom Mark returned to Belmont as Prior and was elected the 10th Abbot of Belmont in 1993. He later wrote: “My first and most painful task proved to be the overseeing of the closure of the school.” Together with the bursar, John Hubert, he negotiated with the local NHS for the 4 houses to be leased to them. In 2000, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Menevia by Pope John Paul II and was ordained bishop in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea, on 7 December 2000. He succeeded Bishop Daniel Mullins as the 10th Bishop of Menevia on 12 June 2001. During his episcopate, he held several important offices: Chairman of the Department for Christian Life and Worship, Trustee and Visitator of the three foreign seminaries — the Venerable English College (Rome), the Beda College (Rome), and the Royal English College (Valladolid). He was also Bishop-in-Charge of on-going formation for diocesan priests. Upon reaching the age of 75, Bishop Jabale submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on 16 October 2008 and was succeeded by Bishop Tom Burns. He then moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and was inducted as Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in March 2009, a post he held until 2014. At the age of 81, he retired to Hendon in London, where he celebrated daily Mass at a local convent, assisted in various parishes, and continued to help with confirmations in the diocese. In October 2019, he moved to Archbishop’s House, Westminster, for nine months. Finally, he returned to Belmont in 2020 as a much-cherished member of the community. He described himself as “very happy.” He remained there until his death in Hereford County Hospital on 9 May 2025, aged 91. He had been a monk of Belmont for 73 years, a priest for 67 years and a bishop for 24 years. Condolences came from Pope Leo XIV:
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
Pope Francis RIP Pope 2013-2025 Born 1936, Died 2025 We are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis. As the successor of St Peter he has been a spiritual father and shepherd to the church in our day, challenging us, and calling as to reach out to those on the peripheries. He was the first Jesuit Pope, but took the name Francis after the Poor Man of Assisi who modelled for him a closeness to the poor, a concern for those on the margins of society and a care for all of creation In his preaching Pope Francis always spoke of the joy of the Gospel and encouraged us to reflect the joy of our faith in our lives. He showed the compassion of Jesus to everyone. He worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and travelled even to non-Christian countries promoting a message of peace. He has left a great legacy. With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio with the community over Easter we were able to express our closeness to the Holy Father in his final suffering. There will be a special Mass at Belmont this Thursday 24th April at 11am to pray for Pope Francis as he makes his final journey to the house of the Father. On the day of his funeral, the Office of the Dead will be sung, and Mass that day will be a Requiem. May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs receive him at his arrival and lead him to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive him and with Lazarus, the poor man grant him eternal rest." (The In Paradisum, words from the Funeral Liturgy)
We were were honoured and delighted to be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to celebrate Easter. His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía is the representative of the Holy See in Great Britain, and therefore of the Holy Father. His presence on Easter Sunday morning brought us more consciously in communion with Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as we heard the Gospel story of Peter running to the tomb. His patron saint is St Michael, so afterwards, at a festive lunch we were able to present him with some Belmont cufflinks with the monastery coat of arms - very similar to his as Archbishop. We were able to pray for him and his work in this country.