Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 17th September 2023
Abbot Paul • September 16, 2023
You will notice in your parish newsletters this weekend a reference to or an article about Evangelii Gaudium Sunday and probably wondering what it’s all about. It certainly came as a surprise to me! So I thought it would be a good idea to give you the necessary information, which I think comes from the Bishops’ Conference for England and Wales.
This weekend, 16th – 17th September, is ‘Evangelii Gaudium Sunday’ or, as it used to be called, ‘Home Mission Sunday’. A time to remind ourselves of the essential mission of the Church to spread the joy of the Gospel, the Good News not just in far flung places, but here at home in our own backyard. In the first year of his pontificate, 2013, Pope Francis released an apostolic exhortation on the joy of the Gospel titled Evangelii Gaudium. In it, he encouraged the Christian faithful to “embark on a new chapter of evangelisation” marked by this joy, while striving to find new paths to proclaim the Gospel in today’s world.
Evangelisation is about preaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him. Many of these quietly seek God, led by a yearning to see his face. Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel, excluding nobody. This is the challenge and opportunity we take up on Evangelii Gaudium Sunday. Formerly known as Home Mission Sunday, the Church celebrates Evangelii Gaudium Sunday each year on the third Sunday in September, this year, Sunday September 17th.
In his message for this year, Pope Francis calls on the Church to embark on a fundamental change of direction in evangelisation, no longer relying on past structures and actions but reading the signs of the times and acting passionately in proclaiming the unique message of the Gospel that brings joy to all people who receive it with an open heart. He says: “I dream of a ‘missionary option’, that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channelled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”
There will be a collection in parishes this Sunday to support the work of the Bishops’ Conference Department of Evangelisation and Discipleship.
So, there it is, not the easiest Sunday to remember. I’m hopeless with all these special days, far too many to remember. Anyway, here is today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, (Mt 18: 21-35), all about forgiveness, something deeply important that lies at the very heart of the Christian faith.
“Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.
‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt. His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’”
As followers of Jesus, forgiven our sins and reconciled with the Father through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are called upon to have a forgiving disposition, to forgive all those who offend us or sin against us always and everywhere, in fact, to forgive a brother or sister, or an enemy, even before they have sinned against us. Now, this doesn’t mean accepting or relativising sin, most certainly not, but it does mean loving the sinner and leading him or her to accept God’s loving mercy in the person of our Saviour Jesus Christ. We can evangelise through forgiveness and mercy.
Abbot Brendan Reflects on Pope Leo's words to the Benedictines worldwide
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Good Shepherd, Good Priest “I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed; I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” Those words, spoken by the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel, describe the heart of God, the Good Shepherd — but they also describe the life and ministry of a good monk and priest. They could well be written of Fr Stephen’s years of service as a pastor in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford, and Weobley. In each of those places, he shared in the Shepherd’s work: seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, strengthening the weary, and leading God’s people with quiet faithfulness. And like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came close to his people, Fr Stephen did not serve from a distance. He knew his people; he was among them. He shared their sorrows and their joys, their hopes and their disappointments. He bore their burdens with prayer and patience he brought the joy of the Gospel and the grace of the Sacraments. His mission amongst us is complete. He has served God’s good purpose. So today we ask Christ the Good Shepherd to take Stephen on his sacred shoulders and carry him home to the house of the Father. Bind up his wounds, give him eternal rest and lead him at last to the green pastures and still waters of eternal life.
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