Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 23rd October 2022

Today is World Mission Sunday, when we remember and pray for the Church’s mission, spearheaded by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to bring the person and message of Christ to the nations that still do not know and love him. We could include in that number large sectors of the population of our own sceptred isle.

 

​I apologise for not writing a message for today, but yesterday was an extremely busy day and then, in the evening, we had a thoroughly enjoyable Parish Quiz Night Dinner, bringing together just over 100 people, many of them parishioners.

It was an absolutely splendid evening, the food magnificent and everyone had great fun, a wonderful, wonderful occasion. Our thanks to Clare Nickerson, who organised it, and to all those who helped in anyway or simply took part in it. It was a great occasion for bonding in the Lord’s love, a great occasion for building up the Body of Christ.

 

​I will just leave you with today’s Gospel, which speaks for itself. “Jesus spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else: ‘Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, “I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like the rest of mankind, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get.” The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’” Luke 18: 9-14