Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 24th September 2023
Abbot Paul • September 23, 2023
Many parishes, especially in rural settings, will be celebrating their Mass of Thanksgiving for the Harvest around this time. It’s an ancient Christian practice in all parts of the world to pray when seed is sown in early Spiring and then to give thanks when the harvest is collected in the Autumn. There are special texts in the Missal to use at these times of year. The Harvest Festival also reminds us of how important it is to give thanks to Almighty God for the gifts of food and drink, of work and remuneration, signs of God’s love for his people and of his immense generosity towards us. May we always remember to say grace before and after meals, even if it’s just a quick snack taken on the go.
​Today’s Gospel from Matthew (Mt 20: 1-16) is the parable of the labourers in the vineyard, a moving story that reminds me so much of our life in Peru, where Fr Luke, Fr David and I noticed on our very first morning in the parish of Tambogrande how the town square was full of working men and boys from 3am onwards, waiting to be taken on and given work for the day on farms round about. The Spanish word for these workers is ‘jornalero’ which literally means someone taken on for the day. In fact, we soon discovered that, in many ways, we had been transplanted into biblical times in the lifestyle and customs of our new neighbours and parishioners, from whom we had so much to learn about being Christian. Our text reads, “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard.” In the course of the day, as more men are needed to finish the day’s workload, more are contracted. This goes on from the first to the eleventh hour and the wage promised is a denarius. In Peru in the 80s, the going rate was under £1 a day. Today, as a result of the pandemic and climate change, there is little or no work, so that pittance now seems to have been a good wage. But to go back to the parable: at sunset the landowner appears and settles up with the day’s workers and to each he gives a denarius.
“When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. ‘The men who came last,’ they said, ‘have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.’ He answered one of them and said, ‘My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first, last.” It does seem unfair, but this is a parable, not real life, and it’s about God and the kingdom of heaven. God is generous and in heaven there will be no class system, no rich and poor, no privileged and oppressed. All will be blessed with the beatific vision. When we see God face to face, there will be nothing to complain about, but God would like us to set about living the values of his kingdom here and now. We mustn’t wait until eternal life for there to be true justice and perfect charity in our world. Christians are really supposed to make a difference. Lord, help us today to live as you would want us to, to act justly at all times and to remember that you taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Let us also remember those who, even today, are not paid a just wage and all those who have lost or will lose their jobs as a result of the economic turndown caused by Covid, the war in Ukraine and, above all, climate change all over the world and in the United Kingdom as well. Lord, look with mercy and kindness on your people, and thank you for all your gifts, especially the gift of the harvest and the gift of food.
Let us also remember that in England today we keep the feast of Our Lady of Walsingham, as in other countries they keep Our Lady of Ransom, a particularly important feast in Peru, where I lived and worked so happily for twenty years. May Our Lady pray for us all and protect her children with her maternal care. 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.
