Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 25th December 2022
Abbot Paul • December 25, 2022
“Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.” So began the angels their message to the shepherds that first Christmas night, a message of great joy, a joy to be shared with all people. We are here tonight to hear that message once more and again it fills us with great joy. The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, takes our fears away, fills us with hope and gives us reason to rejoice. Even so, for many throughout the world this Christmas, it must be difficult to rejoice and well-nigh impossible to hope.
​Tonight, our thoughts and prayers go out to the many families in this country, whose Christmas is marked by poverty and want. Please continue to donate food and money to your local food bank. Abroad it’s ten months since the war in Ukraine began, bringing destruction, death and the displacement of millions of refugees, a war where aggression shows no sign of abating. Sadly, this war on our doorstep has distracted us from warfare and extreme injustice in other parts of the world, in Somalia, Iran and Afghanistan, for example. Let us not forget the present hardships in North America caused by extreme conditions of ice and snow or the severe flooding earlier this year in Pakistan, to mention just two cases of natural disaster.
​There can be no reason or excuse for the suffering inflicted on the weak and vulnerable by the great and powerful, or simply by those who are made powerful by the possession of a gun or a bomb. We know that there are no easy solutions to conflict, but the suffering, especially of women and children, is a crime that cries to heaven for vengeance. Can there be hope or joy for those who are hungry and naked, without home and family, for the innocent who see violence and death face to face? Nor should we ignore the murder of countless millions of human foetuses that takes place each year. The birth of the Son of God in a stable at Bethlehem and laid to sleep in swaddling bands in a manger, where cattle eat, is a sign of God’s solidarity with the poor and those who suffer, above all a sign of his love for children and for all those who are young and innocent.
Jesus Christ wasn’t born in a palace or a temple; he didn’t come into this world in a rich home or a luxury hotel. No, his companions were animals: the ox and the ass, sheep, mice and fleas. His mother Mary was a young village girl from the north, a peasant, and the man people presumed to be his father, Joseph, a simple carpenter. Both of them were surprised and confused at the strange events surrounding his conception and birth and now here he was, cradled in a manger, the baby to whom they were to give the name Jesus, meaning Saviour.
​No sooner was he born, than angels appeared to shepherds in the fields, watching over their flocks by night, to tell them of his birth. “Today, in the city of David, a Saviour has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord.” And with the angels there appears a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to men who enjoy his favour.” That new-born babe in the manger is God, the God who made all that is, and he comes to share our weakness and fragility, our suffering and pain. He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour, and yet his way of saving is not Man’s but God’s. It is not through pride and self-seeking that he will save us but through humility and self-emptying, bringing life through death and redemption through suffering. This child in the manger is born to die and, through his death, he will reconcile the whole of creation with God. And in Christ, all suffering is redemptive, all pain has purpose and meaning, and even little children can share in God’s work of salvation because God now shares fully in their suffering and pain.
​May the joy of Christmas be yours and may the child lying in the manger help us all to understand and value the suffering and death of innocent young children today. Christ’s birth doesn’t mean that their suffering is fine, that it doesn’t matter and we needn’t worry about it. Quite the opposite: it is wrong, it is unjust, it should not happen, it must be eradicated, but while that suffering and pain last, we know that Christ is still being born today and in still lying there, crying in the manger. May his suffering, death and resurrection bring to all people hope, life and salvation.
​On behalf of Fr Prior and the Monastic Community I wish you all a very joyful and holy Christmas. It’s particularly good at Christmas to see so many new faces and visitors with us. This is your home, your church. Come back whenever you want. There will always be a warm welcome awaiting you. “Do not be afraid. Behold, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.”
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.
