Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 26th June
Abbot Paul • June 25, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Sunday, 26th June 2022
Perhaps it was the long wait since 2019 for another Summer Fete to take place, but yesterday’s was the most enjoyable, happiest and best run I can ever remember and I go back a long time, to the legendary days of Fr Denis. The weather was unpredictable with heavy rain overnight, then more heavy rain around 1.15pm and a dramatic thunderstorm about 3pm, bang in the middle of events. No one was deterred, least of all our volunteers, and there was abundant shelter. Our deepest thanks and warmest congratulations go out to Louise Wright and her magnificent team. Everyone I spoke with kept saying, “What a fantastic fete this is. We’re loving it.” The theme this year was TOGETHER AGAIN and it was certainly that. What a joy it was to meet up and chat with people we hadn’t seen for three years. It was also the answer to a lot of prayer, collaboration and dedication.
It’s good to go back to celebrating an Ordinary Sunday again after a divine glut of feasts and solemnities, but we mustn’t forget that the days have begun to shorten and we’re now less than six months’ away from Christmas day. Our Gospel passage comes from Luke, (Lk 9: 51-62), who reminds us that Jesus’ time to return to the Father is approaching. He writes, “As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.” This is the point in the Gospel story when we realise along with Jesus and his disciples that there’s no turning back. What lies ahead: arrest, trial, condemnation, death, resurrection and ascension must be faced and accomplished resolutely because this is the Father’s will and the reason why Christ is with us. Everything now points to what will happen in Jerusalem. On the way, in Samaria, there is the experience of rejection. The disciples sent into a Samaritan village are not made welcome, but Jesus wants no punishment, no retribution.
There then follow three encounters between Jesus and men who would follow him, even declare their longing and intention to do so, but have important matters to deal with before they fulfil their wish and follow Jesus.
“As they travelled along, they met a man on the road who said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered, ‘Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
Another to whom he said, ‘Follow me’, replied, ‘Let me go and bury my father first.’ But he answered, ‘Leave the dead to bury their dead; your duty is to go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.’
Another said, ‘I will follow you, sir, but first let me go and say goodbye to my people at home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Once the hand is laid on the plough, no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”
To the first Jesus gives a salutary warning that it is easy to express one’s desire to follow Jesus, but difficult to fulfil it. To the second, a criticism, for there can be nothing more important for a disciple than to follow Christ and join him in proclaiming the Good News. To the third, a similar criticism, that once a disciple has chosen to follow Christ, there can be no turning back or delay.
These words of Jesus might sound somewhat harsh to us. Can being a Christian and a disciple of Jesus be so hard? But look, Jesus “resolutely took the road for Jerusalem” and our following of Jesus must be with that same spirit of resolve. Today’s Gospel passage and the first reading from the First Book of Kings, that charming account of the call of Elisha by Elijah, are an invitation to us all to consider the fidelity, quality and intensity of our own resolve to follow Jesus as his disciples, called and chosen. Could we do better?
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.
