Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 28th August
Abbot Paul • August 27, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Sunday, 28th August 2022
I am looking forward to taking part in the Pilgrimage for St David Lewis at Usk today. I last went in the late 1970s, not long before I went out to Peru. I wonder what it will be like, starting up again after the Pandemic. St David Lewis was put to death on 27th August 1679, just five days after his close relative St John Kemble, both victims of the priest hunt that took place as a result of the Titus Oates plot. They were sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered only for the crime of being Catholic priests who celebrated Mass for their congregations. It’s interesting to note that Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, together with the town of Brecon, had a sizeable Catholic population throughout penal times, a fact that is often forgotten or ignored. May our martyrs pray for us today, that we might bear witness to our faith in Christ and in the Church that brought the faith to these Isles and has nourished that faith to the present day.
Our Gospel reading today, being Sunday, comes from Luke, (Lk 14: 1, 7-14), an interesting passage, as we see Jesus invited to a meal at the house of one of the leading Pharisees. However, there would appear to be an ulterior motive for the invitation: “they watched him carefully.” Yet, it was Jesus who did the careful watching, “because he had noticed how they picked the places of honour,” as a result of which, “he then told the guests a parable.” Jesus elevates the gathering into a wedding feast and warns people not to go straight for the best places in case someone more important should arrive resulting in their being asked to go down the table to the lowest places. All this to emphasise the importance of humility, “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” But why the importance of humility? Because God himself is humble, for he took upon himself the very human nature he created, that as a man, Jesus Christ, he could save his people from sin and death and reconcile them to himself in Christ. As St Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.” I still enjoy reading John MacQuarrie’s excellent little book, The Humility of God, published in 1978. You should try it.
Jesus goes on to say more, no longer in the form of a parable, this time to his host, as he had seen the quality of the guests invited. “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again.” This is sound advice and needs no commentary. As dear Abbot Jerome always used to say, “If only Christians would put into effect what Jesus taught, what a different world it would be.” Amen to that!
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.
