Message of Abbot Paul - Sunday 3rd December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 2, 2023
Last night we had the most wonderfully uplifting Advent Carol Service in the abbey church led by the Academia Musica. The singing and organ playing was spectacular in every respect, and yet it was not a performance or a concert but clearly an act of prayer and devotion. Likewise, the scripture readings were conducive to deepening our understanding of and love for Advent, not only as a period of preparation and penance for the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord, but of hope and longing for his Second Coming. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus, come! Every aspect of the service was quite exquisite, but I was particularly impressed and moved by the perfect rendering of the ancient Latin O antiphon. We are truly grateful to have been blessed with the presence of Academia Musica, a Hereford choir, many of whose singers are young students at the Sixth Form College.
​Thank God it’s Advent Sunday, for Christians a New Year, a new beginning, not that we leave last year behind, but we can look forward to what lies ahead with joy and longing, and I don’t just mean Christmas. The celebration of Advent points beyond Christmas and Epiphany to Lent, Easter and Pentecost, but, above all, to the Second Coming for which we earnestly pray when we say, “Come, Lord Jesus, come.” If you look closely at the words of the wonderful Advent hymns and carols, you discover that all of them look forward not just to the birth of the Christ Child, but above all to his return in glory at the end of time. A fine example is the magnificent Advent hymn written by Charles Wesley, Lo! He comes with clouds descending. Another is the majestic hymn, translated from the German, Wake, O wake! with tidings thrilling, based on the Parable of the Ten Virgins or Bridesmaids. A third example is the ancient Latin hymn, Vox clara ecce intonat, translated as Hark a herald voice is calling. These and many others speak of the Second Coming, because in Advent we look forward rather than back into history, for how can you look forward to what has already happened?
​Our Gospel passage today comes from Mark (Mk 13: 33-37), as this year we read Mark’s Gospel each Sunday; it is the Year of Mark. This is a much shorter Gospel than the others, yet it contains an amazing amount of detail. Jesus tells his disciples, “Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come.” He is talking here of the last day. Recently we have read similar texts in Matthew and Luke. Jesus compares that day with a man setting out on a journey. “It is like a man travelling abroad: he has gone from home, and left his servants in charge, each with his own task; and he has told the doorkeeper to stay awake.” While the servants are working, the doorkeeper is to keep watch: they just don’t know when the master of the house is going to return. Based on what he has said, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming, evening, midnight, cockcrow, dawn; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!” I’ve always found it odd that he isn’t likely to come during the day, but at night or just before dawn. In this short passage, Jesus repeats, “Stay awake” no less than four times. Can it be that he doesn’t want his disciples ever to rest or sleep? Obviously, he’s talking about something else. Jesus wants his disciples to carry on doing what they should be doing, their ordinary tasks, their duties, but always focused on his return, on him. He wants them, he wants us to be ready, to be prepared to enter into his kingdom and enjoy the fulness of heaven and eternal life.
​Advent is a time of watching and waiting, a time of vigil, as we focus on the Lord’s return, just as we remember and give thanks for his coming in time in the humility and frailty of human flesh in the stable at Bethlehem.
Let our prayer this Advent be, “Come, Lord Jesus, come. Amen.”
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully on 9th May. Requiem Mass & Burial Thursday 5th June, 12 noon, Belmont Abbey John Peter Jabale was born on 16th October 1933 in Alexandria, Egypt of mainly European heritage. His father was Lebanese/French, and his mother British/Greek/French. He attended the Lycée Français in Alexandria until 1948, when he was sent to England, having expressed a desire to join the Navy. He enrolled at Belmont Abbey School and, upon leaving school, joined the Abbey, taking the religious name Mark. He was ordained to the priesthood on 13 July 1958. He was then sent to the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, where he obtained a Licentiate in French Literature, writing his thesis on Joseph de Maistre, the French counter-revolutionary. He later completed a Diploma in Education at St Mary’s, Strawberry Hill, where he also played rugby for the University. From 1964, he taught sport and served as a housemaster at the school. In 1969, he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School in Derbyshire, though he held that post for only half a term before being recalled to Belmont to serve as Headmaster there, a role he held—apart from a sabbatical—until 1983. From 1964 he was teaching sport and then was a housemaster in the School. In 1969 he was appointed Headmaster of Alderwasley School, Derbyshire, but filled that post for only half a term. He was called back to Belmont to be Headmaster where he served, apart from a sabbatical, until 1983. Fr Mark was a rowing coach of considerable repute. During his sabbatical in 1979, he assisted Dan Topolski in coaching the Oxford crew for the Boat Race. His greatest coaching triumph came when he led a lightweight coxless four to a gold medal at the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Yugoslavia — the only gold medal won by Great Britain that year. The following year, he was invited to coach for the Olympics, but he declined in order to remain committed to Belmont. He was a steward of Henley Royal Regatta and was responsible for setting up and programming its first computerised systems. He was ahead of may in seeing the potential of new technology. In 1983, he was sent to Peru to purchase land and build a new monastery, which included raising funds in the UK. The new monastery was blessed, and the first Mass was celebrated there by the Archbishop of Piura, Oscar Cantuarias Pastor, in June 1986 together with Abbot Jerome, Fr Paul, Fr Luke, Fr David as well as Fr Mark. Dom Mark returned to Belmont as Prior and was elected the 10th Abbot of Belmont in 1993. He later wrote: “My first and most painful task proved to be the overseeing of the closure of the school.” Together with the bursar, John Hubert, he negotiated with the local NHS for the 4 houses to be leased to them. In 2000, he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Menevia by Pope John Paul II and was ordained bishop in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Swansea, on 7 December 2000. He succeeded Bishop Daniel Mullins as the 10th Bishop of Menevia on 12 June 2001. During his episcopate, he held several important offices: Chairman of the Department for Christian Life and Worship, Trustee and Visitator of the three foreign seminaries — the Venerable English College (Rome), the Beda College (Rome), and the Royal English College (Valladolid). He was also Bishop-in-Charge of on-going formation for diocesan priests. Upon reaching the age of 75, Bishop Jabale submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on 16 October 2008 and was succeeded by Bishop Tom Burns. He then moved to Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, and was inducted as Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in March 2009, a post he held until 2014. At the age of 81, he retired to Hendon in London, where he celebrated daily Mass at a local convent, assisted in various parishes, and continued to help with confirmations in the diocese. In October 2019, he moved to Archbishop’s House, Westminster, for nine months. Finally, he returned to Belmont in 2020 as a much-cherished member of the community. He described himself as “very happy.” He remained there until his death in Hereford County Hospital on 9 May 2025, aged 91. He had been a monk of Belmont for 73 years, a priest for 67 years and a bishop for 24 years. Condolences came from Pope Leo XIV:
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
Pope Francis RIP Pope 2013-2025 Born 1936, Died 2025 We are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis. As the successor of St Peter he has been a spiritual father and shepherd to the church in our day, challenging us, and calling as to reach out to those on the peripheries. He was the first Jesuit Pope, but took the name Francis after the Poor Man of Assisi who modelled for him a closeness to the poor, a concern for those on the margins of society and a care for all of creation In his preaching Pope Francis always spoke of the joy of the Gospel and encouraged us to reflect the joy of our faith in our lives. He showed the compassion of Jesus to everyone. He worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and travelled even to non-Christian countries promoting a message of peace. He has left a great legacy. With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio with the community over Easter we were able to express our closeness to the Holy Father in his final suffering. There will be a special Mass at Belmont this Thursday 24th April at 11am to pray for Pope Francis as he makes his final journey to the house of the Father. On the day of his funeral, the Office of the Dead will be sung, and Mass that day will be a Requiem. May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs receive him at his arrival and lead him to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive him and with Lazarus, the poor man grant him eternal rest." (The In Paradisum, words from the Funeral Liturgy)
We were were honoured and delighted to be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to celebrate Easter. His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía is the representative of the Holy See in Great Britain, and therefore of the Holy Father. His presence on Easter Sunday morning brought us more consciously in communion with Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as we heard the Gospel story of Peter running to the tomb. His patron saint is St Michael, so afterwards, at a festive lunch we were able to present him with some Belmont cufflinks with the monastery coat of arms - very similar to his as Archbishop. We were able to pray for him and his work in this country.