Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 13th January

Abbot Paul • January 12, 2022

Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 13th January 2022

Yesterday we woke up to a heavy frost. At last, it felt like Winter. I know our climate has warmed up quite a lot, the result being that we get more rain and less snow, but it is good to feel the cold for a change. Even so, when I went out briefly with Toby at six o’clock (we used to go out at a quarter to), the blackbirds and robins were singing loudly, especially when they caught sight of Toby again. I wonder if he looks threatening to them: he hardly wants to invade their territory!

Our Gospel passage today takes us a stage further in Mark’s account of the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry, (Mk 1: 40-45). Yesterday Jesus proposed a teaching and healing tour of the towns and villages of Galilee. Today he heals a leper, although we are not told where. Lepers usually had to stay on the outskirts of any human settlement and were regarded as unclean and, therefore, untouchable, but Jesus breaks through this rule in order to heal him. He makes a point of touching him in order to recreate him, giving him a new life. Think of God creating Adam in that wonderful Michelangelo fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Let’s read Mark’s account: “A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course, I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.”

It’s interesting to note that, as yet, there is no mention of forgiveness of sins, simply healing, but as the general belief was that sickness was caused by sin, then healing presupposes forgiveness. The fight with the scribes and Pharisees lies in the future. In fact, they are not mentioned either. Here the emphasis is on the faith and trust of those being healed and the power and authority of Jesus to cure. The leper (leprosy can refer to any serious disease of the skin) goes down on his knees before Jesus in order to ask for healing. He pleads “if it is your will,” but does not demand. That’s a rather weak translation of Jesus’ reaction. Jesus has compassion on the poor man, stretches out his hand, touches and heals him, saying simply, “Be cured.”

However, Jesus does ask him to keep quiet about it and to go to the priest with the usual offering for healing ordered by the Law of Moses. After all, it was God who healed the man, but as I often quote from St Paul, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.” (2 Cor 5:19) So quickly does the news spread that Jesus can no longer go openly into any town or village. 

We sometimes forget that, like that leper, it is our job to spread the news that God has forgiven us our sins in Christ. He had healed us in the most important way, assuring us, as he did the dying thief, “In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Lk 23:43)

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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.
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