Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 13th October 2022

In England today we keep the feast of St Edward the Confessor, considered to be the patron saint of England before we switched to St George about 1350. He was born, son of Aethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, around the year 1003 and died on the eve of the Epiphany in 1066. He was crowned at Winchester on 3rd April 1043. He was greatly loved by his people and admired by the sanctity of his life. In fact, he was acclaimed as a saint by his people even before he was canonised by Pope Alexander III in 1161. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, near to his wife Edith of Wessex, and St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle was originally dedicated to him. I think it’s really important to celebrate our English saints and not to forget them, as they have left us an outstanding legacy of holiness.

 

​Today’s Gospel from Luke, (Lk 11: 47-54), sees Jesus continue his divine diatribe against the scribes or lawyers and Pharisees. He says, for example, “Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building.” And he goes on, “Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.” As far as Jesus is concerned the scribes and Pharisees have been and continue to be obstacles in the way of ordinary people who want to live their faith to the full and grow in knowledge of God and his love for them. The result of his preaching is clear, as Luke tells us that, “When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.”

Whereas Jesus speaks boldly about the scribes and Pharisees, describing what he sees of their behaviour, they, on the other hand, seek to trap Jesus into making heretical statements concerning the Scriptures, the Law and the Prophets, for which they can arrest him and have him charged and even put to death. Ultimately this is what will happen and lead to his Cross and Resurrection.

 

​A question we all need to ask is: who are the scribes and Pharisees today? Are we, perhaps, counted among them? Or, do we simply acquiesce to the way they behave and teach? Are we on the Lord’s side or are we not? Not easy questions, but ones that need to be asked.