Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday - 18th April 2024
Abbot Paul • April 17, 2024
​I wrote this at Belmont before leaving for Peru, as I thought it might be a bit complicated, what with a six-hour time change and having to cope with many differences in timetable and flying all day, to get a message written and sent for today. I am presuming on God’s mercy that all has gone well and that tomorrow you will receive something fresh from the horse’s mouth! At least the weather here is stable and warm, a constant 25C during the day and sunny.
Today we continue our reading of the Discourse on the Bread of Life in the Gospel of John, (Jn 6: 44-51). Jesus is speaking with the crowds at Capernaum following the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish the previous day. John calls the few miracles he describes in detail in his Gospel signs, for they point clearly to the divinity of Jesus, that he is truly the Messiah and Son of God. He has told the people that he is the Bread of Life, sent down from heaven by the Father to give life to the world, by which he means those who accept him and believe in him. He continues by saying: “No one can come to me​​​​​​​​ unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Everything must be done according to God’s will, and his will is that all should be saved and come to eternal life, that no one should be lost. So it is God himself who leads us to his Son, that we might come to the knowledge of the truth.
​​​ ​ “It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.”
The word of Jesus is God’s word and his revelation is God’s teaching. Only Jesus who has come down from heaven and has been sent by the Father knows God fully and the mind of God. This knowledge he shares with those who come to him. He feeds them spiritually, for eternal life is to know and love God. He continues:
​​​​“I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
​​​​​ but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread
which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give is my flesh,
for the life of the world.”
Jesus is the living bread of life, and to know him and believe in him is to have eternal life, for his life, God’s life, will be in us. Until the very last verse we read today, it all seems very simple and easy to follow, even for his listeners. They ask no questions. The word bread is not being used literally, but figuratively. Then in that last verse Jesus goes a step further when he says, “the bread I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world.” We are used to worship and liturgy centred on the Eucharist, the Mass, but this is not the case with his listeners, the crowd fed when he multiplied the loaves and fish. They will fail to understand, and express shock, disgust even, at his words. Not only is this bread on which he will feed them his flesh, but he is also giving it for the life, the salvation of the world. Trouble is in store, as we shall find out tomorrow.
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.
