Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 19th January 2023

We are in the Week or Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity, which began yesterday. Even if you are unable to take part in an ecumenical prayer service in a local church, please do pray at home for this intention for which Christ himself prayed at the Last Supper, when he asked his Heavenly Father, speaking of his disciples, “Father, that they may be one as you and I are one,” such was the strength of the unity he wanted his disciples to share and build upon.

Today is the feast of St Wulstan, the 11th century Benedictine monk and Bishop of Worcester, a truly great Englishman and one of whom we can be proud as Catholics. He was brave enough to stand up to the Norman conquerors and denounce their barbarous customs such as slavery and their gross injustices towards the country they had conquered. He refused to give up his see in favour of a Norman protégé of the King and remained in post until his death on this day in the year 1095.

Today we continue reading from Mark, (Mk 3: 7-12), in which Jesus seeks a moment’s solitude, retiring with his disciples to the lakeside, but huge crowds follow him, not only from Galilee, but from almost every part of Israel. In order to save them from being crushed by the crowds, he asks his disciples to prepare a boat, so that they can distance themselves a little. More and more were coming to be healed and they all wanted to touch him. Unclean spirits would cry out, “You are the Son of God.” He rebuked them, as that was not the way he wanted to be known. Jesus still walks among us today and he wants to heal those who are sick. Let us not run away from him ourselves or discourage others from seeking his presence in their lives.