Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 1st September
Abbot Paul • August 31, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 1st September 2022
“Fear not; you will become fishers of men.” This must be one of the most famous sayings of Jesus found in the Gospels. The words were directed at Simon after that first miraculous catch of fish, when, following an unsuccessful night, Jesus suggested he put out into deep water and pay out his net for a catch. Alone with his fellow fishermen, they had caught nothing, but obeying the voice of Jesus, the catch was so great that their nets began to tear and it took two boats to haul the fish ashore. With Jesus, what appears impossible becomes possible both in the workplace and, more importantly, in the mission to which Jesus is inviting Simon and his companions. Today we are reading from Luke, (Lk 5: 1-11). As a result of that encounter with Jesus, we are told that, “they left everything and followed him.”
The episode began like this: “Jesus was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.” Luke’s description conjures up a wonderful picture, does it not? Jesus needing a pulpit from which to preach, steps onto one of the boats he sees near the shoreline. It happens to be Simon’s. Because of the acoustic provided by the water, he is able to sit in order to address the crowds, reminding us of the patriarch Moses, who sat to address the people of Israel. Jesus is the new Moses who teaches us the new Law, new because it now comes directly from the mouth of God. It is a teaching supported and sustained by the miraculous works that give proof of the preacher’s identity. In his words and in his works, the disciples recognised Jesus to be the Messiah, the Saviour of the world.
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Good Shepherd, Good Priest “I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed; I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.” Those words, spoken by the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel, describe the heart of God, the Good Shepherd — but they also describe the life and ministry of a good monk and priest. They could well be written of Fr Stephen’s years of service as a pastor in Abergavenny, Swansea, Hereford, and Weobley. In each of those places, he shared in the Shepherd’s work: seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, strengthening the weary, and leading God’s people with quiet faithfulness. And like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who came close to his people, Fr Stephen did not serve from a distance. He knew his people; he was among them. He shared their sorrows and their joys, their hopes and their disappointments. He bore their burdens with prayer and patience he brought the joy of the Gospel and the grace of the Sacraments. His mission amongst us is complete. He has served God’s good purpose. So today we ask Christ the Good Shepherd to take Stephen on his sacred shoulders and carry him home to the house of the Father. Bind up his wounds, give him eternal rest and lead him at last to the green pastures and still waters of eternal life.