Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 27th April 2023
Abbot Paul • April 27, 2023
​I suppose we’re still in April, but isn’t it cold, even when the sun is shining? And I keep saying to myself, less than two months to go and the days will be drawing in. Worse still, the social, political and economic climate is no better. I always tend to look on the bright side and I’m a bit of an optimist, even so I get the feeling that the situation is bleak and not getting better. This feeling is even stronger when I speak with our brethren in Peru and in other parts of Latin America, and when I think of the civil war in Sudan (how else can we describe it?) and the ongoing war in Ukraine, my heart sinks. I have a close friend in Odessa, we speak several times a day, and at night I hear the sirens warning the inhabitants of impending air strikes. It reminds me of recordings I heard as a child of the bombing raids on London and other large towns and cities in the U.K. Whatever happened to the hopes we had at the beginning of the Third Millennium? Lord, have mercy and forgive us our sins.
​Today we continue our reading of John, (Jn 6: 44-51), Jesus’ Discourse on the Bread of Life. He begins 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.” This is not a declaration of predestination, but rather that the Father created us through the Son in order that we might come to the Son and be raised to eternal life in him. God wills our salvation and that through Christ we should hear his voice and know his teaching, that leads to Christ and salvation. “To hear the teaching of the Father, and learn from it, is to come to me.” Jesus reiterates that, “everybody who believes has eternal life.” To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Lord, means that eternal life is his gift to us.
​It’s at this point that Jesus says once more, “I am the bread of life.” This is one of the great I AM sayings in John, I AM being the name revealed to Moses at the Burning Bush, God’s name, the very source of being, life itself. In giving us the bread of life, Jesus gives us himself. That is what he promises those who believe in him. “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.” The bread that comes down from heaven and is Christ, God incarnate, gives life for he is the bread of life, unlike the manna in the desert that was mere food and only fed the people of Israel for a moment, one day at a time. Jesus then qualifies his statement, “I am the bread of life,” for he says, “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.” Not simply bread now, but living bread, living bread come down from heaven, bread that gives eternal life, and moreover, bread that is the flesh of Christ, given for the life of the world, the body of Christ, Jesus living bread.
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.
