Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday - 23rd January 2024
Abbot Paul • January 23, 2024
​Parents often find it difficult to accept the decisions their children take as they approach adulthood and gradually become independent. I have a friend whose son took a first in History at Oxford and yet whose passion for trains has led him to become an engine driver in the West Midlands. My own parents found it very difficult to accept my vocation and way of life. I’ve only mentioned career choices: when it comes to marriage or the many alternatives there are today, then parents might find that even more difficult to understand and accept. It was no different for Jesus and in today’s Gospel passage from Mark, (Mk 3: 31-35), we hear of a visit made by family members to see him. Mary his mother had been warned by Simeon at the Presentation that a sword would pierce her heart and now she knew what that meant. Jesus was her only Son.
​We read, “The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him.” We might have difficulty with the fact that Jesus had brothers, but as I have mentioned before the Greek word used could also include cousins and other close relatives. In addition, there’s the traditional belief that Joseph was a widower and had children by an earlier marriage. If you look at icons and frescos of the flight into Egypt, you will see Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus accompanied by a young man, said to be a son of Joseph. I’ve even heard his name mentioned, although I can’t remember it now. Anyway, they are not received with any special recognition and are made to wait outside. They send a message into him that they wish to see him. Inside he is surrounded by a crowd. He is given the message, “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.” The reaction of Jesus is interesting. We are not told whether he went outside to speak with them or whether they were invited in. It’s hard to imagine that they were not, given the exquisite rules of hospitality practised in Israel at the time. However, Jesus uses the visit to teach his hearers a very important truth about discipleship.
​Mark continues, “He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’” In no way does Jesus reject his mother and other family members, but he insists that faith is the basis for true relationships, doing the will of God. This teaching, of course, takes us back to the Annunciation, when Mary said to the Angel Gabriel, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; may what you have said be done to me.” And again, the words that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If we do God’s will as revealed by Jesus by his words and example, then we will be “his brother and sister and mother.” He does not mention his father, as his Father in God, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”
​Let us thank God today for calling us in Christ to be members of his family, that we may always do his will and know the lasting joy of being brothers and sisters of Jesus. Amen
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.
