Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday - 2nd January 2024
Abbot Paul • January 1, 2024
​The New Year is well on its way and the days are lengthening fast. The weather is pretty miserable, a lot of rain, and fields flooded all over the county. The dawn chorus accompanied Toby and myself as we walk just before six o’clock each morning, a sign of hope that Spring and new life follow Winter. Our brave robins have begun stalking Toby again. So it is with hope on our hearts that we prepare to celebrate the Epiphany of Our Lord at the weekend. How wonderful that once more we can keep this great Solemnity on its proper date, or as close as possible, and that we can enjoy the traditional Twelve Days of Christmas. Can you remember the words of the song and the meaning of what “my true Love” Jesus said to me on each of those days? What a great way to learn the catechism.
​Today we celebrate the feast of the influential fourth century Cappadocian Fathers, St Basil the Great and St Gregory Nazianzen, also known as the Theologian. They were close friends, became monks and then bishops, Basil of the small diocese of Caesarea, Gregory of Constantinople. Their writings are still read with enthusiasm today and Basil also wrote a monastic rule, which St Benedict recommends us all to read at the end of his own “little rule for beginners.” It’s a good day on which to pray for the unity of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
​Our Gospel passage today was also read during Advent. It comes from John, (Jn 1: 19-28), and recounts the witness or testimony of John the Baptist, when scribes and doctors of the law go out to Bethany from Jerusalem to cross examine him about his true identity. Is he the Messiah or not? When they persist in their questioning, he answers them saying, “I am, as Isaiah prophesied: a voice that cries in the wilderness: Make a straight way for the Lord.” Not satisfied, they press ahead by asking why is he baptising people, if he is not the Messiah. He replies, “I baptise with water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.” In fact, apart from a rather oblique mention in John’s Gospel, we know that Jesus did not baptise as John and others did. Their baptism was symbolic of repentance and conversion, whereas the baptism that Jesus came to bring unites us with God the Father, conforms us to Christ himself and fills us with the Holy Spirit, so that we become temples of the Spirit and members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Jesus would wait until after his Passion, Death and Resurrection before baptising through his apostles in the name of the Holy Trinity. Lord, we thank you for our baptism and for baptising us with the Holy Spirit. May we be true to our Christian vocation throughout the year that lies ahead. 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.
