Message of Abbot Paul - Thursday 8th September
Abbot Paul • September 8, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Thursday, 8th September 2022
Today we keep the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, such a beautiful feast. Many ancient churches are dedicated to this important moment in the life of Our Lady. Near Belmont we have the magnificent medieval pilgrimage church at Madley, well worth visiting, as well as two former Cistercian abbeys at Tintern and Abbey Dore. I enjoy visiting historic churches, even if they’re in ruins now, and praying in them. This coming Sunday, for example, there will be Vespers at Tintern Abbey at 3pm, an ecumenical celebration, to which all are welcome. We pray for good weather. The Church only celebrates three birthdays, that of Our Lord, that of Our Lady and that of St John the Baptist. Saints’ days are usually those of their death, a tradition begun with the martyrs in the early Church, but known as their birthday, the day they were born into heaven.
The Gospel for today comes from Matthew, (Mt 1: 1-16, 18-23), the genealogy of Jesus and the annunciation to Joseph, a strange choice at first sight, but more obvious when we start reading. It begins, “A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham,” and then traces the ancestors of Jesus from Abraham, the father of Israel and our father in faith, right down to Joseph, the humble carpenter of Nazareth, who was betrothed to Mary. It’s an interesting genealogy as, unusually, it includes women, of whom Mary is the last and greatest, for “of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.” The Gospel then goes on to tell us how Jesus was conceived and the instructions given to Joseph, all to fulfil the prophesy of Isaiah, that Jesus, the Saviour, would be Emmanuel, God-is-with-us. “This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son
and they will call him Emmanuel,
a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’”
Whereas Joseph is the “son of David,” Mary is the mother of Jesus, the Saviour, Emmanuel, God-with-us, “through the Holy Spirit.” Joseph is to take Mary to his home as his wife and name the child who is to be born of her Jesus, yet it is clear that he is not the father, only the “man of honour,” chosen by God to watch over the child and its mother. The Incarnation, which could not have taken place without the ‘Fiat” of Mary, will fulfil the words of the prophet and bring salvation to all those who become his people through faith and baptism. Mary is, indeed, Mother of God and Mother of the Church.
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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.