Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 25th January 2023
Abbot Paul • January 25, 2023
Today the Church celebrates the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. I started keeping this as my feast day while studying in Rome, because we always left for home before 29th June, the official end to the summer semester, and so I would miss out on a party with my fellow students. So powerful an experience was it for St Paul himself, that there are no less than four accounts of it in the New Testament, as well as further allusions to it. Since those happy, long-off days, I have continued to keep it as my feast day, conscious as I am of the need for continuous conversion and renewal in my life. I’ve still a long way to go. Today is also the last day in the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. Sadly, I was unable to take part in our zoomed Night Prayer last night, organised by Ewyas Harold and District Christians Together. I rushed back from visiting my mother in order to be at Belmont at 8.30, only to discover that yet again our Internet connection had gone down. This is now becoming a regular occurrence and it's an embarrassing nuisance and a hindrance to work. I have no idea when or if it will return, so heaven knows when you will get to see this message.
As I mentioned, yesterday I was able to visit my mother and what a glorious day it was. I believe that Herefordshire remained shrouded in mist, while in South Wales we enjoyed a glorious, sunny day, warm and calm. Toby and I went down to the beach, where he met a number of friends and played with them. I found the walk restful and invigorating. The sky was truly breath-taking and I took a number of photographs to share with you. We’ll see if that will be possible.
Our Gospel passage for today comes from Mark, (Mk 16: 15-18) where Jesus appears to the Eleven, the Twelve less Judas, after his Resurrection and instructs them, saying, “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.” Jesus himself went out to share the Good News with Saul, the great persecutor of Christians, and caught up with him on the road to Damascus, whither he was going in search of Christians to persecute and kill, as he had son with Stephen. He believed, was baptised and was saved. Not only that, but from persecuting the Church, he became its greatest missionary, evangelist and theologian. We might well ask what would have become of that small group of Jesus’ disciples had Paul not been converted. But then, his conversion was all part of God’s plan and the work of the Holy Spirit and for this we give thanks to God today.
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