Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 2nd November 2022

Yesterday was a particularly joyful feast of All Saints for the monastic community at Belmont as we rejoiced to be blessed with two new novices to the monastic life. All our liturgical celebrations were particularly happy occasions and we enjoyed a really lovely lunch together shortly after the midday Conventual Mass. Then, after lunch, instead of the usual festal recreation of sitting together and chatting over coffee and chocolates, Fr Augustine had arranged with the master magician Josh Hooper, whom some will remember from the Parish Fete, to entertain the brethren. It was a truly spectacular show and none of us had the slightest idea of how he works his magic. It was truly amazing.

 

​Following on from All Saints, the Church celebrates All Souls, and indeed the whole month of November is dedicated to the departed and to praying for the eternal repose of their souls. Lists of names of the faithful departed are kept on the high altar throughout the month and each day Mass is celebrated for the repose of their souls. It was in the 10th century that, thanks to the practice of the Benedictine monks of Cluny, the feast became standardised in the Western Church to 2nd November. Previously there was a great variety of traditional practises. Many of the Eastern Churches keep the Friday before the beginning of Lent as a special day of prayer for the dead. When I was a boy growing up in Wales, Palm Sunday was the day for visiting the dead in their graves, having a spring clean of the grave and leaving bunches of fragrant spring flowers.

 

​Our Gospel reading, from the many we could choose from today, comes from Luke, (Lk 7: 11-17), and recounts the occasion when Jesus raised from the dead the only son of a poor widow in the town of Nain. “Jesus went to a town called Nain, accompanied by his disciples and a great number of people. When he was near the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out for burial, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable number of the townspeople were with her. When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. ‘Do not cry’ he said. Then he went up and put his hand on the bier and the bearers stood still, and he said, ‘Young man, I tell you to get up.’ And the dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and praised God saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.’ And this opinion of him spread throughout Judaea and all over the countryside.”

 

​What a beautiful story this is, showing clearly the compassionate mercy and charity of Jesus. It is the sight of the young man’s mother that moves Jesus to take pity on her and say, “Do not cry.” Then, as he would do later with his dear friend Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, he speaks directly to the dead man, saying, “Young man, I tell you to get up.” Only Jesus, the Lord of life, can raise the dead and the young man is restored to his mother. People are filled with awe at Jesus and praise his heavenly Father, echoing the words of the Benedictus, “A great prophet has appeared among us; God has visited his people.” When a loved one dies, we too know that God has visited his people. We are never alone in our mourning.