Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 6th September 2023
Abbot Paul • September 6, 2023
It was a great joy to visit my mother yesterday and to enjoy our time together over two lovely meals, although it was far too hot to sit in the garden together as we sometimes do. Even my trip to the beach with Toby was much shorter than usual. The heat was stifling and Toby found it was more than he could take. The sea was far out and there was no breeze. For the first time this year we saw a number of people sunbathing, but no one was in the sea swimming and, because of the heat, there were no dogs playing on the sands with their owners. We were both glad to get back home to the cool and peace of the kitchen and sitting room.
​Also yesterday, Fr Alex, the Prior of our monastery in Peru, arrived from Lima for his first visit since Covid and Lockdown. What a joy and a pleasure to have him among us at Belmont. During his visit he will be leading two icon courses. Our brethren in Peru still need a lot of support. If there is anything you could do to help them in anyway, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Fr Alex would be delighted to meet with you.
​Our Gospel reading today carries on where we left off yesterday with Jesus in. the synagogue at Capernaum, (Lk 4: 38-44). “Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Leaning over her he rebuked the fever and it left her. And she immediately got up and began to wait on them.” Here we have an insight into the life of the early disciples of Jesus. We meet Peter’s mother-in-law, but we don’t meet his wife and children, nevertheless it’s the family who ask Jesus to do something about her fever. Once healed, she’s up and about immediately, serving a meal and waiting on her guests. Jesus seems to have used this family home as his headquarters in Capernaum, for it is here, after supper, that neighbours bring their friends to be healed. “At sunset all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to him, and laying his hands on each he cured them. Devils too came out of many people, howling, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.” Yet again it’s the unclean spirits who recognise Jesus as the Son of God and they do so from the very beginning of his ministry.
​Did this ministry of healing go on all through the night, or was there time for rest? We are not told, however, when daylight comes, Jesus leaves the house alone and makes for a lonely place, where he can be alone in prayer with his heavenly father, but in primitive villages there are no secrets and a crowd soon finds his whereabouts and tries to prevent his leaving them, but Jesus says, “I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do.” In reality, we could say that Jesus is sharing with them his mission plan. Ultimately, with the help of his apostles, and today with our help, he is to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom throughout the world and to all peoples. The question for us is whether we are prepared accept Jesus’ invitation to join him in his mission.
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.
