Message of Abbot Paul - Wednesday 9th June
Message from Fr Paul for Wednesday, 9th June 2021
Yesterday I was able to revisit a small, isolated Herefordshire church I last visited in 1981, on 17th March to be exact, just two months before leaving Belmont for Peru. I was able to see my name in the visitors’ book next to that of an old friend. St Peter’s, Llancillo, is not the easiest place to find and involves a 1 ½ mile ride on a rough track across fields of sheep and cattle, crossing a railway line, which involves ringing the nearest signal box both before and after crossing once permission has been granted, parking in a farmyard and walking up a hill past an old castle mound to the tiny church, since 2007 in the safe hands of the Friends of Friendless Churches. If you have the time and the energy, I can assure you that it’s well worth a visit, for many reasons, but be prepared.
In today’s Gospel passage, we continue our reading of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, (Mt 5: 17-19). Where does Jesus stand in relation to the Law? Here we find out. He says to his disciples, “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them.” Jesus has not come to abolish the Law or to abandon it, but rather to perfect and complete it. If Jesus is the Son of God and Word Incarnate, then why would he destroy what he himself has created for the good of creation? Rather, Jesus will emphasise the heart of the Law, that Love which is God himself from whence it stems. Jesus has come to abolish neither the Law nor the teaching of the Prophets concerning the Law. “I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved.” Jesus wishes to see the purpose of the Law fulfilled and achieved, rather than a narrow, legalistic interpretation of it imposed on men, women and children. He will point to the very heart of the Law, the mind of God, as we will see clearly in the days ahead. “Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.” Here Jesus insists on teaching by example. A teacher or interpreter of the Law must first keep the commandments and then teach others how to observe them and put them into practice. Jesus does not ask his disciples to do what he is not prepared to do himself. He always criticised the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy. In the Church we must beware of hypocrisy and of placing heavy burdens on the backs of others.
What, then, is Jesus telling us in this short passage? That God’s Law and his commandments are not simply a set of rules and regulations to be adhered to and obeyed, but are a reflection of God himself, his heart, mind and way of being, the expression of his love and respect for himself and for the whole of creation. He is teaching us that the purpose of the Law is love, God’s love for us and our love for God and for our fellow creatures. The great theologian St Augustine wrote, “Love and do what you will.” In other words, a true understanding and keeping of the Law leads us not to enslavement but to freedom.
Please say a special prayer today for Fr Stephen, who celebrates his 90th birthday. May the good Lord continue to bless him with good health and his joyfully infectious spirit.
