Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 18th January

Abbot Paul • January 17, 2022

Message from Fr Paul for Tuesday, 18th January 2022

 I don’t know about you, but when I read the Gospels, I always wish there were more information that would help us understand better what was really going on. Today’s Gospel passage from Mark is a perfect example, (Mk 2: 23-28). First of all, let’s read what Mark has to say.

“One sabbath day, Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick ears of corn as they went along. And the Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing something on the sabbath day that is forbidden?’ And he replied, ‘Did you never read what David did in his time of need when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the loaves of offering which only the priests are allowed to eat, and how he also gave some to the men with him?’

  And he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; the Son of Man is master even of the sabbath.’”

 Why were Jesus and his disciples walking though the cornfields that particular Sabbath day? Were they going somewhere special or were they out for a stroll just as we might go for a walk on a Sunday? Mark tells us that they were “taking a walk.” Sometimes we forget that these were ordinary people doing normal things. But why were the Pharisees out there observing them? This is early on in Jesus’ ministry. so were the Pharisees already spying on him day and night, as they ended up doing? 

They complain that the disciples are doing something forbidden by the Law and that Jesus is sanctioning this kind of behaviour. If the disciples were hungry, then they had every right to pick ears of corn to calm their hunger pains. Jesus replies by giving them the example of King David and his men, who did far worse by eating the loaves of offering in the temple, something that only the priests could do, and David was responsible for that action. He himself gave his men the bread: they didn’t take it for themselves. Jesus is obviously comparing himself with David, Is Jesus the new David, then, just as he is the new Adam and the new Moses? After all, the Wise Men asked Herod, “Where is he is who is born King of the Jews?” And on the cross on Calvary, the notice that Pilate attached read, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.”

He certainly implies this. Finally, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that, “the sabbath is made for man and not man for the sabbath.” In other words, the Law exists to guide and protect human beings, not to enslave them. Blind attachment to the Law, by which he means an overexaggerated interpretation of the Law, serves no purpose at all. It exists to help and not to hinder. His parting shot is that the Son of Man, the title Jesus uses for himself, is master of the sabbath.

 Lord God, we thank you for the teaching and example of Jesus and his concern for his disciples. May we not be overzealous in interpreting your commandments and those of the Church. Help us to put people and their needs first, and to look with mercy and loving kindness on ourselves and on others. Amen.


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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.
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