Vespers at Hereford Cathedral for St Thomas Cantilupe

Abbot Brendan presided at the Vespers and the Prior, Fr Alex preached. Below is the text of his homily:

It’s a great privilege and pleasure to be able to offer a few words at this celebration of Vespers when we honour one of our great, local saints, St. Thomas Cantilupe. To be able to pray and praise God together is, as well as being a cause of joy, a sign of our determination as Christians to celebrate our faith and our common heritage and demonstrates our commitment to working ever more closely together in the work of building up the kingdom in this part of our world.

St. Thomas was a highly accomplished and impressive figure: Chancellor of Oxford University and Chancellor of England among other notable positions in his society and in the Church. Perhaps for us, today, his more notable achievements lie in his role as a model pastor, visiting and engaging with and supporting his clergy and people, trying to live a holy life and exercising those fundamental, though often elusive quality of charity and compassion that must be the hallmark of a disciple of Christ.

As Bishop of Hereford, he worked for the good of his people – a simple enough thing to say and, as we all know, rather more difficult to say with conviction and sincerity. I rather fear that I am found wanting in this area all too often and I’m sure I could never aspire to follow in his footsteps as good preacher, or celebrate the sacraments with great devotion or have others say of me, as they said of him “he has the face of an angel”. I am, of course, happy to be corrected on the latter point if you feel it appropriate.

In his ministry St. Thomas didn’t shy away from taking risks – he fell out with church authorities if he felt it necessary. And taking risks, is, I suggest, something that needs to be at the core of our Christian discipleship. To engage in true discipleship, to exercise an authentic ministry, to proclaim, without fear or favour, the kingdom of God necessitates taking risks. I think the church has, all too often, seemed rather afraid of taking risks. It isn’t too long ago that to have a celebration like this one here this evening, would have been considered a step, a risk too far; there seemed to be a view that having a celebration of prayer and praise that involved several denominations under one roof would somehow serve only to dilute the faith of those present. A catholic in an Anglican church, horror.

I remember as a child seeing wedding photographs of my parents outside the local catholic church where my mother and I attended Mass. It all looked rather subdued. Why? Because my father wasn’t a catholic and so they had to have a much-toned down marriage ceremony conducted in the sacristy. They accepted it and I grew up and still am proud of the risk they took in a society and in their respective churches to celebrate their love and, I think, in a small way, help break down one or two of those barriers that often hold people apart when they should, I think, be bringing them together.

Risk, as I say, is fundamental to our calling as disciples of Christ. Risk and challenge. And there is no shortage of challenge in the life of a disciple. Think of how difficult and challenging it can be in dealing with people we don’t particularly like; that even happens in religious and monastic communities, present company excepted. Yet we do so because we know that it the call of the Lord, that is the road God asks us to walk: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways” says the Lord. God is much less complicated, much less obtuse than we are. Because God, whom we and St. Thomas follow isn’t, unlike us, partial or selective in His love. God is in love with everybody. Think of Christ’s love and to whom he showed it: thieves, prostitutes, tax collectors, the marginalised, lunatics and those possessed. No partiality. The arrogant and haughty, the judgemental and corrupt – He loves them, us all. He reached out in his ministry on earth, and continues to reach out now, through us, to saint and sinner alike.

That is, He reaches out through us if we are prepared to take the risk and cooperate with Him. He took that risk, the risk that led Him along the road of suffering and then to His death. He did so because He loved, because His creation was and is worth it. He emptied Himself, taking the position of a slave and, as His disciples, we too are called on to empty ourselves of all that gets in the way of our own discipleship and following of Christ.

We are all too often cautious and reticent, fearful of making a commitment to change, fearful of the risks being a disciple asks of us. We are, perhaps, fearful of what God’s love might do to us: it may make us less self-assured, less arrogant; it may lead us to be more generous and share more; it may make us more tolerant and open minded and less doctrinaire or opinionated. It may make us more open to others.

If we want to put on Christ, to become more like Him, to try to emulate St. Thomas then we have to take risks like he did. If we want to be liberated from our selfish selves, from sin, to become loving then, like Him we need to make sacrifices, to allow the free gift of grace to transform our lives. The aim is, as St. Paul has reminded us, not to let our love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil. Love each other as brothers (and sisters) should. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.” And, as our Holy Father Benedict enjoins his monks, make hospitality your special care.

Running away from the risks of being a Christian, a follower of Christ, is not His way and it wasn’t the way of Thomas Cantilupe. May his prayers and example inspire us on our own journey, our own pilgrimage of faith, our own mission to put on the face of Christ and show that face to our world.