Entries by Abbot David

1st Sunday of Lent (C) – 2025

10 March 2025in /by

1st of Lent (C)

How much do people really notice about what is going on around them. Indeed it might be said that all of us can be quite indifferent and sometimes wilfully ignorant of the activity around us. The careful observer will naturally see more in the ordinary, everyday environment than others might. Someone who is enthusiastic about nature, or a frequent visitor to the countryside, could probably point out the amazing diversity of life more easily than a casual rambler. Of course being guided and with careful observation there is so much to discover – so much to notice. Everything is there as it was before; it just took someone who knew how – to help others be aware of what surrounds them. Just because something is there does not mean we will see it and understand it.

Today, St. Paul says to us, “The Word is near you, …it is on your lips and in your heart.” Paul is talking about the presence of God in Christ, and how we come to know that presence by faith. Christ is near, is part of our world; yet we usually need to train ourselves to recognize him. The place to begin looking is where we find ourselves now. Instead of keeping our eyes open and trying, with measured persistence, to recognise what we seek in our own surroundings, human beings have a tendency to be restless – grasping at things that may feel good but do not do us any good. We would like to think there is a place where the search for spiritual contentment is not so difficult to find or understand.

But scripture says: The Word is near you, in your heart and in your lips. The original passage St. Paul is quoting, [from the book of Deuteronomy (Dt. 30:12)], adds, “It is not beyond your strength or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder: ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us to get it and proclaim it to us so we may hear it and keep it?'” No, the Word is near us: Christ is all around: Jesus is the Word.

On Ash Wednesday we were invited to observe Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, self-denial, and consideration of others; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. This is not an invitation to do something unusual or extreme. It is an invitation to train ourselves, so that our eyes can learn to see what is already here.

The Lenten disciplines which our Ash Wednesday invitation recommended are some of the ways of noticing God in the ordinary circumstances of our lives. They are not the only ways, but they are among the most reliable. That is why they are recommended each Lent. So during this Lent – listen to the Lord in Sacred Scripture, talk to Him in prayer, improve the discipline and order of your life and consider your relations with others. Always remember that the Word is near, in your heart, where you live, in the people around you.

Ash Wednesday – 2025

4 March 2025in /by

The Ash Wednesday liturgy is unsettling. The sign of the cross is made with ashes on everyone’s head with the unsettling words: “You are dust and unto dust you shall return.” It can be a little too close to one’s own fears for comfort. But Ash Wednesday, of course, is not about comfort.

Most people who have known the passing of quite a few years realise that the human experience is full of good and bad, happy and sad. They know that the good things do not come without some cost, without some sacrifice, without at least some hard work. And that life and death are part of the cycle of our human existence.

Jesus tells us not to get caught up in trivial pursuits, but to focus on the important things, on a right relationship with God through prayer, self-sacrifice and care for others. We are reminded to turn away from sin and recognise our need for repentance.

The message of Ash Wednesday is that we must make choices. The message will be heard repeatedly during Lent, through the scripture stories we read, and through the liturgies of Holy Week, as we walk again that last week with Jesus – that last week of gruelling choices.

The ashes we wear today announce to the world that we are sinners. They tell all who see us that we are beginning a time of prayer, and repentance, and sacrifice – that we are seeking somehow to reconcile ourselves with God. These ashes say that we are work in progress. They say: God isn’t finished with me yet – but there is no time to waste, and Ash Wednesday reminds us of this. It is a day that calls us back to our mortality, it reminds us of the end of our earthly life.

Ash Wednesday tells us to not take a moment of this time for granted – to live and love to the fullest, to treasure those we love and those who love us, to treat people with tenderness and respect. Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent tells us to pay attention to the gift of time and to realise that it can all be gone in a heartbeat. It can all be gone in the time it takes to trace the sign of the cross on a forehead.

 

Saint David – 2025

28 February 2025in /by

1st March 2025

Saint Paul says “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” This is the basis of every Christian life – and regarding everything else as having little or no worth follows from that. What we know about Saint David certainly reflects this approach to the Christian life. Of course what is known about Saint David is now embroidered in legendary form, but at the heart of his strength and his obviously heroic Christian life was his faith, and the evidence of that faith was a spirit of conversion called for by Christ in the Gospels.

David of Wales was an abbot-bishop of the 6th century. His desire to do the Divine Will caused him to turn away from this worlds values and to fearlessly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Wales. There seems little doubt that Saint David gave an heroic example in defending the Catholic faith. His courageous example was an inspiration to the people in his care – even when they had to physically defend themselves against pagan invaders from what is now England.

Today Christians are persecuted in many parts of the world, and in our society it can feel that we are under threat from something akin to pagan invaders. As in the past these new invaders try to destroy the Christian way of life. Faith and moral teaching are rejected and ridiculed. Have no doubt that human life at its beginnings and at its end is under threat. And as freedom of expression is curtailed misleading half-truths deceive many. The heroes of our faith, through whom the light of Christ’s truth shines – help us to hope and trust in the Lord.

The heroic Christians of Saint David’s time have given us an example of discipline and fortitude that should not be ignored. The methods of those holy people may seem extreme – particularly in regard to personal privations – but they were fighting against sinful human nature with a single minded endeavour. They did this so as to be open to the life of grace. This is the conversion of life which is essential if faith is to have meaning.

Were we restricted to hard manual labour and a diet of bread, vegetables and water, most of us would perhaps find little reason to rejoice. Yet joy is what David urged on his brothers as he lay dying. Perhaps he could say that to them – and to us – because he lived simply and nurtured a constant awareness of the Divine presence. For it has been said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence.” May his intercession bless us with the same awareness!

Presentation – 2025

3 February 2025in /by

2nd February 2025 – After Jesus’ birth, Mary fulfils the Jewish rite of purification after childbirth. This rite, points to the fact that children are gifts from God.  Like all godly parents, Mary and Joseph raised their son in the knowledge of God.  He, in turn, was obedient to them and grew in wisdom and grace. The Lord’s favour is with those who listen to his word and act upon it. 
 
Simeon’s encounter with the baby Jesus and his mother in the temple reveals that he was a just and devout man who was in tune with the Holy Spirit. He believed that the Lord would return to his temple in Jerusalem and renew his chosen people. The Holy Spirit also revealed to him that the Messiah would bring salvation to the all nations.  The Holy Spirit reveals the presence of the Lord to those who are receptive and sincerely wish to receive him. 
 
We know that Jesus is the new temple (John 1:14; 2:19-22). In the Old Testament God manifested his presence in the “pillar of cloud” by day and the “pillar of fire” by night as he led the Hebrews through the wilderness following their freedom from slavery In Egypt. When the first temple was built in Jerusalem God’s glory came to rest there among His people (1 Kings 8).  After the first temple was destroyed, the prophet Ezekiel saw God’s glory leave it (Ezekiel 10).  But God promised one day to fill it with even greater glory (Haggai 2:1-9; Zechariah 8-9).  That promise is fulfilled when the “King of Glory” himself comes to his temple (Psalm 24:7-10; Malachi 3:1). Through Jesus’ coming in the flesh and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we are made living temples of his Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17) because by the gift of grace we become what Christ is by nature. The Divine presence is now spread throughout the whole world.
 
Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph and he prophesied to Mary about the destiny of this child and the suffering she would undergo for His sake.  There is a certain paradox for those blessed by the Lord.  Mary was given the blessedness of being the mother of the Son of God.  That blessedness also would become a sword which pierced her heart as her Son died upon the cross.  She received both a crown of joy and a cross of sorrow.  But her joy was not diminished by her sorrow because her joy was upheld by her faith and hope in God and his promises.  Jesus promised his disciples that “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).  The Lord gives us a joy which enables us to bear our sorrow or pain and which neither life nor death can take way. 
 
Simeon was not alone in recognizing the Lord’s presence in the temple.  Anna, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit.  Anna was pre-eminently a woman of great hope and expectation that God would fulfil all his promises. She is a model of godliness to all believers as we advance in age.  Advancing age and the trials of life can easily make us yearn for the past if we do not place our hope in God and his promises. Anna never ceased to worship God in faith and to pray with hope.  This hope is the desire for the Kingdom of Heaven and blessings of eternal life. With Christ as our light let us be a beacon of hope for all who search for the justice and truth of God.
 

Epiphany of our Blessed Lord – 2025

9 January 2025in /by

A star, itself a somewhat marvellous presence in the universe, points to the mysterious presence of the Creator who is spirit – made visible.  The star, giving light in the darkness, indicates a deep mystery. The Wisdom of God, the Sacred Thought, the Divine Idea is made man.  In the Word made flesh God speaks – He communicates His wisdom to humanity as one of us.  What was obscure is now revealed.  The Divine purpose has not changed, but our ability to be one with that purpose has been altered.  Our freedom to choose has not been impaired, but the spiritual power needed to achieve our true purpose is now restored to us. 

The Wise Men were serious seekers for they were not put off by the difficulties they encountered. Their minds were open to what ever might be revealed for they appear not to be dismayed when they reached what seemed to be the improbable end of their search.  These Wise Men – the Magi – are said to represent the gentiles – all the non-Jews. 

They have been portrayed as kings.  In either case, as Wise Men or Kings, it would be understandable if we felt that they were somewhat different to us. But let us remember that the Magi lost their guiding light and unwittingly betrayed not just Jesus but also the infants who would be killed in his place. Perhaps then they may be more like us than we suspected – for how many times do we lose sight of our guiding light and unwittingly or otherwise allow evil a period of apparent control?  But Jesus is not afraid to trust those who make mistakes or who are thought to be unreliable in other ways.  Before the Magi there came the shepherds.  Shepherds at that time were certainly not considered reliable. Later Jesus founded His Church on a disciple who denied Him three times.  We may take comfort that Jesus does not expect perfection when He comes to us! 

The different journeys human beings make to God can be complicated.  Some may begin in families or communities of faith and then drift away through distractions and the complexities of life.  The light may grow so dim as to cause dreadful and sad confusion in thought, word and deed.  Others may be latecomers, only cautiously making their way in from the darkness.  Of course there are others may be so confident that they own God’s light that they fail to see that all they have is the false light of pride and conceit – expressed in a desire to dominate or even terrorise others.

In the Magi we have examples of those who persever and reach the presence of the Lord of Life.  The key to that perseverance is faith.  They were not Jews – they did not have that special relationship with God as did the Jews as the Chosen People, but because they were sincere their culture and religion provided a way for them to discover the Truth.  They were not turned away – their worship was accepted.  May our faith enable us to be examples of perseverance as we seek Jesus – the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  And may our sincerity assist others on their journeys to the Lord and Giver of Life. 

Christmas Morning – 2024

9 January 2025in /by

What or who is God?  It is important to have some idea of the nature of God if we are to desire a share in the Divine Life as offered through Jesus Christ. We are told through scripture and we can know by reasoning that God is a spirit, unique and eternal, that He is perfection, justice and truth, and goodness and friendship. Above all God is our Father and God is love.

We know we are now – not what God is. In our strange ways we aspire to all that God is. Our efforts are often perverse and destructive and bring about the opposite of what we desire. Nevertheless, God wishes for us to share in all that is good. He spoke to human beings through the prophets and finally He spoke to us through the Word made flesh. Jesus, born of Mary is all God and all of humanity, the Son of God and the Son of Man. He is the meeting place of God and man, the person through whom our separation from goodness is healed and reconciliation effected. He is though the image of the Cross, the vertical beam – God to Man – and the horizontal beam  – Man to Man. He gave himself so totally in obedience to that mission on the Cross, the union of the vertical and the horizontal. However. human beings, all of us of course, find it difficult to be obedient, to listen to the Divine Word, even though it is for our own good.

Now it was Christmas Eve, and a man was discussing with his wife how odd it seemed that God should have chosen to come on earth as a helpless babe. It certainly would not be his idea of drawing much attention or of making any great impression. As he spoke, his attention was drawn to some sort of commotion going on outside in the garden.

He looked out, and saw five geese, floundering around in the snow. They obviously had become detached from a migrating flock that had passed by. Anxious to help in some way, he ran into the garden, and his appearance created total panic among the frightened geese, as they flapped their wings, and continued to sink in the soft snow. He opened the garage door and tried to direct them in, in the hope of getting some animal protection group to come and collect them.

The more he tried to help, the more frightened they became, and they were in great danger of injuring themselves. For one desperate moment, he wished he were a goose, and in their own language he could tell them that he was concerned about them, and was only trying to help them. We are not told what happened to the geese, but the man himself saw clearly right there why Jesus came the way he did. By becoming one of us, he could speak our language, tell us clearly what he was about, how he could rescue us, and that we could trust him, and not be afraid.

We know that Jesus endured suffering and death, that He rose from the dead and sent us the Holy Spirit. That gift of grace enables us to become as Christ is by His very nature. By the gift of the Holy Spirit we may share in a life that is all we truly long for. The helpless and vulnerable baby is the sign of our hope for a share in that life.

Christmas Midnight 2024

9 January 2025in /by

The children were clear as to what should be among their respective Christmas gifts. Lucy, as a savvy six year old was convinced Santa was going to bring her “the Stitch Crack Me Up Plush”, an interactive blue alien which delivers lovable giggles, wiggles and the best of cuddles, it was a snip at only £25! Jack, being a little older and thus more sophisticated, had given a clear indication that he would be playing with a “Monster Rotary Excel Electric Blaster” with its super-fast power and 32 dart rotary cartridge, speed and accuracy to handle the toughest of friendly battles! It wasn’t that costly, only £40.

Lucy and Jack’s parents, were not the sort to over indulge their children, but my goodness it was very difficult to deflect acquisitive youngsters when they were bombarded with enticing adverts and the pressure of “playground” politics involved in the interaction of children and teenagers.  The end of November usually coincided with the start of Advent.  If the children were infected with a great sense of material expectation and fulfilment, then this was possibly a time to inoculate them by injecting a spiritual antidote. Everyone – for the sake of sanity – has to ask “what is the point of all the fuss and expenditure at Christmas?” The plastic “Baby Jesus” in the crib at home or the plaster one in church is no obvious substitute for what Santa might bring, but the story behind Santa Claus – Saint Nicholas – and the Birth of Jesus cannot be outdone by any amount of material things.

The journey to the decorated and brightly lighted shops or even exploring on line, the excitement of something new, the expectation of future happiness, all these elements are present in the great and wonderful story of the Nativity. The journey and search, the excitement and expectation. Saint Nicholas adds another quality – the importance of giving and not just receiving. Lucy and Jack’s parents bought some little Nativity figures and a wooden stable and the children set about creating a depiction of that forlorn scene first experienced in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. In the stable at Bethlehem we all see the generosity of God – the loving gift of new life.  We recall the journey of the shepherds and the Wise Men, a shorter journey for the Jewish shepherds, a longer one for the gentile Wise Men. The excitement and expectation of all invited to witness the presence of the Word made flesh. What does He mean for us? How is He present in our lives now? Can something that happened 2000 years ago have any meaning today? The answers lies with us. The gift has been given. Grace and Truth are offered to each one of us.  If the Divine Life can be present in a baby, then rest assured it can be present in us and the whole of creation.  It can be present in the form of bread and wine and given as flesh and blood by those who eat and drink.

That homeless couple and their new-born child, who later became refugees in a foreign county, have changed the world.  Reliance and trust in the power of God means that Christ can be born in us.  We are given the grace to change ourselves and the world, for the mercy of God is more powerful than the lure of material things, has a greater strength than any evil and a freedom that cannot be curtailed by any fear.  The mercy of God is his gift of grace to us, and by that grace we become what Christ is by nature – we become sons and daughters of God and sharers of the justice and trust, the goodness and happiness of the Divine Life itself.