Entries by Abbot David

Palm Sunday – 2026

13 April 2026in /by

29th March 2026 – 

When we listen to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and when we look to the altar of this church, our minds cannot but consider the one image that overshadows all others during Holy Week, and that is Jesus Christ crucified. What does that image mean for us? What does it make us feel? Is it Sacrifice? Suffering? Mercy? Salvation? Is it sad indifference? I would think that the least obvious virtue to consider is obedience. The image of the crucified Christ is actually the sign of loving obedience to the Divine will.

Jesus spent his entire time on earth listening to the Divine voice. Throughout his time on earth, in other words Jesus was obedient. He obeyed his parents (Luke 2:51). He obeyed God’s call to public ministry (Matthew 3:14-15). He was obedient to God in times of trial and temptation (John 12:27- 28). He spent time with his Father in prayer so that he might know and obey the Father’s will (Luke 6:12- 13). Obedience was not always easy for the human nature of Jesus – just think about his struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. His humanity struggled at times with what was asked of Him. But because Jesus constantly relied on the Holy Spirit’s power He won the victory of obedience. That victory was His resurrection.

A most important thing to say is that Christ’s way of obedience does not remove suffering, or the tragedies, or the sometimes incredible imperfections of this life, – it will not stop the weeping or the pain, but it does alter our understanding – Christ does help us to bear these burdens. Some will say: “Could not God have devised a different way – that didn’t involve so much grief and suffering.” The answer to that has to be yes. But we must also consider that this is the best way to share the Divine Life of love. Love requires freedom. Freedom involves choice. God has in fact given us the Holy Spirit to help us make good choices. So we have to ask ourselves ‘do I accustom myself, do I adjust my attitudes to this gift of the Holy Spirit?’ The Holy Spirit dwells with those who listen to the voice of the Lord. Listening is the key element. Proper and right action is the evidence of listing.

A fair summary of all the readings for today – and indeed of the whole message of the gospel is this: Obedience to God, listening and acting appropriately, always brings the joy of sharing the Divine Life. Jesus passed through death to new life because of his obedience. His way is a death-to-life transformation. If we listen, learn and so change, we will pass through the Passion to that eternal Easter which is the promised share in the Divine life as adopted children.

Ash Wednesday – 2026

13 April 2026in /by

18th February 2026 – 

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the essential belief of the Christian Church, therefore today we begin our preparations to celebrate Easter. Without Easter there would be no gift of grace and thus no salvation in Christ. Lent is a time to reflect on why we are Christian and what being Christian means.

To help us we are encouraged to use these few weeks as a time of penance – of making an effort to do things that perhaps we would not ordinarily do, such as giving more time to prayer – making an effort to be kindly in thought, work and deed, striving to be patient especially towards people we do not really get on with. Lent is designed to help us concentrate the mind – to loosen the chains that bind us to this world’s ways. In a moment ashes will be placed on our heads to remind us that of ourselves we have nothing to boast about – in a sense we are cut down to size, reminded of our imperfections – reminded of our weak and sinful natures.

The use of ashes at the start of Lent remind us of the story of creation which tells us that God took the dust of the earth and shaped it into an image of himself. That when that image was disfigured by sin – God sent His Son to repair the damage and enable us to come truly alive with the Holy Spirit. All the things of this world that we consider important will come to nothing – will become like these ashes – will become like dust blown in the wind. But we rejoice in the fact that if we allow our nature be transformed by the Holy Spirit – defeating our obsession with ourselves, then we will share in the Risen Life of Jesus, and so share in His divinity.

Lent should be regarded as a time to examine our lives to see if we are thinking – saying – and doing those things which indicate that we are really followers of Christ and strive to love as Jesus does – to offer our gifts and our time in the service of others. Remember you can take life seriously without being sour or miserable! People who connect penance with a glum face have a false idea of the life God wants us to live. Jesus says, “I came that you may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus never says, “I came to make you miserable.” Rather, the Way of Life Jesus offers brings the only real happiness. So as Easter is at the end of Lent, so may the Risen Life of Christ be at the end of our time on earth.

The Presentation of Our Blessed Lord in the Temple – 2026

3 February 2026in /by

1st February 2026 – 

In our Lord’s life we find a mixture of joy and sacrifice – so in today’s celebration we encounter that same mixture – joy at entering the Temple, the Temple that represented the presence of God among his Chosen people; and sacrifice, because Jesus is brought by his holy Mother to be offered as the first-born male; for among the people of Israel the first-born belongs to the Lord.

In the Temple, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Christ is recognised by Simeon and Anna. There in the Temple – the place of divine presence for the Chosen People – the Word made flesh is known for what he really is – the Saviour of all. His life is the Light to guide all people and indeed, all creation. His life is paid for by the sacrifice of two turtle doves – the humble offering of the poor. In a little while the humble gifts of bread and wine will become by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Body and Blood of that same Christ who was offered in the Temple. Jesus offered his life – out of love – to the Father and for humanity. This offering was realised in his passion and by his death on the cross. That loving sacrifice is made present to us in our time at every altar where Mass is celebrated. Through the Mass we share in that offering.

In this temple – this church, we come in faith to meet Christ at Communion, the offering of Himself to us. And by the power of the Spirit we become that which we are offered. We put on Christ, and with Him as our head we are the Body of Christ on earth. As that Body we share in the Lord’s mission – as Light to the Gentiles – we bring Christ’s Light and Life to the world. The Light that we bring to others, is Christ’s light of love and service, particularly those in need. It means being people who challenge the anti-life and immoral values in society. It means being a people who hope and who trust in the Lord and who fearlessly seek his kingdom by promoting and defending justice and truth, in our own personal lives, and in our societies. Our faith does not rest on a set of opinions, it rests on the faith of the Apostles, and after them the martyrs and saints throughout the centuries who give witness to us by their lives.

As things stand these days we may feel hopelessly overwhelmed by the forces that are encouraging so many to abandon the faith and virtues that once united us and gave our society a certain strength. Now many have faith in opinions which they choose to call their personal truth – surely this is like building on shifting sands. Never the less, we would be right to consider ourselves inadequate to carry out this work. Alone we can do nothing – but with the gift of the Holy Spirit working in the Body of Christ we can, together, be the Light of Christ in the world. It is therefore important to let the Spirit guide us to do something, no matter how small it may seem. For though we may think our efforts are no more than a drop in the ocean – the ocean is made of many drops. Let us then shine as a sign of hope in a world so prone to wander in a darkness of its own making.

Epiphany – 2026

3 February 2026in /by

6th January 2026 – 

Some of you may have seen the film ‘The Time Bandits’. In it the Supreme Being allows a map of time holes in creation to fall into the hands of his dwarf helpers. Their adventures become the various episodes depicted in the film. For most of the film the Supreme Being is depicted as a large bright head with a booming voice, but near the end he is seen as a kindly, elderly headmaster figure. Evil is also shown in human form as a capricious, self-centred individual who wants the map for his own corrupt and ungodly ends. Powerful beings belonging outside our usual existence, inhabiting the realm of our imagination, have been, throughout human history, portrayed as being present in our time and space; and there are, of course, many examples from classical literature.

The New Testament also tells of God, the Supreme Being, made visible in the person of Jesus Christ. The Birth of Jesus is declared to be the Word made flesh. In Him the Wisdom of God made man is seen and heard in history. Christianity, however, may be regarded by some as just another version of the ancient myths, a set of awesome stories that tell us a lot about the human condition, but still untrue for all that.

The author and spiritual writer C.S. Lewis, in an essay called ‘Myth Became Fact’ opens up an entirely different possibility based on two insights: First, all the myths of primitive religions were expressions of a deep yearning … that the mysterious God would come into intimate contact with mankind, and do so in such a way that He would repair the damages made by our sinfulness, and would grant to mankind a safe homeland that would last forever. And secondly, that Christianity, rather than being one myth alongside many others, is the fulfillment of all previous mythological religions. It is a myth, like the others, but this time a myth that is also a fact.

The Magi were seekers after wisdom and truth – of a myth that was also a fact. We are all a bit like them, we all want answers to fundamental questions. The Magi however, followed a star because it signified to them the birth of a significant person, and with such thinking they expected the birth of a king. Their search for wisdom is dignified and noble. King Herod, the other major character in the story, was only interested in the possibility of the birth of a likely rival. He plots and deceives and murders innocent children. His vision of life and truth is focused on himself, and he is fearful.

It is inspiring to consider the humility of the Magi, these wise and learned men, before the child Jesus; they offer gifts and pay homage but it does not diminish their eminence. Those who choose to follow Christ seek true wisdom, they search for the truth that is at the heart of faith and reason. When the Christ-child is found, even in the most unlikely of places, He is worshiped – for he embodies what is true. We seek to become what we worship.

Like the Magi we bring gifts – we offer ourselves to Christ and in doing so are not diminished but in fact we are made whole. Through our worship we are united to Christ who gives Himself to us and fills us with the Holy Spirit – the Lord and Giver of Life. Through Christ we see, hear and speak differently. Our life and our death gives praise to God even as the gold, frankincense and myrrh symbolised two thousand years ago.

Christmas Midnight – 2025

3 February 2026in /by

24th December 2025 – 

I think it is a reasonable thing to say that all of humanity yearns for something better. It is not important that this yearning sometimes looks back to the past – the desire for apparently better times – or whether it is projected into the future – for hoped-for better times. It is part of our human condition. At its simplest it is an individuals desire to be satisfied, to feel fulfilled. At a more complex level societies organize themselves in such a way that, at least for some, life will seem to be improved. Politics is an expression of this yearning. So also is education, and religion, and so too is the adoption of ’causes’ of one sort or another. Look at any of the situations in which we find ourselves – is there not an element of this yearning. Often it is the peaceful dreams of contentment – and yet when one looks at the troubles in the world – are not all of them the violent expression of these same dreams – a group, a nation, a race, a religion – wanting to improve their lot and seeing no other way than at the expense of others? Human beings seem to have a longing to be fulfilled, made whole – complete if you like. We want a situation or somewhere full of joy, where justice, truth, mercy – and peace are the reality.

We who are gathered here tonight recognise that just over two thousand years ago, and as a fulfilment of many prophecies, a gift was given to us by the Creator, the Lord and Giver of Life. That gift was and is in the words of the carol – the hope of all the years. On the hills outside Bethlehem a birth was announced – in somewhat unusual circumstances. Shepherds hearing heavenly voices in the night would not necessarily be regarded as reliable. They did not know it was Christmas Day – nor could they have appreciated the real significance of the child they visited in some sort of animal shelter.

The celebration of this event over the past centuries has often been a time when usual values may be reversed. A time when strangers may even smile in the street, when prisoners may receive little extra privileges, when people give a little more attention and care to the lonely, the poor, the homeless, the fearful, and when children are especially cherished. Of course some will regard the angels’ promise of peace and goodwill as being fantasy! There was no more good will in first century Palestine, no more peace, than in our own world; indeed the baby born that day had to be smuggled out of the country, and became a refugee, so as to save its life. But the angelic message is our hope, our vision of a better and kindlier life. Recalling it every year is surely a sign of how we need and yearn for that hope.

It is difficult to escape the conclusion that had the angels attached their message to any other event – we would long since have forgotten it. The genius of the Christmas story is that it is centred upon the birth of a child – an experience so universal and so universally wonderful, that nobody is excluded from it. The new born baby is innocence itself, it commands no armies, levies no taxes, knows nothing of fame, wealth or cleverness, crime or virtue. At the manger all men and women are equal, all humbled by the recollection of their own origins. But merely by being born Jesus did not achieve what the angels had promised. The story moves on from his birth. There was also a death, no less awesome and no less central to the meaning of God’s gift. For our yearnings to be satisfied there has to be a death and a resurrection. In fact there needs to be an Easter in each of our lives.

1st Sunday of Advent (A) – 2025

1 December 2025in /by

30th November 2025 – 

Every year we read about supermarkets, Local Councils or Primary Schools calling Christmas a Winter Festival or some such name and seeing that most Christmas Cards have lost their Nativity themed scenes. Some object to all this as they recognise that Christianity is the basis of our culture and laws, and that something is deliberately or otherwise being undermined or lost, of course others are sad because they are genuinely people of faith. However, it’s not up to me or any other Christian to make people celebrate in a particular way – that would rather defeat the purpose of celebration – such as trying to force a person like someone else! But celebrations really should have some sort of purpose and meaning if they are not to slip into self-indulgence and excess. I wonder how many people feel there is a lot of expense and preparation for relatively little celebratory return. Everything rather centres on one day, the 25th December. All this is largely due to this countries post Reformation attitudes and especially a particularly puritanical approach by religious zealots! Spiritually and other Christmas celebrations should extend beyond the day itself.

I think it would be true to say that many people would not think of Christmas Day as a starting point of celebrations and even fewer that Christmas has a significance for every moment of their lives. But what others do is one thing, what we, as Christian do is quite another. You and I can enjoy what is on offer at this time of year, or at least much of it, but we should have a Christian purpose and meaning for our celebration. I firmly believe that if we adopt a proper Christian approach to Christmas then we will be happier, less out of pocket and will also not experience a sense of anti-climax on December 26th.

Today we have been told to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming – coming at a time we do not expect. So at this start of Advent our thoughts are clearly drawn away from the birth of Jesus. We have to think about our destiny and this helps to put Jesus’ birth into a proper context. Advent is a time for us to prepare for the day when we will fully understand what our destiny is, on what sacred scripture calls the Day of the Lord. When that Day comes we shall see and know the full meaning of our faith in Jesus Christ. But how are we to prepare for something that is not only in the future but seems so remote from us? During Advent it is important to recapture the truth that our God is Emmanuel – a name which means – God is with us. He is with us now for our future. We celebrate His human birth because it means He is with us as one like us.

It may help at this time to reflect on Mary. Think of her, over 2000 years ago, coming to the end of her pregnancy, preparing to show the world it’s Saviour. But remember that Mary’s Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit comes to birth in us, is incarnated in us. Thus the world sees its Saviour once again because of our faith. Through us He is seen praying, caring for the sick and helpless, being a good wife and husband, a loving mother and father, being an honest person going about their everyday work, or someone accompanying the suffering and the dying. So the question is ‘does Christ come to birth in us?’ Or do we terminate His life in us by our selfishness? Let us be alert, not made spiritually sleepy by the ways of this world, being open to the divine life which is with us, our Lord Emmanuel. Now that is something worth celebrating on more than one day!

Christ the King – 2025

1 December 2025in /by

23rd November 2025 – 

All of us make mistakes, indeed we human beings often get things wrong! Our judgement is not that reliable. In fact faulty judgements concerning ourselves and certainly others is actually due to a weakness caused by sin. Certainly we recognise such a state in others if not always in ourselves! All of us are eager to notice and perhaps help others remove their faults without an overwhelming effort to remove flaws and limitations in our own lives! For all humanity’s lack of charity, meanness of spirit and even cruelty, our Creator does not lose patience – what is more, so that we might achieve what He wished for us, He offers forgiveness and reconciliation, and He devised a plan that would make it possible for men and women to share in the life of Divinity – to share His own life of pure justice and truth!

The way that Jesus has marked out means becoming like Him – Jesus leads, we follow. But being sinful means that we do not always keep step with Him. Consider a parent with their child. One minute they are walking hand in hand. The next moment the mother or father pauses and calls to the child to come on for the child has been distracted by something or other. Yet another time the child runs on ahead, and is told to wait as there may be dangers up ahead, perhaps the child is scolded for being reckless, and later of course, being tired, mum or dad may have to carry the child for a while. This in practice, reflects our journey with Jesus. Like a good parent Jesus keeps us close to Him so that we will arrive safely home at journeys end.

The reason that Jesus is so insistent on His Way, is because He knows there is no other that will get us to our intended destiny. He has paid too high a price to be half-hearted in His invitation or indecisive in His demands. Of course we know that Pilate asked Jesus: ‘Are you a King then?’ and He replied: ‘Yes, that is why I came’ (Jn 18:32). But the Kingdom Jesus came to establish is quite different to the kingdom of this world. But to follow Him is to enter into His Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is opposed to the kingdom where the values of this world are worshipped and where the weak and unimportant are expendable, where we can see that Satan is indeed the ‘prince of this world’ (Jn 16:11). However, the Kingdom of God is with us now – it is wherever Jesus is, particularly, and according to His own words, it is present in the least – in the hungry, the homeless, the sick. Wherever the true dignity of the human being is recognised – where every stage of life is valued and life is seen as a great and wonderful gift – where there is compassion and mercy, where men and women strive for justice and truth, then the Kingdom of God is clearly present.

The Christian vocation, the vocation of all the baptised, is to proclaim the Kingdom of God. It is a priestly vocation, for it draws men and women to the Divine Life, it is a prophetic vocation for it speaks the Truth in opposition to the values and power of this world, it is a royal vocation for it seeks to establish the rule and dominion of love. Our King has summoned us to share in this priestly, prophetic and royal vocation, to be His Body – to give Him our feet, our hands, our tongues that all may see and desire to be part of His everlasting Kingdom, and hear from Him: ‘Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.’

Remembrance Sunday – 2025

1 December 2025in /by

9th November 2025 – 

Thankfully most of us do not experience actual warfare. Of course we see it in pictures and films, or read about it in the various forms of media or in books. Yet, today is still tremendously important whether we have actual experience of war or not. However, we remember today not only the two world wars, but also the other conflicts that have gone on around the world in which our armed forces have been involved. We also remember all those others who against their will were, and continue to be, caught up in the cruel and devastating violence of war. Remembrance must be all-embracing and far-reaching.

All of us are the sum of our memories. Our identity is shaped by our memories and past experiences. Some will have memories of active service in the armed forces. Some will have memories of those who were loved and lost. Some remember stories of relatives and friends living through the bombing of our towns and cities in Word War II. Some will remember when no-where on mainland Britain was safe from IRA bombs. And we all know the closeness of the current Islamicist terrorist guns and bombs or the threat of any crazed ideological group. Today we cannot hide from what we might have chosen to pass over at other times.

It is easy to romanticise memories of war. Some films are humorous about what was devastating. Dad’s Army makes everything look funny and almost something that we would have wanted to be a part of. The arial bombardment of the Second World War can make us think of camaraderie and singing songs deep in shelters or on London Underground platforms. In that way Dame Vera Lynne still sings. We might even dare to think people enjoyed it. Of course, it wasn’t like that. It was the horrors of the destruction of countless ordinary people’s homes and the destruction of great civic and ecclesiastical buildings. For those of us who never lived through such horrors it is almost impossible to imagine what it must have been like to emerge from air raid shelters and find whole streets destroyed – perhaps even one’s own home.

This day does not glorify war, or, heaven forbid, aim to defend in any way the cruelty and the agony of warfare and terrorism. We are not here to label all wartime deaths as a sacrifice, for sacrifice suggests a degree of choice that was not present for many serving in the armed forces. We are here to remember all those people, of whatever country, who have died in the pursuit of freedom, justice and goodness. We are here to give thanks to God for this cause. We are here to acknowledge publicly and before God that countless people have given their lives for us, for our freedom and for others and their freedom, freedom to live, speak and think according to conscience and under our agreed laws.

We are always hopeful that there will be no more war. But we are not free from war and the pain of war. Our purpose today is to acknowledge that and to pray for peace. It would be a mistake for us to think that remembrance is simply about the past, about what has happened. Our remembrance is something that we make present here and now as we realise the significance for each of us. Today we acknowledge love laying down its life for others and we recognise that there is no greater love than to offer one’s life for another. Today we acknowledge our need for God’s grace, for alone and unaided we cannot bring about true peace, or justice that is merciful, or happiness that will last.

Corpus Christi – 2025

23 June 2025in /by

22nd June 2025 – 

Last Sunday was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. God has revealed Himself as the living, loving God through the unfolding of the revelation of the three persons of the Trinity. For each one of us however Jesus Christ, is the one person of the Trinity we will focus on most. He was a human being – and yet by what he did we have come to know that he is Divine as well. Saint John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. In the Creed we say that the Lord Jesus Christ, God from God and Light from Light, for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and by the power of the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

Like every event the birth of Jesus was an moment in history and it has a time and place. It was when Augustus was Emperor in Rome. The place was the town called Bethlehem. While there Mary gave birth to a son and laid him in a manger. Shepherds came and glorified and praised God for all they heard and saw. Wise men came, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they worshiped him. Every year we see a depiction of that scene in our churches. We see the manger and the baby Jesus. Because of what Jesus did, namely his resurrection, the Christian faith teaches that in the manger in Bethlehem, present in the material of this world, lay the Divine Word as a little baby.

The Divine Word, with the Holy Spirit and some material of this world, are the three components that make the Incarnation possible, this is what we celebrate at Christmas every year. These three components are present in every Mass. The material of this world is bread and wine, the Holy Spirit is present through the priest and the Divine Word is made really present on the altar. We eat the consecrated bread and drink the consecrated wine and as St Augustine said “if we eat worthily we become what we eat” Sermons, [227]. Thus by what happens at the altar and by our Holy Communion, Jesus the Word, actually continues to have human flesh and human blood in every age. We become by the power of the Holy Spirit what Christ is by nature. And to paraphrase St Athanasius, God became flesh and blood so that our flesh and blood may be raised up to Divinity. (De Inc 54.3) God wants us to share His life, the Divine Life of the Trinity, and we have this real life by being united with Jesus, by being one with him.

For the past two thousand years since the birth of the Church Catholics have risked their lives just to be at Mass. Extraordinary Cathedrals and churches have been built because of what happens inside those buildings at Holy Mass. Today, millions throughout the world will bear witness in Corpus Christi celebrations carrying the Body of Christ out of the church buildings. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament is profoundly symbolic for it reminds us when we come to worship at Holy Mass that we take Christ with us wherever we go. Christ is always our food for the journey, He is with us always!

Feast of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity – 2025

16 June 2025in /by

15th June 2025 – 

Orthodox Catholic Christians believe that the Trinity and the Incarnation are of greatest importance for understanding who God is and who we are. But if we find it difficult to understand God, it is, of course, equally difficult to fully understand another person. How do we come to some sort of understanding of other human beings? Surely it is through ties of friendship and love. Now Saint John tells us God is love, therefore the key to understanding God is a loving friendship with him. Such a relationship is the basis of faith. Of course we have to have an idea of what love is in the way that God is love. Through Jesus Christ such an idea is communicated to us. This Divine Idea is created anew in each human being. We know of its presence because it drives every human being to seek what is good. Sadly when that urge turns in on itself we identify it as selfishness and sometime as evil. This leads us away from the goodness of God and so damages our relationships, whether human or divine.

Our journey to our proper fulfilment as human beings relies on faith in the Most Blessed Trinity and in the belief that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. We need the action of God’s power to change us and raise us up in Christ. It is not possible to do this by human means alone. This action of God is his free gift of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus we see the perfect revelation of God’s love. By being united with Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we come to a share in the Divine Life of God our Father. The revelation of the Trinity allows us to grasp the wonder of our destiny. It allows us to see, through Jesus of Nazareth, true God and true man, the nature of divinity as love. Through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit we are able to grow in that sacrificial love revealed by Jesus Christ on the cross and be clothed in the mantle of divinity ourselves.

Where does our belief in the Trinity come from? Saint Augustine firmly places our Christian belief in the Trinity in the scriptures. What we find in the New Testament is the expression of the faith of the writers who were responding to the experience of Divine Revelation. That is why our faith rests on the faith of the Apostles and that is why the Catholic Church, the body of faithful Christians that can trace an historic line back to first disciples, is termed an Apostolic Church. Through the faith of the early Church we come to know that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit by the unfolding of this truth in the events presented to us in the pages of the Bible. Our faith is rooted in the experience represented by events, visible realities in time and space, which the Scriptures record. If we love God we presumably wish to know Him better. God, our faith declares is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This then is what we desire to know better if we genuinely desire to know God better.

The offer Christianity makes is that we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are being made sons and daughters of God, heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, sharing His suffering so as to share His glory. For Jesus, the Divine Word made visible, became what we are in order to make us what He is Himself, and so enable us to be sharers in the Divine Life of the Trinity!