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Today’s second reading gave us some verses from Romans Chapter 5. Romans Chapter 5 is one of those texts people build their lives on. This is a passage with an inbuilt potential really to hit you between the eyes. Paul’s message is so thrilling that if you would only allow its impact to sink in, you’d be dancing about and singing.
I’ve recently read a book called “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist”. The author is an American scholar called Brant Petre: you’ve maybe heard of him? This book stands on Petre’s study not only of our Scriptures, but also of the tradition of Jewish Rabbinical exegesis and commentary.
Acts 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13; John 20:19-23
Fr. Prior Simon
We know about the humility of God's only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Over the past six months the Liturgy has been teaching us about his self-emptying: how he took flesh from the Virgin Mary; how “he learned obedience through what he suffered”; how he died and was buried, then descended into the lower parts of the earth, for our sake and for our salvation.
Our annual Pentecost lectures began in 1994 at the initiative of Abbot Hugh. They have continued ever since, in the same format, on the Tuesday to Thursday after Pentecost, with the exception of one year when they had to be cancelled because of the covid lock-down.
Early on the first day of the week, the women who had followed Jesus from Galilee all the way to Jerusalem, went to the tomb, “but they did not find the body of the Lord”. And “while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel” and said to them: “why do you seek the living among the dead?
With today’s Gospel we continue reading John Chapter 14, which we started last Sunday. We are preparing just now for the Ascension and Pentecost, so it’s very appropriate for us to hear Jesus speak at the Last Supper of his imminent departure, and of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Someone recently asked: “How can I get to know Jesus?” I said: “Read the Gospel of St. John, and especially the final discourse of Jesus, given at the Last Supper.”
Over these 5 Chapters, we hear Jesus revealing the secrets of his heart. He speaks of his relationship with his Father; of the meaning of his mission; of the greatness of the Christian vocation; of the activity of the Holy Spirit; of the mystery of the Holy Trinity.
Visitors who know the Abbey will at once be struck by the newly exposed mediaeval foundations on the North side of our Nave.
Previously these were all but buried under rubble, and bushes, and grass.
There were chickens at Pluscarden in the early days, together with geese and pigs, not to mention bees. But for over 50 years now, the Pluscarden Community has been chicken-less.
We speak of the “Paschal Mystery”: that is, the mystery of Christ’s saving death and resurrection; his passing over from death to life; his passage from defeat to victory; from humiliation to glory; from this world to the Father.