Dear Parishioner,
The readings this Sunday speak to us with a clarity that can be both uncomfortable and liberating. The prophet Amos is a prophet of social justice. He lived at a time when the wealthy of Judah and Israel enjoyed a life of ease and luxury yet were blind to the warning signs around them. Their nation was on the verge of collapse and under the shadow of the Assyrian Empire. Amos challenged them; by ignoring the poor and thinking only for themselves, they were undermining the very foundations of their community. Their wealth had become not a gift to share but a wall that cut them off from their brothers and sisters.
The Gospel continues this theme in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man enjoys a life of comfort, blind to the suffering on his doorstep. Lazarus, poor and hungry, longed for even the scraps from the table. What condemns the rich man is not his wealth, but his indifference. His sin was not active cruelty, but a lack of care. He simply did not notice; or perhaps he chose not to notice.
This parable reminds us that faith is not lived in isolation. We cannot separate love of God from love of neighbour. Every time we open our eyes to the needs of those around us whether in our family, our parish, or our wider society, we choose the path of life. Every time we close our eyes and hearts, we risk the blindness of the rich man.
In many ways, the ordination of Brother Bede this weekend offers us a living contrast to that blindness. On Saturday, with great joy, we will celebrate the ordination of Br Bede to the priesthood here in the Abbey Church. For several years Br Bede has been preparing, praying, listening, and studying what it means to be a disciple who serves others. Ordination is not a reward, nor a privilege, but a calling to live for others, to notice the Lazarus at the gate, to offer God’s love where it is most needed.
Please keep Br Bede in your prayers. As we celebrate his ordination, let us pray not only for him, but for one another, that our parish community may be a place where no one is invisible, where the poor and the struggling find welcome, and where together we build the Kingdom of God. May the Spirit who consecrates Br Bede also renew in us the courage to live our faith with open eyes and open hearts.
Yours in Christ,
Deacon Ian
