Chapter Sermon 12 Aug 07

Abbot Raymond
Sunday 12 August 07. Sermon in Chapter (Summary).
The Faith that moves mountains!
Jesus told us that if we have faith as small even as a mustard seed we can move mountains.
Was he really serious when he said that, or was he just using an exaggeration to make a point, like he did when he said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven?
Notice that Jesus didn’t say that if we had faith even as small as a mustard seed we would be able to heal the sick, or even raise the dead. If he had said that the main thrust of his lesson would have been lost because many great saints have healed the sick and even raised the dead, but that was because they had great faith. No, I don’t think Jesus is talking about that kind of faith here. He is talking about what can be done even by the smallest degree of faith.
Then why does he use such an exaggerated example as moving a mountain? Since the dawn of Revelation no one, not even the greatest of saints have ever done such an extraordinary thing as move a mountain. Even Jesus himself never moved a mountain, although he certainly could have. Yet here is Jesus saying that any one of us who has the slightest degree of faith can move a mountain.
The reason Jesus uses this apparent exaggeration is because it is a hidden symbol of a truth which is so great that, far from being an exaggeration, it is in fact a gross understatement. The "mountain" the "Great Mountain" which the faith of any of us can move is of course the mountain which is "God Himself". We need only turn the gaze of our faith to look upon God and he says "Lo! before you call upon me here I am!". He jumps to it, as it were. God can in no way escape from the gaze of our faith or from the grasp or pull of its hands. In giving us the supernatural powers of Faith and Love and Hope, God has given us real powers over himself that he has no defence against.
As soon as our Faith calls out "Lord" it pulls him down from heaven to our side. It forces him to stand before our gaze, it pulls him into our hearts.
This is what faith, in the most essential sense of the word is. It is not the essential business of faith, as such, to heal the sick or to raise the dead or to work any kind of miracles in this world. The essential nature of faith is to enable us to communicate directly with the very essence of God; to look on him; to touch him; to push him; to pull him; to move him around; to bring him into our lives, into our very hearts.
God bless
Fr Raymond.

Concelebrated Mass.
The Community was joined by Fr. Bernard Finan, SDS (Salvatorian), celebrating the 40th anniversary of his Priestly Ordination.
It was 50 years that Bernard came to Nunraw and worked with the voluntary workers known as the Merton Miners, (Co. Durham), helping to build the new abbey.
His reminiscences and photos of the Workers Camp and of the construction of a new monastery bring back memories of the great voluntary workers who came year after year, and of Fr. Alphonsus and the young Fr. Raymond who acted as Chaplains.

Guest House Tea Room.
The parish of St. Ninian's was well represented by 40 people on their annual visit. St. Ninian & Triduana, Edinburgh, is one of the old parishs (1906,1932) on the east side of Edinburgh..

The new-look tea room came into its own. With the woman's touch, Irene had painted borders and hung curtains. Everything was laid on by the steering group. The party moved to the Abbey for Vespers and Benediction. They were blessed by the good weather.