Fr Hugh's Golden Jubilee at St. Mary's

Fr. Hugh, who celebrated his Golden Jubilee with Abbot Raymond, was invited to mark the happy occasion at St. Mary's, Haddington, where he helped when our local PP, Canon J. Friel, was on vacation. In his Homily (below) he speaks of his first leanings to the monastic life when he was an Anglican. His strong preaching voice still resonates with Anglican the clergyman delivery that was familiar to him from boyhood. A good Military Chaplain helped him and other young soldiers aspiring to the ministry during his National Service. While posted in Singapore he happened to visit the Catholic Cathedral. Nothing impressed him so much as the very poor people coming in and spending time in prayer in the Church. It led eventually his becoming a Catholic, and later, his being directed to the monastic life at Prinknash Abbey and subsequently entering Nunraw. Early on among his tasks in the monastery, he acquired considerable skill as the monastic tailor and continues to make the monastic garments. This very practical accomplishment was to be very helpful in the new Foundation when he spent several stints in Nigeria, 2001-2006.

Fr. Hugh Randolph – Golden Jubilee of Priesthood
Anniversary Mass in Haddington.

In thinking of the priesthood we should think first of all of Christ's Priesthood. There is only one priest, one mediator in the Christian Faith as Pastor Glass of happy memory reminded us once at the Haddington Pilgrimage. He was quite correct but he failed to see that it is the whole Christ who is involved; Christ the head and the entire Mystical Body in a secondary and dependent way – the Royal Priesthood. The good news about the Gospel is that Christ came not just to give his life for us but to give his life to us. ‘I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly’. A priest is a bridge-maker, a mediator and it is only Christ who could achieve this since he alone is truly God and truly man. God the Father loves the Son with an infinite love and ourselves as members of the Son. Jesus returns this love in eternally representing but never repeating the sacrifice of Calvary. We are joined to that. Every prayer in the liturgy concludes with the words ‘Through Jesus Christ Our Lord’. The fullest expression of this is to be found in the doxology of every Eucharistic Prayer: ‘Through Him, in Him , with Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours Almighty Father for ever and ever’.

Every Christian is called to the highest holiness; all of us are called to share in Christ priesthood by virtue of our baptism and confirmation: 'You are a priestly people a people set apart', - all of us by our prayers, especially at Holy Mass. We proclaim the good news, usually in a quiet but very effective way by the quality of our lives. The faith and the whole Christian life-style is a gift of God's love.

Most of us experience love in the bosom of our family homes. We experience love from our parents and this is our first encounter with a God who is love. We are first told about Jesus from our parents and shown how to pray. This is surely something to be thankful for on this Mothers' Sunday.

The ordained Priesthood - no need to stress the great need to stress the, shortage at .the present time -exists to serve the priesthood of all believers, the royal priesthood.

I have been asked to say what it means to be a priest in a contemplative community. I was prepared for Anglican Confirmation when I was about 14 years of age. I was a bit of a rebel in those days and I disliked the High Church’s rather Romish ideas the Anglican Clergyman was putting across, but there was one point he made which impressed me very much at the time and for which I have always been profoundly grateful. 'A Monastery is a house of prayer, we may not be able to understand this but its efficacy is very great' That was the beginning of my monastic vocation. It is within this context that a monk priest exercises his ministry. To provide the sacraments for his brethren, to give pastoral help to guests and visitors and in, a very limited way to do supply in a local parish. Our doing this here in Haddington has surely been a boon for both of us. Our very happy relationship and mutual support is something which I give thanks for today.

Over the years I have formed certain convictions about pastoral service as a result of one to one contact which I might be allowed to share with you.

The first is that the demands and challenges of the vocation to Christian marriage is very frequently more difficult than the monastic life.
Secondly, people who go seriously off the rails and then come back often end up very close to God. You cannot serve other people unless you love them and God loves them however much they have transgressed. It can be very stimulating to have contact with such people because you see how the grace of God works in peoples lives,

Finally, the role of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord said 'When you stand before Kings and Governors do not plan your defence beforehand, because in that day what you should say will be told you’. We don’t stand before Kings and Governors but have to try and help people in all sorts of difficult cases. It is hopeless to think you know all the answers. One knows the principles but how to express them in different circumstances, this is a delicate matter. A Priest is called to be an instrument of Christ's love, his truth and his joy. It is good to pray to the Holy Spirit before pastoral activity, confession etc: this is something which is available to us

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