A Homily for the Second Sunday after Easter

+ The feast of St Athanasius which fell on May 2nd last week, offers an opportunity to examine the importance of his example in the life of the Church today.

As bishop of Alexandria, he played an unparalleled role in holding true to the truth of the Divinity of Christ against all that could be thrown against him by heretical powers both temporal and ecclesiastical. He was sent out of his See five times into exile, supporting the faithful of the locality of his exile and taking time among the monks of the Egyptian desert to refocus his attention on the one thing necessary: Christ. With the change of political leaders, he was recalled and restored to his See where he unfailingly taught his flock who Christ is, and that this an objective reality, a truth that is in no sense dependent of what anybody’s personal opinion is.

He knew exactly what it was that Christ meant by saying that “I know my sheep and my sheep know me,” for anybody who is truly of God will recognise His voice despite all the surrounding noise, and would follow Christ in spite of all attempts to eliminate the teaching of the truth. This is precisely why St Athanasius was driven from Alexandria so often: he was not afraid to preach Christ Crucified and he accepted the personal challenges and consequences that this meant in those times for anyone who would follow Christ faithfully.

Can it not be claimed, however, that St Athanasius fled, abandoning his flock whilst accepting exile from his See? In his discussion of such a question, St Augustine recognises that there are times when the Gospel and Apostolic teaching is clear that Christ’s minister must flee, whereas on other occasions he should stay and accept the martyrdom promised by the potentates of this world. In observing this this St Augustine lays down the practical guidelines for when to flee, and when to stay, teaching that if the persecution is directed at the individual, the individual may flee and leave the care of the flock to others, whereas if fleeing would harm the flock in his care, the shepherd must remain regardless of the consequences.

On this second Sunday after Easter 2025 the Church is united in prayer that Almighty God will, through the deliberation of the College of Cardinals, grant to her a strong and faithful shepherd who shall not fear the wolves of our times—be they dressed as persons, policies or ideologies—and turn out to be a mere hireling who, like so many of us at times, lacks that true humility which acknowledges that we are all subject to the Truth revealed by Christ and shall be judged accordingly.
Rather, we pray for a Chief Shepherd of the Church who stands firmly in the light of the Resurrected Christ, proclaiming Him to be the Way, the Truth and the Life, the unique Saviour for all human persons of every race and time in history. For it is all too easy, even for successors of the Apostles, to flee from the demands of the Truth of Christ in the face of a world rent by relativism, syncretism and individualism.

My brothers and sisters, the College of Cardinals and Rome may seem a very long way away and we may feel powerless in respect of their deliberations and of the outcome of the coming Conclave. However, in God’s grace our prayers and sacrifices in the coming days for this most important moment in the life of the Church shall not be wasted. Even were the worst possible candidate to be elected and a formal schism in the Church ensue—which God forbid!—our spiritual and ascetical offerings for the Conclave will fortify us and bring the graces necessary to persevere even in truly historically extraordinary times—with Saint Athanasius as our patron and guide.

But God is merciful, and we may always hope and pray for a furher outpouring of his mercy—and that is our task in the coming days. Be that by assisting at Holy Mass or the Divine Office, or through prayer and fasting individually according to our particular circumstances, we must make an extra effort. The good of our souls, of the souls of others, and of the Church and her salvific mission in the world depends on it.

On Wednesday 7 May the Conventual Mass at 09h00 will be sung Pro eligendo Summo Pontifice in the monastery church. And beginning on the same day and continuing each day of the Conclave, at 12h00 the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed before the singing of the Office of Sext which will be followed by a period of adoration, concluding with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 13h00. You are warmly invited to join us if possible. So too, these days shall also be days of fasting for the monastic community.
 
As we offer ourselves anew this morning in this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, let us be confident that if we are faithful, as was Saint Athanasius even in adversity that lasted several decades, the Lord will support and console us and use our sufferings for His Providential purposes. For one who is deeply rooted in the Truth of Christ, even if his shepherd proves to be a hireling and flees the wolves, cannot be lost. +