Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 11th August 2023
Abbot Paul • August 10, 2023
Message from Fr Paul for Friday, 11th August 2023
Today we keep the feast of St Clare of Assisi, close friend and collaborator of St Francis. She loved and admired Francis and very much wanted to follow the friars’ mendicant way of life, but that was impossible for a woman at the time. So, she and her companions had no alternative but to take the only model of religious life available for women in 13th century Italy, that of Benedictine and Cistercian nuns, yet to make a special charism of poverty and to take Franciscan rather than monastic vows. Nevertheless, the life of the Poor Clares was enclosed and highly regulated by men. However, they observed an inner freedom within the confines of the enclosure and prayed earnestly for the mission of their Franciscan brothers. Clare wrote the Rule of Life for her Order, the first such document to have been written by a woman. She died on this day in1253. The Poor Clares have always remained faithful to their vocation, although the austerity of their rule has been somewhat mitigated. In Herefordshire, we have our own community of Poor Clares, at Much Birch, formerly at Lower Bullingham, now augmented by a community from Nottingham, and Belmont monks have celebrated Mass for them and heard their confessions unfailingly since 1880. Let us pray especially for them today.
There could be no more appropriate Gospel reading for St Clare than the ferial Gospel from Matthew, (Mt 16: 24-28). Jesus is speaking with his disciples and says, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour. I tell you solemnly, there are some of these standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming with his kingdom.”
We ask St Clare to pray for us today and always, that we might be able to fulfil the teaching of Jesus in every aspect of our lives, but most especially to take up our cross every day and follow him, who is the Lord and Guide of his people, Jesus our Saviour.
A homily by Abbot Brendan at a special Easter Mass for Pope Francis, attended by Catholics from across the Deanery.
Pope Francis RIP Pope 2013-2025 Born 1936, Died 2025 We are deeply saddened at the passing of Pope Francis. As the successor of St Peter he has been a spiritual father and shepherd to the church in our day, challenging us, and calling as to reach out to those on the peripheries. He was the first Jesuit Pope, but took the name Francis after the Poor Man of Assisi who modelled for him a closeness to the poor, a concern for those on the margins of society and a care for all of creation In his preaching Pope Francis always spoke of the joy of the Gospel and encouraged us to reflect the joy of our faith in our lives. He showed the compassion of Jesus to everyone. He worked tirelessly for the unity of the church and travelled even to non-Christian countries promoting a message of peace. He has left a great legacy. With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio with the community over Easter we were able to express our closeness to the Holy Father in his final suffering. There will be a special Mass at Belmont this Thursday 24th April at 11am to pray for Pope Francis as he makes his final journey to the house of the Father. On the day of his funeral, the Office of the Dead will be sung, and Mass that day will be a Requiem. May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs receive him at his arrival and lead him to the holy city Jerusalem. May choirs of angels receive him and with Lazarus, the poor man grant him eternal rest." (The In Paradisum, words from the Funeral Liturgy)
We were were honoured and delighted to be joined by the Apostolic Nuncio to celebrate Easter. His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía is the representative of the Holy See in Great Britain, and therefore of the Holy Father. His presence on Easter Sunday morning brought us more consciously in communion with Pope Francis, the successor of St Peter, as we heard the Gospel story of Peter running to the tomb. His patron saint is St Michael, so afterwards, at a festive lunch we were able to present him with some Belmont cufflinks with the monastery coat of arms - very similar to his as Archbishop. We were able to pray for him and his work in this country.
