Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 13th May
Abbot Paul • May 12, 2022
Message from Fr Paul for Friday, 13th May 2022
Yesterday’s message was written before the May Procession began. In the event, it was absolutely wonderful and we were all surprised to see so many pilgrims. It was great meeting old friends and encouraging to see so many new faces. I loved the way the new procession route snaked around the monastery garden, creating a maze of prayer and praise. It was such a happy, positive occasion, especially welcome at this present moment when there’s so much bad news around. We pray for peace, that Our Lady of Peace will instil a desire for peace in the hearts of men and women all over the world and we pray earnestly for peace in Ukraine. Today, 13th May, we keep the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. We ask her intercession.
Our Gospel reading again comes from John, (Jn 14: 1-6), and is one of my favourite passages in the whole of Scripture. Here it is.
“Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’
Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said:
‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’”
At Belmont, we also sing this as a canticle at Vespers on Wednesdays and it’s a reading we often hear at funerals. Jesus instils peace and calm in our hearts before the presence and nearness of death, which will most surely come to us all at the appointed time. There is no need for fear, as God it with us, Jesus is there in death to hold our hand as we pass over to the next and greater life. Jesus wants us to be with him for ever and in him we will be with each other in peace and joy for all eternity. These are not empty words to alley our fears, but what Jesus has promised us and we truly believe. By following Jesus, our Way, our Truth and our Life, eternity does not begin after death but right now, for we have but one life that will blossom without fading from the bud that’s just beginning to open in this world. It’s a good day to thank God for the gift of life and the gift of death. St Francis of Assisi calls death our Mother; what a lovely thought that it, and we are her children.
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.
