Message of Abbot Paul - Friday - 19th April 2024
Abbot Paul • April 19, 2024
I apologise for the brevity of today’s message, but I know you will understand. The journey door to door, including long car rides both ends, waiting at airports and changing planes in Paris, takes around 24 hours, so I spent part of Thursday resting, reading, chatting with the brethren, as well as meeting with the officials of the television company that’s going to film the Profession of Br Miguel this coming Tuesday. Then there were emails and messages from home, some urgent, some not, and a long conversation with my mother on FaceTime. It was also a great joy to speak with a dear friend just before lunch. It’s really warm here still, as it’s coming to the end of Summer, so sleep is easiest just lying on top of the bed. In England the days are lengthening, but here near Lima it remains roughly 12 hours of day and 12 of night.
Our Gospel today continues with the Discourse on the Bread of Life, (Jn 6: 33-39). His hearers begin to argue amongst themselves about what Jesus has just said. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” To this Jesus replies, “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” His words are clear, indeed as clear as can be, and he is not speaking figuratively. He says what he means and he means what he says. He goes onto say, “Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.” So our resurrection on the last day is dependent on our eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He emphasises this point by saying, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in him.” So again, we can only live in Christ and he live in us if we eat and drink his flesh and blood. He goes on to say that this is the way in which we draw life from him, as he draws life from the Father. Those who ate manna in the desert died, but those who eat of this bread, feed on him and draw life from him. They will live for ever, as he lives for ever in the Father. Eternal life, then, is bound up with feeding on Christ, the Bread of Life.
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.
