Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 21st April 2023
Abbot Paul • April 20, 2023
It was good to meet up with a group of old school friends yesterday in Cardiff. Because of Covid we hadn’t met for four years, in my case five, as in 2019 I was recovering from pneumonia. A lot of building, huge grey concrete buildings, quite ugly, seem to have gone up in the vicinity of the Central Station since I was last there. Today I shall be travelling back in the same direction with Fr Augustine, as we will be taking part in a safeguarding course for clergy at Miskin, near Llantrisant.
​Today we keep the feast of St Anselm of Canterbury, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, the great Benedictine philosopher and theologian, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 until this date in 1109. He was one of the greatest thinkers the Catholic Church has ever produced and we are blessed to have had him as a bishop in England.
​Today’s Gospel takes us to the 6th chapter of John, the multiplication of the loaves and fish, (Jn 6: 1-15), the great sign that will lead Jesus on the deliver the Discourse on the Bread of Life. “Jesus went off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee – or of Tiberias – and a large crowd followed him, impressed by the signs he gave by curing the sick. Jesus climbed the hillside, and sat down there with his disciples. It was shortly before the Jewish feast of Passover.” Jesus, like a new Moses, teaches his disciples and the crowds that follow them on a hillside and, like Moses, he will feed his people, though not with manna, but with bread and fish, that will come to symbolise his own body and blood. In John’s version of this miraculous feeding there is the participation of specific disciples: Philip and Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Present, too, is the small boy with five barley loaves and two fish. He is the only person to come forward with food to feed the five thousand. I wonder what his name was? With the simple act of giving thanks, Jesus is able to feed all those present from the five loaves and two fish. Not only that, but twelve hampers are filled with the leftover scraps. So miraculous is the feeding that the account reads like a parable, hence a sign that points to the deeper meaning of the miracle, that Jesus will feed all those who come to him in faith and surrendering their will to God with the Bread of Life that will enable them to live for all eternity.
​Here is John’s text of the feeding of the five thousand: “Looking up, Jesus saw the crowds approaching and said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy some bread for these people to eat?’ He only said this to test Philip; he himself knew exactly what he was going to do. Philip answered, ‘Two hundred denarii would only buy enough to give them a small piece each.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, ‘There is a small boy here with five barley loaves and two fish; but what is that between so many?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Make the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass there, and as many as five thousand men sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all who were sitting ready; he then did the same with the fish, giving out as much as was wanted. When they had eaten enough, he said to the disciples, ‘Pick up the pieces left over, so that nothing gets wasted.’ So, they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. The people, seeing this sign that he had given, said, ‘This really is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, who could see they were about to come and take him by force and make him king, escaped back to the hills by himself.”
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB Bishop Mark died peacefully last night. He served this community well for many years, not least Abbot of the Community and before that Headmaster of the School. He was then asked to serve the wider church as Bishop of Menevia. May he know eternal happiness with God whom he served. Please pray for the eternal happiness of Rt. Rev. Dom Mark Jabalé 10th Bishop of Menevia 10th Abbot of Belmont who died 9th May 2025 in the 92nd year of his age, the 73rd year of his monastic life and the 67th year of his priesthood. May he rest in peace
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.
