Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 22nd December 2023
Abbot Paul • December 21, 2023
First of all, please could I let anyone who might be thinking of coming to Vespers this evening, that today we will be singing Vespers at 5.00pm and not at 6.00pm. This is because a number of the brethren will be going to the Carol Service at Hereford Cathedral.
Our Gospel reading today is that wonderful song of Mary, the Magnificat, the continuation of yesterday’s passage, the Visitation. It’s always attributed to Mary, but could equally have been sung by Elizabeth. It was taken up by Christians at a very early date and incorporated into the daily worship of the Church, usually at Vespers or Evening Prayer, in the Eastern Churches during Mattins. It is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving that all those who have experienced the love and mercy of God can sing with fervour and devotion.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
For the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.”
If we look closely, we can see that it’s based on Hannah’s hymn of praise in the Book of Samuel. The Bible is full of great women. The greatness of the Lord is compared with the humility and lowliness of Mary, but God is merciful, he has done great things for her and, in her, for the whole of creation. The holiness of God can be seen in his mercy, his loving kindness to those who love and fear him in every generation.
“He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.”
God’s holiness is also seen in his justice and in his love and protection of the poor. He exalts the lowly and fills the hungry with good things. Above all, God is merciful and, through Mary, he has brought salvation for his people, all those who are his sons and daughters. “Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.” Mary assisted Elizabeth and was present at the birth of John. She then returned home to prepare for the birth of her own child, Jesus. Today we pray for all expectant mothers and remember especially children who are unwanted and those who never come to see the light of day. May they be the first to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
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.
