Message of Abbot Paul - Friday - 22nd March 2024
Abbot Paul • March 21, 2024
When I was young, I often spent Holy Week and Easter with my grandmother in Italy. That was when school holidays coincided with Holy Week and Easter Week. I remember that today, the Friday before Palm Sunday, was the traditional day for celebrating Our Lady of Sorrows, the Addolorata. I loved following the procession through the streets of Perugia late into the night. This was when Holy Week really began, with the first great procession. Then, when Fr Luke, Fr David and I went out to Peru in 1981, we discovered that they had exactly the same traditions there for La Dolorosa and that tonight’s Mass and procession, followed by the whole town and lasting all night long, marked the beginning of ten days of endless processions and celebrations. Holy Week came to life. How I loved it all.
​In today’s Gospel passage from John, (Jn 10: 31-42), the crowds want to stone Jesus for blasphemy. “The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’” This is the charge, that he is only a man, yet claims to be God. Jesus reminds them of the words of the psalmist and tells them that scripture cannot be rejected. He goes on to say,
​​“You say to someone the Father has consecrated
and sent into the world,
‘You are blaspheming,’
because he says, ‘I am the son of God.’
If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’”
Jesus’ proof that he is the son of God, sent into this world, are the works he does, which are the works of God his Father. Even if you don’t want to believe in me, believe at least in the works I do and which you see with your own eyes, he tells them. From my works alone you can see that, “the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Whereas the religious leaders want to arrest him and have him put to death for blasphemy, the people see things differently. “He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.” They see in Jesus the words of John the Baptist fulfilled. They recognise him to be the Messiah, the Son of God.
​Lord, may the celebration of Holy Week strengthen our faith and fill us with grace to do our Father’s will and so continue the works you began while on earth. Amen.
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.
