Message of Abbot Paul - Friday - 5th January 2024
Abbot Paul • January 5, 2024
We have all been horrified by news reports of flooding in many parts of the British Isles due to the recent stormy weather bringing torrential rain. Much of Herefordshire has been inaccessible and, driving to Leominster yesterday morning, it was shocking to see the number of abandoned cars in deep pools of muddy water. Roads were like islands crossing wide expanses of ocean. Of course, the county is cross-crossed by many rivers and streams that overflow naturally into fields and onto low-lying roads. Fortunately, we are due for a week or more of cold, sunny weather, the kind of British Winter weather I like most.
In yesterday’s Gospel passage we heard how Andrew was the first of the disciples to meet Jesus and to be called by him. Andrew returned from his encounter with Jesus, convinced that he had met with the Messiah. So convinced was he, that next morning he took his brother Simon Peter along to meet Jesus, who changed his name to Cephas, meaning Rock, the rock on which the Church would be built. Today our story of the calling of the Apostles continues in our reading from John, (Jn 1: 43-51), with that of Philip. “After Jesus had decided to leave for Galilee, he met Philip and said, ‘Follow me.’ Philip came from the same town, Bethsaida, as Andrew and Peter.” Philip must have been a friend of theirs and another disciple of John the Baptist. Like Andrew, Philip cannot keep the good news to himself. “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one about whom the prophets wrote: he is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.’” Nathanael is astounded. Can anything good come out of that place? Philip replies using the very words Jesus had said to Andrew the previous afternoon, “Come and see.” And that is exactly what Nathanael sets out to do. Philip, like Andrew, has taken someone to Jesus. He has shared his faith with joyful enthusiasm. Why can I not do the same? Lord, show me how to share my faith with others, how I can bring them to know and love you.
Jesus, however, already knows each person individually, loves them and longs for their conversion and eternal happiness. In fact, he goes out to meet them on the road of life. In the case of Nathanael, Jesus is there on the roadside waiting to meet him and he engages him in conversation. Nathanael is surprised and says, “How do you know me?” “Even before Philip came to call you, I saw you under the fig tree,” replies Jesus rather unconventionally. In John’s Gospel, as you know, the verb to see also means to know and to understand, even to love in a profound way. Jesus sees all those who long to know him, even without realising that this is what they want. Jesus promises Nathanael that he will “see heaven laid open and, above the Son of Man, the angels of God ascending and descending.” This because Nathanael had declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the King of Israel.” Just consider the effect our bringing someone to Christ would have on their lives. Lord, help us not to be afraid to share our faith with others. Amen.
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.
