Message of Abbot Paul - Friday 7th July 2023
Abbot Paul • July 6, 2023
It’s been a blessing to have cooler weather for a few days. One of the effects of the protracted hot and sunny weather has been to make our roses and other flowers bigger, yet at the same time to fade them. Our Belmont roses are actually a different colour this year, much lighter but appearing to be burnt at the edges. Even so, we’ve had a magnificent display and it continues to the present day. I wonder what lies ahead and whether we’ll get another hot spell.
​Our Gospel passage from Matthew today recounts the call of Matthew, (Mt 9: 9-13). Rather like the call of the fishermen, the call of the tax collector is as radical as it’s brief. “As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.”
Did Jesus already know Matthew? Did Matthew know Jesus? We will soon discover in Matthew’s house, why it is that Jesus called him: to be an example to others, for Jesus came, “not to call the virtuous, but sinners.” This very fact filled others then, as it does us now, with thankfulness and rejoicing, that Jesus should call sinners such as you and me. After his call, a dinner was offered at Matthew’s house. “While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’” The story is well known to us all: Jesus is surrounded by tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees see this and complain to the disciples, Jesus hears this and replies, quoting the words of the prophet Hosea, “What I want is mercy not sacrifice,”(Ho 6:6). Jesus takes this a stage further by stating categorically that he has come to call sinners to repentance and new life, for the virtuous have no need for God and can look after themselves, which is precisely what the Pharisees were doing. Lord, we thank you for calling us to salvation, although we are sinners. 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.
