Message of Abbot Paul - Monday 19th June 2023
Abbot Paul • June 18, 2023
Today the Church remembers St Romuald, the 10th & 11th century Italian Benedictine, who founded one of the first break away monastic orders based on the Rule of St Benedict. He was born in Ravenna in the year 951 and died at Val di Castro, near Fabriano, on this day in the year 1027. He founded monasteries with an eremitical lifestyle in many places, the most important of which was at Camaldoli, not far from Arezzo in Tuscany. His reformed family of monks and nuns became known as the Camaldolese and they exist to this day, one of the loveliest expressions of the Benedictine vocation, combining both the coenobitic and the eremitical forms of life.
​We continue reading Matthew and we are still in the Sermon on the Mount, (Mt 5: 38-42). Speaking with his disciples, Jesus is reviewing commandments and famous sayings from the Old Testament. “You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.” For Jesus, life is all about generosity and self-giving, exemplified in the sacrifice of the cross, which takes its origin from the Incarnation, where the Son of God emptied himself taking on the condition of a suffering servant. Here he gives several practical examples of self-giving, expressing the desire that his disciples should behave in the same way as their master. Lord, make us generous and non-judgemental, giving without counting the cost, turning no one away from our door or from our heart.
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.
